Central Illinois residents continue mounting opposition to CO2 pipelines

[June 23, 2023]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Another CO2 pipeline has applied with the Illinois Commerce Commission. Central Illinois residents continue mounting their opposition.

The idea is to take industrial CO2 waste from ethanol and other manufacturing facilities, transfer it via pipelines hundreds of miles across several states and bury it deep in the ground in Illinois.

Navigator Heartland Greenway had applied for a pipeline to traverse several Central Illinois communities, but withdrew. They refiled their plan earlier this year.

“The proposed Project scope includes 21 CO2 collection sites at customer premises, approximately 1,350 miles of new pipeline, four booster stations, mainline valves (‘MLVs’) at numerous locations, and other appurtenances,” the application said. “The proposed [Heartland Greenway Pipeline System] components in Illinois will consist of approximately 292 miles of pipeline, one booster station, MLVs, and associated appurtenances.”

Kathleen Campbell opposes the plan and said their coalition is growing.

“All of our testimonies went into the [Illinois Commerce Commission] on Thursday, on July 15th, and they are uniformly negative against Navigator, including the ICC staff,” Campbell told The Center Square.

ICC Senior Gas Engineer Mark Maple provided testimony in opposition.

“The proposed pipeline is also inconsistent with the public interest, public benefit, and legislative purpose as set forth in the CO2 Act, as required by Section 20(b)(8),” Maple said. “Therefore, the Commission should deny NHG’s application for a certificate of authority.”

An image of various downloadable signs from noillinoisco2pipelines.org
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

Safety is a main concern, but Campbell said so are property rights.

“After almost a year of trying to get easements, only 13.6% voluntary easements signed,” Campbell said. “How could we possibly give eminent domain to the other 80-some percent?”

July 17 at the BOS Center in Springfield, proponents and opponents of the plan will make presentations with time for questions.

Another pipeline application was filed last week by Wolf Carbon Solutions and ADM.

“[Wolf Carbon Solutions US] is negotiating with Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) as the foundational customer and with several other industrial producers across the MSH footprint in both Iowa and Illinois to capture, transport, and sequester up to 12 million metric tons (“MMT”) of CO2 annually,” the application says.

Campbell said they’re working to get more information.

And while many say pipelines are safer than trucks or rail to transport such material, Campbell said that’s misleading. She said CO2 pipelines are much different than gas or oil pipelines.

“Those are going to be small accidents, not catastrophic accidents,” Campbell said. “When these pipelines rupture, you’ve got a catastrophe.”

The Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines says a rupture near a residential area could spew low lying concentrated toxic gas into neighborhoods.