Referred Law 21 is a piece of hotly debated legislation that passed our state legislature by a slim margin in March. The legislation would make it easier for an out-of-state, foreign-backed company to build an extensive and dangerous CO2 pipeline network across eastern South Dakota. I opposed this legislation because the proposed CO2 pipelines are extremely dangerous, completely unnecessary and fiscally irresponsible.
CO2 in a concentrated form is more dangerous than anything else we transport in a pipe. It is an asphyxiant, and because it is heavier than air and displaces oxygen, it kills any living thing that breathes. In February 2020, a CO2 pipeline rupture happened in Satartia, Mississippi. Saturated ground from heavy rains caused an embankment to give way and a 24 CO2 pipe to rupture. For 4 hours deadly CO2 gas blasted out of the pipe, carving a massive frozen crater and sending a cold cloud of deadly CO2 gas drifting across the countryside, far beyond any identified danger zone. In the sparsely populated area, hundreds were evacuated and dozens flooded the emergency room. I encourage you to search Satartia Pipeline Rupture and read the NPR or Huffington Post stories yourself or search Youtube for The Pipeline Deception by RFK Jr. to hear first-hand accounts.
A CO2 pipeline is completely unnecessary. There are new and emerging alternatives. In Illinois, new equipment is capturing the CO2 emissions from an ethanol plant, combining it with hydrogen and creating highly valued methanol on site. And, right here in South Dakota our own School of Mines has a patent pending for a process that turns CO2 into sedimentary rock. These and other alternatives add value to corn and ethanol, and do not require a dangerous CO2 pipeline.
On top of all of this, CO2 pipelines are fiscally irresponsible. 100% of the money to build and operate the proposed CO2 pipelines is from the government. By issuing lucrative tax credits, our irresponsible federal government is growing the national debt, compounding inflation and many experts warn, pushing us close to bankruptcy. In addition, because CO2 pipelines are so dangerous, nothing can be built over or near them. That means future growth and economic development on hundreds of thousands of acres of prime South Dakota land will be lost forever.
In summary, CO2 pipelines are extremely dangerous, completely unnecessary and fiscally irresponsible. Please join me and vote no on RL21.
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