South Dakota saw a victory after the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted unanimously to reject a carbon-capture pipeline proposal that would have cost farmers thousands of acres.
Navigator CO2 Ventures wanted to create a pipeline across 112 miles of farmland to capture carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and pipe it to underground storage.
Chairman of PUC Kristie Fiegen said Navigor did not meet the burden of proof required for its proposal under South Dakota law.
The company failed to prove the pipeline would comply with current laws and would not present a threat to people, the environment, or the economy.
Mark Lapka, a South Dakota farmer, told The New American that the decision was a “huge victory for South Dakotans. The PUC made the right decision based on the facts. None of this would have been possible without the efforts of a lot of people. People can still make a difference.”
Navigator may reapply for the permit under South Dakota law.
Reporting from The New American:
With that in mind, Tammy Kobza, field coordinator for The John Birch Society in Iowa, issued this warning: "It is encouraging to see that the PUC denied Navigator’s application, but these companies will keep coming back and trying to wear down the commissioners and the landowners. Also, Governor Kristi Noem is in on this fiasco, and that makes it more challenging. But these small wins encourage us to keep fighting for our private property rights. More and more Americans are understanding the fascism that is taking place in America. Big government works hand-in-hand with big corporations to steal private property."
