DES MOINES, Iowa — Nearly 40 Iowa Republican lawmakers are suing the Iowa Utilities Commission in an attempt to stop the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline from being built.
The pipeline is almost 700 miles long and would go through 29 Iowa counties. In June the commission approved the pipeline , and allowed Summit Carbon to utilize eminent domain to build the pipeline on private property — a decision that has been met with outrage and controversy.
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On Tuesday Republican lawmakers announced they will be filing lawsuits in state and Federal courts against the commission, claiming the commission’s decision put corporate interests over the safety and rights of Iowans.
“The Iowa Utilities Commission’s approval of this project is a gross overstep of authority, trampling on the rights of our landowners and putting the safety of Iowans at risk,” State Rep. Charley Thomson, a leading member of the Republican Legislative Intervenors, said in the press release. “This CO2 pipeline is not only unethical but unconstitutional, and we will not stand by while the safety of our citizens is jeopardized … We are determined to fight this reckless decision in the courts and in the General Assembly. This isn’t just about stopping one pipeline. It’s about safeguarding our communities, our land, and our Constitutional rights from future overreach.”