CO2 Pipeline Update

• Summit Carbon needs over 3 billion gallons of water for its pipeline project; Iowa DNR has no idea how much water we have

• Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Responds to Sierra Club’s Water Report - You Won’t Believe What They Said!

• President's Executive Office meeting on pipeline rules

Protecting the Environment

• Study Exposes Ethanol Air Emissions

• Update on East Nishnabotna fishkill

• Lunch and Learns Fridays at noon

• Reserve October 5 – Sierra Club Annual Meeting

• Sierra Club establishes a new policy on E-bike use on trails

Plus

• Contribute to the Iowa Chapter

• Volunteer for the Iowa Chapter

• Calendar of events

• To see the archive of previous Iowa Chapter newsletters

• To see the White Pine Needle newsletter

Summit Carbon needs over 3 billion gallons of water for its pipeline project; Iowa DNR has no idea how much water we have

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Club Iowa Chapter exposes a looming water crisis facing Iowans—can Iowa’s aquifers sustain the amount of water being withdrawn?

This report was triggered by applications submitted to Iowa DNR by Summit Carbon Solutions affiliates to withdraw water from deep bedrock aquifers for carbon capture facilities at 31 ethanol plants in Iowa.

Based on data from similar facilities and current ethanol usage, Summit’s 31 carbon capture facilities across Iowa will require 3.36 billion gallons of water from Iowa’s aquifers annually—equivalent to adding 10 to 11 new ethanol plants in Iowa.  Much of this water comes from areas already struggling to meet demands for water from ethanol plants, industry and municipal use. 

We know already that water levels in the Jordan Aquifer, Iowa’s primary aquifer, are declining. And this water cannot be easily recharged. This water has been found to be between tens to hundreds of thousands of years old.

The report exposes that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is not adequately reviewing water withdrawal permits to ensure they meet the definition of Beneficial Use as defined by Iowa law.  And, Iowa has never done a comprehensive study to determine aquifer levels and whether Iowa can sustain the high water demand from industries like ethanol and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

Iowa DNR has the duty to protect Iowa’s water resources for the beneficial use of the people of Iowa. The Iowa legislature has mandated that the wise use, protection and conservation of Iowa’s water resources are of paramount importance to the welfare and prosperity of the people of Iowa.

The DNR’s own regulation states that the waste or unreasonable use be prevented and the conservation and protection of water resources be required, for the beneficial use in the interest of the people of Iowa.

Instead, over the years DNR has been handing out water use permits like candy, with no consideration of the impact on our groundwater resources. In all the years the DNR has had the duty to protect Iowa’s groundwater it has never denied a permit.

The problem is that DNR bases its permitting on just 10 use categories.  The only water use categories listed are: animal feeding or dairy operations, ethanol production, heating/cooling, industrial/commercial, crop irrigation, golf courses/country clubs, power generation, public water supply, quarry operation, and recreational water.

These use categories are limited and arbitrary. There is nothing in the statutes or the regulations that specify those categories nor justify limiting the DNR’s review to just those uses. As noted above, the privilege of using the public water resource is available only for a beneficial use. And there is nothing in the statutes or regulations that defines a beneficial use in terms of categories. Each specific application for water withdrawal must be evaluated on its own merits. For example, the data discussed previously shows that water use for an ethanol plant might range from 195 million gallons per year to 646 million gallons per year. The larger ethanol plant’s water withdrawal should not be approved just because it is an ethanol plant. But that is how the DNR views its obligation. 

When the DNR issues a permit it prepares a summary report. But these are cursory two-page conclusions with no supporting evidence provided.  There is no reference to the amount of water in the aquifer from which the water would be drawn nor how the requested withdrawal would impact the aquifer. The reports conclude with a boilerplate statement that the ability and intent of the applicant to devote a reasonable amount of water to the beneficial use seem evident. That conclusion cannot be evident without supporting evidence.

Iowa has two types of aquifers, alluvial and bedrock aquifers.  Alluvial aquifers are near the surface and recharge relatively quickly with regular precipitation.  Confined bedrock aquifers take many lifetimes to recharge.

“When examining major water-usage industries, it is clear that ethanol is the most reliant on confined bedrock aquifers.  90% of water for ethanol production comes from bedrock aquifers compared to 40% for industrial/commercial, 35% for public water systems, and 1% for power generation,” said Don Johannsen, a retired engineer and a landowner impacted by the Summit pipeline. “This is not sustainable, especially when we don’t know how much water is in our aquifers.”

