Summit Carbon Solutions briefs York County commissioners as residents press easement, eminent-domain concerns

Robert Latimer, a Summit Carbon Solutions representative, and Ben Fuller, the company’s Nebraska state relationship manager, briefed the York County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 9 about the proposed CO2 pipeline and the company’s local work.

Latimer told the board the full pipeline system covers roughly 318 miles and that Summit’s county materials show about 18.69 miles of four-inch gathering line in York County. He said land-acquisition work is active and that Summit is continuing surveying and easement outreach prior to construction planning. “That work continues every single day,” Latimer said.

During the public comment period resident Shannon Graves told commissioners she sees tactics she associated with prior large pipeline projects. Graves said some landowners had been told Summit had already secured most easements and that she had received materials warning of eminent-domain actions. “They’ve already been threatening eminent domain,” Graves said, and urged the board to use county planning tools and legal options to protect landowners.

Latimer disputed the claim that Summit sends threatening letters and offered to review any specific correspondence. He said surveying crews uncover existing boundary monuments and that surveying activity can look intrusive even when crews are simply locating property monuments. When commissioners asked whether the project segment is regulated by the Nebraska Public Service Commission, Latimer said the company would confirm the regulatory status and report back.

Ben Fuller told the board that Summit continues to pursue voluntary easements and compensation negotiations with landowners. In response to questions about compensation he said the company pays for easements and damages associated with its work.

Commissioners pressed Summit on several technical points: where construction crews would begin (Latimer said multiple crews and spread construction are anticipated, not a single north-to-south rollout), how many acres and road crossings are affected, and how route changes are managed as landowner feedback arrives. Latimer described routing as an iterative process that balances A-to-B connections with environmental constraints and landowner input.

Commissioners asked for clearer figures on local progress; Latimer noted that in York County only a portion of the mileage has recorded easements and that route refinement continues. The county’s new deputy county attorney, who will handle right-of-way and route-agreement review, attended the meeting and the board said it expects Summit to return with quarterly updates.

What’s next: Summit will work with county staff on route and permitting questions and said it will provide periodic back-to-the-board updates as land-acquisition and permitting progress. The board requested confirmation about state regulatory jurisdiction and asked Summers’ team to share any letters alleged to threaten eminent domain so the county can review them.