BISMARCK, N.D. (PNS) – Next week, North Dakota landowners will get a chance to hear updates on a proposed underground pipeline for transporting and sequestering carbon dioxide.

The meeting comes as tension builds between landowners and the company behind the project. Dakota Resource Council is hosting next Tuesday’s meeting, and says it wants affected property owners to learn about the latest efforts by Summit Carbon Solutions to secure land for its multi-state pipeline. The company recently submitted paperwork in North Dakota to pursue eminent domain if it can’t obtain enough voluntary easements.

The Council’s Eliot Huggins says Summit is placing unnecessary pressure on those not agreeing to contracts.

Summit insists “misinformation” is being used by opponents and says it will continue to work with local leaders and landowners to address concerns. Tuesday’s meeting will be held in Bismarck at the Veterans Memorial Library and begins at 6 that evening.

For those who can’t be there in person, they can request a Zoom link from the group to participate online.

The Council also urges those concerned to sign up for the grassroots North Dakota Easement Team, which is designed to fight Summit’s efforts collectively, including potential legal options, while informing people of their rights.

Attorney Brian Jorde is part of the legal team and says this approach can be more effective than a person taking action on their own.

Similar groups have been formed in other Midwestern states that fall under the proposed project. Summit wants to capture carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and move it through multiple states before storing it underground in North Dakota.

The plan is touted as a solution in reducing harmful emissions. Groups such as the Resource Council say while they’re not opposed to the concept of carbon sequestration, they argue this large-scale approach presents too many challenges.