A wave of carbon capture and storage projects is moving through permitting in rural Indiana, fueled by generous federal subsidies. One proposed injection site near Clymers would bury CO2 from an ethanol plant more than 3,000 feet underground. Local residents worry about groundwater contamination, property devaluation, and the cumulative burden of industrial facilities already in the area. The projects are backed by oil industry sponsors and the Biden administration, which sees CCS as a tool for climate mitigation. But opponents argue the subsidies can double an ethanol plant's earnings, creating a perverse incentive to delay deeper cuts to fossil fuel use. The EPA is expected to approve dozens more such sites in the coming year. For communities like Clymers, the tradeoff is not abstract. Residents report contaminated wells, a lack of sewage infrastructure, and offers of $150 per year to allow carbon storage under their land. The tension highlights a growing national debate over who bears the risk of climate solutions that rely on underground storage.
