Opponents of a controversial carbon capture pipeline slated to run from iowa through nine Illinois counties are "cautiously" declaring victory after developer Wolf Carbon Solutions withdrew its permit application in Iowa this week.
An attorney for the Colorado-based company said in the Dec. 2 filing with the Iowa Utilities Commission that continuing the regulatory process isn't an efficient use of its resources for now, while there is still a lack certainty about the project's timing.
This comes after the company withdrew its application for the Mt. Simon Hub pipeline before the Illinois Commerce Commission last year. Dean Ferguson, president of Wolf Carbon Solutions U.S., said a new Illinois filing would happen in early 2024, but that never materialized.
Pam Richart is coordinator for the Coalition to Stop CO2 pipelines.
"I think they're saying at this time they're not going to move forward, but I'm not sure that they're ever going to move forward," Richart said of this week's Iowa withdrawal. "I'm wondering if it's really their way of saying, 'You know, unless something really changes, we're done.'"
Wolf Carbon Solutions was working with ADM to develop a pipeline that would draw liquified CO2 captured from two Iowa ethanol plants in Clinton and Cedar Rapids, Iowa to a permanent underground storage site in Decatur.
The company said the project would have created 2,780 jobs in Illinois during construction and 342 jobs upon completion. The pipeline project had wide backing among major business groups and unions, but was opposed by a coalition of farmers, environmentalists, and grassroots activists.
Staff with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) recommended denial of the project last year. Among other things, they noted Wolf Carbon Solutions hadn't actually secured a final agreement with ADM.
Neither Wolf nor ADM responded to requests for comment.
ADM's carbon capture and storage web page still alludes to the project, but doesn't explicitly mention Wolf Carbon Solutions. It only says ADM wants a pipeline fitting the general description of the Mt. Simon Hub project "to be built with a respected partner and with farmer engagement."
ADM, the commodities and agricultural processing giant, operates the country's first carbon storage project in Decatur. But it's recently run into its own round of regulatory issues after leaks were discovered. ADM also is seeking federal EPA sequestration permits for two projects in Macon County, Illinois.
The pipeline was routed through nine Illinois counties. At one point, BioUrja's ethanol plant was considered a potential partner for the project. That sparked safety and health concerns on Peoria's South Side, which is an environmental justice community.
Industry groups say the technology is safe, and can be part of the equation to combat climate change by trapping greenhouse gases underground rather than allowing them to escape into the atmosphere.
Opponents of carbon capture often allude to the 2020 pipeline rupture in Sartaria, Mississippi that hospitalized 45 people when advocating for more federal and state regulation of carbon capture pipelines. Illinois paused pipeline development this summer to give the federal government time to catch up with new rules.
"We don't have the best practices in place to ensure that people are protected from a potential rupture or leak, and that's a concern, so those who are working on our coalition are going to continue to fight pipelines for that reason," Richart said.
Richart acknowledged the incoming Trump administration may take a very different approach when it comes to updating carbon capture regulations from United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that passed with exclusively Democratic support incentivizes carbon capture. The law greatly beefs up the value of 45Q tax credits available to companies that capture their carbon emissions. But the conservative Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 agenda calls for the elimination of the tax incentives.
Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 during his campaign as Democrats sought to tie him to its more unpopular prescriptions. But since winning re-election, Trump has tapped into some of the architects of the plan for key positions in his new administration. The incoming president himself hasn't weighed in on the technology.
Advocates like the Carbon Capture Coalition say they're optimistic about the future of the technology at large.
"Historically, robust and wide-ranging bipartisan support for carbon management technologies has played a crucial role in advancing these technologies," the group said in a statement two days after the 2024 general election. "We must continue to work to deploy these technologies at the levels necessary to have a meaningful impact on rising global temperatures while safeguarding our nation’s economic interests."
As for Illinois, Richart said there's still a number of carbon capture initiatives she and others are monitoring. There's also legislative efforts regarding aquifers.
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