Archer-Daniels-Midland has told federal regulators it found two dozen other wells near its leaky carbon sequestration site in Illinois that could potentially allow the highly corrosive fluid to migrate towards drinking water supplies, although the company’s modeling indicates it is unlikely to do so.
The updates from EPA and ADM come nearly two months after POLITICO first reported that the agribusiness giant notified federal regulators that the nation’s first commercial carbon storage project has suffered leaks in a monitoring well. The project is seen as a critical test for the nascent industry that is crucial to both Democrats’ and the oil industry’s climate ambitions.
The company’s modeling results suggest that the amount of liquid carbon that escaped the storage well is less than half what it initially estimated, ADM said in an update to be posted on its website Monday. It also found that the plume of liquid will remain nearly 5,000 feet below the surface — far below drinking water sources — over the next century, the company said.
“While EPA continues to gather information, the information that EPA has reviewed so far does not suggest any immediate threat to drinking water in the area. Nearby public water systems draw from the Lake Decatur reservoir or use wells less than 110 feet deep,” EPA spokesperson Macy Pressley said by email. She said the agency will conduct a “thorough review” of the company’s report.
