Coalition’s Statement on SB3968 Hearing to
Protect the Mahomet Aquifer from CO2 Pollution
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In response to Senate leadership’s decision to withhold a vote on the Mahomet Aquifer protections bill today, the Protect the Mahomet coalition released the following statements:
“I'm disappointed in the Senate leadership’s decision to withhold a vote on the Mahomet Aquifer protections bill today,” said Andrew Rehn, director of Climate Policy at Prairie Rivers Network. “Prairie Rivers Network will engage in the ‘continued conversations’ that Senate leadership is calling for, but the need is clear: Central Illinois needs a ban on carbon sequestration through and under the Mahomet Aquifer to protect our drinking water.”
“I’m not sure what there is left to ‘get right.’ The right thing to do is to protect the Mahomet Aquifer, where the risk tolerance is zero,” said Pam Richart, Co-Director of Eco-Justice Collaborative. “During the hearing, the risks to our drinking water were underplayed by industry and experts. What wasn’t discussed was the failures of ADM’s leaking project. At ADM, we experienced a design failure, a material failure, an operator failure, and a moral failure. The projects already proposed (and there could be more) would be 50 times the size of ADM's existing project, which has already leaked twice.”
“We were very disappointed this important bill didn’t proceed today,” said Dawn Dannenbring, a Leader with Illinois People’s Action. “The Mahomet Aquifer still needs protection. The Illinois Senate needs to hear from everyone who is concerned about their safe drinking water after today's hearing.”
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The Protect The Mahomet Aquifer Coalition is made up of community members, environmental organizations, and advocacy groups united to protect the Mahomet Aquifer — a vital water source for nearly one million people across 14 counties in Central Illinois. In response to the growing threat of carbon capture and sequestration projects proposed under the aquifer and its recharge areas, residents have mobilized to demand action.
