The Linn County Board of Supervisors agreed to send the draft ordinance regulating the placement of carbon pipelines in Linn County back to the Planning & Zoning Commission to address concerns identified in the current draft.
In December 2022, the Board of Supervisors tabled the draft ordinance during its second of three required readings to allow for more input and to address their concerns and concerns raised by the public related to setback waivers, capacity of local emergency response personnel, the newness of carbon pipelines, areas of potential future growth, agricultural impacts, and ecological disruptions. Since December, staff has been working to address those concerns and believes the changes in the draft ordinance will be substantial enough to warrant going back to Planning & Zoning Commission to start the process over. Once a new draft ordinance comes back to Board of Supervisors, it will start over as a new ordinance with three required readings. This process will allow for additional public input.
The Iowa Utilities Board is the final authority on interstate pipelines, although counties can set parameters around the safety of residents and land. Iowa Code Chapters 479 and 479B give the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) authority to oversee the state permitting process for intrastate hazardous liquid or natural gas pipelines. The IUB reviews the location and route of proposed pipelines and may grant the permit with conditions related to these factors. Any county ordinance will have to balance resident safety with the IUB rules and state law.
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