Hawkeye Reporter

The Iowa Utilities Board is reported to be working toward plans to sanction the creation of a carbon dioxide pipeline that could span as far as 700 miles and run through as many as 30 counties across the state, including Siouxland.

“Just learned about a new proposed pipeline,” Kathy Carter posted on The People for Responsible Ag Tri-County Facebook page Aug. 27. “This is to 'capture' CO2 emissions from ethanol plants. The CO2 will be compacted and transported via pipelines throughout Iowa, MN, NE, SD and ND.”

Summit Carbon Solutions has already filed a request to meet with the board about the Midwest Carbon Express plan which calls for the pipeline to also run through parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota and for the carbon capture and storage project to partner with ethanol plants in five states, SiouxlandProud.com reported.

The project is branded as a hazardous liquid pipeline and oversight is to be handled by the Iowa Code chapter 479B, which requires informational meetings in each county in which real property or property rights would be affected. Guidelines require that meetings be held at least 30 days prior to the company filing a petition for a new pipeline permit, SiouxlandPround.com reported. 

“You know I think the intention is to find a way to store it safely and try to do everything in their power to do so," PIRG Environment Campaigns Director Matt Casale told CBS2Iowa.com. "But there is an inherent risk and I think on a large scale it’s still questionable if you can do it safely.”

Summit Carbon Solutions is on record in asserting its ultimate goal is to reduce the level of emission of greenhouse gasses. The plan further calls for the carbon dioxide to be stored underground in North Dakota, CBS2Iowa.com reported.