Opponents of the use of eminent domain for construction of a carbon capture pipeline across Iowa were handed a setback this week when Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a controversial bill that would have made it hard to use the process.
House File 639 would have adopted such things as increased insurance requirements for hazardous liquid pipelines and changed the definition of a common carrier for the lines, but Gov. Reynolds said in her veto message the bill lacked the “clear, careful lines” drawn in good policy.
“It combines valid concerns with vague legal standards and sweeping mandates that reach far beyond their intended targets,” Reynolds said in a letter announcing her decision to veto.
A carbon sequestration pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions was a key target of the bill. The company plans to capture carbon dioxide from biorefineries across Iowa and transport it via pipeline to underground storage in North Dakota.
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