(The Center Square) — The Louisiana House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment met on Monday to discuss the issue of carbon dioxide sequestration and storage.
The committee heard from individuals with concerns about the ongoing projects throughout Louisiana.
The ongoing carbon dioxide capturing projects have caused public complaints for many years. Carbon dioxide sequestration involves capturing the gas from industry and storing it underground.
In June of last year, Louisiana officials announced two carbon removal site projects for the Northwestern region of the state. The sites will be located at the Port of Caddo-Bossier in Shreveport with the first opening in 2026 and the second in 2027.
At Monday’s public hearing, the focus was largely on addressing solutions, if any are needed, for stranded minerals as it relates to the carbon capture in Louisiana. As of the 2023 planning, not including the newly added projects in Caddo-Bossier area, there are 20 carbon capture projects in process throughout the state.
“The theory of the communist may be summed up in one sentence— Abolition of private property,” Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, said.
McCormick authored a bill last year regarding stranded minerals by carbon sequestration. He noted that private property rights are something very close to him.
Comments from the public during the hearing showed a great concern for what is going to happen to the poor parishes. Many citizens have worries over their mineral rights being stranded from the projects at play.
Roland Hollins, an Allen Parish Police Juror and chairman of the Louisiana CO2 Alliance, spoke to these concerns.
“We are talking about mineral rights and severance taxes that police juries have to worry about because of these mineral rights that may be blocked. One of our companies in the parish has 40,000 acres that could be affected by these stranded mineral rights, which then affects our police juries and our sheriffs and our school boards, because if we do get these things blocked, how are we going to recover?” Hollins said.
Walter Pilié, a new councilman from St. Charles Parish District III, addressed personal concerns of his. He stressed the importance of energy and hydrocarbons not only to the state and taxpayers, but also to the individuals who don’t realize the importance whether it be pharmaceuticals, plastics, petrochemicals or other products.
One of his biggest concerns is the capture of power of CO2 in a power plant. He said one report says you can use 40% of the fuel stream just to capture the carbon dioxide just to put it in the ground.
“Everything’s about money. And that’s what this is obviously about in some fashion or another. I haven’t gotten a good answer as to how that money flows to some of these big players,” said Pilié.
The councilman also said that if it hadn’t been for the IRA tax credit, some of these things probably wouldn’t be happening.
According to McCormick, there are test wells where salt water is being injected to test where zones can take CO2, and raised questions about the viscosity of the salt water versus the carbon dioxide when talking with representatives from the Department of Energy and Natural Resources.
No information was given as to the comparison of both resources and how it impacts the land in Louisiana.
“This is what government is about,” said Rep. Charles Owen, R-Rosepine. “We have to be transparent to everybody. We have to be answerable to everybody.”