Class VI injection wells inject carbon dioxide for long-term storage to reduce emissions to the atmosphere. Figure is not to scale. Source: U.S. EPA

Company Plans Injection of One Million Tons or More Carbon Dioxide Per Year into Mt. Simon Sandstone

By Joyce Blumenshine

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Class VI wells listing August 16th update has yet again extended dates for the Marquis corporation project and shows November as possible for the notice for public comments. Concerned citizens and local officials need to prepare now as there is a lot involved. The EPA website about these wells makes everything sound very matter-of-fact, but there are way, way too many CO2 projects that have failed and way too many key concerns that currently have no answers and no solutions. 

Class VI wells use deep underground layers as a storage area or trash can for carbon dioxide to keep this climate-harming gas from going out into our air. Beginning concerns with this technology include how can a CO2 leak from underground be controlled or stopped and what does all the injected high-pressure CO2 do underground. Sandstone rock has tiny grains with tiny spaces usually containing salty water brine between the particles where the gas is to go. The CO2 will push out the brine and fill in the spaces. That is CO2 “storage” but CO2 and water can create carbonic acid which can leach arsenic and other contaminants from rock. If the gas or contaminated brine moves into aquifer areas, what is the solution?

The only other Class VI wells currently in Illinois are for the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Decatur plant, where they have one active and one closed CO2 injection site. ADM also has applications in review at EPA for several more wells. The company has been injecting since 2011 and has never captured or injected the amounts originally claimed. Their own monitoring shows the underground CO2 has moved outside of their modelling predictions, expanding both up and across. A 2024 Environmental Integrity Project article  has questioned if this project and the entire premise of carbon capture is a valid climate solution. About 90% of the CO2 at ADM Decatur still goes into our atmosphere, in spite of the huge amounts of federal funds to enable this project and the praises from many sources for its so-called success.

Putnam County will be the second county in Illinois facing CO2 injection. Marquis has 2,500 acres and added 873 acres in 2022, including an area along the Illinois River. Their project also plans to inject into the Mt. Simon sandstone.  Marquis has already gained over $8 million in federal funds for their 2023 Carbon Refining Corn Ethanol project and likely millions, if not billions more of public tax dollars will be gained if they proceed with carbon capture and sequestration. Like ADM, Marquis is planning to expand into other types of corn and soybean-based fuels.