Climate action advocates and scientists joined residents of five Midwestern states in applauding Friday after a Nebraska firm canceled plans to build a carbon pipeline across five states, following outcry from the public and opponents of “dangerous, wasteful” carbon capture schemes.
Navigator CO2 Ventures said it was abandoning plans to build the $3.5 billion, 1,300-mile Heartland Greenway pipeline project—whose backers included investment firm BlackRock and Valero Energy—after South Dakota regulators denied a permit.
The company cited “the unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved,” but advocates in the five states that would have been affected credited grassroots campaigning, including by residents who spoke out against the company’s plan to potentially use eminent domain to gain access to land.
“As soon as Iowans learned about CO2 pipelines we knew these were not pipelines we wanted in our communities,” said Susan and Jerry Stoefen, members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. “Iowans organized to be heard: ‘No CO2 Pipelines, No Eminent Domain!’ Now is the time for Iowans to find reals solutions to reducing CO2 emissions that don’t degrade our land, water, and air.”
One Iowa resident summed up the victory as, “A bunch of elderly farmers without internet just took down BlackRock.”
Along with Iowa and Nebraska, the pipeline would have cut through parts of South Dakota, Minnesota, and Illinois, where Navigator CO2 planned to store liquefied carbon deep underground after capturing it and transporting it from 18 ethanol plants owned by Poet, the world’s largest ethanol producer, and Iowa Fertilizer Company.
The company is one of three firms that have planned to build carbon capture pipelines in the Midwest, promoting what climate advocates and scientists have decried as an energy-intensive, unproven false solution that diverts focus away from efforts to slash fossil fuel emissions and transition to renewable energy.
Summit Carbon Solutions and Wolf Carbon Solutions also have pipeline proposals, but Summit announced Thursday it was delaying construction of its $5.5 billion project by two years until 2026, citing permit denials similar to Navigator’s.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made carbon capture a focus of his climate plans, announcing an investment of up to $1.2 billion for two major direct-air carbon capture facilities in Texas and Louisiana earlier this year.
“While the federal government keeps trying to waste billions of dollars to promote these massive carbon pipelines, grassroots organizing is winning the fight to stop these egregious handouts to corporate polluters,” said Emily Wurth, managing director of organizing for Food & Water Watch. “These carbon pipelines will not reduce emissions—they are dangerous, wasteful schemes to prolong and expand polluting industries. Instead of throwing away money supporting polluters, the government should invest in proven clean energy solutions, not carbon capture pipe dreams.”
In addition to warning that carbon capture is a false solution to the climate crisis, critics warned that a rupture of a pipeline carrying highly pressurized CO2—an asphyxiant—could pose a major public health threat to nearby communities, as one accident did in the town of Sartartia, Mississippi in 2021.
Both Summit and Navigator initially warned residents living in areas that would be affected by the pipelines that they could resort to eminent domain—a legal process by which companies can gain access to land when a landowner refuses to grant it—and Summit has already pursued dozens of eminent domain orders for its proposed pipeline.
Although Navigator has not yet pursued the actions, the company’s vice president of government and public affairs, Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, said at a public debate in August that it couldn’t guarantee eminent domain wouldn’t be used to complete Heartland Greenway.
Biologist Sandra Steingraber, a vocal critic of carbon capture schemes, celebrated the demise of the proposed pipeline, whose “cause of death,” she said, was “citizen activism informed by science.”
“Piping pressurized supercritical CO2 all over creation,” said Steingraber, “endangers people, destroys farmland, [and] does nothing meaningful for the climate.”
Earlier this month, Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) led a call for Biden to place a moratorium on federal permitting for CO2 pipelines, citing public health concerns.
OMAHA, Nebraska – A company that planned to build a carbon pipeline through Iowa and four other states is canceling the project.
Navigator CO2 is blaming “the unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa.”
“As good stewards of capital and responsible managers of people, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Heartland Greenway project,” says Matt Vining, CEO of Navigator CO2. “We are disappointed that we will not be able to provide services to our customers and thank them for their continued support.”
The proposed 1,300-mile (2,092-kilometer) project would have carried planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from more than 20 industrial plants across South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois. The company recently withdrew its application for a key permit in Illinois.