“It’s even scarier when you take a look at the local impact. The Homeland Energy Solutions in Lawler with Summit’s capture equipment will use 85% of the total water used by industries and cities within the surrounding ten-mile radius. Our local communities are threatened with water shortages.  What happens then?” said Johannsen.

The report calls for the Iowa DNR to deny any water withdrawal permits for carbon capture and for DNR to do a comprehensive study on Iowa’s aquifers, among other things. 

“The report is damning.  Summit is threatening our water resources.  A looming water crisis could be ahead of us in Iowa. We’re concerned that Iowa may drain its aquifers if DNR continues to be asleep at the wheel,” said Jess Mazour, Sierra Club Iowa Chapter.

Recommendations

The report makes the following recommendations for policies and actions:

1. In order to protect Iowa’s water resources we must accurately determine the nature and extent of those resources. We can’t know whether, or to what extent, applications for water withdrawal from aquifers should be granted if we don’t know the impact on the aquifers. So the first action that needs to be undertaken is a thorough study of Iowa’s aquifers to determine how much water is available, how quickly the aquifer can be recharged, and the impact of any further water withdrawal. This study should be done by the Iowa DNR in cooperation with the Iowa Geological Survey.

2. The Iowa Legislature should fund an aquifer study annually in order to have current and accurate information to determine how much water can be appropriately withdrawn from the aquifers.

3. The Iowa Legislature should clarify, or perhaps remove, the concept of beneficial use in the Iowa Code. Section 455B.261(4) of the Iowa Code defines beneficial use as “the application of water to a useful purpose that inures to the benefit of the water user.” But in Section 455B.262 of the Code, as set out above, beneficial use is discussed in the context of public benefit, not as the benefit to the user. The legislature should at least change the definition to clarify that beneficial use means benefit to the public, not simply benefit to the water user. Alternatively, the privilege of using the public resource of Iowa’s water could be based strictly on the public interest, not a beneficial use.

4. The DNR should revise its rules as explained above that ensure that the water is not being overdrawn from the aquifers, that it is being withdrawn for a beneficial use, and that the applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Conclusion

Iowa’s precious resource of groundwater is under assault. Cities, industries, and farming are depleting the aquifers more quickly than they can be recharged. Iowa legislators and state officials must take this problem seriously.

Watch "Water Woes: Uncovering the True Water Cost of Summit's Carbon Pipeline", a recording of the webinar presented on June 13, 2024

Click here to view the factsheet.

Click here to view the Water Woes Report.

Click here to view the report appendix.

Click here for the report website.

Click here to view the full report with appendix (195 pages).

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Responds to Sierra Club’s Water Report - You Won’t Believe What They Said!

Last week, Sierra Club Iowa Chapter released a report showing that Summit Carbon Solutions would need 3.36 billion gallons of public water from our aquifers if their project is approved by the Iowa Utilities Board. 

Our public water must not be squandered by Summit or their unnecessary, proven-to-fail carbon capture scam. We’ve been trying to get Summit’s water data for 3-years but they don’t want the public to see it.  That’s why we released the report Water Woes: Uncovering the True Water Cost of Summit’s Carbon Pipeline Project.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) responded to our report with misinformation and blamed golf courses.  If they wanted to dispute our report, they could respond with their data but they didn’t.

IRFA’s Monte Shaw says “One inch of rain across Chickasaw County alone equates to 8.8 billion gallons of water, roughly 10 times what is needed for all CCS [Carbon Capture and Sequestration] projects across the state annually.”

This shows a complete lack of understanding about aquifers and water resources. The truth is that the ethanol industry gets 90% of their water from deep bedrock aquifers.  Rain has little, if any, impact on this type of aquifer.  Our deep bedrock aquifers, like the Jordan Aquifer, take thousands of years to recharge. An inch of rain in Chickasaw County will have little to no impact on the Jordan Aquifer, where Summit's ethanol partner, Homeland Energy Solutions, draws its water.

IRFA also said, “If they truly believe Iowa is in the middle of a water crisis, maybe they should start crunching the numbers on how much water it takes to keep an 18-hole golf course green in August…”

Nearly all golf courses requiring water permits obtain the water from rivers, ponds, reservoirs, or other alluvial sources - the type of aquifer that recharges quickly with rain. Also, not to give golf courses a pass, but they use significantly less water than ethanol and CCS. Shaw is comparing apples to oranges.

