Hunter
01/21/23
Navigator CO2 announced Friday that they’re cancelling their multistate carbon dioxide pipeline project, citing the unpredictable regulatory process in Iowa and South Dakota.
Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Navigator had proposed to build a more than 1,300-mile pipeline system to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and other facilities in five states to Illinois for underground sequestration or other commercial purposes. The bulk of that system was planned for Iowa.
Last month, South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission denied Navigator’s permit because the proposed pipeline route violated county ordinances. Iowa’s permit was pending while the company was waiting for a decision from state regulators in Illinois. They pulled their permit application less than two weeks ago.
Navigator still has signed option agreements for easements with Iowa landowners that are still good for a few years. They haven’t withdrawn Iowa’s permit request yet, but a spokesman for the Sierra Club of Iowa called it a “historic victory.” They and other opponents of the pipeline projects say they pose safety risks, would damage farmland, and don’t deserve the use of eminent domain to construct them.
In a statement from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Executive Director Monte Shaw said the group has been disappointed by the amount of disinformation being spread among the public about the projects. He added that while the IRFA respects Navigator’s decision, they will continue to support other carbon capture projects and expect “ultimate success.”