Success and the work ahead
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE
In January 2022, the Eco-Justice Collaborative (EJC) agreed to lead a coalition of Illinois landowners and environmental groups in a campaign to stop unregulated and dangerous CO₂ pipelines and carbon storage projects from coming to Illinois. The multi-phased campaign organized communities to pass more than 68 moratoria, resolutions, and ordinances. We pushed for more oversight by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and brought attorneys and experts together to intervene in the Illinois Commerce Commission’s CO₂ pipeline approval process. EJC worked to inform and prepare citizens to effectively participate in public meetings, hearings before county boards, and briefings with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the U.S. EPA. These efforts helped bring about the cancelation of two major interstate carbon dioxide pipelines and led to the passage of key legislation protecting Illinois residents.
Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture & Sequestration Act (July 2024)
Public Act 103-0651
EJC worked with Earthjustice, the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Illinois Environmental Council on a statewide campaign that made Illinois one of the first in the nation to place a moratorium on carbon capture and storage projects and eventually lead to the passage of comprehensive regulations. This bill integrated, to the maximum extent possible, landowner concerns regarding public health, safety, and risk. CCS projects must now go through a rigorous permitting process at the state level, a critical win given the continuing erosion of federal protections.
Mahomet Aquifer, EPA Sole-Source Aquifer (August 2, 2025)
Public Act 104-0119
Immediately following the signing of the SAFE CCS Act, EJC initiated work on legislation to protect the Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration. Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) and member groups from the Coalition to Stop CO₂ Pipelines eagerly accepted the invitation to join this work. This included the Illinois People’s Action Network, the Prairie Group of the Sierra Club, and Climate Reality of Metro Chicago. The Illinois Environmental Council and the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club soon joined the effort. Within 10 months a bill was drafted, negotiated, and passed with leadership provided by EJC and PRN. The EPA Sole-Source Aquifer bill prohibits sequestration activities that overlie, pass through, or store CO₂ under the Mahomet Aquifer, an EPA-designated sole-source aquifer that serves nearly 1 million residents in Central Illinois.
WORK IN AHEAD IN 2026
EJC is committed to continuing its work in 2026:
- Working with experts and preparing residents to participate in U.S. EPA public hearings on nine carbon capture and storage projects and 20 CO₂ injection wells.
- Intervening on at least two new pipeline projects before the Illinois Commerce Commission.
- Participating in the development of detailed rules for the implementation of the SAFE CCS Act.
- Educating and empowering communities calling for transparency on the energy and water use by new carbon capture and storage and data center projects.
- Opposing changes to the Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act and other landmark legislation now being proposed under the guise of regulatory reform.
AWARDS
November 2025 Women Making Waves
Pam Richart was one of eight women to receive an award from Representative Carol Ammons during this year’s Women Making Waves event. This award is given to women who are passionate, impact-driven, and leaders committed to changing the status quo.
October 2025 Bruce Hannon Seeds of Change
Pam and Lan Richart, co-founders of Eco-Justice Collaborative, were the first recipients of Prairie Rivers Network’s Hannon Seeds of Change Award—named for the organization’s founder, Bruce Hannon, who passed away in 2024. The award is given to Illinois organizers who expertly turn those around them into environmentalists. Read more …
October 2024 Community Organizing Award
The Illinois Environmental Council selected the Coalition to Stop CO₂ Pipelines, led by EJC, as the recipient of their October 2024 Community Organizing Award. IEC brings together the Illinois environmental movement to influence decision makers and advocate for clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. See award acceptance by Pam Richart.