While IRFA and Summit are busy diluting the truth for personal gain, our state is on the brink of a water crisis. Summit's meritless carbon pipeline is not a beneficial use of our limited public water supply. If Summit won't do the right thing and cancel their unwanted project, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources must deny their water requests.

President's Executive Office meeting on pipeline rules

On Tuesday, June 4, Sierra Club Iowa Chapter and two impacted landowners met with staff from the Executive Office of the President regarding upcoming safety rules for carbon pipelines.  Those participating in the meeting were Jess Mazour, Wally Taylor, Pam Mackey Taylor, Kim Junker, and Dan Wahls.

In 2020, a carbon pipeline owned by Denbury, now Exxon Mobil, ruptured after a 7-inch rain caused a landslide and the pipeline to rupture.  The CO2 plume traveled to the town of Satartia, Mississippi, sending over 40 people to the hospital and forced over 300 to evacuate.  Read the Gassing of Satartia story for first-hand accounts of the rupture.

Following the catastrophic rupture of the Denbury carbon pipeline, an investigation was completed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) that determined safety rules for carbon pipelines need to be written and implemented.

The investigation concluded that Denbury had an inadequate geohazard detection and mitigation program to detect unstable soils, inadequate communications by Denbury to local first responders, and used an inadequate computer model of where a CO2 plume would travel. 

PHMSA is currently working on carbon pipeline safety rules.  The draft is not available to the public but is currently under review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. 

In the meeting, Sierra Club Iowa Chapter stressed the importance of strong rules to protect Iowans and our environment from carbon pipelines.  Impacted landowners expressed their fear of living near carbon pipelines and farming over carbon pipelines.  Communities impacted by the proposed Summit and Wolf carbon pipelines are mostly rural with underfunded and under-prepared volunteer emergency services. 

We also discussed ongoing lawsuits where Summit sued counties for passing zoning ordinances to limit how close the pipeline can be built to homes, businesses, parks, city limits, etc.

It is critical that PHMSA pass the strongest rules possible to protect us from the dangers of a carbon pipeline rupture.

Many other impacted landowners and ally organizations have also held meetings regarding the newly proposed carbon pipeline safety rules.  Anyone can request a meeting with staff from the Executive Office of the President regarding the rules.  If you would like to request a meeting, visit this website.

Study Exposes Ethanol Air Emissions

The Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club has long been concerned about the environmental impacts of ethanol production in our state.  A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) highlights one of those issues – air pollution.  The report is "Farm to Fumes - Hazardous Air Pollution from Biofuel Production".

With 52 biofuel manufacturing plants, Iowa leads all other states in air pollution from biofuel plants. So Iowans are at substantial risk from air pollution from those facilities. According to the EIP report, Iowa ethanol plants predominate among plants in other states in emissions of acrolein (which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lung and eye irritation, and shortness of breath) and formaldehyde (a carcinogen). Another emission is acetalehyde, a probable carcinogen.  Iowans should not have to put up with this.

The annual Cancer in Iowa report by the Iowa Cancer Registry found Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers and the second-highest rate of new cancers in the country.  The carcinogenic pollution from biofuels plants needs to be reduced, in order to reduce health risks.

Even more troubling than the air pollution itself is the fact that ethanol plants have exemptions from air pollution permitting requirements.   Unlike other industrial facilities that have to install pollution controls if they emit 100 tons or more pollution a year, ethanol plants can emit more than twice the pollution (250 tons) before they have to install strong pollution controls.  There is absolutely no excuse for this exemption. Ever since its beginning, the ethanol industry has enjoyed public subsidies, a renewable fuel standard, and exemptions from environmental laws. If ethanol production were really a beneficial industry, it would not need to be supported at public expense, both monetarily and environmentally. So Sierra Club supports the EIP report’s recommendation to end permitting exemptions under the Clean Air Act for ethanol production.

Another significant point in the EIP report is that of the top ten biofuel plants with the most Clean Air Act enforcement actions in the last five years, none are in Iowa. This does not mean that Iowa plants have no violations. It means that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is not enforcing air pollution laws.

The EIP report does point to enforcement actions against Grain Processing Corporation in Muscatine. But to a great extent, those enforcement actions have not lead to any meaningful changes. Moreover, it is likely that Iowa DNR has used Grain Processing as a poster child to show that the state is enforcing the Clean Air Act against ethanol plants. 

