Lincoln County tables carbon pipeline ordinance, but not for long

Commissioners want more time to vet competing proposals

CANTON – Lincoln County commissioners tabled a proposed ordinance Tuesday that would have created a 500-foot setback between residences and carbon dioxide pipelines.

The proposal also would have created a one-mile buffer between cities and any carbon pipelines 16 inches or more in diameter.

The ordinance proposal was the product of Commissioner Joel Arends, and had it passed it would have sent the measure to the Planning Commission for its recommendation. Commission Chairwoman Tiffani Landeen noted that Arends added it to the agenda as a surprise on the Friday before a holiday weekend.

The proposal met resistance from Arends’ fellow commissioners as well as some residents who don’t think 500 feet, as measured from a habitable building, was far enough.

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