The Linn County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance that sets standards for hazardous liquid pipelines in Linn County. The approval came after the third and final reading of the pipeline ordinance on Wednesday.
While counties in Iowa cannot regulate hazardous liquid pipelines because regulations are set by the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Iowa Utilities Commission, Iowa code does allow counties to set additional standards to help protect landowners, tenants, businesses, and others from economic damage that may result from the construction, operation, or maintenance of hazardous liquid pipelines as long as the additional standards are not inconsistent with state statutes.
The intent of Linn County’s ordinance is to establish a reasonable set of standards that balance existing and new economic growth that align with Linn County’s strategic plan and comprehensive plan…