We want real climate solutions - not greenwashing schemes!

Iowa currently has two carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline proposals.  They are centered around Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The lines would carry captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants. CCS is very complicated but when you boil it down, the basic premise is that it captures the carbon dioxide and stores it underground (CCS) or it captures the carbon dioxide and uses it for industrial purposes, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS).

Summit and Wolf pipelines claim that they are going to permanently store the CO2 underground.

The pipelines in Iowa are being offered as false climate solutions.  We already know the solutions to our climate crisis - we must end our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in solar, wind, battery storage, conservation and efficiency!

CO2 Pipelines Proposed in Iowa:

1.  Summit Carbon Solutions, aka Bruce Rastetter’s CO2 Pipeline.  Bruce Rastetter’s Pipeline connects ethanol plants and other industrial agriculture facilities to a pipeline that leads to North Dakota.  From there the CO2 will be stored underground or will be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery.  Below is the map for Phase 1 of the Summit CO2 pipeline.

CCS is a false solution in this instance because: 

• It does not address other emissions or forms of pollution from fossil fuel extraction and industrial agriculture 
• It will allow for the extension of fossil fuel extraction through enhanced oil recovery 
• Fails to acknowledge CO2 is incredibly dangerous and a pipeline leak or break could poison surrounding communities and first responders
• It will extend the life of the polluting ethanol industry and industrial agriculture practices that have contributed to our climate crisis, water pollution and more.
• CCS continues business as usual and delays investment in REAL climate solutions 

Map below shows the Summit route, including the POET and Valero ethanol plants that are part of Phase 2 expansion of the Summit CO2 pipeline.

2.  Wolf Carbon Solutions is partnering with ADM to run a carbon dioxide pipeline from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Clinton, Iowa, and then onto Decatur, Illinois.  This was announced on January 11, 2022.  

In the examples of these proposed carbon pipelines in Iowa, CCS is a false solution that takes us farther away from our climate goals. These pipelines continue business as usual, will only be feasible with massive public subsidies, and should not be approved. Let’s invest in REAL climate solutions. 

Take Action Now!

• If you are an impacted landowner, email jessica.mazour@sierraclub.org for information to get involved in the landowner opposition Group
• If you're a landowner who will be directly impacted by the pipeline, we encourage you not to sign a voluntary easement. 
• Sign up for our Newsletter for updates
• Watch our Lunch & Learns on Facebook on Fridays at noon. 
• Submit an objection to the Iowa Utility Board to ask them not to grant a permit to Summit and Wolf.  Click this link and find the docket that you wish to object to.  Below is a list of the current IUB dockets for Summit and Wolf.  You can submit as many objections as you’d like throughout the process and we encourage you to do so.  

Resources:

Videos, Webinars, and News Articles:

• Learn about CO2 Pipeline Risks in this video about Navigator’s plume modeling, December, 2023
• Carbon pipelines require a lot of water from our aquifers. Watch this video about Carbon Pipelines, CCS and Water, November, 2023
• Watch the IUB hearing, including testimony from landowners, Summit and other experts, August-November 2023
• Read the excellent articles written by Nancy Dugan that uncover many of the carbon pipeline scandals.
• Watch Jess Mazour on Iowa Press, April, 2023
• See the webinar "Stories From Satartia", January, 2022
  Link to full recording
  Link to just the Satartia panel
• Watch our "Carbon Pipelines: A Disaster Waiting to Happen" webinar.
• Watch our "Protect Our Land: No Carbon Pipelines" webinar.
• Watch the Science and Environmental Health Network's webinar to learn more about Carbon Capture & Storage.
• Hear why this landowner in Linn County says no to a voluntary easement.
• What does a CO2 pipeline rupture look like? Watch this.
• See the Governor's answer about legislation to stop eminent domain for private gain, on Iowa Press on February 18, 2022
• See the Market to Market segment on carbon dioxide pipelines, aired the weekend of July 29, 2022, segment on the carbon dioxide pipelines starts at 5:30
• Read the article "US carbon pipeline company pledges no oil recovery, but Bakken drillers want it", written by Leah Douglas, Reuters, March 11, 2024

Fact Sheets and Maps:

• See our fact sheet on CO2 pipelines
• See our flyer on "Tell your legislators, "No eminent domain for hazardous liquid pipelines" and how to answer their concerns"
• Landowners: Know Your Rights About Surveys, Land Agents and Easements
• Landowners: Know Your Rights About Eminent Domain
• Find out why counties should hire an independent inspector. (share this with your County Supervisors)
• Pass a County Ordinance to protect your community from carbon pipelines.  Several counties have already passed an ordinance - Shelby, Story, Adair, Bremer, Butler, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Palo Alto
• Click here for an interactive map of the carbon pipeline projects.

