Federal pipeline agency plans to hold CO2 safety meeting in Des Moines

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A federal agency is planning to hold a public meeting on carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline safety on May 31 and June 1 in Des Moines.

The meeting, being held by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), will provide an opportunity for persons with a stake in the pipeline proposals to provide input on pipeline safety-related rulemaking decisions and share information concerning CO2 pipeline safety.

The meeting is expected to cover topics including:

• Safety expectations for pipeline operators.
• General state of CO2 pipeline infrastructure – current mileage and forecasts.
• Federal and state jurisdictions and authorities.
• Public awareness, engagement and emergency notification.
• Emergency equipment, training and response.
• Dispersion modeling.
• Safety measures to address other substances besides CO2 in CO2 pipelines.
• Leak detection and reporting.
• Geohazards.
• Conversion to service.
• Environmental justice.

Participants are expected to include public advocacy groups, pipeline operators, federal regulators, tribal governments, states through the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives, other U.S. government agencies, international governments or organizations, and others from academia, the emergency response community and industry.

The new rulemaking comes in the wake of a liquid carbon dioxide pipeline rupture in February, 2020, in Satartia, Mississippi, that sickened dozens of people and forced the evacuation of 200 people, although there were no fatalities.

Federal regulators fined Denbury Gulf Coast Pipelines of Plano, Texas, the Mississippi pipeline owner, almost $4 million for violations linked to the CO2 pipeline leak.

With several companies proposing to build liquid CO2 pipelines through the Midwest, including in Iowa, PHMSA said it would issue new safety guidelines after reviewing the Satartia rupture and seeking expert and public comment.

Two of the proposed CO2 transport pipelines would enter or pass through Floyd County – Summit Carbon Solutions, of Alden, Iowa, and Navigator CO2 Ventures, of Dallas Texas. Hearings on Summit’s pipeline construction permit application are scheduled to begin before the Iowa Utilities Board in October.

The PHMSA meeting May 31 and June 1 is open to the public and will be held in person and via webcast. Members of the public who wish to attend must register on the meeting website, https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=165, including their names and organization affiliation, by May 12. More meeting information is available at that website.

Those interested can submit comments identified by Docket No. PHMSA-2023-0013 by E-Gov Web, mail, hand delivery, or fax.

All comments received are posted without edits to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

PHMSA is soliciting comments from the public regarding certain general notices. The agency posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information provided by the commenter, to www.regulations.gov. The public can access the docket to read background documents or comments received by following the online instructions for accessing the dockets. Alternatively, they may review the documents in person at the street address listed above.

The presentations will be available on the meeting website and on the E-gov website, https://regulations.gov, at docket number PHMSA-2023-0013, no later than 30 days following the meeting, PHMSA said.