House Advances Carbon Pipeline Legislation

(Pierre, SD) — The future of carbon dioxide pipelines in South Dakota is now in the hands of the State Senate. Senate Bill 201 was passed by the House on Wednesday, which is now the third pipeline regulation bill in the works. This one would give CO2 carriers more certainty while requiring them to pay counties where their lines run. But to reach a final agreement, a House committee amended the measure to say that permits issued by the Public Utilities Commission supersede county ordinances regarding pipeline setbacks. It didn’t come without a heated debate that lasted for an hour and 40 minutes, becoming the longest argument of this year’s session. The legislation now returns to the Senate for a decision whether to agree with the House version.