Local group fights to protect Mahomet Aquifer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — A community group has added its support in efforts to protect a major source of drinking water in east central Illinois.

On Wednesday night, the League of Women Voters of Champaign County held a meeting to discuss recent efforts to ban carbon sequestration near the Mahomet Aquifer.

Carbon sequestration involves taking CO2 produced by industry and compressing it into a liquid that then gets injected underground. Sequestration advocates say that the process keeps the CO2 from getting released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas.

But politicians and community groups are concerned that sequestration near the Mahomet Aquifer could put it in danger.

"I feel that this technology is expensive — it's not proven. It's risky. It requires a lot of water," said Pam Richart, of the Eco-Justice Collaborative.

Champaign County is considering a moratorium for carbon sequestration activities in the county. In October, the Champaign County Board Environment and Land Committee voted to establish a moratorium that would stop any carbon sequestration over the next twelve months.

The full board is expected to vote on the proposed ban during Thursday night's meeting.