Carbon May Soon Be Stored In Illinois' Underground Rock
URBANA – In addition to reducing carbon emissions, innovations in the capture, transport, and storage of carbon dioxide hope to help reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions. Officials at public meetings in central Illinois describe the plan to transport CO2 through 1,300 miles of underground pipeline, crossing 12 Illinois counties, ending at a central Illinois location for storage in underground rock. Storage of CO2 is also not new. "Illinois was the first to develop a carbon dioxide storage system from industrial sources," says Duane Friend , University of Illinois Extension natural resources, environment, and energy educator. "Geologists and engineers from the U of I Prairie Research Institute and the Illinois State Geological Survey have been working on these methods for over 20 years." The process passed safety tests. "Researchers and engineers, working with Archer Daniels Midland, closely monitored the capture, injection, and observation at the Decatur-based site," Friend