Earlier this week, Iowa farmers and landowners, many of whom are working with Domina Law Group and the Iowa Easement Team, gathered at the state Capitol to ask legislators to prevent construction of carbon capture pipelines on their land without their permission.
As reported by Iowa Public Radio, the March 29th gathering brought over 100 farmers from across the state to protest the involuntary use of their land for several proposed carbon capture pipelines, including those from Navigator CO2, Arch Daniels Midland Co., and Summit Carbon Solutions. Summit, the company behind a 2,000-mile multi-state Midwest Carbon Express pipeline, recently applied for a pipeline permit application with the Iowa Utilities Board.
Protestors called attention to the attempted use of eminent domain, typically a right reserved for the government and not private entities, to obtain easements through farmers’ land to construct the pipelines. As Sen. Jeff Taylor of Sioux County noted:
“I would still like to see the power of eminent domain stripped from the Iowa Utilities Board. They should not be using it for private companies.”
But while the state Senate is currently considering a bill to impose a 1-year ban on the use of eminent domain by the three companies after it was passed by the house on March 24th, many landowners say the measure will only postpone the issue. They remain concerned about the environmental impact of the projects, potential liability for pipeline damage, and the impact on their farmland and infrastructure.
Read the full story from Iowa Public Radio here.
Domina Law Group and Managing Lawyer Brian Jorde currently represent landowners in multiple states with property that could be affected by the proposed carbon pipelines. This includes many farmers and landowners in Iowa through the firm’s work with the Iowa Easement Team, an organization dedicated to helping landowners understand their property rights and how and what to fight for in the event they must negotiate an easement. For more information, visit www.IowaEasement.org.