OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — On Thursday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled against Shelby County and in favor of Summit Carbon Solutions. The county board voted to regulate carbon capture pipelines, but Summit has argued that state and federal law takes precedence over county regulations.
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY HERE
- Its not yet clear what the next steps will be for Shelby County and if it will pursue the case further.
- Summit released a statement which reads, in part: "This supports a consistent, lawful permitting process for critical infrastructure projects like ours."
- The Shelby County Board of Supervisors said in a statement: "At this time, Shelby County is reviewing the ruling and considering its options."
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A carbon capture pipeline update from Iowa: A federal appeals court found in favor of Summit Carbon Solutions on Thursday and against Shelby County for trying to implement what they say are safety regulations.
It's a case other Iowa counties were watching before they considered ordinances regulating CO2 pipelines.
And it may not be finished but, in a two to one vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, ruled against Shelby County's efforts to regulate carbon capture pipelines.
Montgomery County landowner Jan Norris is a carbon pipeline opponent. She told me it takes away the duty of a county board to protect its citizens.
"Safety and economic development are intertwined. You can't have one without the other. And one of the dissenting judges made note of that," said Norris, "You can't grow and develop more things unless you know it's going to be safe to the public. So, how are we going to be safe now?"
Judges in the majority wrote federal and state government regulations take priority over county regulations.
Summit sent me a statement which reads, in part: "This supports a consistent, lawful permitting process for critical infrastructure projects like ours."
The Shelby County Board of Supervisors also gave me a statement: "At this time, Shelby County is reviewing the ruling and considering its options."
Iowans are also watching closely to see if Gov. Kim Reynolds signs a pipeline regulation bill now on her desk.
I'm your Southwest Iowa reporter, Katrina Markel.