Iowa Law:

• Chapter 9 - Restoration of Agricultural Lands During and After Pipeline Construction
• Chapter 479b - Hazardous Liquid Pipelines and Storage Facilities

Summit Carbon needs over 3 billion gallons of water annually for its pipeline project

A recent report released by the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter and impacted landowners exposes a looming water crisis facing Iowans—can Iowa’s aquifers sustain the amount of water being withdrawn?

Counties intervening at the Iowa Utilities Board

Counties have a huge stake in the pipelines proceedings before the Utilities Board, including requests for eminent domain over their landowner's properties, issues related to emergency management, restoration of farmland should the pipelines be built, and the right for the pipelines to cross public property.  By intervening, the counties will have a seat at the table during the formal hearings.  You can ask your members of the Board of Supervisors to intervene in the pipeline cases currently before the Utilities Board.

Counties that intervened in the first phase of the Summit pipeline case are:

• Dickinson
• Emmet
• Floyd
• Franklin
• Hardin
• Kossuth
• Shelby
• Woodbury
• Wright

Counties that have requested to intervene or have already intervened in the Wolf pipeline case are:

• Linn

Counties Object to the Pipelines; tell Utilities Board to deny eminent domain

The Boards of Supervisors from counties across the state are writing letters to the Iowa Utilities Board objecting to the pipeline project and telling the Board to deny the use of eminent domain for the pipeline projects. 

See map of counties that have filed objections.  Below is a list of the counties and a link to what they have filed:

1. Cedar - Wolf, filed August 18, 2022
2. Cerro Gordo - Summit, filed February 25, 2022
3. Clay - Summit, filed February 23, 2022
4. Crawford - Summit, filed January 14, 2022
5. Dickinson - Summit, filed December 28, 2021
6. Emmet - Summit, filed January 7, 2022
7. Floyd, Summit, filed September 27, 2022
8. Franklin - Summit, filed January 7, 2022
9. Fremont - Summit, May 3, 2022
10. Greene, Summit, filed April 13, 2022
11. Hancock - Summit, filed December 27, 2021
12. Hardin - Summit, intervened on behalf of the county - filed May 5, 2022
13. Iowa - Summit, filed December 7, 2021
14. Johnson - Wolf (ADM), filed July 14, 2022
15. Kossuth - Summit - filed December 8, 2021
16. Linn - Summit, filed January 13, 2022, Wolf filed January 13, 2023
17. Lyon - Summit, filed January 14, 2022
18. Mills - Summit, filed May 20, 2022
19. Mitchell - Summit, filed May 29,  2024
20. Montgomery - Summit, filed April 5, 2022
21. O’Brien - Summit, filed December 27
22. Page - Summit, filed May 9, 2022
23. Palo Alto - Summit, filed December 21, 2021
24. Plymouth - Summit, filed January 7, 2022, April 26, 2022
25. Pottawattamie - Summit, filed August 23, 2022
26. Scott - Wolf, filed September 15, 2022
27. Shelby - Summit, filed January 21, 2022
28. Sioux - Summit, filed January 24, 2022
29. Story - Summit, filed December 14, 2021
30. Webster - Summit, filed May 5, 2022
31. Woodbury - Summit, filed January 11, 2022
32. Wright - Summit, filed November 19, 2021, see page 11

Towns and Cities Object to the Pipelines; tell Utilities Board to deny eminent domain

City Councils from across the state are writing letters to the Iowa Utilities Board objecting to the pipeline project and telling the Board to deny the use of eminent domain for the pipeline projects.  Below is a list of the towns and cities and a link to what they have filed:

1. City of Fairfax, Navigator, filed 12.22.21
2. City of Walford, Navigator, pg 11, filed 12.20.22
3. Mount Vernon, Navigator, pg 47, filed 1.21.22
4. City of Kinglsey, Navigator, filed 2.18.22
5. Marengo, Navigator, pg 32, filed 2.11.22
6. Story City, Navigator, filed 3.16.22
7. Deep River, Navigator, pg 2, filed 3.25.22
8. City of Rockford, Summit & Navigator, pg 5, filed 3.20.22
9. City of Terril, Navigator, pg 6 filed 3.20.22 and Summit, filed 8.30.22
10. Palmer, Navigator, filed 7.22.22
11. City of Fairbank, Navigator, filed 8.25.22
12. City of Oelwein, Navigator, filed 8.30.22
13. City of Manchester, Navigator, filed 9.13.22
14. City of Readlyn, Summit & Navigator, filed 9.20.22
15. City of Independence, Navigator, filed 9.20.22
16. City of Long Grove, Wolf, filed 10.13.22
17. City of Fremont, Navigator, filed 11.14.22
18. City of Eldridge, Wolf, filed 12.9.22
19. City of Donahue,Wolf, filed 1.6.23
20. City of Waverly, Navigator, filed 1.13.22
21. City of Armstrong, Navigator, filed 1.20.23
22. Shell Rock, Navigator, filed 2.14.23
23. Ely, Wolf, filed 3.13.23
24. City of Clarksville, Navigator, filed 4.7.23
25. City of Gruver, Summit & Navigator, filed 4.11.23
26. City of Wallingford, Summit & Navigator, filed 5.2.23
27. City of Dows, Summit, filed 5.4.23
28. City of New Providence, Summit and Navigator, filed 5.12.23
29. City of Dolliver, Navigator, filed 7.5.23
30. City of Sioux City, Summit & Navigator, filed 11.9.23

