North Dakota regulators deny siting permit for Summit carbon dioxide pipeline; company will reapply
North Dakota regulators have denied a siting permit for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would pass through five states
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota regulators denied a siting permit Friday for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would cross five states.
The decision complicates an already complex process for Summit Carbon Solutions, which is seeking similar authorization in the other states and is facing opposition from landowners and environmental groups. It wasn't immediately clear how the permit denial would affect Summit's carbon dioxide storage plans in North Dakota.
The North Dakota Public Service Commission denied the permit for Summit's Midwest Carbon Express pipeline, which planned a 320-mile (515-kilometer) route through North Dakota. Summit proposed the $5.5 billion, 2,000-mile (3,219 kilometer) pipeline network to capture carbon dioxide from more than 30 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, and to store it deep underground in North Dakota.
In a statement, Summit said it “respects the decision by the North Dakota Public Service Commission, and we will revisit our proposal and reapply for our permit. We’re committed to understanding and incorporating the considerations outlined in the decision. We are confident that our project supports state policies designed to boost key economic sectors: agriculture, ethanol, and energy.”
The project raised landowner concerns of eminent domain, or the taking of private land for the pipeline, and potential dangers of a pipeline break.
The company has “legal options" it can take, commission spokesperson Stacy Eberl said. The regulators do not have jurisdiction over injection sites, she said. Summit proposed an underground
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