CO2 injection wells proposed for eastern McLean County

MCLEAN COUNTY (25News Now) - McLean County will soon be at the center of a debate whether wells should be installed in a rural area to store carbon dioxide.

At least one group is calling on people to show up at a public hearing Tuesday evening to oppose ethanol producer One Earth Sequestration’s proposal to locate three injection wells in eastern McLean County.

The wells are part of the plan for a 7.34-mile CO2 pipeline in McLean and Ford counties, which needs a permit from the Illinois Commerce Commission.

However, local officials must act on a special use permit for the wells; one of them in Cheney’s Grove Township and two more in Anchor Township.

Map of proposed CO2 wells and 7.34-mile pipeline in McLean and Ford counties.(One Earth LLC, McLean County Government)

The well in Cheneys Grove Township would be approximately a quarter mile west of 4100 East Road. One of the Anchor Township wells would be just south of 1500 North Road and about 1800 feet east of 4100 East Road. The other would be near the intersection of 1600 North and 4100 East Roads.

Showing a map of the Mahomet Aquifer, One Earth notes that a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis “indicated that no protected and sensitive areas, groundwater resources, or existing resource development will be negatively impacted at the proposed location.”

At least one advocacy group, Illinois People’s Action, is expected to counter One Earth’s claims. In a Facebook post, the non-profit organization is asking the public to attend Tuesday’s hearing before the McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals.

“We don’t want to be the dumping ground for dangerous CO2 sequestration. It’s up to all of us to stop this in its tracts,” the group said.

The hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the McLean County Government Center at 115 East Washington Street in Downtown Bloomington.