Our view: Mahomet Aquifer and Illinoisans' drinking water must be protected
Fresh water is among the most vital resources known to humankind, and thus it is our duty to protect it.
We were reminded of this earlier this month, when we learned Archer Daniel Midland Co. had been cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to properly respond to the seepage of injected carbon dioxide into "unauthorized zones" below its North American headquarters in Decatur.
EPA officials said the company failed to follow an emergency response plan and failed to monitor the well, located about 5,000 feet below the ground.
There is no evidence this put the public at risk. The area where the leak occurred is thousands of feet below most domestic water wells and the deepest portions of Lake Decatur but about 500 feet above the start of the Mt. Simon Sandstone, the layer of rock in which ADM is permitted to inject carbon dioxide.
But as long as the potential for carbon contamination exists, companies like ADM must strictly adhere to these policies aimed to protect the Mahomet Aquifer and, by extension, the water source for more than 800,000 people across Illinois.
The aquifer lies beneath 16 counties, primarily in East Central Illinois, and the water that flows into it could be contaminated by human action above or below it.
The carbon dioxide seepage flagged by the EPA was a symptom of carbon sequestration, the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide, keeping it out of the earth's atmosphere. Companies like ADM have been allowed to use this practice, which can be seen as an effort to reduce the "carbon footprint" and reduce the effects of climate change.
While we are supportive of continued innovation and the implementation of proven and safe technology, we argue too much remains unknown to risk this resource that provides drinking water for thousands of Illinoisans.
As long as the long-term effects of carbon sequestration remain unclear, those who use it must maintain transparency in order to facilitate trust.
ADM's citation from the EPA stemmed from the discovery of corrosion in one of the company's two deep monitoring wells, which has since been fixed. That discovery was made in late 2023. In March 2024, "formation fluid" related to the corrosion was found above the confining zone, which is a geological formation meant to serve as a barrier separating carbon storage sites from drinking water sources and the surface above.
It is now September 2024.
If companies want to continue to use carbon sequestration and allow for further research to be conducted on its effects and best practices, they must be forthcoming when problems arise.
It is in the best interest of private actors to facilitate an environment in which carbon sequestration has support, and that will not happen if they wait until a month after the EPA issues a citation to publicly acknowledge a complication.
As the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition stated after the violation was issued, "The total lack of public notification of the leak in the month following the agency's alleged notice of violation to ADM is unacceptable and dangerous."
The EPA will seek to bring ADM into compliance for this violation, using an administrative order. But there should be consequences, and we must take this as a warning, as a lesson that we are still learning.
We cannot fix the problem of climate change by creating a new problem of contaminated water.
So we will continue to learn more about carbon sequestration, how best to use it and how to keep it safe, but it will take time. And as we learn more, we must prioritize the protection of the Mahomet Aquifer.
We don't get a second chance at a resource like the Mahomet Aquifer. If we lose it, there is no going back.
Previous coverage of issues concerning the Mahomet Aquifer BLOOMINGTON - Demands on the Mahomet Aquifer will continue toincrease, but there should be enough water to go around - as longas area towns ... BLOOMINGTON - The recent rains have made this summer one of thewettest on record, keeping the city's reservoirs full and pushingthoughts of... CLINTON - The Mahomet Valley Water Authority has hired aChicago law firm to oppose Peoria Disposal Co.'s efforts to winfederal permission t... CLINTON - The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency hasapproved the controversial redesign of 22.5 acres at the ClintonLandfill for the ... CLINTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hasscheduled a public hearing April 13 to hear from residents about aproposal to allow C... MONTICELLO — The U.S Environmental Protection Agency expects tohold a public hearing soon to announce whether Clinton Landfillwill be permit... There is a plan to dump PCBs at the Clinton landfill. Eventhough the EPA says it's safe, there is a risk that PCBs could getinto the Mahomet... CLINTON - Opponents and supporters of the proposed storage ofchemical wastes at the Clinton Landfill say they are ready for theJune 9 U.S. ... CLINTON - A LeRoy attorney running for the Illinois Senate hasfiled a lawsuit in the latest effort to stop the EnvironmentalProtection Agen... CLINTON - The Mahomet Valley Water Authority may impose aproperty tax levy to help pay for legal expenses in its ongoingfight against a pro... NORMAL — The Normal City Council will be asked Monday to joinChampaign and other communities in a possible legal fight against aproposed per... NORMAL — The Normal City Council agreed Monday night to joinChampaign and other communities opposing a permit that would allowArea Disposal ... BLOOMINGTON - Sections of 26 different streets and three alleyswould be resurfaced this summer as part of a $3.5 million streetimprovement ... BLOOMINGTON — The city will seek bids for work on nearly $3.5million of street resurfacing projects. BLOOMINGTON — If an extended drought strikes, the city of Bloomington could end up repeating what Jesse Smart calls the most trying time of hi... CLINTON — Public sessions have been scheduled April 3 about the pending permit renewal application for Clinton Landfill 3. CLINTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants more review of the Clinton Landfill site before ruling on a plan to store waste conta... CLINTON — A group campaigning against burying PCB waste at Clinton Landfill hailed a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruling that further ... CLINTON — A lawsuit filed by a LeRoy attorney to stop the storage of chemical waste at a DeWitt County landfill has been dismissed by a judge. CLINTON — Central Illinois lawmakers and county leaders are seeking the means to intervene in an ongoing push by a Clinton-area landfill to ac... NORMAL — The Normal City Council agreed to join an effort to get the Mahomet Aquifer recognized as a "sole source water supply" — a designatio... LEROY — A LeRoy attorney said he will not file an appeal to a judge's dismissal of a lawsuit designed to stop the storage of chemical waste at...Fly over Clinton, and the landfill south of town doesn't look much different from others in Illinois. But beneath its surface are 4 trillion gallons of water used in 15 Central Illinois counties.
CLINTON — Clinton No. 1 resembles a purposely landscaped hill with an unspoiled blanket of grass. The only outward hints at what lies beneath ... BLOOMINGTON — McLean County Board member Erik Rankin would like to see the county, Bloomington and Normal "have a big boy, big girl conversati... CLINTON — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will increase oversight of hazardous waste disposal at Clinton Landfill, two state sena... CLINTON — A new challenge involving the Clinton Landfill host agreement could block the proposed disposal of PCBs there, but it also could end... NORMAL — A number of communities who draw their water from the Mahomet Aquifer have joined together for a public service announcement to urge ... CLINTON — A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision Wednesday was applauded as a necessary step to protect the main drinking water sourc...
