Draft ordinance would create sequestration fund and tie fees to state statute; county could amend if state changes policy

Staff presented a provision creating a county sequestration fund to support mitigation, contamination cleanup and maintenance; the draft states that fees collected "shall duplicate any fees collected by the state under IC 14-39-2-9 as amended from time to time." The draft further requires project owners to submit quarterly reports to county commissioners listing the tonnage of CO2 injected and the fee amount due, payable at the time of the quarterly report.

During public comment a resident asked whether the county would stop its fee if the state discontinued its mitigation fee. Staff and commissioners discussed that the duplication language references the state statute and that the county could choose to amend the ordinance later to maintain a local fee if the state repealed its fee. During the exchange participants referenced fee amounts (transcript remarks noted figures such as 8¢, 50¢ and White County’s 40¢ per ton) but no definitive county fee level or revenue projection was set in the meeting.