East Central Reporter

State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) has voiced opposition to Senate Bill 1289 (Floor Amendment #3), which seeks to implement a carbon capture program targeting emissions from agriculture, automotive, and manufacturing sectors in Illinois. Niemerg raised concerns regarding the potential impact of sequestration sites on drinking water sources from the Mahomet Aquifer.

“This new program is a continuation of the CEJA woke ideology that will negatively impact farmers, the automotive industry, and manufacturers who create jobs for my district and across Illinois,” said Rep. Niemerg. “The storage of the carbon dioxide underground has no protective guidelines for the Mahomet Aquifer under Champaign and Vermilion Counties in my district that provide drinking water for over 800,000 people.”

The Carbon Capture Sequestration (CCS) program allows owners of 75 percent of the underground storage sites to obligate the remaining 25 percent of landowners to permit these sites on their property against their wishes. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will monitor these sites for 30 years to ensure they do not harm families, farm crops, or livestock.

“This plan imposes an eminent domain philosophy to put these underground storage sites in places against landowners’ wishes,” added Niemerg. “Private property rights are the backbone of our American system of ownership and freedom, and I will continue to fight for the landowners in my district who oppose this program.”

The Illinois Farm Bureau also opposes this legislation, which includes a two-year hold on all pipeline construction related to this plan or oil and gas production.

For more information about this bill or others, contact Rep. Niemerg at 217-813-6036 or online at RepNiemerg.com. Legislative proceedings are available at ilga.gov.

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