After extensive discussions and battles with farmers, regulators, landowners and others,  Omaha based Navigator Co2 has announced it's pulling the plug on its plan for a 1300 plus mile pipeline through the Corn Belt that would have pushed Carbon Dioxide deep below the soil.  The proposal has been dealt setbacks in its proposed starting point of South Dakota, as well as Iowa and here in Illinois.  It has been a dominant topic at Montgomery County Board meetings for months.   

Board Chairman Doug Donaldson said he's cautiously optimistic that this saga is over but he also notes there are other players in the carbon capture game, so there's always potential for someone other than Navigator to raise the issue again locally.

This was to be a pivotal week as Navigator was preparing to make their sales pitch for the project to the Illinois Commerce Commission but they pulled the proposal a second time, saying they were reassessing their plan.  Then, yesterday (Thursday), Navigator made significant layoffs, an indicator that the carbon capture plan was in peril.

 

Here's the statement from Navigator. 

 

The development of Navigator CO2’s pipeline project has been challenging. Given the unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government processes involved, particularly in South Dakota and Iowa, the Company has decided to cancel its pipeline project.

Matt Vining, CEO of Navigator CO2 remarked, “As good stewards of capital and responsible managers of people, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Heartland Greenway project. We are disappointed that we will not be able to provide services to our customers and thank them for their continued support.”

Vining continued, “I am proud that throughout this endeavor, our team maintained a collaborative, high integrity, and safety-first approach and we thank them for their tireless efforts. We also thank all the individuals, trade associations, labor organizations, landowners, and elected officials who supported us and carbon capture in the Midwest.”