Iowa Pipeline Proposal Sparks Debate Among Farmers And Landowners

By Andi Anderson

A proposed carbon dioxide pipeline project in Iowa is causing debate among farmers, landowners, and industry groups. Summit Carbon Solutions recently announced changes that would remove 400 landowners and 200 miles from its planned route. The project will now pass through Nebraska and store captured carbon in Wyoming.

Despite these changes, many Iowa landowners remain concerned. Some believe the new plan still allows for future expansion and added connections to ethanol plants. Colleen Tucker shared her concerns, stating, “The citizens of Iowa are asking you to uphold the U.S. and Iowa constitutions by denying a private company the extraordinary power of eminent domain for this project.” She added, “You have the authority to stop this and you should use that authority. When landowners are asked to make a permanent decision about their land, fairness demands that the project itself comes with permanent certainty as well.”

Several counties, including Shelby and Pottawattamie, were removed from the route. However, Jann Reinig believes the issue is not resolved. “My county, Shelby County, is one of the eight counties now exempt from the CO2 pipeline route,” she said. She continued, “Well, I wish it was that way, and I had to tell him that it’s not over yet. We landowners have little right to celebrate.”

Reinig and others argue that the project has changed so much that a new permit is necessary. “We should have a hearing to restart the entire CO2 Iowa project,” she said. “It’s completely different. What is presented now is a totally different project than what we had. We need a hearing to discuss a new project with all of its changes from the 2021 original project.”

On the other hand, some farming groups support the pipeline. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said, “For 25 years Iowa has benefited greatly from being the most profitable place in the world to convert corn into ethanol.” They warned that Iowa could fall behind other states if the project is delayed.

Farm leaders also highlighted financial concerns. Steve Kuiper said, “Currently the state of the Iowa farming economy has got some serious financial difficulties ahead.” He added, “we’re on the precipice of possibly a current farm recession.”

Summit Carbon Solutions maintains confidence in the project. CEO Joe Griffin stated, “We continue to see strong support from the majority of landowners and stakeholders across our project footprint.”

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