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Trial delayed for pipeline trespassing case
The trespassing trial of a land surveyor for Summit Carbon Solutions has been delayed for a month because of a pending appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, according to court records. The appeal asks the high court to review a judge’s denial of a motion to dismiss the case in January. Stephen James Larsen, 28, […]
Stalled public lands bill moves forward in Iowa House
A Republican lawmaker who was a holdout last week on a bill that would prioritize the maintenance of public lands over new acquisitions has now decided to advance it. In the face of considerable public opposition, Senate File 516 was tabled Thursday for further discussion by an Iowa House subcommittee because only one of its […]
Ethanol advocates warn of lower Iowa corn prices without pipelines
Income for Iowa farmers might decline $1.1 billion per year if the state’s ethanol plants are unable to capture and sequester their carbon dioxide with the help of proposed pipelines to transport it, according to a study commissioned by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. The study — by Decision Innovation Solutions of Urbandale — predicts […]
Key GOP lawmaker has ‘high expectations’ of House pipeline vote
The leading legislative advocate for a bill that would impose new restrictions on proposed carbon dioxide pipelines is optimistic that the Iowa House will vote on it before an upcoming deadline, but he is reticent about its future beyond that. “I have high expectations that this legislation will come to the floor of the House […]
Public lands bill stalls in the Iowa House
Legislation that might limit the acquisition of new public lands — and was approved by the Iowa Senate on Tuesday — did not advance from a House subcommittee on Thursday amid significant public opposition. Senate File 516 was tabled by an environmental protection subcommittee because only one of the three committee members thought it was […]
Pipeline permit hearing will be held during harvest
The initial weeks of a permit hearing for Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed carbon dioxide pipeline will take place during this fall’s harvest, despite the objections of farmers who want to attend. “These are the days and times,” said Geri Huser, chairperson of the three-member Iowa Utilities Board, which will decide whether to approve Summit’s permit. […]
Iowa COVID hospitalizations decline after a monthlong upward trend
Those who are infected by the coronavirus and are receiving inpatient treatment at Iowa hospitals declined about 7% last week as similar decreases in infections were noted by state health officials. That is a retreat from a modest, monthlong upward trend of reported infections and hospitalizations. About 149 infected people were hospitalized on any given […]
Wolf Carbon pipeline plans might be delayed
An attorney for Wolf Carbon Solutions told state regulators on Tuesday that it’s unclear whether the company is on track to start construction of its proposed carbon dioxide pipeline in the second quarter of 2024, as it had initially planned. “It’s too early to be able to tell when we would like to schedule our […]
New federal rule would require several Iowa cities to fix ‘forever chemical’ contamination
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require all water utilities to test their treated drinking water for toxic “forever chemicals” and — if they are detected in certain concentrations that have been found in Iowa cities — find a way to remove them or obtain a different water source. Those requirements are part of a […]
Bill would scale back school nurse requirement, explore teacher health training
New legislation was advanced by a Senate subcommittee on Monday that would eliminate a goal for school districts to employ one nurse for every 750 students and directs the state Department of Education to reevaluate what health care-related training school staff should be required to complete. Senate File 390 is a wide-ranging bill that additionally […]
State’s new drought plan seeks to increase monitoring and proactive mitigation
State agencies have developed Iowa’s first-ever comprehensive plan to mitigate the effects of future droughts that have the potential to affect the availability of water for drinking and for agricultural and industrial uses. It includes a proposal to install monitoring stations in every county and to create a system that will collect and analyze data […]
Iowa drought eases with fourth-wettest winter
Pervasive drought in Iowa that peaked in November has been significantly abated by one of the wettest winters on record, according to the state climatologist. About 89% of the state was suffering from some measure of drought in early November, but that has dropped to about 32% this week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. […]