LINTON, N.D. — A resident of Emmons County said she fears that if North Dakota approves a carbon capture pipeline bringing in carbon dioxide from other states, it will lead to a parade of other similar projects.
“Why do our government heads of state, representatives and government officials agree to allow our beautiful state to be turned into a dumping ground for other states’ garbage,” Julia Stramer said.
Emmons County has been a hotbed of resistance to the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, with the county commission passing ordinances to make it more difficult to site the pipeline through the county in south-central North Dakota.
The main trunk of the pipeline, a 24-inch pipe, would run through the county on its way to an underground storage area west of Bismarck. It would carry liquid carbon dioxide, a hazardous material collected from 32 existing ethanol plants across five states.
One of those ethanol plants, Tharaldson Ethanol at Casselton, is in North Dakota. The others are in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.
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Tharaldson Ethanol in Casselton, North Dakota, produces about 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide per day, but that would be slashed with a carbon capture pipeline. Jaryn Homiston / Agweek
Stramer’s land is on the proposed route but she has refused to sign a voluntary easement. Summit is offering to compensate landowners for access but she says she was insulted by the terms of the 99-year easement agreement.
She said it comes out to $23.23 per year for 99 years. Meanwhile she says she has already spent more than $8,000 on attorney fees in her fight against the pipeline.
Landowners face the possibility of Summit using the right eminent domain to force landowners to provide right of way. Summit has begun that process in South Dakota.
Summit, meanwhile, says it has nearly 72% of the easements it needs in North Dakota.
Stramer was providing testimony at a North Dakota Public Service Commision hearing in Linton on Tuesday,