Sen. Rounds paying attention to 'strained relationship' between South Dakota landowners, CO2 pipeline companies

Former Republican governor meets with group opposed to eminent domain powers for CO2 pipelines, marks opposition's first sit-down with top Republican officials

Senator Mike Rounds meets with anti-carbon pipeline landowners and politicians. (Submitted)

HURON — Opposition to a pair of planned carbon pipelines has caught the attention of U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, who says he’s concerned with rising tensions between landowners and private companies behind the projects.

The second-term Republican senator met Monday in Huron with eastern South Dakota landowners, state lawmakers, and local officials opposed eminent domain powers for Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2, both of which are planning pipelines that would capture carbon produced by ethanol plants in the Midwest. The carbon would be transported to below-earth geologic storage sites in North Dakota.

The meeting marks the first formal dialogue between pipeline opposition groups and top Republican leaders in the state.

“As a landowner, I am concerned about the strained relationship between a private company and South Dakota landowners,” Rounds said in a statement provided to The Dakota Scout. “While working as governor, I stressed local buy-in before projects should move forward. That doesn’t appear to have occurred in this case - at least not entirely.” 

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