Domina Law Group Managing Lawyer Brian Jorde was recently featured on KFYR TV discussing a recent legal victory for South Dakota landowners challenging a proposed carbon pipeline.
As reported by KFYR TV, the victory came when the South Dakota State Affairs Committee voted to pass HB 1133, a bill that would prevent carbon pipelines from being classified as common carriers. This reclassification would be a major benefit to South Dakota landowners looking to protect their property rights, as it would preclude carbon pipeline companies from exercising eminent domain and accessing private land to construct their pipelines.
In addition to passing HB 1133, which will now move through the Legislature, the State Affairs Committee reviewed a basket of other proposed laws that address how to best define what constitutes a commodity, how to involve landowners in the decision-making process for pipeline projects, and various pipeline construction safety precautions. Revisions to the proposed measures that weren’t passed by the committee are expected.
For landowners in South Dakota whose properties fall along a route proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, the committees’ recent vote is a step in the right direction. However, as Domina Law Managing Lawyer Brian Jorde told KFYR, the battle to protect property owners’ rights and prevent private companies like Summit from using eminent domain – a right typically reserved for the government and public use projects – remains ongoing.
“We are fighting for basic rights, the right to property, the right to do what you want on your own land, and there’s really nothing more basic than that,” Jorde told KFYR.
Read the full article featuring quotes from Brian Jorde here.
Brian Jorde and Domina Law Group currently represent landowners in all Midwest states where controversial carbon capture pipelines have been proposed. These pipelines, which would funnel liquified carbon dioxide through thousands of miles of underground pipes so they can be sequestered underground, have been widely opposed by farmers, ranchers, and property owners who are battling to protect their property rights and prevent private pipeline companies from accessing and building on their land without permission.
Jorde recently appeared on WNAX radio to discuss the South Dakota Easement Team, a collective organization created to unite landowners and help them learn about their rights and legal options.
If you have questions about the South Dakota Easement Team or your rights as a landowner in any of the Midwest states where Summit Carbon Solutions plans to construct its carbon pipeline, Domina Law Group wants to help. Call (888) 387-4134 or contact us online for a free consultation.