The final day of PUC hearings on Navigator’s application was full of rebuttal testimony.
Landowner counsel said Navigator’s main witness does not have the required expertise to provide adequate answers.
Rebuttal testimony continued Tuesday in the final hearing day of Navigator CO2 Ventures application to construct the Heartland Greenway pipeline.
Monica Howard is the Vice President of Environmental and Regulation for Navigator. She addressed several issues raised during the hearing. She said pipelines do not have either a positive or negative effect on property values.
“So we hire companies, well-versed in land values, to say, 'what should be our starting point?' or 'what can we expect to pay in this market for a right-of-way easement?' Materially, what is absent from their checklist when they are looking for things is the presence or absence of a pipeline,” said Howard.
Brian Jorde is legal representation for landowners. He attempted to get Howard’s testimony thrown out, arguing she lacks direct CO2 pipeline experience.
“Well Mr. Muller had all sorts of ideas and all sorts of guesses, and he specifically admitted that his report was his best guess," Jorde said, referring to Navigator's attorney who initially presented Howard as a witness. " And you’re here wanting folks to make significant decisions and rely upon that. Is that what your asking?"
Jorde said it was improper to allow Howard to testify in rebuttal to questions she is not an expert on.
“I’m just going to object. We have been at this for quite awhile, this is also not in her rebuttal testimony and I thought the whole point of Mr. Moor’s objects from days ago was to put the witness up and turn them over to cross. And he is just going on and on in areas that are not in her testimony,” said Jorde.
PUC commissioners overruled Jorde and continued to allow Howard to continue. Commissioners have until Sept. 26 to make a final decision on Navigator’s application.
