North Iowa Landowner Denounces IUB Holding Summit Pipeline Hearing on Election Day
A Texas woman, who owns land in north Iowa in the path of Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed carbon dioxide pipeline, says it’s improper for state regulators to hold part of the company’s evidentiary hearing on Election Day.
Lisa Ritzert of San Antonio owns land in Mitchell County that is affected by an extension of Summit’s project that is not part of what the Iowa Utilities Board is considering in the hearing. Rather than modify its first permit request — which had the potential to delay the process — Summit initiated a new permit request in June for a 31-mile extension in Floyd and Mitchell counties to connect to the Absolute Energy ethanol plant near St. Ansgar.
Because Ritzert’s land is along the extension route subject to Summit’s second permit, the IUB denied her request to participate in the first process as an intervenor, according to board documents.
Summit’s hearing began in August and paused early this month. Due to schedule conflicts, the IUB is unable to resume the hearing until November.
In an order last week, the board said the hearing will resume in Fort Dodge from November 6 to 9 and potentially on November 16 and 17 if Summit has more witnesses to rebut evidence and testimony.
Ritzert said in an Iowa Capital Dispatch story, “To attend or participate in the hearing, persons not residing in the local area of the hearing venue will be traveling away from home voting precincts, some a considerable distance or out-of-state, making voting difficult if not impossible for those citizens on election day.”
The IUB chose not to hold the hearing on November 10 because it is Veterans Day.
