'Compromise' in South Dakota's ongoing pipeline battle offers county tax in exchange for preemption
Latest proposal would create regulations that would trump county zoning rules
PIERRE — One of the last, yet most talked about carbon pipeline bills of South Dakota’s 99th Legislative Session has officially entered the fray in the State Capitol.
A heavily-amended version of Senate Bill 201, touted as a compromise measure between eminent domain-averse landowners and pipeline advocates, cleared the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee with a 7-2 vote.
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In its current form, the proposal being pushed by Majority Leaders Sen. Casey Crabtree and Rep. Will Mortenson would allow counties to implement a surcharge of one dollar per foot of pipeline that is within the county’s borders. That’s one of the main selling points of the bill that also includes protections for landowners in exchange for preemption of any restrictive county zoning regulations targeting carbon pipelines.
According to Crabtree, the counties being able to tax linear pipeline feet could lead to an extra $3.5 million a year flowing into their coffers.
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