Hand County Dropped As Intervenor In Carbon Pipeline Docket

Hand County Dropped As Intervenor In Carbon Pipeline Docket

PIERRE — After taking weeks earlier this year to sort through hundreds of requests to intervene as a party to an application for a carbon transport pipeline the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission considered removing some Tuesday. Public Utilities Commission Chairman Chris Nelson says two intervenors are wishing to withdraw their party status in the docket…

Hand County, in a withdrawal letter on behalf of the County Commission filed in the application docket, says being an intervenor is costing too much money than the benefits gained by having party status. The letter goes on to say that Hand County is abandoning its moratorium on hazardous materials pipelines. The letter also says the withdrawal does not translate into support for the project. The request to withdraw from Jayne and Blaise Forgarty is a simple one sentence request to be removed from the docket with no reason given. Even with the two dismissals, over 430 entities continue to have party status in Summit Carbon Solutions application docket for approval of the pipeline. A spur from the main pipe is proposed to cut across northern Hand and Hyde Counties into Sully County to service the Ringneck Ethanol plant in Onida.