“I am proud that throughout this endeavor, our team maintained a collaborative, high integrity, and safety-first approach and we thank them for their tireless efforts,” says Vining. “We also thank all the individuals, trade associations, labor organizations, landowners, and elected officials who supported us and carbon capture in the Midwest.”
Tom Buis, CEO of the American Carbon Alliance, issued the following statement in regard to the news of Navigator CO2 ceasing their pipeline project:
“The decision by Navigator CO2 to cease their carbon capture pipeline project is incredibly disappointing. We know that carbon capture is the future for farmers, rural communities, and our country.
“Just as bioethanol doubled farm income in the last two decades, carbon capture projects are the next step in bringing even more value to farmers nationwide. These projects will create higher corn and land values and bolster our nation’s energy security.”
“The American Carbon Alliance will continue to stand arm-in-arm with the commodity groups, industry leaders, and American farmers to help transform the ag and energy economy through carbon capture technology. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and we cannot afford to let it slip away.”
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw made the following statement:
“IRFA supports CCS projects as the best way to align ethanol production with the increasing demand for low carbon fuels both at home and abroad. CCS is the essential key to unlocking the 100-billion-gallon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market for agriculture, in the long term. If realized, the SAF market would trigger the largest rural economic boom since the introduction of corn hybrids. It is not an overstatement to say that decisions made over the next few months will likely place agriculture on one of two paths. One would lead to 1990s stagnation as corn production exceeds demand, and the other opens new market opportunities larger than anything we’ve ever seen before. IRFA will fight for a prosperous farming future.”
“Over the last year, we have been disappointed with the amount of disinformation that has been spread among the public and the regulators across multiple states. That does not happen by accident. Rather, it is being pushed by groups who oppose modern agriculture and whose stated mission is to destroy farming as we know it. While we respect Navigator’s decision, IRFA will continue to support multiple other CCS projects and we expect ultimate success.”
Barb Kalbach, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Board Chair and family farmer from Dexter issued this statement:
“This is a huge victory for Iowans! It’s refreshing to have someone listen to everyday folks. 80% of Iowans don’t want CO2 pipelines, and the reasons to oppose them just keep stacking up – first they take public money, then they come for farmland, now they want our water – all so they can make a buck at our expense. Now we need the Iowa Utilities Board to start listening and deny Summit Carbon Solutions permit. These pipelines are a bad deal, and the IUB has no business approving a permit for Summit, especially without adequate safety regulations.
A spokesperson for Summit Carbon Solutions also issued a comment:
“Summit Carbon Solutions welcomes and is well positioned to add additional plants and communities to our project footprint. We remain as committed to our project as the day we announced it. It’s not often you get the opportunity to positively impact an industry that touches every farmer and rural community across the Midwest. We have reached voluntary agreements along nearly 75% of our proposed route – we are pleased that the vast majority of landowners and farmers across the Midwest embrace the project. We look forward to building a generational asset that will create new markets for the ethanol industry and farmers.”
Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline project is being pushed back another two years to 2026, according to the Des Moines Register.
The Iowa Utilities Board is expected to resume its hearings on the project after putting things on hold earlier this month.
Those hearings are set for November 6th through the 9th, even though the 7th is Election Day in Iowa.
Cedar County officials have been vocal about residents not wanting the project, and they’re hoping Summit gives up altogether.
Cedar County Sheriff, Warren Wethington, says law enforcement need to stand up for the people, and not private companies who don’t have the right to force eminent domain.
“I will do everything in my power to make their lives miserable if they do decide to come here,” Sheriff Wethington said.”I think if more sheriffs grow a backbone and explain to these companies that they’re not gonna be their lackey and they’re not going to bow to their every demand, this could be stopped a lot sooner and easier.”
Sheriff Wethington says they’re also worried about public safety.
He says Summit hasn’t shared any emergency plans with first responders, which makes it hard to plan or protect the community.
