State Rep. Thomson to Testify at IUB/Summit Permit Hearing
State Representative Charley Thomson ( R ) of Charles City has been rescheduled to testify this week during the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) evidentiary hearing for a permit request by Summit Carbon Solutions to build some 680 miles of underground carbon pipeline in Iowa.
Thomson, whose House District 58 includes all of Chickasaw County and most of Floyd County, was originally slated to testify last Tuesday for the Republican Legislative Intervenors for Justice. The group is challenging the safety and legalities of Summit’s pipeline project.
Thomson could not attend proceedings last week due to the death of his father, Bob Thomson, on September 15th. The IUB Witness List Digest currently has Thomson slated to appear this Wednesday.
State Senator Sandy Salmon of Waverly, whose District 29 also includes all of Chickasaw and most of Floyd counties, testified on behalf of the Interveners last week. She expressed frustration that eminent domain legislation didn’t get more play in the senate during this year’s legislative session.
Sections of Summit’s proposed pipeline route would go through both Floyd and Chickasaw counties, as well as Cerro Gordo, Mitchell, Franklin, and Hancock counties in north Iowa.
The IUB has scheduled three more days of hearings for this week (Tue-Wd-Thu) at the Cardiff Event Center in Fort Dodge. The IUB has said it hopes to wrap up proceedings by the end of the month, but with a long list of witnesses still to testify, that seems unlikely.
