The Sangamon County Board passed a resolution last night to oppose approval of any CO2 pipeline projects in the county for the next two years.
The vote came in the wake of a large gathering last month at the Bank of Springfield Convention Center where several people voiced opposition to the Navigator Heartland Greenway project cutting across West Central Illinois. The Springfield Herald News reports that nearly 70 people were in attendance last night to demonstrate opposition to Carbon Capture Sequestration projects.
The moratorium will prevent CO2 pipeline and sequestration projects from being constructed in Sangamon County until December 31, 2023. The resolution says it allows time for the General Assembly to consider legislation about pipeline moratoriums during the Fall Veto Session as well as allowing more time for federal regulators to update safety rules and new oversight for the technology behind CO2 pipelines.
WAND-TV reports that some Sangamon County Board members still have serious questions about what the Navigator CO2 Pipeline means for roads, property value and safety.
Sangamon County is one of just a handful of counties to have filed a motion to intervene with the Illinois Commerce Commission in order to have a voice in the approval process for Heartland Greenway’s operating permit. The ICC is expected to rule on the project in early 2024.