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St. Martin Parish Council unanimously opposes Class VI CO2 injection wells, citing safety and liability concerns
Summary
The council adopted Resolution No. 26-017-RS opposing Class VI injection wells for long-term CO2 sequestration in St. Martin Parish, raising concerns about pipeline safety, groundwater contamination, induced seismicity, liability and impacts to the Atchafalaya Basin; the resolution asks state and federal action to strengthen local authority.
The St. Martin Parish Council on March 3 unanimously adopted Resolution No. 26-017-RS expressing opposition to Class VI injection wells — facilities intended for long-term geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide — within parish boundaries.
The resolution lists several concerns the council said were inadequately addressed by industry and state regulators: potential CO2 pipeline safety risks, groundwater contamination, the possibility of induced seismicity and geological instability, uncertainty about the long-term integrity of storage, and financial or liability risks should an accident occur. The council specifically cited potential harm to the Atchafalaya Basin, a significant local natural habitat and economic resource, and said it has not seen a comprehensive local hazard mitigation plan or formal coordination with local emergency preparedness officials related to such projects.
The council called on the Louisiana Legislature and the U.S. Congress to grant local communities more authority over injection well projects and to impose stricter federal safety and liability standards. The resolution directs that copies be sent to the Governor of Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the parish's state and federal legislators.
Resolution No. 26-017-RS passed unanimously on March 3, 2026.
