Planning Stages Addressed For Upcoming CO2 Pipeline, Courthouse Offices To Provide Updates During Future Meetings

WAYNE – Members of the public had several questions for a project manager with Summit Carbon Solutions on a future CO2 pipeline going through nearly 22 miles of Wayne County.

From the Wayne County Courthouse courtroom, Kylee Kretz representing the Summit Carbon Solutions addressed the board on planning stages for their CO2 capture, pipeline and sequestration project.

The pipeline in total will cover 80 counties in five states totaling 2,000 miles and as of March 1 the group would tie into 31 ethanol plants but could add more. In Wayne County, there would be 21.93 miles of pipeline with the nearest plant being Louis Dreyfus in Norfolk.

Dependent on permit approval in the state of Nebraska, Summit Carbon Solutions would like to begin construction later this year with the anticipations of being operational by July of 2024.

The group is already two and a half months into land acquisition and are on track with their civil and environmental surveys.

The goal is to lower the carbon intensity scores to net zero and allow ethanol plants in the Midwest to compete with futures changes in technology. The CO2 would be stored one to two miles underground in North Dakota to solidify.

Summit Carbon Solutions, based in Ames, Iowa will be looking to finalize their map by mid-March (March 1 map update found below). They believe most of the major changes in re-routes have been set but minor changes could still be made based on suggestions and requirements.

Summit Carbon Solutions March 1 CO2 Pipeline Map – Wayne County

Concerns from the public who attended the meeting were road modifications, type of pipe, how much CO2 will be produced from this project, abandonment plan, the Ponca Fault line, exploration to enhance oil recovery, disaster preparedness and more.

County Attorney, Amy Miller, who also serves as attorney for the City of Wayne stated if this project comes within two miles of Wayne, Summit Carbon Solutions would have to request a use by exemption and approach city council.

District 1 Commissioner, Terry Sievers then provided information from the Commissioner Workshop he attended on February 4 in Kearney. The main topic he covered Tuesday morning was the Opens Meeting Act. Sievers wants to allow time on the agenda for Wayne County offices to provide an update to the board more than just when a request is made.

Other topics addressed were the county purchasing act, future overview budgets and discussion from state auditors.

During the Wayne County Board of Equalization meeting, Dawn Duffy, County Assessor approached the board with information for a request on real property tax exemption from Wayne Area Economic Development.

Following a public hearing, the board approved the request of the application and granted the waiver. In past years, the WAED office has been taxable being qualified under the Chambers of Commerce. Duffy found out more information following the deadline and worked with Luke Virgil, Director of WAED to gather the information needed and make the request.

Highway Superintendent, Mark Casey was waiting on an email from Thurston County but following a conversation with their County Clerk, the low bid was accepted for the County Bridge Match Program (CBMP) #5 to B’s Enterprises, Inc. This would pertain to the culvert projects in Wayne and Thurston Counties.

Casey also spent most of last week trading data with Farm and Home Publishers which will being incorporated into G-Works for Wayne County. Casey then spent most of last Thursday at Wayne State College during a Floodplain Workshop hosted by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources.

The next regularly scheduled Wayne County Board of Commissioners meeting will be on Tuesday, March 15 at 9 a.m.

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