First Iowans, Now Counties Are Being Sued Over Carbon Pipeline

Another lawsuit has been filed around the controversial carbon dioxide pipelines planned to stretch Iowa.  This makes two Iowa counties that have been sued over their local stance on the pipeline.

Back in August, Navigator CO2 Ventures sued four sets of landowners to gain access to their properties in order to survey them. The company had petitions filed for injunctive relief, landowners in Woodbury counties stating they repeatedly refused to grant access to their land and threatened land agents.

Get our free mobile app

Now, Summit Carbon Solutions is suing counties in Iowa over their local efforts to regulate the placement of the pipeline.

According to Reuters, Summit Carbon Solutions filed a complaint on Tuesday, November 15^th saying that the rules passed by Shelby County on November 1^st could stall the segment of the pipeline network.

The rule in question bans hazardous pipelines within 1,000 feet of homes.

And this isn’t the only lawsuit against an Iowa county. On Monday, November 14^th, Summit also filed a lawsuit against Story County. Back on October 25^th, the Story County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that established setbacks and placed requirements on “hazardous materials pipelines” in the county says an article in Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Both of the lawsuits allege that the federal government regulates the safety of pipelines such as Summit’s and that the Iowa Utility Board has the statutory authority to issue route permits.

The Summit Pipeline is one of three proposed in the Midwest and Iowa and if completed, would connect 30 ethanol and fertilizer production facilities across Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska.