Des Moines, Iowa — The top Republican in the Iowa House says the legislature must update the state’s eminent domain laws in response to the Iowa Utilities Board decision to approve the route for the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline.
The board’s decision gives the company authority to force unwilling property owners to let the pipeline on their land. House Speaker Pat Grassley says landowner rights are one of the highest priorities for House Republicans and that’s why they passed two different bills on the topic — bills that died in the Republican-led Iowa Senate. Grassley says House Republicans will seek feedback from Iowans on changes in the use of eminent domain in projects like the carbon pipeline. Two dozen other House Republicans — and seven Republicans who are state senators — have signed a joint statement, calling the Iowa Utilities Board decision a dark day for anyone who owns property in Iowa. The group says the board has crossed a line and the state’s proud tradition of clean government is being sullied.
Supporters of the pipeline say it will help Iowa-produced ethanol compete in low-carbon fuel markets around the globe. In a written statement, Monte Shaw of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said despite the overheated rhetoric of a few, the overwhelming majority of impacted landowners support this project. According to Summit’s CEO, 75 percent of Iowa landowners along the pipeline route have signed contracts to let the pipeline pass through their property.
