Minnehaha County 'letter of concern' over carbon pipeline too soft for opponents

Letter to PUC over Navigator pipeline leaves out eminent domain, setbacks

The Minnehaha County Commission will file a “letter of concern” with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission over a second carbon dioxide pipeline that is working its way through the state’s permitting process.

But unlike a similar letter that was submitted to the PUC last year for the first pipeline, the latest iteration doesn’t address eminent domain, setback distances, or the health and safety of humans and livestock.

The latest pipeline proposal from Navigator Heartland Greenway would run for 28 miles in eastern Minnehaha County. Navigator joins Summit Carbon Solutions in proposing regional carbon pipelines to capture carbon at ethanol plants in the Midwest in an effort to reduce ethanol’s carbon footprint.

Both proposed pipelines have elicited strong pushback from some landowners and local governments along their routes, sparking dozens of lawsuits. Tuesday’s hearing was no different.

As world pivots to green energy, ethanol turns to carbon pipelines