Fight against carbon capture pipeline unites communities in 5 states

A planned carbon capture pipeline that would be the largest of its kind faces opposition from communities in every state the 2,000-mile pipeline and its accompanying facilities would extend into. Residents in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota are pushing back against the $4.5 billion project proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, which would transport liquified, pressurized carbon dioxide from 32 ethanol producers from a series of capture facilities to a carbon sequestration storage site in North Dakota in a process known as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

The project has been in the works since 2021, but only recently gained national attention, with NBC News publishing on Tuesday a report detailing partnerships between the farming community and Indigenous tribes in standing against the pipeline. Speaking with the outlet, South Dakota farmer Ed Fischbach explained that “[farmers are] realizing that maybe, maybe the Native Americans weren’t all wrong… It’s an issue of protecting the environment, protecting our land, and protecting your own rights.”