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Iowa appeals court ruling leaves Butler County pipeline ordinance unenforceable; board takes no action
Summary
Meeting minutes record that the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld a district court ruling and the U.S. Supreme Court denied review, making the appellate decision final and rendering Butler County’s pipeline ordinance unenforceable; county zoning and legal staff reviewed the ruling and no further action will be taken based on current ordinance language.
Butler County officials on Feb. 24 discussed a recent court outcome that, according to the meeting record, leaves the county’s pipeline ordinance unenforceable.
The minutes state the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s ruling that county ordinances cannot interfere with federal safety standards and state-level pipeline routing decisions. The U.S. Supreme Court denied review in January 2026, making the appeals court decision final for the legal question described in the record.
The board record ties this account to public comment from Ruth Saulsbury of Clarksville, who provided an update on pipeline-related legal developments and an ongoing Midwater BESS, LLC battery storage application near the Shell Rock River. Zoning Administrator Misty Kofron and County Attorney Dave Kuehner were present and discussed the implications.
Based on the current verbiage of the county zoning ordinance, the board determined no additional enforcement action will be taken at this time, per the meeting minutes.
The minutes do not quote court language beyond summarizing the effect of the rulings; the record does not show the board adopting new ordinance language or taking a step to amend existing county code in response to the decision.
