The McDonough County board agreed to intervene in Navigator CO2’s revised filing with the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Navigator CO2 is proposing construction of a pipeline to pump liquified carbon dioxide from biofuels plants in five states to an underground storage site in central Illinois.
The revised application with the ICC calls for the pipeline to go through 14 counties in Illinois.
As it did with the earlier application, McDonough County has decided to intervene in the case.
Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs for Navigator CO2, said it’s not a bad thing for counties to have a participatory role in the case.
“I don’t see a problem in counties wanting to have that level of formal engagement in a proceeding,” she said.
“That necessarily does attach some fees and lawyers and such associated with it. Not everyone has the financial capabilities to be able to do that.”
Burns-Thompson said the company continues to have positive conversations with local officials along the entire five-state route of the proposed project.
At the McDonough County board’s March meeting, 14 members voted in favor of intervening.
Chairperson Scott Schwerer cast the sole vote against the motion. He feels the board has more time to consider the matter before deciding whether to intervene.
Board member Dana Walker abstained from the vote, saying he does not oppose the pipeline.
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