Alabama County Opposes Massive Carbon Pipeline Project

An aerial shot of timberland behind Wesley Laird's farm near Florala, Ala. Reliant Carbon Capture & Storage, a Colorado-based carbon capture firm, has proposed using 74,000 acres of timberland to store liquefied carbon dioxide, in an attempt to mitigate carbon emissions from industry. (Photo courtesy Wesley Laird) Wesley Laird

Public officials in south Alabama are letting their opposition to a planned carbon storage pipeline and facility be known.

>> In Other News: Trafigura Signs Offtake Agreement for Advanced Sustainable Aviation Fuel Produced From Biogas

An aerial shot of timberland behind Wesley Laird's farm near Florala, Ala. Reliant CCS, a Colorado-based carbon capture firm, has proposed using 74,000 acres of timberland to store liquefied carbon dioxide, in an attempt to mitigate carbon emissions from industry. (Photo courtesy Wesley Laird)Wesley Laird

The Covington County Commission Wednesday voted unanimously to oppose a planned carbon capture project, according to WTVY.

The pipeline, and the planned Pine Hills Storage Hub, is a project of Reliant Carbon Capture & Storage.

Carbon capture involves taking carbon emissions from industry and piping them to permanent storage areas. The industry faces some opposition from those who say the technology is still new and the long-term effects of carbon storage are unknown.

Based in Colorado, Reliant has proposed using 74,000 acres of forest near Florala, outside of the Conecuh National Forest for the Hub. The company would build 44 wells underneath the land to inject liquified carbon dioxide, according to permit documents filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Around 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide could be stored in the Pine Hills hub annually, according to the company’s website. Reliant has projected it will spend around $500 million on Pine Hills.

Morgan Arrington, the commission attorney, said safety concerns were the commission’s main focus.

“There is concern over this unproven technology,” Arrington said. “There are concerns about the size of this proposed project. There are concerns about the long-term and generational impacts that are unknown and even some that are currently expected.”

In a statement, Reliant Carbon Capture said it takes the commission’s concerns seriously and that it plans to conduct meetings in the future to provide answers grounded in safety, science and decades of experience in carbon capture and storage.

“The Pine Hills Storage Hub remains in the early stages of a comprehensive review process that includes strict oversight by state and federal regulators,” the company stated.

“We are proud that the Pine Hills Storage Hub will create local jobs, strengthen Alabama’s economic competitiveness and support the reliable, affordable power needed to meet growing energy demand. These benefits matter to families and to the long-term economic future of Alabama.”

Reliant says it will be able to capture the carbon dioxide before it gets into the atmosphere, apply pressure to turn it into a liquid, and pipe the liquid through the state and thousands of feet underground. The pressure system would be powered by electricity, Emerson said.

Layers of rock (called caprock) will hold the carbon dioxide in place, where it will eventually turn into rock.

State Rep. Matthew Hammett this week filed House Bill 61, which would prohibit injecting and storing carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids in underground wells in the county. Hammett’s district encompasses all of Covington County and portions of Coffee and Escambia counties.

In the meantime, Courtney Luckett, an organizer against the project, said there’s still work to be done in opposition.

“One thing is getting that word out, there are still a lot of areas in Covington County that have not heard about this proposal and will be impacted by it,” Luckett said.