Carbon pipeline company appeals ruling that made their affected landowner list public

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - A carbon pipeline company is appealing a district court decision that would require it to release its list of possibly affected landowners.

Summit Carbon Solutions, one of three carbon pipeline companies seeking to operate in Iowa, says the list should be kept secret to protect the privacy interest of landowners.

They’re the company appealing the decision to the Iowa Supreme Court. Opponents to the carbon pipelines say the move is meant to prevent them from communicating with one another.

Two carbon pipelines would carve through Siouxland in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota if they’re approved.

“As a public disclosure matter these type of companies have a tendency to fight disclosure of a lot of things, you know, even in some cases, evacuation routes and, you know, information that really pertains to the safety,” said Dan Zegart an author with the Climate Investigations Center.

The Iowa Utilities Board will ultimately decide if the carbon pipelines can be built. The pipelines are meant to capture carbon from facilities like ethanol plants and sequester it into the ground.