By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – More than 400 people attended a meeting of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday, March 23, at the Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls.
Most of those in attendance were there to protest a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would pass through western Minnehaha County, as well as other South Dakota locations, on its route between Iowa and central North Dakota.
The pipeline, proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions of Iowa, is referred to as a “carbon capture” pipeline which would take the by-product CO2 from a number of ethanol plants and transport it to North Dakota, where it would be “injected” into the ground.
The three-hour-plus meeting was filled with comments from farmers, landowners, politicians, and others.
Except for the presentation by Summit, only three people spoke in favor of the pipeline, and two of those were representatives of South Dakota ethanol plants.
However, it was pointed out several times during the meeting that POET is not signing onto this project.
According to the POET website, they are not just the largest producer of ethanol in the state, but the largest producer in the world.
Supporters of the project claimed that POET already sells their CO2 elsewhere, and that the market for CO2 is somewhat limited.
Other than helping plants grow, carbon dioxide is used as a refrigerant, making dry ice, and in several other ways.
While CO2 is needed for plants to flourish through photosynthesis, it is considered an “asphyxiant.”
Many commenters pointed out that CO2 is heavier than oxygen, and should it leak from a pipeline, it will displace any breathable air on the ground, possibly killing any people or animals nearby.
Summit did cite figures of creating 14,000 to 17,000 jobs, but the literature they handed out labeled these as temporary construction jobs.
In response to a question, a Summit spokesman said the jobs would cover the entire Iowa to North Dakota route, not just in South Dakota.
Many of those speaking against the project said they had been put off pipelines through their dealings with the Dakota Access oil pipeline which came through the county five to six years ago.
One of the many things they railed against was the idea of Summit, a private company, being able to seize land through eminent domain. Commissioner Chris Nelson of the PUC made it very clear that any eminent domain proceedings would have to go through the court system.
But it is believed that should the PUC grant the application for the pipeline, eminent domain will be easier for Summit to obtain.
The same Summit spokesman said they were hoping to do this through 100% voluntary easement participation, though he would not rule out the possibility of using eminent domain to obtain the land needed.
The PUC is currently conducting several meetings around eastern South Dakota about the pipeline, and Nelson said they would be taking comments up to the completion of this process, which he anticipates lasting for the better part of a year.
While not speaking on behalf of any board or organization, Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth, Lake County Commissioner Aaron Johnson, and State Rep. Steve Haugaard, also of Minnehaha County, spoke against Summit’s proposal.
After much public comment at a Commission meeting two weeks ago, several other Minnehaha Commissioners said they didn’t like the idea of county residents losing their land and are planning to vote on a formalized letter to the PUC at their next meeting on April 5.
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