(Des Moines) A House bill could ban eminent domain for carbon pipeline construction. Rallygoers gathered outside the statehouse on Tuesday to express frustrations about private property being taken for public use. Supporters hope state lawmakers will agree on restoring a ban soon.
Meanwhile, Jan Norris, of West Township, in Montgomery County, appeared in front of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday Morning with the latest developments regarding the Summit Solutions Pipeline proposed to run through Montgomery County. Norris says some big developments surfaced last week, leading to much speculation about the future of the “Midwest Carbon Express.”
Norris says subsequently, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden signed it into law.
Norris added that Summit is not conceding. She says the three apparent possibilities are: *A new route avoiding South Dakota could be sought (i.e., going around through other states such as Nebraska or Minnesota). *U.S. Congress could circumvent state law. *Or they could comply and develop a 100% voluntary route across South Dakota.
Norris is asking the Montgomery Board of Supervisors to return it to the local level. “As we have discussed many times, there are only a few things local cities & counties can do to be best prepared should a hazardous liquid pipeline impact them,” said Norris.
On Tuesday, Norris touched on right-of-way permits and intervention. She mentioned that every county has undisputed authority over its secondary roads. She says many are taking this opportunity to update their county road crossing policies to include specific culvert and bridge setbacks for hazardous liquid pipelines. Written policy ensures installations meet the county’s standards, not just what’s most economical for the company. Updating our fee structure can help recoup the county’s current and future expenses.
