The Free Soil Foundation is made up of grassroots individuals coming together to protect property rights by empowering the citizens through education and activism.

• Free Soil was born out of the passion of a number of individuals who saw the dangers of the proposed CO2 hazardous liquid pipelines and the danger of using eminent domain for private company gains. With the direction of these individuals, Free Soil formed and is working to inform the public of the potential property grabs of big corporations. We need citizens to lobby legislators and local county officials to take a stand against eminent domain abuse.

• Free Soil Foundation Board
  • Congressman Steve King (Ret.), Tammy Kobza, Doyle Turner, Robert Nazarrio and Karla Lems

• Free Soil Foundation Advisory Board
  • Jeff Magrum, Kim Junker, Kathy Stockdale, Mark Lapka, Angela Cushing, Doug Campbell, Larry Sailer, Mark Thompson, Steve Corey

• To be transparent and accurate in representing landowners in fights for their property rights.
• To hold local, state and federal representatives accountable for protecting the rights of landowners.
• To organize informational public meetings to support landowners and their issues.

Constitutional Patriots in Iowa understood that three CO2 carbon capture sequestration pipelines crossing the state, from corner to corner, under the threat of eminent domain, to pump CO2 a mile and a half to two miles underground and “sequester it” for private corporate gain, all under the guise of saving the planet from CO2 (one of the gases of life) was a threat to our land, food supply, freedom and sovereignty. Please read the Gateway Pundit article, The Anatomy of a Boondoggle, by Congressman Steve King, for a greater understanding of the carbon capture scheme.

A CO2 sequestration pipeline is a system that transports carbon dioxide from a source to a storage location (such as an underground geological formation) where it is stored permanently. In the case of Summit Carbon Solutions, the CO2 is transported under up pressure, up to 2,200 psi, from ethanol plants in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota through a network of pipelines to a sequestration site near Bismark, ND. As of January 31, 2024, the sequestration site in North Dakota has yet to receive approval.

Eminent domain is a government's power to take private property for public use, typically with compensation to the owner. It matters because it allows the government to acquire land or property for public projects, such as building roads, bridges, or schools. However, it can also be controversial and raise concerns about property rights and abuse of power. Some argue that the government should only use eminent domain in rare circumstances when it is absolutely necessary for public benefit, while others believe it is a necessary tool for improving public infrastructure and services.

Free Soil was born out of the passion of a number of individuals who saw the dangers of eminent domain being used for private company gains. With the direction of these individuals, Free Soil formed and is working to inform the public of the potential property grabs of big corporations and to lobby legislators to take a stand against eminent domain being used to steal personal property.

CO2 sequestration or carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an unproven process that captures carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes, in this case ethanol plants, transports compressed CO2 under high pressure, and stores it in underground geological formations. For those who perceive CO2 as a pollutant, CO2 sequestration is theorized to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere.

CO2 sequestration, at this scale, is an untested process that raises concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the technology, as well as the potential for the stored carbon dioxide to leak back into the atmosphere.

Free Soil was founded by grassroots individuals from across the Midwest who wanted to limit government overreach and preserve Private Property Rights. The purpose of this coalition I to simply empower local citizens to defend their private property rights.

“Atmospheric CO2 enrichment brings growth and prosperity to man and nature alike.  This, then, is what we truly believe will be the result of the ongoing rise in the air's CO2 content: a reinvigorated biosphere characteristic of those prior periods of earth's history when the air's CO2 concentration was much higher than it is today, coupled with a climate not much different from that of the present.  Are we right?  Only time will tell.  But one thing is certain now: there is much more real-world evidence for the encouraging scenario we paint here than for the doom-and-gloom predictions of apocalypse that are preached by those who blindly follow the manifestly less-than-adequate prognostications of imperfect climate models.” From CO2Science.org

https://www.co2science.org/about/position/globalwarming.php

The Kelo vs. New London Supreme Court case was a landmark decision in 2005 that upheld the government's right to use eminent domain to take private property for economic development purposes. The case involved the city of New London, Connecticut, which wanted to take several private homes to make way for a redevelopment project that included a research facility for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

In the Kelo vs. New London case, the dissenting opinion was that the majority's decision to allow the city to seize private property for economic development purposes was a violation of the Fifth Amendment's "takings" clause. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, joined by Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, argued that the majority's ruling would allow the government to take private property from one individual and give it to another for the sole purpose of increasing tax revenue or promoting economic growth, which was not a valid public use under the Fifth Amendment. The dissenting opinion argued that this decision would only benefit wealthy and powerful private interests at the expense of individual property rights.

