Midwestern carbon dioxide pipeline project gets approval in Iowa, but still has a long way to go

abcnews.go.com:

Iowa regulators have approved a controversial carbon dioxide pipeline for transporting emissions of the climate-warming greenhouse gas for storage underground

Iowa public utility regulators on Tuesday approved a controversial carbon dioxide pipeline for transporting emissions of the climate-warming greenhouse gas for storage underground in a win for Summit Carbon Solutions' project after setbacks in other states and opposition from landowners around the Midwest.

The company still has many hoops to jump through before it can begin building in Iowa, including gaining other states' approval.

The $5.5 billion, 2,500-mile (4,023.36 kilometers) pipeline network would carry planet-warming CO2 emissions, liquefied under pressure, from more than 50 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to be stored deep underground in central North Dakota.

Farmers and the ethanol industry see the pipeline as a way to qualify for federal tax breaks they see as key for growing a market for a cleaner-burning aviation fuel. Corn is among the top two crops in the Midwest, and Iowa is the leader in corn and ethanol production.

“Whether you think it’s smart or silly, the world’s largest airlines want to decarbonize their fuel. Carbon capture and sequestration gets Iowa ethanol into that market, potentially providing a generational boost to Iowa’s economy," Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw said in a statement.

Summit CEO Lee Blank welcomed the decision in a statement.

The project's opponents, including many landowners, fear their land will be taken for the pipeline and that a potential pipeline rupture could release dangerous CO2 gas. A coalition opposing Summit's project vowed to fight