Summit Lawsuit Against Kossuth County Pipeline Ordinance Could Impact Floyd County
Summit Carbon Solutions has filed a federal lawsuit against Kossuth County for its new ordinance seeking to limit the safety risks associated with a system breach by keeping carbon dioxide pipelines at least two-and-a-half miles away from cities. The ordinance also wants pipelines no closer than a half mile from houses, schools, medical facilities, animal confinements and certain public areas.
Summit argues that federal regulators, not counties, are charged with governing the safety aspects of such pipelines and that the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) approves their routes.
During their regular meeting Monday (01.08), Floyd County Board of Supervisors Chair Mark Kuhn said he was alerted by Tim Whipple with Ahlers and Cooney, the law firm representing Floyd County in Summit permit application proceedings with the IUB, that the lawsuit could impact Floyd County’s ordinance as well.
Kuhn added that the IUB’s ruling on Summit’s carbon pipeline permit application could also alter the future of the County’s ordinance.
No time frame has been established for the IUB to rule on Summit’s permit.
One leg of the carbon pipeline Summit is proposing in Iowa would begin with the Homeland Energy Solutions ethanol plant between Lawler and New Hampton. It would then be built west through Chickasaw, Floyd, Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties and continue towards South Dakota.
