(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa landowners are taking their cases against eminent domain and the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline to the Iowa State Capitol.
Sherri Webb, who owns land near Shelby, spoke to legislators on Thursday. She voiced concerns over a grant which will allow test drilling to be done in her part of the state.
"Southwest Iowa will become a dumping ground for CO2," Webb says. "Which at 5,000 feet below the level will go under the aquifer. If there is a leak, it will poison the aquifer. Carbonic acid. There are three wells leaking in Illinois. So, it's not as safe as they think it is. That's my biggest concern. Southwest Iowa will be a dumping ground."
She spoke at a meeting in which a group of Republican State Representatives introduced seven bills on the topic. That group says the Iowa Senate has held up the legislation in the past. House Speaker Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford) says he hopes to at least see action on it across the rotunda.
"I would love to see a situation where there's bills in the House and also some potential bills having activity in the Senate," Grassley says. "Even if they don't agree with one another, just knowing that there's bills moving through the process would be an optimistic sign to be able to get some things done."
Grassley also says he expects the bills to consolidate after each of them have had hearings in subcommittees.