Article

Landowners opposed to a carbon sequestration project in Iowa have petitioned a state court to reconsider its decision to pause a lawsuit regarding a permit for Summit Carbon Solutions' pipeline. They argue that the Polk County District Court's decision to return the permit to the Iowa Utilities Commission was heavily influenced by a South Dakota law that prohibits eminent domain for carbon sequestration pipelines.

In 2024, landowners, counties, and the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter filed a lawsuit against the Iowa Utilities Commission's approval of the permit, which allowed Summit to connect biorefineries and transport carbon dioxide to underground storage in North Dakota, contingent on obtaining permits from the Dakotas. Following the enactment of South Dakota's law in spring 2025, Summit must now secure all necessary land easements through voluntary agreements, rather than through eminent domain.