MAHOMET AQUIFER, Ill. – The Protect the Mahomet Aquifer campaign is calling for urgent legislative action to ban carbon sequestration projects under the Mahomet Aquifer following a second leak at Archer Daniels Midland Co.’s (ADM) carbon injection facility in Decatur, this time of brine (saltwater).
ADM announced this week that it had temporarily paused carbon injections after detecting seepage of brine from a second deep monitoring well, just weeks after the company was cited for violating the Safe Drinking Water Act for a similar leak.
“This second leak in less than a year proves that carbon capture is not the safe, reliable technology its proponents claim it to be,” said Pam Richart, co-director of Eco-Justice Collaborative and a leading member of the Protect the Mahomet Aquifer campaign. “Our drinking water cannot be put at risk by these ongoing failures. It’s time for lawmakers to step in and ban CCS projects under the Mahomet Aquifer once and for all.”
ADM’s letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sent on September 27, 2024, revealed that initial data indicated brine movement between rock layers 5,000 feet below the surface. The seepage was detected during tests required under a proposed EPA order following a July inspection of the first leak by EPA. At that time, inspectors found carbon dioxide had leaked into areas where it wasn’t allowed, and that ADM didn’t follow its emergency plan or properly monitor the well as required by its permit.
While ADM has paused injections and begun additional tests, industry and the US EPA are advancing three additional projects are currently proposed to inject carbon dioxide through the Mahomet Aquifer and store it there.
“This is another wake-up call that we cannot ignore,” said Andrew Rehn, Director of Climate Policy at Prairie Rivers Network. “If this happens at ADM, a company with years of CCS experience, what will happen when more projects are launched? The Mahomet Aquifer is simply too important to gamble with, and we need an immediate ban on carbon sequestration projects beneath it.”
The Mahomet Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to nearly one million people in Central Illinois, was designated a sole source aquifer by the U.S. EPA in 2015, meaning any contamination could have devastating consequences for the region. Despite this, several CCS projects are being considered that would inject carbon directly into or near the aquifer, increasing the risk of contamination.
Coalition Pushes for Legislative Action
In response to these risks, the Protect the Mahomet Aquifer campaign is rallying behind proposed legislation that would ban CCS projects under the Mahomet Aquifer and its recharge areas. State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) and Representative Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) introduced bills earlier this year to prohibit carbon sequestration activity over, under, or through a sole-source aquifer, with both bills expected to be discussed during the November veto session.
Meanwhile, the Champaign County Board Environmental and Land Use Committee is considering a ban on carbon capture and sequestration through and under the Mahomet Aquifer and its recharge areas at its meeting on October 10. The campaign – alongside elected officials – will hold a Protect the Mahomet Aquifer Rally at the Brookens Administrative Center in Urbana prior to that meeting.
“The leaks at ADM’s facility should serve as a red flag to lawmakers,” said Richart. “We can’t afford to wait for a disaster. Legislators need to act now and pass the ban on carbon sequestration beneath the Mahomet Aquifer.”
Our campaign is also calling on individuals to submit comments to the EPA, which is accepting feedback until October 21 on its proposed order on ADM’s earlier violations. The EPA order would require ADM to take steps to prevent further leaks and to assess the full extent of fluid migration at its Decatur site. However, environmental advocates warn that these measures fall short of protecting the Mahomet Aquifer from future projects.
“Even if ADM’s injections are paused for now, the risk to our water remains,” said Rehn. “The only way to truly protect the Mahomet Aquifer is to stop these dangerous projects before they cause irreversible harm.”
About Protect the Mahomet Aquifer
The Protect the Mahomet Aquifer campaign is a coalition 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 (CCS) projects proposed under the aquifer and its recharge areas, residents have mobilized to demand action. The campaign, led by Eco-Justice Collaborative, Illinois People’s Action, Prairie Rivers Network, the Sierra Club’s Prairie Group Chapter and concerned citizens, is calling for a legislative ban on CCS projects that risk contaminating this critical water source.
