Update: The second funnel was April 4. Most bills were sidelined by the legislative funnel and will not be moving forward this legislative session. On March 26, the Iowa House passed HF639 and it is still alive. The other bills discussed in this blog have not moved forward.
Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Legislation
It’s time for the Iowa Legislature to pass a bill to protect Iowans from Summit’s proposed carbon pipeline! We need your help contacting our State Legislators to make sure they pass protective legislation this session. Several bills are already working their way through the legislature.
HF639 (formerly HF240) - HF639 covers a number of areas related to hazardous liquid pipelines. If a permit is granted to construct and operate a carbon dioxide pipeline, the permit cannot be extended beyond 25 years. It requires that an applicant for a permit for a hazardous liquid pipeline have insurance to cover losses and injury resulting from the construction of the pipeline and any discharge from the pipeline. The insurance must also cover any person's increased insurance costs or the person's inability to obtain insurance due to the presence of the pipeline. The bill lays out who can intervene in proceedings before the Iowa Utilities Board. The bill requires that all of the members of the Iowa Utilities Commission be present during any live testimony before the commission. If all of the members are not present, the proceedings are to be paused. It also requires that at least one member of the Iowa Utilities Commission be present at each informational meeting. If a member is not present, the meeting will be paused. During the testimony of the phase 1 of the Summit carbon dioxide pipeline hearings, there were times that only 1 of the commission members was present and there were times that only two of the members were present. That is unacceptable, especially since sworn testimony from witnesses was being taken. During the phase 2 Summit carbon dioxide pipeline informational meetings, none of the commissioners were present. That is also unacceptable. The bill defines common carrier, which provides the foundation for the Utilities Commission permitting process. The Sierra Club supports HF639.
This bill passed the House and has moved to the Senate. Ask your member of the Iowa Senate to support HF639. To look up your senate member, see www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/senate or to Find your legislator
HF943 (formerly HSB287) - Bans Eminent Domain on Agricultural Land for the construction of a hazardous liquid pipeline. The bill states that the construction of hazardous liquid pipelines for the transmission of liquified carbon dioxide is not a public use, public purpose, or public improvement for purposes of condemnation of agricultural land by a utility. The Sierra Club supports HF943.
This bill passed the House and has moved to the Senate. Ask your member of the Iowa Senate to support HF943. To look up your senate member, see www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/senate or to Find your legislator
HF578 (formerly HF239) restructures the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA). It changes the OCA from being a part of the attorney general's office and makes it an independent agency. The Consumer Advocate would be appointed by the governor, from a list of three candidates. The candidates for the Consumer Advocate would be selected by the secretary of agriculture, the state auditor, and the state treasurer. The Consumer Advocate would serve for 5 years. The House passed this bill 96 to 0.
Ask your member of the Iowa Senate to support HF578. To look up your senate member, see www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/senate or to Find your legislator HF780 (formerly HF238) - If the Utilities Commission grants a carbon dioxide pipeline permit, the permit is limited to 25 years and cannot be renewed. The Sierra Club supports HF780.
HF302 (formerly HSB67) - Forbids the Iowa Utilities Commission to consider climate change when deciding to grant a permit to build a hazardous liquid pipeline. If a hazardous liquid pipeline company tells the Utilities Commission that its proposed pipeline will help mitigate climate change, then the Commission can consider whether the facts support that allegation as part of its decision-making. If the pipeline company is using any federal programs that deal with climate change, including the 45Q tax credits, then the use of those programs should be something that the Utilities Board should be able to consider. The Sierra Club opposes HF302.
This has already passed through a subcommittee and committee and is ready for floor debate. Ask your member of the Iowa House to oppose HF302. To look up your House member, see www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/house or to Find your legislator
