We have a CCUS bill to pass this legislative session!
Which means we have just a few months to pass a comprehensive carbon capture and storage bill that includes provisions for CO2 pipelines. In Illinois, bills are introduced in February, and moved through the legislative process until the session ends, which is May 31st. You will find a summary of the bill, below, along with a link to a fact sheet.
Watch our website for actions you can take, including meeting with your elected officials and preparing witness slips when bills are in Committee. We expect to hold at least one lobby day this spring, and will provide all the information you need to meet with your state representative and senator in Springfield. If you join our mailing list, you will receive updates and action alerts for each bill.
HB 3119/ SB2421
Carbon Dioxide Transport and Storage Protections Act
Sponsored by
Representative Ann Williams (D)
Senator Laura Fine (D)
Description
This comprehensive bill would put “common sense” safeguards in place to fill regulatory gaps in Illinois that leave Illinois residents unprotected from the risks carbon capture and storage, including CO2 pipelines. It would eliminate eminent domain and the forced acquisition of pore space rights and require a project developer to identify life-cycle impacts of a project, show that it is net-carbon negative, and evaluate alternatives that could result in less harm.
The bill also would hold the developer liable for CO2 releases or migration of CO2 under a non-consenting landowners property, and require the developer - not the state - to be responsible for long-term post closure monitoring and care for 100 years.
And it would establish meaningful setbacks from carbon pipelines, provide funding for emergency response training and equipment, and require a developer to hold public information meetings and coordinate a pipeline project before filing with the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Download a fact sheet to share.
Contact your senator and representative
We are asking everyone to contact their state senator and representative to ask them to cosponsor these bills. In the next week, we will have both talking points and fact sheets for each bill. It is best to meet with each in person or by zoom, but phone calls also are important. Emails are useful, but a call or a meeting has a far greater impact than an email. A hand-written letter is another way you can share your concerns.
This past year's re-districting has a number of people wondering who is representing them now. To verify your elected officials, simply click the image to the right, and then enter your address in the search bar at the top right of the screen. You'll get all the information you need to set a meeting or place a call. It's easy - don't wait!
