Summit’s clout is winning out

Public hearings in front of the Iowa Utilities Board began this week regarding Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposal to build 700 miles of pipeline in Iowa to carry carbon generated by ethanol plants to underground storage in North Dakota.

The board on Tuesday swiftly denied an effort to delay the proceedings, given that North Dakota regulators rejected Summit’s initial pipeline proposal. So as of now, the pipeline has no destination, pending action on Summit’s new proposal. It’s been dubbed a “pipeline to nowhere” by critics.

Erick Helland, chair of the Iowa Utilities Board, said delay would adversely affect interested parties who have cleared their schedules to attend the hearings. We’d hate to see anyone have to rearrange their schedules. But this excuse is weak sauce.

Summit wants to use eminent domain to take easement rights on land owned by Iowans who oppose the pipeline projects. The quicker they get the IUB’s OK, the faster they can tap into billions in federal tax credits for carbon capture projects.

Summit backers can’t even wait for federal regulators to issue revised safety regulations for carbon pipelines. The company is also in court trying to keep modeling of where a potentially harmful and deadly carbon plume would go in the case of a breach from being released.

Summit argues releasing such information would assist potential saboteurs. Again, weak sauce. Why should Iowans be kept in the dark about potential dangers?

The pace and opacity isn’t surprising given the political clout of Summit.

Summitt Carbon Solutions was founded by Republican megadonor Bruce Rastetter. On its payroll are general counsel Jess Vilsack, son of the former governor, and Jake Ketzner, former chief of staff to Gov. Kim Reynolds. Former governor and U.S. ambassador to China Terry Branstad is a senior adviser.

State Sen. Mike Bousselot played a key roll in killing legislation this year that would have made it tougher to use eminent domain for private projects. He once worked for another Rastetter company. Helland was appointed by Vilsack this spring and announced in June hearings that were supposed to start in October would be moved up to August.

So the wind certainly is at Summit’s back. Iowa’s powerful ethanol industry contends the pipelines are needed to sustain their product. But that wind feels like a political derecho, blowing away property rights for scores of Iowans.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com