Wolf-ADM carbon capture pipeline hears opposition at first public meeting in Johnson County

David Wiskus lives in Cedar County and owns farmland in Johnson and Cedar counties. His property could soon have a carbon capture pipeline running through it.

Wiskus was one of about 100 people who showed up at the first informational meeting with Wolf Carbon Solutions and the Iowa Utilities Board in the North Liberty Community Center. The crowd mostly criticized and questioned the proposed pipeline and made scathing remarks about the technology, the government process needed to seek approval and the larger effort to build these pipelines in Iowa.

The 280-mile Wolf-Archer-Daniels-Midland Company proposal is one of three large projects proposed to run through Iowa and the first that could touch Johnson County. The pipeline would capture carbon produced at the Archer Daniels Midland corn ethanol facility in Cedar Rapids and transport it across eastern Iowa to Decatur, Illinois, where it would be placed underground in sandstone underneath the Mount Simon hub.

Wolf Carbon Solutions Senior Vice President of Corporate Development Nick Noppinger said the company has never used eminent domain in any of its projects to acquire land and would seek voluntary easements with the landowners and put a two-mile buffer zone around its preferred route in case it needs to modify the route if certain landowners refuse.

"When we build this system we have to live with it. We have to do this the right way because we're the people that are going to be working with you as landowners and stakeholders for the life of the (pipeline)," Noppinger said.

Throughout the meeting, residents rattled off many questions and the company and the IUB were left to try to answer all of them after the residents had spoken, rather than responding one at a time. Many speakers didn't ask questions, but used their speaking time to make comments on the proposal or ask for commitments from the company.

The crowd also included landowners from Johnson, Cedar and Linn counties, three Johnson County elected officials, other concerned and curious residents like the 100 Grannies for a Livable Future of Iowa City, and at least two state legislative candidates whose districts lie in the pipeline's proposed path.

More: Judge rules names of landowners in path of carbon capture pipeline should be made public

Wolf-ADM pipeline met with animosity from landowners and public

David Wiskus said he was never notified of the meeting despite owning land in the shaded area on the map and said several of his neighbors weren't notified, either. This prompted representatives from Wolf, IUB and the Office of Consumer Advocate to say they would follow up and check if the proper process was followed.

"My address ... has been the same for 60 years," Wiskus said.

The requirements by state code require a letter notifying the landowner within the proposed area of the pipeline of this proposal within a 30-day period before the meeting by certified mail. To satisfy this, the company would have to prove it sent the mail and that they received a receipt it was delivered.

"You guys are representing me, You're the big dog and I'm just a little puppy," Wiskus said to the IUB. "I was just wondering how hard you hold these people's feet to the coals on all this safety stuff?"

IUB board member Richard Lozier said he believes the state government quasi-judicial body is tasked with representing the public interest and that both Wiskus and Wolf are considered the public. This answer elicited loud groans from the audience.

"We hear from both sides, both from Wolf and from you folks, and we make the decision based on the facts and application with the law. That's how the process works," Lozier said.

Wiskus' daughter, Jessica Wiskus, asked a flurry of questions, lasting nearly 10 minutes. Jessica Wiskus, a Democrat, is running against Republican state Rep. Charlie McClintock, for the Senate District 42 seat in Linn and Benton counties.

She asked whether liquid carbon dioxide is a waste or a commodity; she asked about the safety of the pipelines in nearby community spaces; she asked about the specifications of the facility in Decatur; she asked if the company can sign pledges about the use of the stored carbon dioxide; she asked who owns the stored gas; and many other questions.

"These are important questions. I live here and my neighbors live here and I think we have to able to take into account the full picture if we're even going to think about an easement," Wiskus said.

Wiskus and her father pressed the IUB and the representative from the Iowa Attorney General's Office of Consumer Advocates about the company not notifying people.

Representatives from Wolf Carbon Solutions assured the audience that they would do everything they can to prevent the pipeline from leaking and laid out the technology, with sensors every 10 miles, that would work to prevent leaks or worse accidents.

More: Polk County supervisors consider joining 36 other counties that oppose carbon capture pipelines

Johnson County Supervisors take their opposition out of the board room

Johnson County Supervisors Lisa Green-Douglass and Jon Green both appeared at the meeting and voiced their displeasure and opposition to the pipeline and joined in the chorus of questions from the audience. The board is one of almost 100 groups or individuals who have filed formal letters of opposition against the project, according to the Iowa Utilities Board online docket.

"I've been to other IUB meetings on other projects and they all have the same flavor of this is going to happen," Green-Douglass said. "You can say you represent the public, but when this is a company that stands to gain monetarily from this, you are representing that company not the people."

Green-Douglass reiterated and clarified the frustration she voiced at a board of supervisors meeting two weeks ago that the authority of the county government body is limited under Iowa code for pipeline projects like this. Their only authority is to appoint an inspector for the project's progress in the county.

Green-Douglass said that Johnson County has taken a lot of action to protect the land, including a sensitive areas ordinance. She said the pipeline could run through these sensitive areas that county officials have been working to conserve for the last six years.

"There will be damage to that, and we're screwed again," she said.

Green-Douglass suggested the company could instead reduce the carbon dioxide emissions at the point of production. Many others suggested this idea, meaning they want ADM to invest in cleaner energy sources rather than ethanol.

"Find a way, you have smart people," she said.

Representatives from Snyder & Associates — the firm the county hired to conduct inspections on the project — some county staff and Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel were also present but did not speak.

There are two more meetings scheduled until mid-September including one on Wednesday at noon at the RiverCenter's Adler Theater on 136 E. Third St. in Davenport and a Sept. 19 virtual meeting at 6 p.m through the Iowa Utilities Board at iub.iowa.gov.

Two other meetings were held Monday and Tuesday in Tipton and Cedar Rapids following the North Liberty meeting.

More: Meetings set on plan for third proposed carbon capture pipeline through Iowa

George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (515) 350-6307, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Johnson County Iowa residents oppose Wolf-ADM carbon capture pipeline