Iowa Senate Advances Carbon Pipeline Eminent Domain Legislation

DES MOINES, IOWA — For the first time in four sessions, the Iowa Senate took up legislation on the use of eminent domain relating to carbon dioxide pipelines.

HF 639 passed through the chamber by a vote of 27 to 22 Monday night. While the bill doesn’t prohibit the use of eminent domain for hazardous liquid pipelines on agricultural land, it adds requirements relating to the process.

It says that a pipeline company shall hold informational meetings in each county where property rights will be affected 30 days prior to filing a petition for a new pipeline. It requires that at least one member of the commission attend each of the informational meetings. It also adds insurance requirements for pipeline companies for all damages and operations of the hazardous liquid pipeline.

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The Iowa House passed another version that would prohibit the use of eminent domain for hazardous liquid pipelines on agricultural land. The Iowa Senate did not bring that version to the floor, and voted down Republican and Democrat amendments attempting to change the bill to that.

State Senator Mike Bousselot attempted to amend the bill to ban the use of eminent domain for hazardous liquid pipelines in the future, but not including the pipeline by Summit Carbon Solutions. That amendment failed by a vote of 22 to 28.

The group of 12 Iowa Republican Senators who were withholding a vote on state budget bills spoke in favor of this legislation, but also expressed frustration that the full prohibition of eminent domain was not passed.

Crowds of Iowa landowners were waiting all day after the hours of caucusing by both parties, waiting for action to be taken. The landowners wanted the full prohibition as well, but are still in favor of the requirements added by the legislation.