The growing concern over global climate change has led to the urgent need for effective solutions to reduce our carbon footprint. At Summit Carbon Solutions, our mission revolves around pioneering innovative strategies to address this crisis, most notably through our project which aims to capture and sequester a monumental 18 million tons of CO2 every year. However, with grand solutions come grand responsibilities. One advantage we have with building this project is that we can design safety into the project and apply the latest regulatory standards. Today, I wish to share a few of the many activities we are doing to ensure we are not just meeting regulatory standards but exceeding them to ensure the safety and health of the project.
Non-Destructive Testing (e.g. - X-ray) of Welds
A transportation line's integrity rests heavily on the quality of its welds. A fault or compromise here could lead to leaks, making safety and environmental conservation top concerns. To address this, while the federal safety regulations mandate 10% of welds to be inspected, we've taken a step ahead. At Summit Carbon Solutions, 100% of our welds undergo an inspection. This means every single weld is scrutinized, ensuring top-tier quality and an uncompromised safety standard.
Robust Protective Measures: Depth of Cover
Our commitment to safety and environmental protection does not stop at inspection. The lines, as a measure of added protection, are buried at a minimum depth of 4-feet vs a 3-foot regulatory requirement. This not only provides a shield from external damages and weather influences but also further ensures the safety of the communities we operate in.
Emergency Response and Proactive Public Awareness
Safety is a collective endeavor. Recognizing this, we've initiated meetings with emergency managers (EM) in every county our project touches, well ahead of construction and operation. These meetings aim to inform the EM’s about the project, learn about local capabilities of first responders and develop a plan forward regarding how we equip local emergency units with the knowledge of our systems, and allow a seamless integration of our safety measures with local protocols. Summit will develop incident response tactical plans for each segment along the route to provide first responders and the public located near the project in those segments with key safety information needed in the unlikely event of an emergency. Being proactive in our approach ensures we’re always one step ahead in anticipating and mitigating any potential risk.
Going Above and Beyond: The Summit Promise
Our dedication to surpassing safety regulations is not just a procedural commitment, but one of our core values to protect ourselves, the communities where we operate, our landowner partners and the environment.
We are committed to delivering this transformative project with world class HSSE performance while fostering a culture where the workforce truly care about each other and our reputation with our landowner partners and the communities we operate in is one of trust.
Summit Carbon Solutions is not just about offering solutions; it's about setting benchmarks. Together, with the continued support of our communities, stakeholders, and partners, we look forward to not just paving the way to a carbon-neutral future, but doing so with the utmost care and commitment.
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
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The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher