In Response to National Carbon Capture Conference, Iowa Climate Coalition Calls on Gov. Kim Reynolds and State Officials to Act on Climate, Oppose CCS Pipelines

In a rally this week, Iowan organizers and residents joined together to rally against politically backed venture capitalists seeking to profit from eminent domain abuses for carbon pipelines

Des Moines, Iowa — Today, over 100 people from Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota marched to the Iowa Convention Center to denounce CO2 pipelines as a false climate solution while the National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo was concluding. It hosted Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator CO2 Ventures and Wolf Carbon Solutions who want to build 2,000 miles of pipelines across the midwest to capture carbon dioxide from ethanol and fertilizer plants. These projects have never proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and instead prolong the use of dirty energy like coal and industrialized agricultural practices which are worsening the climate crisis, water, and air quality for Iowans and beyond. 

“This is deeper than just a CO2 pipeline. Big Ag and their destructive farming practices are poisoning our air, water, and land. We are demanding real solutions to the climate emergency, not another greenwashing scam that makes Bruce Rastetter and his friends richer.” 

Devyn Hall, Iowa CCI Farm & Environment Community Organizer

Pictures and video of the rally are available here.

In response to Gov. Kim Reynolds working with Iowa State Senators to kill legislation that would have made it illegal to grant private companies eminent domain for infrastructure projects despite 80% of Iowans oppose using eminent domain for carbon pipelines. The protest called out leaders continuing to ignore the public objection of Indigenous communities, farmers, and everyday Iowans by taking the following actions:

• Governor Reynolds has cemented support for the pipelines by stacking the Iowa Utilities Board with 2 out of 3 appointments. 
• While all communities will be impacted by the construction and operation of the CCS pipeline projects, Black and Indigenous communities who have historically been marginalized and people that do not own land, are being excluded from the public engagement process.

As the Iowa Utilities Board prepares to handle permit requests for carbon pipelines, Iowa residents can contact their representatives and file an objection in open dockets for Summit, Navigator and Wolf to oppose the CCS pipelines on Iowa Utilities Board’s website.

“Energy utilities are in on this, too. MidAmerican’s recent project proposal to the Iowa Utilities Board, Wind PRIME, includes 25 million dollars of customer money to explore carbon capture. This means investing more of customers' money into massive and polluting coal burning power plants with dangerous and experimental carbon pipelines that would prolong their life indefinitely,” said Emma Colman, Organizing Representative, Sierra Club Iowa Beyond Coal.

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