A pipeline company behind the controversial Heartland Greenway project is withdrawing its request to build in Illinois, at least for now.
Navigator CO2 Ventures filed a motion Tuesday before the Illinois Commerce Commission. The ICC had hearings planned next week on the project.
The company halted its request before Iowa regulators last month. At the time, Navigator says it was reviewing the proposed pipeline route in Iowa. A similar reason was given for the action in Illinois, which included 13 counties in the state.
The company said the latest decision was being made with "the intent to reinitiate Illinois permitting, if appropriate.”
Navigator delayed hearings previously in Illinois as it changed the Illinois route to include additional storage.
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission last month rejected the permit application the company filed in that state.
The Heartland Greenway project includes the capture, transport, and storage of emissions from different facilities in five states, including Iowa and Illinois. One leg of the pipeline, as proposed, would collect CO2 from an ethanol plant in Galva, and it would cross the Mississippi River north of Keokuk.
In central Illinois, the pipeline would stretch through several counties, including Scott, Morgan, Sangamon, Christian and Montgomery.
Navigator's $3.4 billion project would transport liquefied CO2 from ethanol and fertilizer plants from Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and Illinois to sites in Christian and Montgomery counties, where it would be pumped and stored far underground, a process known as sequestration.
The company says the geology of the region makes it well suited for storing the carbon dioxide. It's touted as a way to reduce emissions, which lead to global warming.
But critics have raised concerns about environmental contamination and health risks, including pipeline leaks. They are calling for a moratorium on pipeline construction. After a hearing this summer, Sangamon County issued a moratorium through the end of the year.
“Over the past two years, Navigator has been unable to obtain easements necessary for the project and has been met with fierce opposition from farmers, landowners, and concerned citizens every step of the way,” said Steve Hess, McDonough County farmer and Board Member of Citizens Against Heartland Greenway Pipeline (CAHGP).
“Make no mistake—Navigator is reassessing their project, but they’re not going away, and we will not go down without a fight.”
