The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors will draft a letter to Iowa legislators regarding the board’s concerns about carbon dioxide pipelines/eminent domain, specifically as it relates to Summit Carbon Solutions seeking to install pipelines in Iowa to transfer liquid carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to North Dakota.
The consensus to act came after discussion on carbon dioxide pipelines/eminent domain lead by board member Danny Chick during the board of supervisors’ meeting on Sept. 16. Eminent domain is the right of the government to take private property for public use.
Once the draft letter is approved, it will be on a future board of supervisors’ agenda for approval/signature. The letter will be sent to Iowa State Sen. Mark Lofgren, R-Muscatine, and Iowa State Reps. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis; Mark Cisneros, R-Muscatine; and Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton.
“We’ll draft some kind of a letter that states our objections to – one, usurping local control; two is private for-profit enterprise utilizing the eminent domain processes,” Chairperson Jeff Sorensen said.
“It’s concerning to me because now somebody has more power over somebody. You’re putting somebody in a trumping position, and I don’t know how you make that choice,” Sorensen said. “Define the public good. I think that’s our concern. How do you define the public good?”
Summit Carbon Solutions is seeking to install pipelines that would transfer liquid carbon dioxide from ethanol plants around Iowa, Chick said. The carbon dioxide would be dispersed in North Dakota.
“The pipeline would be about 2,500 miles long -- 700 of those miles would be in Iowa. They say they’ve got agreements with 57 ethanol plants. That’s where they’ll capture most of the carbon dioxide from,” Chick said. “They say they’ve locked up 75 percent of the landowners that have agreed to allow the pipeline onto their property. They plan on starting construction in 2026, so we’ve still got some time.”
The issue that’s been discussed for some time has been eminent domain and the possibility of landowners not wanting pipelines on their properties.
“I think that at a minimum I would want to make our legislative constituency aware that we have grave concerns about this. One, the use of eminent domain. Two the consideration for safety, public safety, and our ability to manage that,” Sorensen said.
A colorless gas, carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which is a gas in the earth’s atmosphere that traps heat, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Carbon dioxide is emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil for energy and transportation. Some industrial processes and land-use changes also emit carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide has several uses, including as a refrigerant, in fire extinguishers and inflating life rafts and life jackets and in carbonated beverages, Britannica said.
Summit Carbon Solutions is a subsidiary of Summit Agricultural Group with plans to develop “the world’s largest carbon capture and storage project,” a press release said.
Iowa obesity program
Nora Dwyer, program assistant with the Iowa Obesity Program Leveraging Activities and Partnerships to Address Obesity, gave an update on the Iowa LEAP program.
Iowa LEAP is implemented through Iowa State University of Science and Technology, which has received a $510,000 grant each fiscal year in 2023 and 2024 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its five-year High Obesity Program.
“HOP supports policy, systems, and environmental changes to address health disparities related to nutrition, physical activity, and obesity,” the CDC said.
The CDC funds land grant universities to implement the High Obesity Program as they work with local cooperative extension services in mostly rural counties where 40 percent or more of adults have obesity, a press release said. Iowa State implements the program in Cedar, Clinton, Crawford, Franklin, Muscatine and Pottawattamie counties.
“With the community needs assessment coming up pretty soon, and this body is charged with the county health assessment,” Dwyer said. “You have to pick what you’re going to work on for the next two years, so I think the timing of this comes up pretty conveniently to talk about this before you get into that conversation.”
Information is being gathered from citizens about their access to healthy food and health care options.
“Why am I here and what am I going to ask of you folks? First of all is to be a partner in what we’re doing,” Dwyer said. “If there’s something that comes up related to wellness or that you feel is related to this grant, I hope you’ll give me a call, and let me know, and I’d love to be part of the conversation. We’ll keep you all informed of what we are doing.”
Final plat on Hale Street addition
Supervisors combined preliminary and final plat of the five-lot, R-2 Residential subdivision known as Hale Street Addition Subdivision in Muscatine County.
The proposed subdivision will be in what was formerly described as lots 7 through 33 plus 37 through 44 of Kent Estates Chatham Addition.
The applicant now petitions to re-plat the property into two large out lots and two buildable lots. The re-plat includes installing a compliant cul-de-sac at the end of Hale Street,” the Zoning Commission Development Report said.
Tax abatement on county property
Supervisors abated taxes of $669 on the parcel at 2554 Pettibone Ave., Muscatine, owned by Muscatine County.
Muscatine County acquired the property on Dec. 29, 2023. Taxes were prorated and collected from the seller through Dec. 29, 2023. The remaining amount of taxes owed is $669, but the property is exempt from property taxation.
New Chevy Silverado for $50K
Supervisors approved the Muscatine County Engineer’s Office and Highway Department’s purchase of a 2025 Chevy Silverado 1500, light duty truck, for $50,355.
“We intend to trade a truck,” County Engineer Bryan Horesowsky said.