Aquifer Bill Heads to Governor
A visual representation of the Mahomet Aquifer groundwater supply (in green.)
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About a year after the General Assembly passed legislation to allow businesses to store carbon dioxide deep underground in Central Illinois, lawmakers followed up Tuesday sending a bill banning the storage under a main source of drinking water for millions in central Illinois.
Carbon sequestration has been on the radar in parts of Illinois dating back to the ill-fated FutureGen plant some 20 years ago. Archer Daniels Midland has also been in the news recently for a sequestration leak near Decatur last year.
A bill allowing expansion of the practice was approved by the General Assembly last year.
In response, Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet), introduced legislation banning carbon capture under the groundwater deposits shortly after, and Democrats like Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) and Sen. Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) moved their own bill in response to the new law.
“More than 15 counties directly depend on the Mahomet Aquifer; without action, these counties would have no economic alternative for safe drinking water,” said Ammons. “Because of our community’s diligence to this issue, we had momentous support for the restriction of carbon sequestration — securing our neighbors’ rights to local safe water which is imperative for the health and safety of every community.”
The House passed the bill 91-19 Tuesday, with an interesting roll call combining Democrats with most of the far-right House Freedom Caucus supporting the legislation. Most Republicans opposed the bill.
Business groups are encouraging the Governor to veto the bill.
“Carbon capture and sequestration is a safe and proven technology that is critical to decarbonizing our environment while maintaining economic growth and prosperity. Though we appreciate the willingness of the Senate sponsor to have conversations about this bill, we remain opposed to the legislation as drafted,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “It was just last year that the General Assembly passed historic legislation to establish the nation’s most stringent carbon capture and sequestration regulations."
The Senate passed the bill last month.
