Barb Kalbach.

Corporate ag kingpin Bruce Rastetter has made many investments in his career, but it’s hard to imagine a bigger payoff than his high-dollar political donations to Governor Kim Reynolds.

The Reynolds-appointed Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) gave Rastetter what he wanted on June 25 when it greenlighted his controversial Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline project. The IUB also gave Summit eminent domain authority, which could end up forcing unwilling landowners to sell access to their property.

But Summit’s CO2 pipeline project is not a done deal, not by any stretch of the imagination. The fight to stop it will go on for months and months, maybe even years.

Summit can’t start building its Iowa pipeline until it gets construction permits in North and South Dakota where there’s been a lot of push back and sustained opposition from farmers, landowners and public officials. Summit also needs water use permits from Iowa DNR at nearly 30 ethanol plants across the state, which will take a lot of time and money. And allied organizations here in Iowa are preparing to file a legal challenge to overturn the IUB’s decision. The stage is set for a protracted conflict.

Thousands of everyday Iowans have been battling CO2 pipelines tooth-and-nail for many reasons: they tear up farm ground and destroy our soil; they use technology that has consistently failed to reduce carbon emissions; they rely heavily on public money – our tax dollars – for financing; they’re dangerous and potentially deadly; and they want to use eminent domain for private gain.

In recent months, public opposition has ramped up because the pipelines will put a tremendous drain on Iowa’s groundwater. It takes a lot of energy to capture and liquefy CO2 from industrial ethanol plants. It also takes a lot of energy to pump CO2 to the North Dakota shale fields, which is what Summit wants to do.

Energy production and capturing emissions require vast amounts of water. A recent study estimated that Summit could end up using over 3 billion gallons of our groundwater annually, with little public benefit. All of these reasons together leave little doubt in my mind that the fight to stop Summit’s CO2 pipeline will continue unabated.

Looking ahead to November 5, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement members are calling on statehouse candidates to take a stand against Summit’s CO2 pipeline. Whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent, we need candidates who are willing to speak out against Summit’s money-making scheme and its pay-to-play political influence. We need candidates willing to protect our land and water from Summit’s misuse of eminent domain. Governor Reynolds might not be directly on the ballot for two more years, but during each election we have the opportunity to select candidates who side with everyday people instead of corporate fat cats.

CCI members and others will be paying close attention, engaging candidates, and getting the word out about those with the courage and backbone to do the right thing. It’s an election year, and Summit’s pipeline boondoggle will be one of the big issues on the ballot. You can count on it.

Barb Kalbach lives in Adair County, Iowa. She is a 4th-generation family farmer, a registered nurse, and board president of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Barb can be reached at barbnealkalbach@gmail.com.