HARLAN AND MINDEN, Iowa (KMTV) — Iowa legislators are proposing multiple bills to regulate carbon capture pipelines. Pipeline opponents were in Des Moines last week as state representative rolled out the proposed legislation.
- "This is not going to go away. We're not going to go anywhere," said Rep. Charley Thomson at the Capitol last week.
- "I don't want them to say some day 'What the hell was Grandpa thinking allowing this to happen?'" said Shelby County farmer and former county supervisor, Steve Kenkel.
- Pottawattamie County corn grower and SIRE Ethanol board member, Kevin Ross, is supportive of carbon capture pipelines:
"Are concerns warranted, should people ask questions? Sure. But do I have any personal concerns about it? No, I think, I feel comfortable with pipelines in general." - RELATED | 'EMINENT DOMAIN IS THE BIG ISSUE': Montgomery County farmer concerned about pipeline
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
How comfortable would you be with a hazardous liquid pipeline going through your land?
I'm Katrina Markel in Southwest Iowa talking to landowners about the advantages and disadvantages of carbon capture pipelines.
"I don't want them to say some day 'What the hell was Grandpa thinking allowing this to happen?'"
Steve Kenkel is a former Shelby County supervisor and fifth-generation farmer. He was on the board when it passed zoning ordinances for carbon capture pipelines.
"Whether it's a windmill, whether it's a solar farm or it's a hog confinement,” Kenkel said, “there's zoning ordinances out there and there's setbacks."
He's closely watching a package of bills state representatives are proposing that would increase pipeline regulation.
"This is not going to go away. We're not going to go anywhere," said Rep. Charley Thomson at the Capitol last week.
Shelby County landowner Sherri Webb was in Des Moines last week to support the proposed bills.
"Something needs to be done and I'm hoping this year they'll do it. If not, we'll just take it to the Supreme Court," she said.
Safety and the potential use of eminent domain to build the pipelines are big concerns for Kenkel and Webb. They argue carbon dioxide isn't a public utility unlike, say, natural gas or oil.
"Let's make sure it's a benefit to us, the county and the residents,” Kenkel said. “We're just out here trying to protect ourselves."
Liquid CO2 is a byproduct of ethanol production. By capturing it and piping it to underground storage, companies would receive tax credits for keeping CO2 out of the atmosphere. It would also mean a lower carbon footprint, increasing business opportunities for farmers.
"It does drive demand for corn. It drives demand for other crops as well," said Pottawattamie County Corn Grower Kevin Ross.
He is a board member of SIRE Ethanol in Council Bluffs. It partners with Tallgrass, which says it doesn't use eminent domain.
I asked Ross about safety.
"Are concerns warranted, should people ask questions? Sure. But do I have any personal concerns about it? No, I think, I feel comfortable with pipelines in general," he said.
