Binkley Takes A Stand Opposing Eminent Domain Land Grab For Proposed CO2 Pipelines
WINTERSET, IOWA (September 2, 2023)–After talking with hundreds of people across the state of Iowa about proposed carbon capture pipelines, presidential candidate Ryan Binkley announced this week he is standing with landowners who are trying to stop the projects.
“It has process issues. It has eminent domain issues. It’s got this issue called the Constitution, the Fifth Amendment,” Binkley told an Iowa crowd. “I don’t see this as a public use. I’m yet to be convinced that this is relevant.”
The $5.5 billion proposal from Summit Carbon Solutions would be the nation’s largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) pipeline, a controversial approach to fight climate change with technology that has produced inconsistent results. Summit is seeking a permit to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in the Midwest to underground storage in North Dakota. Two other companies are also proposing carbon capture pipelines through the Midwest, with all three projects spanning thousands of miles across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota.
“I’ve met with hundreds of people on this issue. Only one person I met with has been in favor of it, and they work for an ethanol company,” Binkley said. “A few companies stand to make a lot of money from this pipeline. What about the local communities? If you’re a farmer and don’t want it, you should be able to oppose it. It’s not for public use; it’s a private pipeline. The farmers are owed due process, and if they are forced to sell, they will get the short end of the stick. They get a payment, but they don’t get royalties. I’m standing up for the people.”
If the Summit plan is approved, up to 480 Iowa landowners who have not signed agreements with the company could be forced under eminent domain law to hand over their land. Residents living along the route have told regulators at public hearings they’re worried about harm to their crops and possible rupture.
“I can’t stand the politics of it,” Binkley said. “The worst thing about it is that it’s government funded. It’s going to cost billions of dollars. Taxpayer money is going to pay for some of this, and it could expand up to 65,000 miles of pipeline in the next two decades. We’re starting a movement called Fighting for the Heartland. We’re going to host a virtual rally on September 7.”
Binkley is inviting people in the 30 Iowa counties along the proposed Summit route and others who could be impacted by any of the proposed CO2 pipelines to join the online rally moderated by Trent Loos of the Loos Tales podcast and featuring discussion from experts including Charley Thomson, Dan Harvey, Jared Bossly and Alan Bush. You can register here for the online event at 4 p.m. CT Thursday, Sept. 7.
The Iowa Utilities Board has final power to approve or deny permits for such projects, and Binkley is urging Iowans to share what they really think about the proposals at one of the public hearings scheduled in September or by submitting a comment to the board.
“I’ve been listening to the things people say they need. Number one is they say they need government to get out of the way. The pipeline is getting in the way,” Binkley said. “I’m standing for the Constitution, standing for Iowa, standing for landowners.”
Binkley has more than 50,000 unique donors who have contributed to his presidential campaign, surpassing the amount required to join the second primary debate on Sept. 27. He also received at least 1% of the votes in several national polls and Iowa polls.
Binkley is co-founder and CEO of the mergers and acquisitions firm Generational Group. Under his leadership, Generational Group has grown to nearly 400 employees in 16 offices in North America and has sold over 8 billion dollars’ worth of businesses. He and his wife, Ellie, founded Create Church, also in the Dallas area, to care for all members of the community through teaching God’s word, urban missions, food drives, youth ministry and marriage support. As the founder of The Way to Freedom nonprofit, Binkley has combined the wisdom of a businessman and the heart of a pastor to generate fresh, creative ideas to foster unity and solve our nation’s problems.
Members of the media are invited to follow Binkley on the campaign trail, view his online press kit, and schedule a one-on-one interview by contacting his campaign press office at press@Binkley2024.com or 214-494-1792.