Pondering a Pipeline
Pondering a Pipeline
When the "Express" becomes the "Local"
Are you familiar with Miles’ Law? Just eight words: “Where you stand depends on where you sit.” I’m a true believer. Coined in the late 1940s by Rufus Miles, a government bureaucrat, it’s a reminder that we generally see what comes through our own limited prism.
Today’s topic, like last week, is a proposed CO2 pipeline running from an ethanol plant one mile north of our Mitchell County home, through our rural neighborhood, south to Floyd County, where it would connect with what Summit Carbon Solutions calls the “Midwest Carbon Express”. Suffice to say, the envisioned pipeline is a major topic… in my community, in political circles, and throughout Iowa, since it would touch approximately one-third of the state’s counties.
Until several months ago, I wasn’t tracking closely on the issue, a rather embarrassing admission. Suddenly, however, when MY neighborhood became part of a proposed 700-mile Iowa network, it prompted me to “wake up and smell the coffee!” as Iowa native Ann Landers would say.
A little history: Two decades ago, our quiet neighborhood was threatened by a coal-burning power plant moving in next door. My neighbors and I organized in opposition. Ultimately, a (wise) corporate decision NOT to build a new plant meant we dodged that bullet. Same site, maybe eight years ago, a Swiss-based fertilizer company sought rezoning for constructing a huge new plant. Local government tabled their rezoning request… and interest quickly subsided. Whew!
Now, a pressurized, hazardous CO2 pipeline. Like many neighbors, I’ve been on a crash course of education and discernment. Several local meetings have aided in this process. A recent gathering at the Floyd County Fairgrounds was a combination rally/revival for people opposed to the pipeline. (The photo below is from the parking lot of that meeting.) Another meeting in Osage was sponsored by the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) at which Summit Carbon Solutions provided its overview, IUB discussed the permit process and landowners’ rights. Attendees made statements and asked questions. (A similar meeting was held that evening in Charles City.)
If pipeline issues were simple, we’d have solved them all by now. They’re not… and we haven’t. Several observations based on these meetings.
1). There is local, vocal opposition to Summit’s plans, some rational and reasonable, some rooted in fear, surfacing occasionally in anger. The Floyd County Fairgrounds meeting, July 31, was attended by 200 - 250 people on relatively short notice, most having made up their minds. Maybe 200+ people attended the Osage IUB gathering, a smaller crowd in Charles City. If statements and questions are telling, attendees overwhelmingly oppose the pipeline.
2). Key decision makers -- three IUB members -- are like a judicial panel in one way; they need not be especially sensitive to political winds or public opinion. (They MAY be, but it’s not required.) They could delay their decision until new federal guidelines are implemented, recommended recently by the Des Moines Register Editorial Board. Or they may forge ahead swiftly, making a go/no-go decision.
3). Pipeline issues generate fervent emotions… about land use and ownership, public health and safety, family and community, patriotism and tradition. About financial implications, constitutional rights, the environment, etc. It’s hard to envision either side backing down quickly or quietly, suggesting these matters will have a long “tail,” encompassing numerous decisions, opinions, appeals, and judgments rendered over several years. Anticipate delays.
4.) Eminent domain and its use underlie many pipeline-related questions: What’s the public benefit of taking private land to generate corporate profits? This issue, worded differently, surfaces repeatedly.
5). “Pipeline politics” incorporating points 1 - 4 above makes for some unusual alliances. While it’s too early to gauge ballot-booth implications, emerging realignment potential also flows through a proposed pipeline. Ninety years ago, my hardcore Republican grandfather voted for FDR “to save the farm.” It’s notable, however, with the farm secure, Grandpa returned to the Republican fold.
Pipeline decisions have far-reaching consequences, issues unlikely to be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. The Midwest Carbon Express would reach into many Iowa counties, reshaping what it means to live in large swaths of our state. Looking through my prism, it will be intriguing to see how this all plays out.
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