Earlier this month, the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors voted to implement new restrictions on the placement of carbon dioxide pipelines to create larger buffers around them.
The county now faces the threat of litigation from Summit Carbon Solutions, who has already filed lawsuits against five other Iowa counties that have enacted similar ordinances.
Franklin County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Chris Vanness, recently spoke with Radio on the Go News about the restrictions the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors put in place and why Franklin County has not done something similar.
*Vanness #1 “…other ordinances right now.” (:32)
“It seems like if we do something, it just turns into an automatic lawsuit from Summit. Our planning and zoning has given us an ordinance, but we still have it on the table. We’re kind of letting things play out and see what is happening with other counties. The one we were given is really strict on distances, so I’m a little interested at Dickinson County and their ordinance, as I read it, is less strict when it comes to distances from homes and cities. Less so than some of the other ordinances right now.”
Vanness says he expects Summit to take action on the restrictions put forth by the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors.
*Vaness #2 “…happens here with the pipeline.” (:22)
“It’ll be interesting if they don’t, then that sets a parameter that those kind of distances they can live with or something. So we’re kind of keeping an eye on all of them at this time. And I have met with some of the other county supervisors this winter and see where everybody’s at. And a lot of it is just Iowa Utility Board could dictate a lot of what happens here with the pipeline.”
Summit’s project is expected to cost more than $8 billion. There’s no deadline for the IUB to make its decision on Summit’s application for a permit to construct and operate a carbon capture pipeline in Iowa.
