Letter to the Editor: Risks of carbon pipeline

My name is Don Johannsen. I am a landowner in Cherokee County directly affected by the proposed 1,070 mile Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline in Iowa.

Over the last five years, Summit and the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) have consistently minimized the risks of CO2 pipelines. The purpose of this article is to raise awareness of these risks.

I have written previous letters explaining how experts at PHMSA, the federal agency responsible for developing regulations for hazardous pipelines, concluded that due to the number of variables involved, and the complexity of multiphase CO2 behavior, the models are not accurate. As a result, PHMSA proposed a two mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) on either side of CO2 pipelines. These revisions would have required pipeline operators to identify and contact all occupied residences in the zone, inform them of the risks, and provide them with the proper emergency response procedure. In the event of a rupture, all residences within the affected area would be contacted. 

These proposed regulations were released for publication in January 2025. However, following lobbying efforts by Summit, the ethanol Industry, and others, they were withdrawn and permanently shelved.

I have also written about the effects of exposure to CO2. For those living close to the pipeline rupture, the elevated levels of CO2 could cause rapid loss of consciousness, convulsions, coma, and death within minutes. And concentrations could remain high until the damaged section is isolated.  PHMSA’s report on the 2020 CO2 rupture in Satartia stated that one mile away and three hours after the rupture, outdoor concentration levels were still 26,000 ppm and indoor levels were 28,000 ppm. The persistence of such elevated levels hours after the rupture underscores the potential severity of a rupture.

PHMSA’s report provides a sobering reference point as to the severity of a pipeline rupture.  It is important to emphasize that a two mile EPZ does not imply CO2 will always travel that distance. Rather, it reflects a conservative planning assumption intended to protect public safety under worst case conditions.

Should you be concerned? 

Yes, the risks are real.  It is important to know that Summit is a small company in existence for only five years. They have never managed, designed, built or operated anything — ever.  They are complete novices to the pipeline business.

What should you do if you are living within the EPZ?

1.) Watch the test rupture of an eight” pipe on YouTube, search DNV CO2 Rupture. Do it soon as the video used to be available on the web but was taken down.

2.) If you are an affected landowner, have you been properly notified of the risks facing your family and property? Have you shared these risks with your neighbors?

3.) If you are an adjacent landowner, contact the affected landowner. If they have refused to sign a voluntary easement tell them thank you. If they have signed a voluntary easement, ask them why they felt they had the authority to put your family and property at risk.

4.) CO2 is by definition a hazardous pollutant. Standard language in most liability insurance policies have a pollution exclusion clause stating that the policy owner or adjacent landowners would not be covered in the event of pollution exposure. If you are a landowner check with your agent to see if you are covered. If you are an adjacent landowner, ask your neighbor if your losses would be covered.

5.) The presence of an uninsurable hazardous pipeline on your property will reduce the value of your property. If you are an affected or adjacent landowner, you should check with a land agent to determine how much less your property is worth.

Landowners have the right to evaluate risks and benefits for themselves. However, when those risks extend beyond property boundaries and affect entire communities, the issue becomes one of public interest. The consequences of a pipeline rupture do not stop at property lines. Adjacent landowners bear risk without consent, and their property values may be affected regardless of their position on the project.

In 2024, the IUC granted Summit the right of eminent domain to seize 892 parcels. Granting eminent domain for such projects should not be used to impose risks on unwilling landowners or uninformed adjacent property owners. 

Polls have shown 80% of Iowans support no eminent domain for carbon pipelines. A bill that would prohibit the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines, HF2104, easily passed the Iowa House in January but has been stalled in the Senate since. Before the start of the session, Senator Klimesh, Senate Majority Leader, promised quick action to address property rights in Iowa. Yet here we are at the very end of the session with no resolution. It is urgent you contact Senator Klimesh by phone (515-281-3560) or email — mike.klimesh@legis.iowa.gov and ask him to deliver on his promise and bring bill HF2104 to the floor and protect property rights in Iowa.