After years of public pressure and legislative delays, the Iowa Senate voted 27–22 on Monday to pass a bill that restricts the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines.
The legislation, House File 639, now heads to Governor Kim Reynolds for approval.
Prompted by opposition to the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline, the bill aims to strengthen landowner protections by revising eminent domain rules, increasing insurance requirements, and expanding public input in Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) permit processes.
Attempts to amend the bill failed, including a proposal from Sen. Mike Bousselot (R–Ankeny) that would have expanded voluntary easement options and applied the restrictions to all infrastructure projects. The amendment was narrowly defeated.
“It ends eminent domain on CO2 pipelines in a constitutional manner, on a go forward basis,” Bousselot said.
Democrats also introduced an amendment to ban eminent domain for CO2 pipelines outright, but it was ruled not relevant to the bill and discarded.
Relevant: Iowa Lawmakers File Lawsuit Against Summit Carbon Pipeline Approval
Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, who sponsored the amendment, commented: “I think most of the people in this room are quite tired, but I’m quite positive that there is nobody in this room more tired than the landowners who are sitting in the gallery because they’ve been taking time out of their lives, not being paid to come to this building, and ask for their voice to be heard.”
Passage of the bill follows a legislative standoff in which several senators refused to advance budget bills without action on eminent domain. With HF 639 passed, budget legislation for education and natural resources quickly moved forward.
If signed into law, the bill will significantly limit carbon pipeline developers’ ability to force land sales, potentially reshaping Iowa’s role in carbon sequestration efforts.
Read more: South Dakota Governor Bans Eminent Domain For Carbon Pipelines
