LEE COUNTY - A Lee County couple urged Lee County Supervisors to rethink their position on eminent domain claims from pipeline companies Monday morning.
Ted and Carrelle Stein, of rural Fort Madison said the even though the county can't specifically stop eminent domain they should be more opposed to it to support local farmers.
Ted Stein produced a copy of his fertilizer bill for the 120 acres of land he lease farms. The bill for the spring and fall were more than $10,000.
"That's more than $10,000 in fertilizer costs alone. Most of it nitrogen and I wonder why it costs so much when we have a fertilizer plant three miles from my home," he said.
"That's almost dollar for dollar for the beans the farm is producing this year. I'm growing beans to buy fertilizer."
He said approximately half the grains you produce are going to buy chemicals to produce other stuff.
"That's how farmers go broke. I don't see how Iowa Fertilizer Co. is doing much to put their output into the local market," Stein said.
The Iowa Utilities Board has scheduled a meeting on Jan. 9 at the Comfort Inn and Suites to review a request for eminent domain on the NuStar pipeline.
The NuStar project is a 14-mile anhydrous ammonia line that will run through Lee County up from the south along the bypass and out to IFC.
The Steins' property isn't affected, but they have been actively engaged in the Navigator Pipeline process, which does affect their property.
Two landowners in the county are fighting the easement process of the NuStar pipeline. All other landowners have agreed to voluntary easement agreements along the 14-mile corridor.
Stein said it's entirely likely that whatever decision is made could serve as a precedent for the Navigator pipeline which will impact his farm.
"Maybe you can't oppose it in this situation, but you don't have to make it easier for them. I'm hoping you think about that and act accordingly," Stein said.
His wife Carrelle, said the reason she was there was that her concerns were not being heard.
Carrelle Stein, a retired probate attorney, said she has filed legal documents with the IUB along thousands of others, she said, opposing eminent domain in all the pipeline cases.
"That memo has been buried by the Iowa Utilities Board as a comment," she said.
The comments were made in the public comment section and the board could take no action, but took the comments under advisement.
In other action, District Judge Michael Schilling swore in new and re-elected officers for 2023. The board also said good-bye to out-going Supervisor Rick Larkin. Larkin retired at the end of the year and is being replaced by current Fort Madison City Councilman Tom Schulz who was one of the officials sworn in Monday.
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