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Carbon pipeline company has not ‘taken any state off the map’ after SD permit rejection
A recently failed permit application is not necessarily the end of a carbon capture pipeline company’s goal of building in South Dakota and four other states, according to a company spokesperson. “We have not taken any state off the map,” Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, of Navigator CO2, told South Dakota Searchlight in an interview Friday. The South […]
South Dakota denies Summit permit; both carbon pipelines proposed in SD now rejected
FORT PIERRE, South Dakota — Some landowners who’ve been fighting against a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline shed tears of joy Monday as South Dakota utility regulators denied a permit application from Summit Carbon Solutions. The decision means both carbon pipelines currently proposed in eastern South Dakota have been rejected in their first attempts to gain […]
South Dakota commission staff files motion to deny Summit’s carbon pipeline permit
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission’s staff has filed a motion to deny Summit Carbon Solution’s application to construct a carbon dioxide pipeline, citing non-compliance with ordinances in Brown, McPherson, Minnehaha and Spink Counties. The news comes after Summit withdrew its request to have the commission overrule county ordinances. Another company trying to build a […]
South Dakota regulators deny permit for Navigator CO2 carbon pipeline
Editor’s note:This story has been extensively updated with additional details. PIERRE — In a unanimous decision, the three-member South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday rejected Navigator CO2’s application for a permit to construct the Heartland Greenway carbon capture pipeline in South Dakota. The commission also unanimously refused the company’s request to preempt county pipeline […]
During debate with lawmaker, carbon pipeline executive calls eminent domain a ‘last resort’
BROOKINGS, South Dakota — An executive for a carbon dioxide pipeline company said during a debate Tuesday evening that eminent domain is “a tool of absolute last resort.” Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, vice president of government and public affairs for Navigator CO2, debated state Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, at the Dacotah Bank Event Center. Hansen is […]
Unusual alliances emerge amid opposition to eminent domain for carbon pipelines
Opponents of eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipeline projects in South Dakota have forged a unique coalition. It includes Republicans, Democrats, climate change deniers who see the pipelines as a boondoggle, and environmentalists skeptical of the pipelines’ benefits. Many of them agree on one contention: that unlike water and natural gas pipelines, electrical transmission lines […]
Hundreds rally in Pierre against eminent domain for carbon pipelines
PIERRE, South Dakota — About 250 people descended on the South Dakota State Capitol on Thursday, demanding a prohibition against carbon capture pipeline companies gaining access to land against a landowner’s will. Lawmakers, landowners and concerned citizens from across the political spectrum called on Republican Gov. Kristi Noem to call a special legislative session to […]
Farming carbon: Farm bill presents opportunity to unite farmers, climate activists
IDEAL, South Dakota — On the rolling plains southwest of Chamberlain, South Dakota, lies a 30-square-mile farm and ranch that serves as a testament to the power of soil health practices. Bryan Jorgensen has devoted his life to nurturing the soil and maintaining the ecological balance on his family’s land. Jorgensen said the practices not […]
‘It’s about property rights’: Some farmers resent ethanol industry’s push for carbon pipelines
ABERDEEN, South Dakota — Craig Schaunaman, who farms thousands of acres, has been invested in the ethanol industry since its early days and even served on the board of an ethanol plant. But a carbon-capture pipeline supported by dozens of ethanol plants would cross his land, and he’s against it, even though ethanol officials say […]
New South Dakota law makes it harder to file a complaint or lawsuit against ag operations
A new South Dakota law makes it harder to file a nuisance complaint or lawsuit against an agricultural operation and limits the amount of money that can be awarded. Gov. Kristi Noem signed the bill Wednesday at a farm implement dealership in Mitchell, after legislators approved it earlier this winter. The law will go into effect […]
South Dakota committee rejects bill to stop carbon pipelines from using eminent domain
A South Dakota Senate committee unanimously rejected a bill Thursday that would prevent two proposed carbon pipeline projects from using eminent domain. The bill had already passed the House of Representatives 40-28, but it was defeated 9-0 in the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee. Opponents of the bill said it would be unfair to remove […]
South Dakota committee advances bill to stop carbon pipelines from using eminent domain
PIERRE, South Dakota — A bill intended to prevent two proposed carbon pipeline projects from using eminent domain passed a legislative committee Monday. The committee considered a total of six bills aimed at giving landowners more power in their fight against the pipeline projects. It was the first step in the legislative process for each of […]