Plans to construct Navigator CO2 pipeline in Pike scrapped

By Editor | October 31, 2023 |

By DAVID CAMPHOUSE

Navigator CO2 announced in a press release last week that it is not moving forward with its plans to construct the planned Heartland Greenway CO2 pipeline project, which would have cut across a portion of neighboring Pike County.
Once constructed, Heartland Greenway’s goal was to transport 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year from ethanol plants across the Midwest to a sequestration in Christian County. The proposed pipeline would have crossed extreme northeast Pike County, near Chambersburg, on its way from South Dakota to the Christian County sequestration site.
In the press release, Navigator CO2 cited state regulatory processes for the cancelation of the proposed pipeline.
The project hit a major snag in early September when the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission rejected the company’s permit application to build their Navigator Heartland Greenway pipeline after the agency’s hearing process.
Following the rejection by South Dakota, Navigator C02 requested to pause the permitting process in Iowa, and on Oct. 10, the company withdrew its permit application in Illinois.
The proposed pipeline faced opposition over environmental concerns and concerns over the rights of property owners, who were opposed to the pipeline passing through their land.
Following the July Pike County Board meeting, Pike Scott Farm Bureau Board President Kim Curry said that Farm Bureau was not opposed to the concept of the pipeline in principle, but the organization remained concerned about defending the rights of private property owners.
“Farm Bureau has always worked to protect the rights of private landowners,” Curry said.
Concerns over the placement of the CO2 pipeline through western and central Illinois are also shared by some elected officials.
Earlier this year, State Senator Steve McClure proposed a moratorium on C02 pipelines in the state. McClure represented Pike County until the legislative map was redrawn before the last election.
The moratorium, according to language in McClure’s proposed bill, would allow time for the development of updated federal safety standards for the transportation of carbon dioxide.
In the Navigator CO2 press release announcing the cancellation, the company’s CEO Matt Vining expressed regret over the end of the pipeline project.
“As good stewards of capital and responsible managers of people, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Heartland Greenway project,” Vining stated. “We are disappointed that we will not be able to provide services to our customers and thank them for their continued support.”
“I am proud that throughout this endeavor, our team maintained a collaborative, high integrity, and safety-first approach and we thank them for their tireless efforts. We also thank all the individuals, trade associations, labor organizations, landowners, and elected officials who supported us and carbon capture in the Midwest.”