Governor Reynolds Refuses to Meet with Iowans Impacted by the Carbon Pipelines

Des Moines, IA. Governor Kim Reynolds has ignored meeting requests from landowners impacted by the carbon pipelines for over three years - yet she has regular meetings with Summit Carbon Pipeline owner, Bruce Rastetter. 

Iowans should question who Governor Reynolds is loyal to, Bruce Rastetter and other big monied interests or the people of Iowa who she is elected to represent.

Landowners have sent numerous emails, letters and showed up at her office to formally request a meeting ever since the carbon pipeline projects were announced in fall of 2021.  On Wednesday, January 31, 2024 Governor Reynolds Director of Strategic Operations Eric Baker sent an email saying “Jess - Thanks for stopping by the office today to inquire about a meeting.  As requested, I will be in touch by Friday evening with an update.”  To date, Baker has not responded with an update.

Since 2022, a multitude of bills to protect Iowans from the carbon pipelines have been stalled in the Senate Commerce Committee, Chaired by Senator Waylon Brown.  This session, SF2097, a bill strongly supported by Sierra Club and landowners, died before a subcommittee was every scheduled.  The members of the subcommittee were Senator Waylon Brown and Mike Bousselot.

We’ve been told by many legislators Governor Renolds has instructed Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Waylon Brown to ensure carbon pipelines are not brought up at all.

That is why we want to meet with Governor Reynolds - we believe she is doing the work for Bruce Rastetter to ensure his carbon pipeline is rammed through - despite massive opposition from her voters.

While Governor Reynolds refuses to meet with her own voters, she rolls out the red carpet to meet with Bruce Rastetter, owner of Summit Carbon Solutions, quarterly.  Some of the scheduled meetings were canceled due to the pandemic however, Governor Reynolds and Bruce Rastetter found time to meet over lunch and dinner.  We believe it is very likely that Summit Carbon Solutions staff have regular and open communication with the Governor’s Office.  In fact, a series of emails about those regular meetings was filed with the Iowa Utilities Board as a hearing exhibit.

Governor Reynolds appointed two new Iowa Utilities Board members halfway through the process.  We believe these IUB members were appointed for a reason - to continue to do the bidding of Bruce Rastetter.  Some of the first actions the new IUB Board made were fast tracking the hearing so it fell during harvest, denied interventions, hired Summit’s security for the IUB hearing, and complained about how long landowner testimony was taking throughout the hearing.

Iowans are calling on Governor Reynolds to meet with landowners and protect our state from these dangerous carbon pipelines.

Iowa Landowners Request Meeting with Governor Reynolds After Senate Takes No Action On Eminent Domain Bill

Governor Reynolds has the power to protect the landowners - will she use it?

February 16, 2022

Des Moines, IA. Today Iowa landowners impacted by the Summit and Navigator pipelines have formally requested a meeting with Governor Reynolds after the Senate Commerce Committee took no action on the eminent domain bill.

SF 2160 passed out of subcommittee on Tuesday and a Senate Commerce Committee hearing was scheduled for the bill today.  Shortly after the meeting started, Senator Schultz announced that the bill was being pulled from the agenda with no explanation as to why. 

Landowners and other opposition groups say this isn’t over yet.  The bill can still move forward if there is political will.  Governor Reynolds has the power to make sure the bill advances and she has the power to stop the pipelines in their tracks.  “The big question is whether Governor Reynolds will protect us landowners or will she protect the private pipeline companies. That’s why we want to meet with her.  She hasn’t sought out our opinion at all throughout this process.” said Craig Woodward, landowner in Cerro Gordo County.

Earlier this year, Governor Reynolds created the carbon sequestration task force, stacked with pipeline insiders from Summit, Navigator, Valero, ADM, Iowa Utilities Board Chair Geri Huser and others. This sends a strong signal to Iowa landowners that she cares more about these pipeline companies and the big donors associated with them than she does about everyday Iowans who vote for her.

Landowners hope to meet with Governor Reynolds before planting season, before farmers are busy out in the fields.

Navigator Heartland Greenway CO2 project

 We know our strategy works.  We've already stopped the Navigator CO2 pipeline.  Oct. 20, 2023, Navigator cancelled its Heartland Greenway carbon dioxide pipeline project.   See more about the Navigator project and our work.