BROOKINGS — Carbon-capture pipelines remain on the minds of at least some area residents, as Brookings County commissioners were reminded of at Tuesday morning’s meeting.

A group of six people — Joseph Short, Terry Pritchard, Janii White, Nancy Stewart, MeLisa Elijah and Sharon Larson — came up to the mic during the open comment portion of the meeting and expressed concerns regarding the such pipelines. Their comments centered on things such as:

• The county’s existing ordinances, including setbacks

• The PSI — pounds-per-square-inch — pressure found in CO2 pipelines

• The potential for a leak

• Property rights and local control

At one time, Navigator CO2 had plans for its Heartland Greenway pipeline to serve industry near Aurora, but the company withdrew those plans in October 2023. Another company, Summit Carbon Solutions, is still pursuing a pipeline project in South Dakota that could, at some point, include a part going into Brookings County if Summit acquires Navigator’s easement options. That, however, hasn’t happened yet, according to Emergency Management Director Bob Hill in earlier reporting from the Brookings Register.

The CO2 pipeline opponents, in closing, invited the public and elected officials to a meeting on Thursday at Old Sanctuary, 928 Fourth St., in Brookings. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to have viewpoints from both sides of the issue on hand.

Voters will also have a say on the matter on Nov. 5, when, among other things, they’ll vote for or against Referred Law 21. It deals with carbon-capture pipelines and establishes a “Landowner Bill of Rights,” among other things. More details can be found on South Dakota Searchlight at https://tinyurl.com/5n97f8tt.

In other business Tuesday morning:

• On a 5-0 vote, commissioners approved the county’s budget for 2025. It clocks in at a little over $53,950,000 and includes a mill levy of 3.928 for next year. That’s slightly lower than the levy of 4.004 that’s in effect for this year.

• Highway Department Superintendent Brian Gustad told the commission that a damaged bridge has been closed on 210th Street just a quarter-mile west of 466th Avenue after an inspection this week. He said it’s still up in air if it can be repaired and reopened — it will depend on an engineer’s findings. The state considers the bridge to be a county structure.

Gustad said if the bridge remains closed, measures will be taken to ensure that the barricades cannot be driven around. He cautioned motorists to not move them.

“Just so the public does know, if you do move the barricades — speaking with the sheriff, he can impose a fine of up to $500,” Gustad noted. “If you so happen to go over that bridge and the bridge does collapse, the individual would be responsible for the replacement of that structure.”

He pointed out that the bridge is very old and was likely built sometime between 1910 and 1920 — there’s no definitive date.

“It’s over 100 years old, (and) the steel back then is different than what we have now,” Gustad said.

• Finance Officer Lori Schultz alerted commissioners and taxpayers that they should be aware of a scam letter circulating in the area regarding unpaid property taxes. 

“Anybody who has unpaid taxes in Brookings County, I have been in contact probably more than they’d like,” she said. “We’re really aggressive in Brookings County with our unpaid taxes. If they are to get a letter in the mail, they can know it’s a scam because otherwise they would have been talking to me already.”

• Commissioners approved, on a 5-0 vote, the five-year plan for highway roads and bridges.

• OK’d, again on a 5-0 vote, an executive proclamation recognizing Brookings County as a Purple Heart County. It’s one way to recognize the sacrifices made by those who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.