OneEarth Energy has proposed three carbon sequestration wells in eastern McLean County, about 5 miles west of Gibson City. Environmental advocates say the location is too close to the Mahomet Aquifer and its recharge zone, which supplies drinking water for nearly 1 million people in Central Illinois. The U.S. EPA is taking public comment on a draft permit until Sept. 23, with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 22 in Gibson City. OneEarth says the wells would inject CO2 more than 6,000 feet below ground, below the aquifer and protective shale layers. The company also says it plans to capture about 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 per year into one well, not fill the three wells to their combined 90 million metric ton permit capacity. Opponents point to the project's 198.8 square mile area of review and argue that pressure spread and potential leaks over time could contaminate groundwater. The McLean County Board's role is limited to reviewing whether the company follows county zoning processes, not broader safety questions. That makes the EPA comment period a key checkpoint for residents concerned about the project's impact on the Mahomet Aquifer.
