Pipeline representatives answer questions at Shelby County Supervisors meeting

 SHELBY COUNTY — Representatives from Summit Carbon Solutions were in attendance at the Shelby County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, March 4, to update the Board and take questions on the proposed carbon capture pipeline project.
 Kylie Lange, Iowa Pipeline Manager for Summit was accompanied by company spokesman Riley Gibson. Lange said more than half of the landowners on the proposed pipeline route have signed voluntary easement agreements.
 Lange reported the Iowa Utility Commission approved the proposed construction permit in June, and construction in Iowa is contingent to the approval of the permit in South Dakota.
 “There’s a lot hinging on South Dakota,” Lange said.
 Supervisor Mike Kolbe asked if the proposed route could be modified since IUC had approved the permit. Lange said a “small amount of changes” may be made.
 More than 40 were in attendance, and in expectation of a larger crowd, the meeting was moved to the C.G. Therkildsen Activity Center in Harlan.
 Former Board of Supervisor Chairman and current CO2 pipeline liaison for the Shelby County Supervisors asked, “If we have a pipeline running through our county, and we have no ethanol plant here, can you explain how this benefits us?”
 “It’s going to create a larger market, which then increases the value of the corn,” said Lange.
 Shelby County landowners affected by the pipeline route don’t agree.
 “There’s no way somebody is going to put a house on land that has a pipeline in it,” said Sherri Webb.
 Webb and her sister, Cindy Hansen, and their siblings inherited Shelby County land from their grandmother.
 Webb questioned the damage the pipeline would cause to the soil, terraces, and tiling. “You can’t restore the structure of the land,” Webb said.
 “This pipeline is a joke, no offense,” Hansen said.
 Other Shelby County landowners questioned the company officials on the use of eminent domain, safety issues, insurance liability and water usage.
 Alex Londo, Shelby County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator asked about what training Summit would provide Shelby County’s First Responders. “We have several jurisdictions and they will need equipment.” Londo also asked Lange about a livestock emergency plan, as several feedlots are along the proposed route.
 “We will work on it with you,” Lange said.
 Additional county and city officials present at the meeting included City of Harlan City Administrator Gervas Mgonja, Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen, members of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and Shelby County Assessor Tony Buman.
 Following the meeting, Webb said, “When you take care and nurture something for over 125 years, it’s not just the land. It’s legacy, history, and family.” Grandma and Grandpa treasured this land, and so did our parents. Now, it’s ours to take care of and advocate for.”