Bold Nebraska urges York County to set rules for proposed carbon pipelines, citing safety and eminent‑domain concerns

Jean Clab, who introduced herself as president of Bold Nebraska (now the Bold Alliance), used the March 7 public‑comment period to press the York County Board of Commissioners to adopt local controls for proposed carbon dioxide pipelines across the Midwest.

“State agencies told us the public service commission will not review the carbon pipeline routes,” Jean Clab said, adding the state law the speaker cited applies only to oil pipelines and leaves a regulatory gap for carbon lines. She said a federal safety agency memo has acknowledged gaps in oversight and said counties lack standardized plume‑study data that would show how far a leak could spread and help set appropriate setbacks.

Clab listed specific steps counties could take, including temporary moratoria while rules are developed; local ordinances requiring companies to provide plume studies, deeper burial, construction mitigation, decommissioning bonds and written emergency‑response training and equipment reimbursement for local first responders. She urged the county to require companies to provide route adjustments when pipelines would come near hospitals, schools or major livestock facilities.

Clab also warned of legal and safety risks. She said carbon pipelines may operate at higher pressures than typical oil or gas lines and contended that, in a major failure, concentrated carbon materials could pose acute hazards. “Anybody who’s near the pipeline will die,” she said in the meeting transcript; the statement was presented as the speaker’s claim rather than a county finding. Clab pointed to an overseas incident and a small number of domestic carbon lines as examples and said pipeline owners can sell easements and pipes could remain as long‑term liabilities without county decommissioning rules.

Board members noted the county’s zoning commission planned further discussion later this month and asked for copies of the Bold Alliance materials. No county regulatory action or vote was taken on March 7; the presentation was recorded during the public‑comment period and county staff said the zoning board will address pipeline topics in upcoming meetings.

The comments flagged issues the board may confront as carbon pipeline proposals advance — legal jurisdiction, emergency response preparedness and potential impacts to farmland and residences — and the speaker urged local officials to consider model ordinances and moratoria while state and federal rules are in development.