Vote on Minnehaha County pipeline setback met with disappointment

Residents wanted more; pipeline companies wanted less

The Minnehaha County Commission succeeded in making no one happy Tuesday.

In a divided 3-2 vote, the commission adopted a 330-foot setback for pipelines carrying hazardous materials. That setback was more than what representatives of two proposed carbon pipelines wanted, and way less than what many landowners wanted.

The 330-foot setback, which applies to dwellings churches and businesses, was amended down from the 750-foot setback suggested by the Minnehaha County Planning Department. Joy Hohn, a Hartford resident who testified in favor of the 750-setback, echoed the sentiments of many. While Hohn wanted a 1,500-foot setback, she could live with 750 feet, saying an intelligent setback was one of the few areas that the county could control with regard to pipelines.

“This is intelligent land use at its best,” she said.

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