Champaign County Board adopts 12‑month moratorium on carbon sequestration beneath Mahomet Aquifer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Champaign County Board on Jan. 23 approved a temporary moratorium on carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration activity beneath the county’s portion of the Mahomet Aquifer, voting to bar permitting or siting of subseabed CO2 injection in county zoning for 12 months while staff and committees draft permanent rules.

The moratorium aims to protect the sole‑source Mahomet Aquifer, which speakers at a lengthy public comment period said supplies drinking water to communities across central Illinois. Board members debated an amendment to remove the 12‑month expiration and make the ban rescindable only by future board action; that amendment failed on a roll‑call vote before the board approved the original moratorium ordinance.

The moratorium matters because the Mahomet Aquifer supplies drinking water to municipalities and residents across central Illinois. Public commenters said contamination would leave no economically viable alternative source for affected communities. "This moratorium is a crucial step in the right direction," one speaker told the board, adding that contamination risks include mobilization of heavy metals and formation of carbonic acid.

Speakers during…