Landowners alongside a proposed five-state CO2 Pipeline that could run through Moody County are pushing back on both the project and the company trying to build it.
Heartland Greenway notified property owners in Moody County late last year that there is a pipeline in the works. Public hearings were held on January 18th in both Garretson and Flandreau. Close to 100 local residents attended, according to local officials. A virtual meeting is scheduled for Tuesday of this week for neighboring residents to learn more.
The pipeline is said to be “a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) system that will provide biofuel producers and other industrial customers…with a long-term and cost-effective means to reduce their carbon footprint.” It would originate locally at the ethanol plant in Aurora and head south along a 1,300 mile route to an underground holding facility in Illinois.
The company behind the project is Navigator CO2 Ventures, formed in March of last year through the coming together of Valero Energy Corporation, BlackRock Global Energy & Power and Navigator Energy Services. CO2 is believed to be driving the global climate crisis and pipelines, such as the one being proposed, are considered new technology that could capture carbon dioxide from the air or from smokestack emissions.
But Moody County residents, among others, have questions. And concerns.
Why were some told by the company that a public hearing on the matter this past week had been canceled when it had not been — this is one of Linda Goetz’s biggest questions. Goetz, who’s home and property are directly across the road from the pipeline route, also questioned why concerned residents who did get to the meeting were made to ask questions and learn about the pipeline individually and at separate tables versus as a collective. Other concerns she has include — what happens if the pipeline breaks? Goetz and others are aware of the devastating consequences of a pipeline break in Yazoo County, Mississippi where more than 45 people were taken to the hospital and hundreds more evacuated after a C02 pipeline rupture there in 2020. First responders to that scene said that the C02 exposure had people foaming at the mouth, made those still able to move ‘act like zombies’ and literally caused vehicles to stall. “Carbon dioxide deprives you of oxygen,” one Sheriff’s Deputy told to the Clarion Ledger, “If you’re deprived of oxygen long enough, you’re going to die unless you’re pulled out of that situation.”
Knowing this, Goetz asked at the public meeting if our local first responders would know how to respond and who would pay for that equipment and training? And, how much damage will be done to area roads, farm fields and other properties as the pipeline gets installed? Navigator spokesperson Andy Bates told the Moody County Enterprise that good conversations were had with attendees. Goetz said she received little to no answers.

“There are just so many unknowns right now, until they can show us better, I’m really leery of the whole situation,” Goetz told the Moody County Enterprise.
A growing number of communities and environmental organizations around the globe, even governmental entities appear leery as well, as research into these companies and the claims they make about how much carbon is captured and whether or not it benefits the environment are further investigated.
A new report from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research states, “One of the key technologies that governments hope will help save the planet from dangerous heating, carbon capture and storage, will not work as planned and is a dangerous distraction.” Researchers add that, “Instead of financing a technology they can neither develop in time nor make to work as claimed, governments should concentrate on scaling up proven technologies like renewable energies and energy efficiency.” Ironically, the report also points out — “81 percent of the carbon captured to date has been used to extract more oil from existing wells by pumping the captured carbon into the ground to force more oil out.”
Dakota Rural Action is among those working to rally South Dakotans to learn more and fight the pipeline. DRA is hosting a town hall meeting for landowners Thursday, January 27th from 1:00-3:00pm at the Mellette community center on Main street in Mellette.
The routing, Bates said, is where the company still has questions. “As we move into routing, there are details that absolutely can, should, and will be taken into account that aren’t found in any publicly available dataset. This is why the next stage of surveying and conversations with landowners, tenants, and community leaders are so critically important. At the end of the day we want a project that not only works for us, but something that the landowners and communities across the route can be proud of.”
Wherever the final route may be, company officials have notified affected landowners that if the large-scale carbon capture pipeline is approved by the state and they don’t voluntarily agree to work together, Heartland Greenway will exercise the right of eminent domain to get the project done.
Dakota Rural Action is working on legislation related to the pipelines and eminent domain. You can learn more by going to https://www.dakotarural.org/leg-session/.
For or against the pipeline, you are encouraged to contact your local, state and federal legislators on the matter.
Heartland Greenway had to hold a series of public meetings before the company could file a petition with the state Public Utilities Commission to build the pipeline. It is believed the company will be seeking state approval to move forward within the next couple of weeks, but company officials tell the Moody County Enterprise the filing will come “later this year.” Company officials add that land, environmental and cultural surveys will take place in 2022. The company anticipates receiving permit approval in 2023. Construction would follow with phased-in operations of the newly commissioned pipeline and storage project in late 2024 and continue to 2025.
Bates stated that the company wants to encourage continued dialogue, stating that landowners should feel free to call 402-520-7089 or email info@heartlandgreenway.com if they have questions. But he added, they are confident in the technology. ”The development of new pipeline infrastructure allows proposed projects such as this to have the ability to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by almost one fifth, and specifically to the industries we are partnering with, they have set goals to be net-neutral or net-negative carbon by 2050. A facility that adopts CCS can reduce the carbon score of that end gallon of ethanol by nearly 50%, and that’s significant.”
To register for Thursday’s virtual meeting, head to https://heartlandgreenway.com/elementor-11873/. Watch for updates as this is a story we will continue to follow.