Region 5 of the U.S. EPA gives just 90 minutes to learn about a proposal to store 90 MMT of CO2 in a recharge area of the Mahomet Aquifer?
ATTEND ONE OF OUR BRIEFINGS.
DEMAND EPA EXTEND ITS COMMENT PERIOD!
Region 5 of the U.S. EPA is one step from approving the injection of 90 million metric tons of CO₂ into a recharge area of the Mahomet Aquifer — a federally designated sole-source aquifer that provides drinking water to nearly 1 million people. That's enough CO₂ to fill more than 120 Empire State Buildings, pumped under pressure beneath our drinking water.
Could it reach the aquifer? Neither One Earth nor EPA has evaluated any of the five pathways we've identified. You have until September 23 at 11:59 p.m. to get your concerns on the record.
Start here: Join one of our briefings
Learn what's at risk, what's wrong with the draft permits, and how to file comments. Both sessions cover drafting and submitting comments, and we will have sample comments you can take and make your own.
Thursday, September 10, 5:30–7:00 pm
How this project could reach the Mahomet Aquifer and Gibson City's water–Led by EJC
Join here · Meeting ID: 859 7031 5228 · Passcode: 596805
Monday, September 14, 5:30–7:00pm
Featuring Dr. Lindsey Gulden on aquifer contamination risk and the key flaws in the draft permits.
Join here · Meeting ID: 883 0096 3735 · Passcode: 902886
Where things stand
On August 1, SB 1723 (Sen. Paul Faraci) became law (Public Act 104-0119). Despite our best efforts, it left the Mahomet's recharge area unprotected — even though U.S. EPA included that area in its 2015 Sole Source Aquifer designation.
On August 18 EPA Region 5 released three draft Class VI permits, one for each sequestration well, clearing the way for the third-largest carbon storage project in the state.
Eco-Justice Collaborative has been reviewing the application and the draft permits with Dr. Lindsey Gulden, member of the Science Roundtable on CCS. We've identified five pathways that could contaminate Gibson City's drinking water, the Mahomet Aquifer, or both. Could — not will. But neither One Earth, the project developer, nor U.S. EPA has evaluated a single one of them.
A hearing designed to be hard to prepare for
Countryside Event Center
403 E 200N Rd., Gibson City, IL 60936
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Availability session: 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Public hearing: 7:30–9:30 p.m.
There will be no presentation of the project. And with written comments due the very next day, there's no time to absorb what EPA says at the availability session, turn it into formal comments, and file them.
Why your comment matters
If it isn't in the record by September 23, we can't use it later — not in an appeal, not anywhere. We'll have draft comments you can adapt, and we'll help you write your own.
We've done this before. This project is one of eight under review by Region 5. EJC appealed Region 5's final permit for the Marquis Energy sequestration well — the appeal and a summary slide deck are on our website. One more step and the Environmental Appeals Board takes it up.
And the risk isn't hypothetical. Only 12 projects worldwide have permanently stored carbon dioxide in a saline aquifer — and one of them, Archer Daniels Midland in Decatur, leaked twice.
We're asking residents across the state to show up for their neighbors' drinking water.
Three things you can do
1. Sign the petition asking Region 5 to extend the comment deadline by 10 days.
2. Comment on the permits — Five potential pathways exist for contaminating the Mahomet Aquifer and Gibson City's water with CO₂ and brine. Attend the briefings to learn about these and other flaws in the permit that, if unaddressed, could lead to contamination of drinking water. Permit documents are here.
3. Attend the hearing September 22 and speak.