The Kelo case and the Summit Carbon Express [and previously Navigator Greenway] CO2 sequestration pipeline involve the government taking private property. The difference is that the City of New London condemned the land, claiming it for economic development, and gave it to a private company, Pfizer. In the case of Summit [and previously Navigator], it is asking the public utility boards in Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota to condemn land through eminent domain by Summit Carbon Solution CO2 pipeline so it can build its private pipeline for private gain through the takings of private property. To summarize, the Kelo case was the City of New London taking the land, and the other is a private company, Summit Carbon Solution, taking the land, which is an important distinction.

• CALL, WRITE AND INVITE

Call County Supervisors and demand they write a rejection to the carbon pipelines via eminent domain, write letters to editors, and attend local meetings and events.

• EMAIL ENGAGE AND EDUCATE

Contact your state senators, representatives and governors and demand they take a stand against eminent domain for private gain.

• DEMAND THEY TAKE A STAND

Legislators need to hear your objections; get on the phone, inundate them with emails, and write letters to state and national newspapers.

On Feb. 22, 2020 following heavy rains a CO2 pipeline owned by Denbury Gulf Coast Pipelines had a weld break on a CO2 pipeline one mile outside of the village of Satartia, Mississippi. After hearing the loud explosion and seeing the plume of gas Deemmeris Burns, unaware of the cause, called his mother and told her he was on his way him.  She took the children into the house to shelter in place and waited for Burns’ return.  Burns never arrived, as the CO2 displaced the oxygen in the area, his Cadillac was deprived of oxygen and stalled; Burns and his grandchildren were rendered unconscious in his vehicle.  More than 200 people were evacuated, and at least 45 people were hospitalized; to this day, residents are still dealing with health problems.

Fortunately, there were no deaths on that fateful evening in Satartia, MS, but if this event had happened while people were sleeping, the outcome could have been much different.

For more information on CO2 pipeline rupture in Satartia, MS:  https://freesoilfoundation.com/a-carbon-dioxide-pipeline-burst-in-mississippi-heres-what-happened-next/

On Feb. 22, 2020 following heavy rains a CO2 pipeline owned by Denbury Gulf Coast Pipelines had a weld break on a CO2 pipeline one mile outside of the village of Satartia, Mississippi. After hearing the loud explosion and seeing the plume of gas Deemmeris Burns, unaware of the cause, called his mother and told her he was on his way him.  She took the children into the house to shelter in place and waited for Burns’ return.  Burns never arrived, as the CO2 displaced the oxygen in the area, his Cadillac was deprived of oxygen and stalled; Burns and his grandchildren were rendered unconscious in his vehicle.  More than 200 people were evacuated, and at least 45 people were hospitalized; to this day, residents are still dealing with health problems.

Fortunately, there were no deaths on that fateful evening in Satartia, MS, but if this event had happened while people were sleeping, the outcome could have been much different.

For more information on CO2 pipeline rupture in Satartia, MS: https://freesoilfoundation.com/a-carbon-dioxide-pipeline-burst-in-mississippi-heres-what-happened-next/

A CO2 pipeline plume study is a type of analysis that aims to predict the behavior and characteristics of a plume that may occur during the transportation of carbon dioxide (CO2) through a pipeline. The study typically involves the use of computer models and simulations to evaluate the potential spread and dispersion of CO2, as well as the potential impacts on human health and the environment. The main objective of a CO2 pipeline plume study is to provide critical information for the design of safe and effective mitigation measures to protect people, property, and the environment from the impacts of a CO2 pipeline leak or release.

Even if you do not own farmland, you should still be concerned about eminent domain for private gain because it sets a precedent for the government to take private property for the benefit of corporations and other private entities. This can lead to abuse of power, violation of property rights, and displacement of communities. Additionally, the use of eminent domain for private gain can have negative environmental and social impacts, such as the destruction of ecosystems and disruption of cultural heritage sites. Therefore, it is important to be aware of this issue and advocate for fair and just use of eminent domain.

Carbon capture technology originated for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In this process, carbon dioxide (CO2) is injected into oil reservoirs to help extract more oil. The injected CO2 mixes with the oil, making it less viscous and easier to extract.

Steve Kenkel, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Shelby County, Iowa, developed the Twelve Steps to Preparing Your County for Dangerous Carbon-capture Pipelines.

1. Hire an experienced county pipeline attorney.
2. Implement a revised land use and zoning ordinance.
3. Revise or implement a road crossing permit.
4. Organize an intervention team of counties.
5. Hire an experienced pipeline inspector.
6. Document your time.
7. Communicate with local utilities.
8. Contact your cities.
9. Make sure your local Emergency Management Administrator is aware and can plan.
10. Hold public information meetings to educate land owners.

For more information watch Steve Kenkel’s interview at: https://freesoilfoundation.com/video-twelve-steps-to-preparing-your-county-for-dangerous-carbon-capture-pipelines/