Minnesota regulators voted Thursday to proceed with an environmental review for part of a proposed but disputed pipeline network that would carry planet-warming carbon dioxide from Midwest ethanol plants to a permanent underground storage site.
Now I know nothing about the ins and outs of carbon capture pipelines, but I've done cultural resource surveys for a number of petroleum and natural gas pipelines, and I find it odd how landowners and state regulatory bodies are (largely) just fine with fossil fuel lines, but suddenly are concerned over CO2 lines. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the gobs of cash energy companies throw at landowners, politicians, and municipalities.
I have been protest signs about this. Seems folks are concerned a leak would kill them as they stand. (I don't know enough to push back on this.)
Heard the same thing about ethanol plants. Supposedly, the flames are invisible, so one could drive into it without knowing. (Nothing is ever mentioned about the very visible fire on buildings, grass, or the car ahead of you. Nor of the intense heat that would be put out.)
For ethanol plants, I don't think it would be obvious that you're headed into an actively dangerous area. This link is just an example:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku7TdLeEGsQ
Imagine you're driving along and see someone flapping their arms like they're doing a weird dance. My first thought would not be "oh shit, ethanol fire!"
Thank you for the video. That is a really great point. A small ethanol fire would be terrifying. I wonder how often they practice their response and if it was hot enough for one to notice the heat?
The doom scenario described to me, and what I poorly described, was of an ethanol plant burning. Imagine a plant, perhaps 30 meters away burning. Invisible flames blowing over the roadway, casting death and destruction. Innocent families driving into the flames, fully unaware of the invisible inferno awaiting them.
Which seems ridiculous. Normal shit would burn and the heat would be terrifying. Maybe the first few cars, too close to the plant, would be realistically doomed. I doubt the invisible flames would factor in. Plus the plant operators likely are aware of the exploding and fire risk and do something reasonable to mitigate the risk.