North Dakota Public Service Commissioners have unanimously voted to deny Summit Carbon Solution’s route permit application.
Regulators said Friday Summit failed to prove that their project would not create adverse effects on the environment and the citizens of North Dakota.
The final decision was made by the state's PSC commissioners. The PSC is North Dakota's equivalent of South Dakota's Public Utilities Commission.
One of the PSC commissioners, Julie Fedorchak, was replaced by an administrative law judge because she had a signed contract with Summit for carbon dioxide sequestration on her property.
Summit Carbon Solutions responded to the North Dakota PSC's decision:
"Summit Carbon Solutions respects the decision by the North Dakota Public Service Commission, and we will revisit our proposal and reapply for our permit. We're committed to understanding and incorporating the considerations outlined in the decision. We are confident that our project supports state policies designed to boost key economic sectors: agriculture, ethanol, and energy."
North Dakota’s decision comes ahead of Summit’s hearing in South Dakota set for Sept. 11-22.
