By Dave Baumeister
county correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – Public comment concerning the Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 pipeline took the most time at the Tuesday, Jan. 17, Minnehaha County Commission meeting, when several people added to a brief regular meeting with a half hour of comments.
The meeting, itself, was very brief, only 15 minutes, but one of the first public comment was a representative of Summit Carbon Solutions C02 pipeline, followed by 10 other people, seven who spoke against the pipeline.
“(This is) a private company, transporting a private product to a private location. We have no proven facts we even have a C02 problem in South Dakota,” said Gary Meyer of Minnehaha County.
“The company and its foreign investors are telling you they want to take control of our land. They don’t even have to spend a dime to purchase it; they just control it.”
Another commentor also said the federal department which oversees pipelines is looking at re-evaluating for C02 pipes.
Currently, she said, pinelines only must be more than 50 feet from a dwelling.
“It’s among the same people. Our county really needs to put in place some ordinances that protect the farmers.
“They have worked to build the land the best they could, and these people come in and move the dirt from the bottom to the top.
“They are threatening us with eminent domain, and nobody can do anything about eminent domain, so the only thing we can do… would be to beg you to put some regulations in to protect Minnehaha County.”
The next meeting will be at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, on the third floor of the Minnehaha County Administration Building.