On Friday, a Summit Carbon Solutions spokesperson issued the following statement in a press release:
“Summit Carbon Solutions welcomes and is well positioned to add additional plants and communities to our project footprint. We remain as committed to our project as the day we announced it. It’s not often you get the opportunity to positively impact an industry that touches every farmer and rural community across the Midwest. We have reached voluntary agreements along nearly 75% of our proposed route – we are pleased that the vast majority of landowners and farmers across the Midwest embrace the project. We look forward to building a generational asset that will create new markets for the ethanol industry and farmers.”
A major Midwestern carbon dioxide pipeline project has been canceled. Navigator CO2 Ventures today (Fri) announced the cancellation of its proposed 1,300-mile Heartland Greenway project.
The pipeline would have carried CO2 emissions from more than 20 industrial plants across Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota, to be buried underground in Illinois.
The cancellation comes soon after the company withdrew its application for a crucial permit in Illinois, and also said it was putting its other permit applications on hold.
South Dakota regulators last month denied Navigator a construction permit for its pipeline.
In a written statement, the company said the “unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa” were key to the decision to cancel the project.
Regulatory panels in North and South Dakota recently dealt blows to Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed $5.5 billion, 2,000-mile interstate pipeline network.
It would carry CO2 emissions from more than 30 ethanol plants in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska…to be buried underground in central North Dakota.
The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club has reported that Summit Carbon Solutions recently requested the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to place a hold on all wastewater and air quality permits needed to complete Summit’s proposed carbon capture and storage project.
The carbon project would run through Cerro Gordo, Hancock, and Kossuth Counties in north central Iowa. Summit also recently withdrew a water withdrawal request in Redfield, South Dakota. Summit’s project and some associated permits have been denied in South Dakota, North Dakota, and targeted counties in North Dakota.
Summit has been working with the IDNR to obtain water withdrawal permits, air quality permits, wastewater permits, sovereign land permits, public land easements, and more. In a news release, the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter said that Summit created 13 LLCs for each of the capture facility permits. It maintains that until recently, landowners, environmentalists and other opposition members were unaware of these LLCs.
“We have major concerns about Summit’s water usage in terms of transparency around quantity needed,” Sierra Club Iowa Chapter Conservation Coordinator Jess Mazour said. “We do not believe that water for carbon pipelines is a beneficial use of Iowa’s public water supply.”
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter is also concerned about Summit’s air quality permit requests. One of the air emissions that would be introduced into the atmosphere is triethylene glycol, a product used in the CO2 dehydration process. Sierra Club Iowa Chapter officials said that triethylene glycol is toxic to kidneys and the nervous system.
“Summit doesn’t just want our land and our public tax dollars, they want our water access to sovereign lands and resources, and to emit dangerous pollutants into our water and air,” Mazour said. “This is all risk for Iowans and all reward for Summit. All permit requests from Summit Carbon Solutions should be denied.”
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter is reviewing all approved and pending permit requests to provide written comment and consider appealing any of the approved permits.
When the Public Utilities Commission nuked their carbon-dioxide pipeline permit application last month, Nebraska-based Navigator CO2 Ventures rebutted rumors that it was giving up on the project to pipe carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in South Dakota to holes in the ground in Illinois.
But yesterday, Navigator sent the strongest signal yet that they are giving up on the project. The prospective pipeliner yesterday told the Illinois Commerce Commission that it wants to withdraw its permit application:
The company’s proposed 1,350-mile pipeline system suffered a setback in South Dakota in September when state regulators denied Navigator a construction permit.
Later that month, the company asked to suspend its permit process in Iowa. At the time, Navigator indicated it would wait for a ruling on its permit in Illinois, which was expected by the end of February 2024.
But the company now says it is “taking time to reassess the route and application.”
“Navigator will withdraw its current application with the intent to reinitiate Illinois permitting, if appropriate, when Navigator’s full evaluation is complete,” the company said in a prepared statement [Jared Strong, “Navigator Pulls Its Pipeline Permit Application in Illinois,” Iowa Capital Dispatch, 2023.10.10].
We're fighting for our homes and our land, and for the safety of South Dakota communities just like yours. But we can't do this alone, we need your help, so if you can, pitch in and let's make some hay.
We're fighting for our homes and our land, and for the safety of South Dakota communities just like yours. But we can't do this alone, we need your help, by being informed and taking action when it matters most.
