Earlier this week, members of the Hardin County Conservation Board tabled a proposal from Summit Carbon Solutions to receive $15,000 foran easement near Steamboat Rock to build a sequestration pipeline across the county.

Summit Carbon Solutions made an initial offer to the board which would have allowed the company to build more than 500 feet of pipeline across the county just west of Steamboat Rock underneath the Ruby Wildlife Area.  The board indicated it had some concerns with the project and, therefore, refused the offer.

Summit is proposing to build a $4.5 billion CO2 pipeline which would extend more than 700 miles across the upper Midwest carrying up to 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from biofuel plants to North Dakota where it would be stored up to a mile underground in rock formations.

Another carbon sequestration pipeline proposal across the state and Hardin County has been proposed by Texas-Based Navigator LLC.

The conservation board is expected to discuss the issue further at its April meeting after gathering more information.