As shown in Appendix C of the EIP report, Iowa ethanol plants, other than Grain Processors, are high priority violators. There is no indication that any meaningful enforcement action was taken against them.

With the number of violators, and repeat offenders, among Iowa’s ethanol plants, it is very important that EIP recommends that EPA and Iowa DNR more vigorously enforce air pollution control permits and impose large enough penalties that are more than just a cost of doing business.

Sierra Club supports the EIP report and its recommendations. It confirms the efforts we have made over the years to change the paradigm of Iowa agriculture to grow food and preserve Iowa’s rich soil and prairie ecosystem.

We are all downwind.  It is important to protect the neighbors to these plants who bear the brunt of the risk and all others living, working, and visiting the state.  We all deserve clean air.

Update on East Nishnabotna fishkill

The Iowa Attorney General is now handling penalties that will be assessed to NEW Cooperative for its role in the catastrophic release of fertilizer into the East Nishnabotna River.

Between March 9 and March 11, 2024, a valve was left open on a large fertilizer storage tank at NEW Cooperative, Inc. near Red Oak, Iowa.  The open valve allowed 1,500 tons (265,000 gallons) of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (32% solution) to drain from the tank into a drainage ditch, which then flowed into the East Nishnabotna River.  Not only was the valve left open, nobody was monitoring the site over the weekend.  The company had not installed any detection equipment for monitoring open valves.

Over the next few days, the pollution traveled all the way downstream in Iowa, through Missouri, and to the confluence of the Nishnabotna River with the Missouri River – a distance of 60 miles.  Along the way, it killed almost 800,000 fish, plus frogs, snakes, mussels, and earthworms.

Reserve October 5 – Sierra Club Annual Meeting

The Sierra Club annual meeting will be on October 5, 2024, at the Drake University Olmsted Center, 2875  University St, Des Moines, Iowa.  The cost is $40 per person.  We hope you can join us. 

The schedule for the day is:

10:00 - 10:30 - Arrive and check in

10:30 - Welcome and opening remarks

10:45 -11:45 -  Dr. Larry Weber, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics, University of Iowa, Director of IIHR - Hydroscience & Engineering

11:45 - 12:45 -  Lunch, followed by Sierra Club lunch and learn

1:00 - 2:00  - Dr. David Cwiertny, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, William D. Ashton Professor of Civil Engineering, Director of the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination

2:00 - 3:00  - Mike Owen, Deputy Director Common Good Iowa

3:00 - 3:30  - Open forum and next steps

3:30 -  Adjourn

We hope to see you on October 5.

Photo: flood waters at Palisades-Kepler State Park.

Sierra Club establishes a new policy on E-bike use on trails

E-bikes—bicycles powered by electric motors--have gained rapid popularity and are all around us. With an electric motor bike you can go faster, go farther and higher. E-bikes now share a world with walkers, cars, buses, bicyclists, horses, and wildlife. Great for urban transportation, but in backcountry trails, their use can lead to serious conflicts and impacts.

This rise of e-bikes called for the Sierra Club to accommodate this use and still meet our mission to protect the environment and help people get into nature. Recently, Club volunteers revised our Off-road use of motorized vehicles policy to include e-bikes. In May, 2022, the Sierra Club’s Board of Directors adopted the new policy recommended by our recreation issues volunteers.

The new policy promotes the use of electric motorized bicycles in urban and developed areas.  For trails on public lands this policy emphasizes that e-bikes must be considered and managed as motorized vehicles. Where motorized use is prohibited, e-bikes should also be prohibited.

E-bikes are motor vehicles.

They have a motor, who would question they are motorized? Here’s where Industry advocacy comes in:

When e-bikes first appeared, they had to meet requirements for motorcycles. Because these limitations could hurt sales, e-bike distributers and manufactures organized to change federal and state laws and policies to favor e-bikes. Today their organization, PeopleForBikes, has 27 full time employees and a yearly budget of $4.1 million (in 2022.)  PeopleForBikes Coalition campaigned to convince the public that electric motorized bikes should go anywhere conventional bikes go.

To increase e-bike access, the industry invented a three-tier system that ranks e-bikes as Class 1, 2, and 3.   Class 1 were claimed to be like traditional bicycles, operated when pedaled. Class 2 and 3 e-bikes are faster and more powerful.

