Our community rejects the CO2 pipelines

Last week, the Iowa State Senate failed to advance legislation (HF 565) that would have restricted eminent domain for the CO2 pipelines.

This, despite the fact that a recent poll by the Des Moines Register showed that 78 percent of Iowans oppose the use of eminent domain for the CO2 pipelines.

This, despite the fact that the Iowa House had passed HF 565 overwhelmingly on March 22 with a bipartisan vote of 73 (yeas) to 20 (nays).

This, despite the incredible work of Iowans from all across the state who have built a grassroots coalition unlike any ever seen — neighbors working together in service of one, unifying principle: no eminent domain for private gain.

Iowans, this past week, have been betrayed.

Moreover, Senate leadership ensured that the bill would be killed in the most cowardly fashion possible — instead of taking a vote and standing accountable for their actions, the committee to which the bill was assigned simply canceled their meetings. The bill never even came up for discussion.

The Senate’s inaction will impact generations of Iowans.

One should not underestimate the level of outrage being felt all across the state right now. Likely, this is not the last that we will hear about the issue.

But Eastern Iowa landowners are not waiting for government to decide to act responsibly. We are taking matters into our own hands. Through the work of countless neighbors talking with one another, we have built a vast network across rural Linn and Cedar Counties and collectively posted our position on the Iowa Utilities Board docket:

“We are listing our names, below, to express our opposition to having the CO2 pipeline placed through our properties. We will not be signing voluntary easements with Wolf for the CO2 pipeline. We have a truly wonderful community here in Eastern Iowa, and we are standing together as one voice. We respectfully ask that Wolf cease from contacting us about this matter.”

This statement was followed by a list of over 200 families in the affected corridor. To give you an idea of how this relates to the proposed route, according to Wolf there are 97 centerline parcels of land set to go through Linn County and 135 centerline parcels in Cedar County. 232 parcels. Keep in mind that some of the families on our list own multiple parcels of affected property.

And ever since that initial posting, I have continued to hear from more landowners in Linn and Cedar Counties (both along the centerline and further in the corridor, for good measure) who are adding their names to our declaration. Our list has now surpassed 250 families, representing well over 300 parcels of land. There is, in fact, no way for Wolf to form a continuous route, even if they adjust the centerline — we have mapped it out and checked.

Undoubtedly, Wolf has mapped it out, too, and reached a similar conclusion. The community has rejected this project — full stop. It is time for Wolf to pull the plug.

Jessica Wiskus lives in rural Lisbon.