Aug 15, 2023 | Actions
In this thought-provoking episode of “Trent on the Loos,” Trent Loos welcomes 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to discuss the current state of the nation and his reasons for running. Kennedy candidly shares his concerns about the troubling direction the country is headed and believes our constitution is under attack. Trent and Kennedy dive into the controversial topic of carbon capturing pipelines, which have been proposed in several states. Kennedy argues that research indicates these pipelines do not achieve their intended purpose and may actually contribute more carbon to the atmosphere. Their conversation highlights the seeming willingness of some elected officials to exploit the country’s resources for short-term gain. Kennedy emphasizes the importance of uniting Americans and preserving the republic in these trying times.
Aug 11, 2023 | Actions
North Dakota’s Public Service Commission threw a major roadblock in the path of Summit Carbon Solutions’ Midwest Carbon Express on Aug. 4 when it voted unanimously to deny the company’s hazardous CO2 pipeline permit. According to PSC Chair, Randy Christmann, Summit “failed to meet its burden of proof to show that the location, construction, operation and maintenance will produce minimal adverse effects on the environment and on the citizen of North Dakota.”
Summit’s proposed route in North Dakota is part of a 2,000-mile, five-state Carbon Storage and Sequestration (CCS) plan to carry hazardous liquid CO2 from 17 ethanol plants in South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa to North Dakota where it would be permanently buried underground in abandoned oil wells west of Bismarck. When operational, investors in the $5.5 billion project would reap billions of dollars profit in carbon capture with 45Q federal tax credits. However, without the PSC permit and access to North Dakota’s underground storage sites, the Midwest Carbon Express is a pipeline to nowhere.
The Midwest Carbon Express is on shaky ground all along its multi-state route. Summit is seeking a permit in Iowa with little more than two-thirds of easements voluntarily signed. Hundreds of Iowa landowners refuse to sign and choose instead to face the prospect of eminent domain. Minnesota requires an Environmental Impact Study (EPS) and will not allow eminent domain to be used for this project. South Dakotans are outraged by the lack of action in their Legislature, and thousands have signed a petition demanding Gov. Kristi Noem call a special session.
Aug 9, 2023 | Actions
The specific terms of a pipeline company’s contracts with ethanol plants in Iowa are key to a decision about whether it deserves a permit to build, an administrative law judge has decided.
As such, the judge said last week that Summit Carbon Solutions should be required to provide that information to the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Sierra Club of Iowa, which have sought the information for more than a year.
Summit challenged the proposed order with the Iowa Utilities Board, which is poised to begin a final evidentiary hearing on the company’s hazardous liquid pipeline permit request in less than two weeks. It’s unclear when the board will make a decision about the order.
Summit has provided redacted versions of the contracts under a protective agreement that limits their disclosure to only attorneys representing the groups, according to IUB documents. Those attorneys must keep the information confidential.
Aug 9, 2023 | Actions
On this riveting episode of “Trent on the Loos,” the voice of rural America, Trent Loos, welcomes Dan Harvey, a dedicated volunteer fire chief and practical expert in risk management. With a keen focus on American energy security, the two tackle the Summit Carbon pipeline project’s proposed carbon sequestration. In an era where well-intentioned yet unproven environmental measures are quickly gaining traction, Trent and Dan highlight the potential risks that are often overlooked in the pursuit of green solutions.
This episode underscores the importance of informed decisions, the value of experience, and the need for rigorous evaluation before adopting technologies that could have unforeseen consequences. Their conversation addresses the imperative balance between environmental stewardship and the preservation of America’s energy independence, punctuating the principle that progress shouldn’t come at the expense of prudence.
Aug 8, 2023 | Actions
PIERRE — The fate of a pipeline set to run through South Dakota lies solely in the hands of Public Utilities Commissioners after a marathon of debate came to a close Tuesday.
The Navigator Heartland Greenway project slated to haul carbon from ethanol plants in eastern South Dakota to Illinois brought two and a half weeks of testimony from advocates and opponents for the 112-miles of line the carbon sequestration company, Navigator CO2, intends to build. The project calls for lines across five South Dakota counties, and is among two active pipelines in the state drawing opposition from landowner groups and lawmakers alike.
“This is the longest hearing I have been involved in ever,” Commissioner Chris Nelson told The Dakota Scout Tuesday, the eleventh day of hearings on Navigator’s pipeline permit since July 25.
Nelson’s been on the three-member board since 2011. And while the proceedings have been robust with arguments of both property rights violations and the future viability of the ethanol industry, Navigator’s application consideration is only a precursor to upcoming hearings on the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline also slated for September, only days after a final decision on Navigator will be handed down by the PUC.
