Hartley council discusses safety with CO2 pipeline reps

Safety was on the minds of Hartley City Council members Monday during a meeting with CO2 pipeline representatives.

Craig Schoenfeld, a consultant with the proposed Heartland Greenland pipeline, gave an overview of the project to city council members. The pipeline would total 1,300 miles – including around 800 miles in Iowa – and transport CO2 from Midwest ethanol plants to a sequestration site in Illinois. The pipeline would connect to the Valero Renewables plant in Hartley and cross itself southwest of town. In all, Heartland Greenland would have 63.12 miles of line in O'Brien County.

The route would pass through the city's old airport ground. Hartley has not yet signed an easement with Heartland Greenland to allow construction on the land.

"With something new, there's a lot more questions than answers, and there's a lot of misinformation out there," said Schoenfeld. "It takes a dialogue and it takes time. To say this pipeline is without controversy, I'd be lying."

The goal of the pipeline is to reduce the carbon footprint of Midwest ethanol plants, in turn leaving markets open in states that are more aggressive on reducing consumption of fossil fuels, which is blended with ethanol.

"You can agree or disagree with the politics behind it, but it's been charged by both Republican and Democratic administrations that it's a priority to lower our emissions," said Schoenfeld. "The market has placed value on lower carbon fuels."

Hartley Valero plant manager Kraig Kruger believed CO2 pipelines were vital in keeping the ethanol industry viable long-term. He acknowledged that some states like California are trying to move away from fossil fuels altogether in the coming decades, which he said was concerning but also a long shot.

"It is scary that you have some of these states that are more willing to go away from the internal combustion engine," he said. "In my opinion it's not feasible, but that's a Midwesterner saying it."

Kruger said the Hartley plant currently has 75 employees and uses 140,000 bushels of corn each day. He said in addition to maintaining markets on the West Coast, the ethanol industry could also be part of the sustainable aviation fuel industry with the pipeline's construction.

"There are some pretty significant markets that Hartley can be a part of if we can get this pipeline passed," he said. "It's a big deal for the company, and I hope everyone sees the potential for Hartley as a community and potential for the farming community."

Mayor Rodney Ahrenstorff was concerned about the safety of the pipeline. CO2 is an asphyxiant in its gaseous state and poses as safety threat in the case of a burst line.

Jon Marnie, a project manager with Heartland Greenland, said the company will follow federal guidelines when placing shutoff valves along the route. Standards dictate various factors are taken into consideration like populated areas, commercial areas, navigable waterways and environmentally-sensitive areas.

Marnie said regulations dictate a shutoff valve every 7.5 miles. Heartland Greenland plans to put them closer together around populated areas, he pledged.

"There will be multiple fail-safes and redundancies that will go into monitoring this system," Marnie said. "It's not just about building this pipeline, it's about the safe operation of this pipeline, also."

The pipeline will be controlled by a central oversight station that will monitor for leaks and other issues. It will be manned 24/7, Marnie explained, with the capability to shut down the line in minutes if a leak is detected.

"Think of it as a very large brain. That's what controls the whole system," he said.

At minimum, the pipeline will be under five feet of ground, and deeper in other areas. Schoenfeld said the goal is to be under other utility lines so the companies that operate them don't have to worry about hitting the CO2 pipe when they conduct maintenance.

Additionally, Schoenfeld said Heartland Greenland would partner with local emergency response personnel for training and equipment regarding the pipeline.

"Our No. 1 goal is safety, from construction through operation," he said. "The Hartley Fire Department is never going to spend a nickel. They won't be coming to you to be doing anything. That's on us, from providing the training to the resources that may be necessary."