ICC staff recommends denial of One Earth Pipeline
Then, on February 4, One Earth Sequestration LLC received a recommendation of denial for its proposed 7.34-mile carbon dioxide pipeline through Ford and McLean Counties from Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) staff member Mark Maple. Mr. Maple has concerns related to:
- Safety.
- Uncertainty of the route (the carbon storage site has not been approved by the U.S. EPA).
- Lack of progress One Earth has made in obtaining easements to build its project.
Therefore, he concluded that One Earth’s project does not meet the legislative intent of the CO2 Act.
You can read Mark Maple's testimony here.
This recommendation of denial falls on the heels of the McLean County Board's denial of their special use request to inject and store carbon through and under recharge areas of the Mahomet Aquifer. This is a U.S. EPA-designated sole source aquifer that provides fresh water to nearly 1 million people in central Illinois.
Has this deterred One Earth? Not yet. They are proceeding through the next phase of the ICC process, which leads to a spring evidentiary hearing.