Summit Carbon’s Bill of Rights – South Dakota is being bought by Summit’s lobbyists to the detriment of landowners and counties. The tv ads about landowner rights aired as misinformation to sway folks to believe that the state government, Gov. Noem, and Summit held the landowners in their best interests.
Through the work of Summit’s allies and lobbyists, Rep. Mortenson and Sen. Crabtree, SD landowners and counties are now some of the worst protected in the country when it comes to eminent domain and protection against huge private pipeline companies. None of this protects landowners from the abuses of Summit. Eminent domain and invasive destructive land surveys against property owner’s will were both ignored. Each of the so-called landowner rights describes what landowners can already obtain, Summit has already agreed to do, or the law already allows.
These bills are 100% pro-pipeline as they kill local control, destroy PUC discretion and handcuff them from doing their job. In 2023, SD landowners and counties pulled off two historic victories against hazardous Co2 pipelines. After that, corporate lobbyists and legislators changed the rules. Losing on merit and under laws since statehood, they “gamed” the system and laws in their favor, creating these bills. We now have less landowner protections than Iowa or Minnesota.
Gov. Noem, is SD still the land of the free? Or free, meaning just for big corporations she’s backing under “SD We’re Open for Business” all at the expense of SD landowner rights? How could this happen in SD? Landowners’ voices were shut out – when they made suggestions and offered solutions, they were ignored. Every committee hearing was a formality with the outcome predetermined, leaving landowners frustrated. The real “work” occurred in secret meetings orchestrated by Summit’s lobbyists and hand-picked legislators. YouTube “Fighting Eminent Domain Takeover” Amanda Radke.
RJ and Lisa Wright, Brandon, S.D.
