By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – About 30 Minnehaha County landowners attended this week’s county commission meeting to show solidarity and/or speak out against a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline planned to be placed somewhere in the county.
The pipeline being proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions would run from Iowa to North Dakota, and, along the way, would capture CO2 from several different South Dakota ethanol plants.
However, one of the largest ethanol plants in the world, POET of South Dakota is not taking part in this project.
And those who spoke cited this in their opposition of the Summit project.
According to speakers, Summit is trying to get approval from the state’s Public Utilities Commission to declare eminent domain to build their pipeline, which has been a major point of contention.
While the right to declare eminent domain is established in the U.S. Constitution, that power would seem to be reserved for the government, not for private businesses such as Summit.
Rick Bonander of Valley Springs said that capturing carbon credits amounts to a $9 billion operation.
“I am concerned when eminent domain is used for private gain,” he said.
He went on to point out that federal regulations for such a pipeline are very weak, allowing for the pipe to be buried as shallow as 3 feet deep, and that it could be located as near as 50 feet from a residence or “place of gathering.”
He also said that there would be no insurance coverage to protect landowners from a leak, as CO2 can be poisonous to humans and animals.
Bonander said if this were to go through, the company should be required to bury the pipe at least six-feet deep, follow a quarter-mile setback from residences, and be forced to put down a bond to pay for the pipeline’s removal should the company go bankrupt or if the carbon tax credits were reduced or eliminated to the point where the venture would no longer be profitable.
Another Valley Spring resident, town fire chief Don Johnson, spoke about the lack of training local departments had to deal with problems from a leak, and he emphasized this project should not be done until that training was available and paid for.
“All pipelines leak, eventually,” he said.
Several of those who spoke referred to the Dakota Access oil pipeline which was put in starting in 2016.
Peggy Hoogestraat of Chancellor talked about how in 2020, that pipeline was already leaking on her family’s property.
She also brought up the point of an elusive location map, which leaves the exact location of the pipeline’s placement in question.
“Summit is not being transparent with landowners,” Hoogestraat said, “and few landowners feel that they will follow PUC conditions.
“Dakota Access didn’t.”
Joy Hohn of Hartford referred to the fact that crops still had not come back after six years since Dakota Access put down their pipe.
They were told – and paid – for the loss of their land for only three years.
“Pipelines come in underhandedly,” she said. “You work your whole life for this land, and they come in with easements so you can’t do what you want.
“This is not necessary for South Dakota, and it is only putting money in Summit’s pockets.”
Kate Parkinson of Brandon again mentioned POET and said they use CO2 to make dry ice, a product made from frozen carbon dioxide.
She also claimed how the pipeline could be sold to anyone, even foreign governments.
While this wasn’t a public hearing, there was no specific action that could be taken by the county to stop this.
Still, there was no representative from Summit present to speak in favor of the pipeline.
The commissioners present (Jean Bender was absent) all agreed and sympathized with the sentiments expressed at the meeting. While they said they didn’t control what the PUC might do, they did agree to send a strongly worded statement to that commission against the pipeline.
Commissioner Gerald Beninga said, “We support what has been said here today, and I strongly recommend we let the PUC know we don’t support (the pipeline).”
“We want to make sure that as a county, we are protected,” Commissioner Dean Karsky added. “The safety and welfare of our citizens is paramount.”
Deputy state’s attorney Eric Bogue was tasked with writing the letter which will be voted on at the Tuesday, March 22, meeting.
After that agenda item was finished, most of the people present for that left, several thanking commissioners on the way out.
As one commenter said, he didn’t think the PUC would listen as much to them as they would to commission members of the state’s largest county.
There is a scheduled PUC meeting in Sioux Falls at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23, in the Washington Room of the Ramkota Hotel.
The next meeting of the county commission will be on Tuesday, March 22, at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 6th and Minnesota in Sioux Falls.
At that time, more comments on the pipeline will be allowed, as well as general comments on other non-agenda items.
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