6 Comments

Tom,

Thank you for sharing your story - so few first-generation farmers manage to own land, and I applaud you.

Not everyone understands that once the CO2 pipeline is buried, the landowner assumes all risk if there is an accident - even though the easement is permanent. And not everyone has tried to farm over ground that isn't properly repaired after a pipeline is laid. During the laying of the Lewis and Clark water pipeline on our land, the clay layer ended up on top, and yields were never the same in that half-mile stretch of ground. Also, it took many years after burying the pipe before the rut left from settling was gone.

I think Tom's main point is well taken. A small handful of people (not from South Dakota) will benefit massively from the billions of dollars of tax money poured into this grift, while relative crumbs are left for the rest of the people in its path. It should be Tom's choice if he wants to participate, guaranteed by the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Taking away Tom's rights for the benefit of a private company should give everyone that owns a house, land, building, or farm pause.

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I appreciate your hard work and thrift. I understand that a bike path would remove farmland but how does a buried pipeline affect your ability to farm the surface?

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