As South Dakota denies CO2 pipeline proposal, debate continues in Illinois

[September 08, 2023]  By Greg Bishop | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As one state has declined a request from a CO2 pipeline that would also come through Illinois, the local opposition to the idea remains strong.

South Dakota regulators unanimously denied Navigator’s permit for a CO2 pipeline through that state.

"While we are disappointed with the recent decision to deny our permit application in South Dakota, our company remains committed to responsible infrastructure development," the company said in a statement. "We will evaluate the written decision of the public utilities commission once issued and determine our course of action in South Dakota thereafter."

The Illinois Commerce Commission is handling public comments and rebuttals for the project in the Land of Lincoln. An ICC staff engineer has recommended denial.
 

Joe Heinrich, executive director of the Smart Carbon Network, said the idea of a pipeline carrying captured CO2 is being misrepresented.

“Into the future, there’s a lot of exciting things, the potential … of what carbon dioxide can be used for in the future to make products and bring in new industry,” Heinrich told WMAY in August, saying things like concrete and insulation are some applications for the industrial byproduct.

The idea is to capture CO2 waste from refineries and power generation, condense it to a liquid under pressure and transport it deep into Illinois ground via pipeline. The $3 billion project includes portions of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska.

While some statewide industry groups support the pipeline, Illinois state Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, R-Morrisonville, said the more local you get, the more opposition there is.

“And for good reasons, because it’s going to be in their backyard. The big thing is you’ve got to be sure to secure the safety of it,” Rosenthal told The Center Square.

Nick Dodson with the Sangamon Valley Sierra Club said transferring an asphyxiant via pipeline is not safe.

“Navigator is trying to have their maiden voyage of a carbon dioxide pipeline be a 1,300 mile pipeline and they’ve never managed one single mile of CO2 pipeline,” Dodson told WMAY. “So I think it’s extremely difficult to consider.”

Heinrich said work needs to continue to address the concerns raised by local opponents.

“You know, you’re going across a part of the family when you go across that land and you’re going into a family when you go into those communities, so those things need to be addressed and we’re trying to get those answers out to them,” Heinrich said.

A decision deadline on the project from the ICC is Feb. 29, 2024.

The ICC is also handling a separate pipeline proposal from Wolf Carbon Solutions and ADM.