The CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions says they do not intend to comply with Bremer County’s ordinance requiring setbacks for hazardous liquid pipelines, according to the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. The Board of Supervisors for the county adopted the ordinance last year that established how far away a pipeline must be from city limits, structures, and private water supply wells. The distances range from 1,000 feet to 2 miles. CEO Lee Blank says that a ruling by a federal judge determined that those types of ordinances are preempted by federal and state law. Summit sued Shelby and Story Counties over their ordinances in November of 2022 and the judge determined the county restrictions cannot be enforced. Bremer County was previously sued by another pipeline company, Navigator, before they abandoned their plan. Summit says they are not planning any legal action against the county right now. County authorities believe Summit’s pipeline would affect 200 property owners and 248 parcels of land. Summit says the actual number is far less than those estimates.
