Illinois Senate committee approves bill protecting Mahomet aquifer from carbon pollution

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A proposal to protect the Mahomet aquifer from carbon capture and sequestration has strong bipartisan support in Springfield.

Senators Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) and Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) believe carbon capture can play a role in addressing climate change. Although, they stressed that Illinois should not put clean water at risk.

Faraci's legislation would ban carbon sequestration over, under or through the Mahomet aquifer. He said the state must prioritize the health and safety of residents and ensure clean energy progress never comes at the expense of water.

"I am of the opinion that there can be no risk tolerance without a scaled up project to show that this is safe when we're talking about a million people getting drinking water from the Mahomet aquifer," Faraci said.

This proposal passed unanimously out of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, but there is still strong opposition from the Illinois Manufacturers' Association and the Illinois Pipe Trades Association.

"We oppose Senate Bill 1723 because we believe it departs from a science-based regulatory approach for CCS that was negotiated in the spring and passed into law with strong support," said Brad Stotler with the Illinois Renewable Fuels Association. "We know the state has the strongest protections in the nation around this technology."

Senate Bill 1723 now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.

"I'm grateful for the countless central Illinoisans who have called, written, and emailed in support of this important bill for clean drinking water," Rose said. "We would not have been able to get over this first hurdle without your voices, but the fight isn't over. We still need to get it through the Senate, House and signed by the Governor, so keep the pressure on because we are not done yet."

The House Energy & Environment Committee also approved House Bill 3614 Tuesday night on a 23-3 vote. Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) and Rep. Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) are chief co-sponsors of that legislation.