DECATUR — Wolf Carbon Solutions said Monday that it plans to refile its controversial plans to build a 260-mile carbon dioxide pipeline to ferry the gas all the way from Iowa to storage underground in Decatur.
Denver-based Wolf had previously announced the withdrawal of the pipeline proposal, known as the Mt. Simon Hub, after it was criticized by an engineer employed by the Illinois Commerce Commission, the state regulators who would have to sign-off on the project.
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In a statement Wolf said it planned to refile its pipeline plans with the ICC in early 2024.
“Wolf understands and respects the stringent regulatory review process for this project, and we appreciate the diligence of the ICC and its staff,” said Dean Ferguson, president of Wolf.
“We have made the decision to withdraw our current application, with the intent to refile in early 2024, to address the questions and concerns raised by the ICC staff in their recommendation. This voluntary action does not impact our commitment to the project and its stakeholders, or the ongoing regulatory processes, including with the Iowa Utilities Board and Army Corps of Engineers.”
The criticisms voiced by ICC gas engineer Brett Seagle had been extensive. He faulted Wolf over safety concerns and uncertainty about the supplier of the carbon dioxide, extracted to keep the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere, and more worries about gas storage arrangements.
Wolf had previously said it planned to work with Archer Daniels Midland Co. to obtain the gas but Seagle said ADM had yet to enter into a final and binding agreement to supply carbon dioxide extracted during ethanol production.
Other setbacks Wolf faced included not having obtained any agreements with landowners along the long route to run the pipeline through their property.
Critics of the project also cited safety concerns regarding the risks from possible pipeline ruptures. A 2020 line break in Missouri led to reports of people nearby suffering shortness of breath, loss of consciousness and confusion as the gas poured into the air.
The Wolf pipeline is now the second such project to hit a major blockage in the approval stage. In October the Omaha-based company Navigator CO2 shelved its proposal to build a 1,350-mile pipeline through Illinois and four other states. The company said it must withdraw because of opposition from state regulators.
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Photos: Archer Daniels Midland Co. through the years
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, middle right, chats with attendees in the Archer Daniels Midland Co. tent.
1942: Cars are parked outside of Archer Daniels Midland Co.
1977: The clarifier, the third step in the treatment process, will remove sludge from waste generated by the Archer Daniels Midland Co. complex.
1967: As part of the Archer Daniels Midland Co. West Plant expansion, 1900 Samuels St., three 15,000-barrel tanks are being moved. The tank at left base. In order to move the tanks, a dike was built and the channel lined with 30,000 square feet of plastic. Water was then pumped into it so the tanks could be floated. At bottom right, a truck tows one of the 50-ton oil tanks down the canal. When the expansion was announced, it was to double the facilities.
1984: Bob Ryan of Archer Daniels Midland Co. explains lettuce production in a hydroponics greenhouse to group of National Outstanding Young Farmer candidates.
Mark Schweitzer, managing director of transportation for Archer Daniels Midland Co. talks with freshman state representatives Terri Bryant, Reggie Phillips, Litesa Wallace, Randy Frese and Carol Ammons during a tour Tuesday of ADM’s intermodal rail facility.
Scott Perry
Nathan Hardeman, 20, of Moweaqua, drives through the Archer Daniels Midland Co. trucking yard in Decatur in November. Hardeman, hired when he was 19, is ADM Trucking’s youngest driver, and has just started working local routes.
Jeremy Milligan, a business solutions analyst for Archer Daniels Midland Co., was selected by his classmates as Millikin University’s Professional Adult Comprehensive Education, or PACE, programs student of the year. The university’s winter graduation is Sunday.
1980: Richard Burket, right, shows Sen. George McGovern, D-S.D., around the Archer Daniels Midland Co.’s east plant. Condenser towers are pictured in the background. (H&R file photo)
Debbie Sarko, with Archer Daniels Midland Co., speaks about truck driver expectations at ADM during an information session about Richland Community College’s Truck Driver Training program on Thursday.
Decatur’s Archer Daniels Midland Co. has seen many developments over the course of 2013.
The Archer Daniels Midland Co. logo is seen on a tanker truck at the ADM facility in Decatur.
An operator sorts containers with a side lift crane at the new intermodal rail facility as part of the Archer Daniels Midland Co. plant.
Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid
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