Lawmakers have voted to ban carbon capture near the only water source for nearly 1 million people in Central Illinois — but the new bill is limited.
State senators decided unanimously to forbid carbon sequestration near the Mahomet Aquifer, according to Illinois Public Media. The ban is in response to contamination concerns raised by residents.
According to the World Resources Institute, carbon capture and sequestration is a process that takes carbon dioxide from emissions sources and stores the heat-trapping pollution underground. Some models show the carbon technology capturing about 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2030 (around 1.1 billion tons). However, the technology is controversial.
The cost of carbon capture and the amount of land required for the technology are a couple of concerns, per CNN. There is also the risk of pipeline leaks, which could lead to water contamination and health issues for the public. According to IPM, there have already been multiple carbon leaks in Decatur.
Though he was initially undecided on the bill, Sen. Chris Balkema said he wants to make sure the water in Central Illinois is protected. "This legislation is necessary, and I will be in favor of the ban on drilling near the aquifer," Balkema said.
A late modification to the ban limited the area that would prohibit carbon storage. The original plan included the aquifer's project review area, while the amended bill only included the Mahomet sole source aquifer area.
One organization, Illinois People's Action, supported the bill until the last-minute change. In response, the organization hosted a rally in protest.
"We cannot in good conscience support this amendment knowing it is not less than an attempt to gut the original intent of the bill," organizer Brent Lage said.
The bill is headed to the House.
The use of carbon capture technology has also been a hot topic in other states.
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Never 👎 Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of Michigan state senators sponsored a bill in support of the technology. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro received pushback from environmental advocacy groups after signing a carbon storage bill into law.
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