Iowans who oppose a pipeline that would collect carbon from Midwest ethanol plants are cheering a development in South Dakota. South Dakota voters rejected a proposal that would have made it harder for South Dakota Counties to regulate the location of carbon pipelines. Ed Fischbach, a South Dakota farmer, says the results were gratifying.
Summit Carbon Solutions wants to build a pipeline across Iowa and four other states to pump carbon emissions from ethanol plants in the region into underground storage in North Dakota. The Iowa Utility Commission has awarded a permit to Summit so it can seize property from unwilling land owners and build the pipeline, but construction cannot start until Summit gets regulators’ approval in the Dakotas. Brian Jorde is an attorney who represents landowners in South Dakota and Iowa who have refused to sign contracts to allow the pipeline on their property. Jorde says the South Dakota vote sends a message.
Summit Carbon Solutions will apply for a permit in South Dakota on November 19th. In a written statement, the company said its focus continues to be on working with landowners and ensuring the long-term viability of ethanol and agriculture in the state. Summit also cites other pipeline projects that it says have successfully navigated South Dakota’s existing regulatory landscape in the past.
