Floyd County will join a half-dozen other counties in asking the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) to reconsider its decision granting Summit Carbon Solutions a permit to build an underground carbon pipeline.
During Monday’s (07.08) Board of Supervisors meeting, Chair Mark Kuhn said a conference call with the other counties, also represented by attorney Tim Whipple of Ahlers and Cooney, PC, indicated a desire to let the IUC know of their opposition to the permit, even though it’s not likely to change the outcome.
Kuhn noted there are 11 landowners, plus the Charles City Area Development Corporation, which have rebuked Summit to this point.
Supervisor Jim Jorgensen noted that there are still many Floyd County landowners who have signed with Summit.
Supervisors voted 3-0 to request the IUC reconsider its decision. If unchanged, it opens the door for Summit to use eminent domain to secure the rest of the land needed to build the pipeline from landowners who did not sign voluntary easements.
Sections of Summit’s approved 688-mile mainline route would go through Floyd, Chickasaw, Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Kossuth, Grundy, and Franklin counties. Partner ethanol plants include Homeland Energy Solutions near Lawler and Golden Grain Energy near Mason City.
Summit is also looking to add ethanol plants previously associated with the Navigator CO2 Ventures including Valero Renewables near Charles City and Poet Bioprocessing plants near Shell Rock Fairbank, and Hanlontown. Summit is also adding Absolute Energy near St. Ansgar.
Monday (07.08), the IUC approved the company’s request for permit hearings in Bremer and Fayette counties September 10th, Butler and Floyd counties September 11th, Mitchell and Hancock counties September 12th, and Hancock County September 13th.
