MELLETTE, S.D.—On their way to attend their niece’s wedding in July 2021, fourth-generation farmer Ed Fischbach of Mellette, South Dakota, and his wife made a quick stop to check the mailbox. His wife reached inside, pulling out a handful of letters. Within the small pile was an envelope from a company she had never heard of—Summit Carbon Solutions. She opened the letter and began reading it. “Dear landowner,” the letter began innocently enough. But as she continued reading, her jaw nearly dropped. “Listen to this,” she told her husband. The Iowa-based company described plans to build a massive carbon capture...