There is a practical problem with this artificial “Class” system.  It is not physically possible for a bicyclist or an enforcement officer to look at an e-bike and determine its “class”. There is no distinctive marking.  Many e-bike models can be configured as Class 1, 2, or 3 and look identical. Also, e-bike owners can easily modify the bike’s motor to boost power and speed.

The classification system is an industry lobbying ploy to expand e-bike use. The artificial distinction is unenforceable by land managers, and if allowed, would open any trail to any motorized bike.  All classes of e-bikes have similar negative effects on wildlife and other trail users.

PeopleForBikes Coalition has been very successful. 43 states have passed e-bike legislation that mimics their recommendations.

30X30, wildlife, hikers, and equestrians

Human recreation disturbs wildlife behavior and health, and causes wildlife to avoid otherwise suitable habitat. Studies show that because e-bikes go faster and farther, they impact some wildlife more than hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders do. As part of the Club’s mission to protect wild Nature, we must keep vehicles off some quiet hiking and horseback trails.

In response to climate change and biodiversity loss, the Club champions the 30x30 campaign to protect 30% of natural habitat by 2030. Allowing e-bikes in wild areas may prevent protection needed to achieve our 30X30 goals.

E-bikes are here and may benefit many. Our challenge is to promote these where appropriate and still respect other trail users and, of course, protect wild lands. For more information, request a copy of the Sierra Club’s Recreation Issues Team e-bike background paper from Vicky Hoover (vicky.hoover@sierraclub.org).

Lunch and Learns Fridays at noon

Every Friday at noon, we do a Lunch and Learn livestream.  See us on Facebook at "Sierra Club Iowa Chapter".  These will be recorded so you can watch them anytime.  Topics will be selected based on what is happening during the week and will be announced the day before the livestream.  During the legislative session, we cover issues coming before the Iowa legislature.

In case you missed our past webinars and lunch and learn sessions, you can still see them.

Volunteer for the Iowa Chapter

Almost everything we do is done by volunteers like you.  If you would like to volunteer for the Iowa Chapter, please let us know by sending an E-mail to Iowa.chapter@sierraclub.org.  Or sign up by using the online form.  There are many opportunities for you to make a difference:

• making phone calls

• developing graphics for banners and flyers

• working on legislative issues

• working on elections

• fundraising

• organizing events

• joining an issue committee 

If you would like to join our legislative action team, sign up here.  Keep on top of what is happening at the Iowa legislature.  Be alerted when you should contact your legislators about pending legislation.

Sierra Club - working every day on Iowa’s environmental problems

Sierra Club is Iowa’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization.  Not only that, we are the best bet in the state for achieving bold solutions to Iowa’s environmental problems.

We work in the courts, before Iowa’s public agencies, and in the halls of the legislature.  The Iowa Chapter's effort to protect the environment takes financial support.  The Chapter receives very little financial support from the national Sierra Club.  Can we count on you for a donation to ensure even more victories?  Your contribution will be put to work here in Iowa on issues that affect every day Iowans – water quality, clean air, protection of Iowa's soil, parks and natural areas, and a strong democracy.  The Iowa Chapter is relentless in fighting back bad legislation that affects every one of us. 

Your non-deductible contributions make it possible for us to fight bad legislation and to promote good legislation.  We appreciate your past and on-going support of these efforts.  You can make a non-deductible donation with a credit card.   A non-deductible donation supports the Chapter's effective, citizen-based advocacy and lobbying programs.  If you prefer, a non-deductible check can be written to the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter and mailed to:

Treasurer
Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter
PO Box 1058
Marion, IA 52302

You can also make a tax-deductible donation with a credit card.  Tax-deductible activities are limited to public interest education, research and legal actions.  A deductible check can be written to the Sierra Club Foundation with “Iowa Chapter” written in the memo line.

Thank you for your support.

Donate your used vehicle

As the Sierra Club Foundation's Iowa Chapter continues to raise charitable funds to support its work in Iowa, won’t you consider participating in our vehicle donation program?  Our partners over at CARS have made the process of donating your unused or unneeded car, truck, motorcycle, boat or RV easy, efficient and secure.  They’ll take care of everything from picking up your vehicle to sending you a tax receipt for your generous gift.  To learn more about The Sierra Club Foundation's Iowa Chapter vehicle donation program, please call 844-674-3772.  Or visit our webpage to get started today!

Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy. The Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of Sierra Club’s charitable environmental programs.

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