On January 16, Bluestem posted a press release article from the West Central Tribune, Landowners & concerned local folks invited to Carbon Pipelines 101 meeting Jan. 23, Lamberton.
I wasn't able to attend. Fortunately, Fritz Busch was there.
Update: The Star Tribune's Jennifer Bjorhus was also there. What the reporters witnessed doesn't conform to cheery lobbyists' sponsored takes one might read in morning publicists' newletters.
At the Star Tribune, Jennifer Brojhus reported in Carbon Express' pipeline runs into skepticism in Minnesota farm country:
. . . A company executive said Summit has secured about half the easements it needs in Minnesota. Even so, pushback was evident in this small southwest Minnesota farm town Monday evening where about 120 people, mostly landowners, packed the American Legion hall for a two-hour community meeting on carbon pipelines.
Summit's project would capture carbon dioxide emitted by more than 30 ethanol plants in five states, and transport the highly-pressurized fluid carbon dioxide to North Dakota, where it would be injected underground for permanent storage. Lamberton is home to one of those plants, Highwater Ethanol.
Supporters say every possible approach must be taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions; opponents call carbon pipelines a false climate solution that continues fossil fuel reliance.
Monday's meeting was organized by Carbon Pipelines Minnesota, an opposition group run by Clean Up the River Environment (CURE), a Montevideo-based environmental nonprofit focused on rural communities. The group has been rallying landowners facing whether to sign an easement with Summit, whose pipeline would run about 240 miles in Minnesota.
The main message Monday: Landowners need to carefully weigh the risks, and negotiate a fair deal if they decide to sign.
"This is a community issue, not just a private landowner issue, because it will affect all of us," CURE director Peg Furshong told the crowd.
Landowners are questioning the global warming benefits and safety of piping and sequestering carbon dioxide, as well as the terms of the easement agreements. There's also distaste with how the land agents for Summit have dealt with landowners. The state has ordered a full environmental review of the pipeline, which is not yet approved. . . .
Busch reports in the Marshall Independent article, Farmer, attorney promote carbon pipeline mitigation agreements:
An Olivia farmer and a Twin Cities attorney talking at the American Legion Monday provided many of the nuts and bolts for more than 100 farmers on what is said to be the world’s largest carbon dioxide pipeline project.
A handful of speakers addressed easements, safety, crops, land and environmental concerns regarding the $4.5 billion Summit Carbon Solutions CO2 capture project that would connect biofuel plants in five states to North Dakota storage sites via underground pipelines.
The Minnesota pipeline route crosses Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Martin, Otter Tail, Redwood, Renville, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine counties.
Olivia farmer Bob Ruebel said he learned about the subject decades ago when the Alliance pipeline system created a 2,391-mile natural gas pipeline system linking the U.S. and Canada that crossed Renville County.
“Be sure you know what you’re getting into and are protected,” said Ruebel. “Organize and have a mitigation agreement. Look closely at your property insurance. Look for a pollution exclusion (that excludes coverage for losses) caused by pollution, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form.”
Ruebel talked about the Alliance pipeline and joining a group including Renville County farmers who collected dues to pay an attorney for legal help.
“It was the best investment I ever made,” Ruebel said.
“Only sign an easement with a mitigation agreement,” he added. “Easement non-disclosure? That’s hokey.”
“An easement is not confidential,” said Twin Cities attorney Michael Cashman. He added that economists can determine what figures should be used in a mitigation agreement against future crop losses and that science is contrary to no yield loss to land affected by easements.
Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) Director of Programs Peg Furshong advised against signing easements before the carbon pipeline project is approved by Minnesota government agencies.
“Pre-signed easements give them (big corporations) leverage. Be sure you know what you’re getting into and are protected,” Furshong said.
Earlier this month, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) ordered the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) as part of the state’s first carbon capture pipeline project application. The permitting process will involve many public engagement opportunities.
EIS reports discuss the potential environmental impact of proposed federal projects. They must include a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed action and their consequences. There is a public comment period.
The project must be approved by the Minnesota PUC and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
Iowa farmer Dan Wahl said eminent domain is available for the project in Iowa but not Minnesota. He did not sign an easement and is in a court battle over it. He urged Minnesota farmers to protect themselves before signing easements.
Read the rest at the Marshall Independent. Consider a subscription to the Marshall, MN, local paper.
Related posts
- Ethanol carbon pipelines prompt SD landowners to push for tighter eminent domain restrictions
- Landowners & concerned local folks invited to Carbon Pipelines 101 meeting Jan. 23, Lamberton
- News digest: South Dakota and Minnesota PUCs deal with Summit carbon pipeline issues
- In Iowa, ethanol carbon pipeline opponents want pause until new safety regulations are ready
- Summit Carbon Solutions files permit for risky CO2 pipeline in Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties
- Will ethanol carbon capture pipelines fracture brittle unity of South Dakota Republicans?
- South Dakotans & others get fantods over Summit Carbon Solutions' sketchy 10% owner
- Matt Birk loves the ethanol carbon dioxide pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions
- Ethanol carbon pipeline news digest: from the Guardian to the Aberdeen American News
- Navigator CO2, POET sign letter of intent for carbon capture, utilization, and storage service
- Carbon capture pipeline blues: SD landowners call for dismissal of pipeline permit application
- Iowa Capital Dispatch: Group seeks end of ethanol carbon pipeline ‘harassment’
- Ethanol carbon capture pipeline digest: farmers, students, greenwashing, safety, law enforcement
- Storm Lake Time Pilot's Art Cullen: Ripping up CRP is a terrible signal for the planet
- Minnesota Public Utility Commission claims regulatory authority for carbon pipelines
- CO2 pipelines could affect the land, lives and livelihoods of South Dakota property owners
- SD News Watch: Proposed CO2 pipelines thrust SD into billion-dollar climate change debate
- About that permanent carbon storage by the Summit ethanol pipeline & Project Tundra
- Ethanol carbon capture pipeline news digest: political power and big money edition
- Ethanol carbon pipeline digest: trust & protest
- South Dakotans, Iowans don't hug CO2 pipeline
- Keloland: mostly negative public comments to SD Public Utilities Commission on CO2 pipeline
- Strib: Ethanol's per-gallon carbon output shrinks, but greenhouse gas from plants remains high
- We agree: It's time to move on from ethanol
- Another IA newspaper editorial board questions ethanol industry, carbon capture pipelines
- Ethanol CCS pipeline update: Reuters & Agweek
- Not a lot of easements for Midwest carbon pipeline, but plenty of political connections
- 2 ethanol CO2 headlines that make us go hmmm
- CO2 pipelines: who wins & who loses?
- Coming soon from a cornfield near you: mammoth carbon capture pipeline system
- Mother Jones: USDA Secretary Vilsack’s son works for a controversial ethanol pipeline project
- Iowa county boards scorn construction of CO2 pipelines, use of eminent domain to build them
- Digest of news about carbon dioxide pipeline
Photo: Photo by Fritz Busch Anita Vogel of Lamberton talks to more than 100 farmers at a carbon pipeline meeting at the Lamberton American Legion Club Monday, published in the Marshall Independent.
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