Carbon capture regulations passes House committee
Update on 5/25 at 1 p.m.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The carbon capture regulations bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 78-29. Now, it’s making its way to the Senate.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Carbon capture and sequestration projects have been hot button issues in Central Illinois for years, and now lawmakers in the state capitol are trying to address it.
Proposed pipeline projects like the Navigator pipeline through Sangamon County and the Wolf/ADM pipeline ending near Decatur faced major backlash from residents due to the lack of regulations. Legislators believe they have the fix.
Some of the components of the bill include companies needing to prove their project will catch the carbon and not store it underground. It also creates more stringent rules carbon dioxide pipeline projects, versus other carbon sequestration projects. Finally, the bill puts in place a moratorium on all multi-state pipelines.
“Right now we don’t have the regulations in place to protect Illinois home owners, to protect Illinois landowners, to protect our land, air and water,” Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), the bill’s sponsor, said. “We needed to put this in place, otherwise the operations can proceed without any regulation.”
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Nearly all of the bill’s supporters acknowledge this is a compromise. But both manufacturers and environmentalists have backed the proposed regulations. The Capture Jobs Now Coalition, which includes groups like the Illinois Corn Growers Association, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the Illinois AFL-CIO, are in support of the bill.
“This legislation will establish a regulatory framework to smartly and safely advance carbon capture and storage in Illinois, which will help the state meet clean energy goals while promoting economic development and creating new jobs,” the coalition said in a statement. “This measure represents a carefully crafted compromise among environmental groups, organized labor, agriculture interests and the business community, resulting in a plan that includes strong landowner protections, stringent environmental monitoring and robust investments in environmental justice communities.”
The groups previously disagreed with environmentalists on a bill earlier this year.
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office helped facilitate the negotiations for the bill.
Not everyone is on board with the bill. The Illinois Farm Bureau still opposes the bill, as companies can use a version of eminent domain, even though companies would have to complete multiple steps first before claiming a farmer’s land.
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The bill passed out of the committee Friday afternoon 21-7-1. It now heads to the House floor.
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