“Important to Keep Up the Fight Against Threat to Local Water,” says Senator
Springfield, IL– Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) has reintroduced legislation, Senate Bill 182, to permanently ban carbon dioxide (CO2) storage under the Mahomet Aquifer, doubling down on his commitment to protect the drinking water of nearly 1 million central Illinois residents.
“Clean water is not negotiable,” said Sen. Rose. “The Mahomet Aquifer is a lifeline for central Illinois, and we cannot keep ignoring the risks posed by CO2 storage beneath it,” he continued.
Sen. Rose first introduced legislation to ban CO2 storage under the federally designated “Sole Source” Mahomet Aquifer last summer following Governor JB Pritzker’s signing of SB 1289, which allowed carbon sequestration under the aquifer. The decision was met with widespread backlash from bipartisan legislators and local communities. The potential risks associated with CO2 storage include forming carbonic acid and mobilizing hazardous contaminants such as arsenic in drinking water.
Unfortunately, Governor Pritzker’s allies in the Democratic supermajorities controlling the Illinois General Assembly shot down a similar bill advanced in a bipartisan fashion by Sen. Rose and Sen. Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) in the fall veto session. The Democratic leadership refused to even allow a vote in committee on the two senators’ bill.
“It’s beyond belief that Governor Pritzker would prioritize the industry interests of his billionaire buddies over the safety of our water supply,” Sen. Rose said. “His administration ignored clear warnings from experts and bipartisan concerns raised in a letter urging him to veto the legislation. This reckless gamble with public health cannot stand. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, and I will continue to fight for clean water in this new session of the Illinois General Assembly. I will continue this fight to ensure that the health and safety of our residents come first, not the profits of crony capitalists masquerading as environmentalists,” Rose concluded.
Sen. Rose’s newly filed bill, Senate Bill 182, aims to prevent future carbon sequestration activities over the Mahomet Aquifer.
He also encourages the public to join the fight by signing a petition on his website here.