Resolution 2026-03 - CO2 Opposition

A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE SEQUESTRATION, BURYING OR TRANSPORT OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN GALVA, IL AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

WHEREAS, the Village Board of the Village of Bishop Hill, Illinois is tasked with protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its residents; and

WHEREAS, companies are proposing projects that capture CO2 from industrial polluters to be buried deep underground or transport it through pipelines;

WHEREAS, when buried, carbon dioxide can become trapped in a highly pressurized liquid form, creating serious risks to communities;

WHEREAS, a sudden underground leak or pipeline failure can create a heavy, invisible cloud of gas that displaces oxygen, causing asphyxiation (suffocation) to humans and animals, and stopping internal combustion engines in their tracks; and

WHEREAS, underground CO2 storage leak can spread for miles, threatening local water aquifers with contamination from brine or hazardous chemicals and (CCS) technology has consistently proven to be ineffective and economically unsound;

WHEREAS, the Village of Bishop Hill relies on water from the Cambrian-Ordovician Sandstone Aquifer along with Galva, and other surrounding towns and rural wells, the drinking water would be put in unnecessary risk by nearby injection wells;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Village Board of the Village of Bishop Hill hereby states its firm opposition to any CO2 carbon capture, underground burial, or transport projects within, under, or adjacent to our village boundaries.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor of Illinois, our State Representatives, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Village Board of the Village of Bishop Hill on this 1 st day of July, 2026.