(Harlan, IA) -- Two Iowa counties are taking their legal challenge against the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Shelby County joins Story County in petitioning the high court for a review.
The county law would limit how close a hazardous chemical pipeline could be from homes, and require an emergency response plan ahead of any possible leak.
A Circuit Court ruled in June in favor of Summit Carbon Solutions saying federal and state law already cover safety concerns.
In its filing with the U.S. Supreme Court Story County says it has legal authority over local zoning ordinances and is asking the US Supreme court to decide the case.
In a statement to our newsroom, the American Petroleum Institute Midwest Regional Director Mike Karbo released the following statement regarding Story County’s announcement that it would be appealing the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling in Couser v Shelby County to the Supreme Court.
“The American Petroleum Institute (API) continues to oppose patchwork local regulations over pipelines that would jeopardize America’s energy dominance and safe, reliable access to fuels. Infrastructure development requires consistent rules that do not vary based on the whims of individual jurisdictions.”
“The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled correctly that pipeline safety standards are the purview of the federal government. We will continue to support a uniform regulatory framework for the vital energy infrastructure that Americans depend on.”