1. CO2 is Deadly. Louisiana is a marshland state. Our roads do not hold up and the powers that be says it is because of our marsh-like soil. How can they guarantee us they can build a pipeline with CO2 pumped into it with great pressure that will not leak? It’s happened in other states, it’s happened here in Louisiana. Literature is abundant warning of the risks to our groundwater, safety and health.
2. It is unconstitutional for eminent domain to be used for private gain, yet our previous governor, John Bel Edwards signed it, and then in June 2024 Governor Landry signed it to allow it without the public approval. They voted to allow these big companies to use it—Eminent Domain for their gain.
3. The way our Louisiana legislature has it set up, what damages that could occur is on the property owner.
4. Under this unconstitutional eminent domain they can steal your mineral rights without paying for them. Baton Rouge has already protected the big companies from having to show the seismograph data of our property. They will not allow the landowners in Allen Parish to see the seismograph maps the companies have of their property. Doesn’t that seem suspicious and make you wonder what they don’t want us to know? Even though the Louisiana Citizens voted and passed it in our constitution protecting landowners from having their land taken from them in 2006 (it’s also in the Federal Constitution) the governor and legislature is ignoring what the people voted into law and is giving big companies these rights! This is the most outrageous and treasonous act I can imagine to do to what is suppose to be a free nation. This is communism, not even capitalism. Capitalism believes in having the rights to own property without it being taken from you but communism believes in taking your property. So as a result of the Louisiana Legislature they can use eminent domain. Let that sink in!
5. The value of the property will go down. Who in their right mind would want to pay for land that is or could be contaminated?
6. According to an Oxford University Study of the long-term economic impacts of CCS it is clear that CCS will lead us down the path of economic failure (Bacillieri, A., Black, and Way, R. 2023). Stanford University proves beyond any reasonable doubt that CCS will increase air pollution and demonstrate minimal effect in atmospheric carbon reduction (Jacobson, Mark Z. 2019).
7. Al Gore stated that believing in CCS to solve our ongoing emission problems, is like believing in the tooth fairy. He called it nonsense. Governor Ron DeSantis called CCS a “scam”.
8. Proponents of CCS will get filthy rich by sacrificing our grandchildren’s future. They will quote “bought and paid for scientists.” I have not been able to identify one, not even one independent scientist willing to provide or confirm CCS industry claims of the low risk to our environment, health, and safety. Dr. John Andrew Nyman Professor of Natural Resources at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana has agreed to do an independent study but was turned down—maybe he’s too honest.
9. The risks for potential leaks causing groundwater contamination are well documented, with many scientists predicting that it is simply a matter of when, where and how much contamination will occur. A quick google search will verify this.
10. “The Showcase CCS Project” at the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Facility in Illinois has already leaked twice.
11. When CO2 mixes with water it forms carbonic acid and will corrode metal and concrete. Industry terms for this is “sweet corrosion”. Do you really think over time there’ll be anything “sweet” about this for us???
12. The highly compressed, supercritical CO2 will leak over time, contaminating our groundwater leading to collapsed economies and environmental catastrophes.
13. Many scientists agree that the potential for CO2 leaks is very high (Ide S.Taku, Friedmann, S. Julio and Howard J. Herzog)—We don’t need them to tell us what our common sense knows.
14. A CO2 pipeline leak in Satartia, Mississippi in 2020 resulted in an emergency evacuation of the entire town and almost 50 people sought medical treatment for CO2 poisoning. There are many other leaks around Satartia.
15. Over a dozen leaks have occurred across the State of Louisiana with the most recent known leak near Sulphur, La on April 3, 2024.
16. CO2 is 1.5 times heavier than air. Unlike natural gas, which is lighter than air, CO2 settles near the ground and forms a death cloud.
17. In 2016 a school in Wyoming had to be evacuated and the school had to be relocated for months when a carbon dioxide—being used to force oil out of an adjacent oil field, under a less stringent Class II permit for enhanced oil recovery seeped into a school. Harmful concentrations of benzene and CO2 at the Midwest school created an urgent public health hazard. Two days after the school was shut down, the school building contained levels of benzene 200 times what is considered safe and carbon dioxide levels 26 times the recommended safe level. Exposure to both these gases in these high concentrations causes dizziness and confusion in the short-term and long-term exposure to benzene is linked to cancer.
18. In 1986 carbon dioxide burst out of Lake Nyos, Africa without warning killing about 1700 villagers while they slept. A silent death cloud of concentration CO2 spread out over the countryside at nearly 62mph suffocating almost every person and more than 3500 head of livestock was killed. Even the flies dropped dead! This event released about 1.5 million tons of CO2—this amount was determined by the scientist. They are wanting to pump 250 million metric tons of CO2 to the Vernon Parish area.
19. This is not scare tactics, this is pointing out the truth and the obvious. If you are like me, I have been wondering why all these out of state big buck people and foreign interests wanted land in Louisiana?!?!?!! Why our little boot state? Why has there been so much secrecy from us concerning something of this magnitude on our life, our health, our safety and the future of all our children???? I feel betrayed.
20. CCS companies already receive $85/ton for injected CO2. That’s about $4 billion taxpayer dollars a year. They are lobbying nationally for an increase to $250/ton. These companies won’t inject CO2 on their own property. They spend millions of dollars on DANGEROUS pipelines to transport high pressure CO2 (2000 lbs. psi—some biologist believe it will be higher, maybe even 4000 lbs.psi) AND invoke eminent domain to steal taxpayers property so they can inject it underground miles away.
21. Louisiana was awarded “primacy” to fast track CCS in our state at the expense of technical expertise and objective permitting as mandated by EPA. LDENR does not possess the technical experience to permit Class VI wells because that expertise is acquired over many years. LDENR has never been involved in technical training or the scientific objectivity to make the critical permit decisions required to protect our environment and to safely implement an untested technology. LDENR was awarded primacy simply to fast track CCS based on political motivation, not sound science and objective reasoning. CCS permitting should not be treated as a “drag race”. It should be considered slowly, carefully, and by scientists with a proven track record of credibility. Not some political appointee who was formerly the president of LMOGA. That is a blatant conflict of interest and violated the trust of the citizens of Louisiana!
22. The CCS knuckleheads posing as engineers (they are probably afraid to say anything except what they are told to say) plan to inject BILLIONS metric tons of CO2 in our area.
23. Should we blindly trust them in their pursuit of greed? The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources (LDENR) is the former president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA). This is a perfect example of the fox guarding the hen house! The CEO of ExxonMobil already makes over 40 million dollars a year. Seriously! Who in their right mind would agree to give one red-cent of our tax dollars to benefit this scam?!?!!!
24. 45Q tax breaks needs to go!!!
25. Who will pay for equipment and training for our first responders that will be called on when a leak happens??? CO2 shuts down vehicles—this is not a simple solution they are placing us in. William Jones stated in a comment he made on social media to Representative Chuck Owens from House District 30 that he was trained to be a first responder in the refinery industry. He stated that the fire departments has zero equipment to go in as a first responder. 1. You must have a full body oxygen suit, with tanks or oxygen lines. 2. Then at the least, three decontamination areas– just so some will know DECONTAMINATION is the process of removing contaminants, like harmful substances or microorganisms, from an object or area to render it safe. It can involve various methods, including cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization. The goal is to reduce the risk of exposure, infection or harm. This also is recommended for anything taken into the area. Again I ask, who will pay for equipment and training????
State Representative Charles Owens of Louisiana House District 30 posted on social media (and I have to agree with him). Two groups of people who are supporting this: 1. Those who are going to make money and 2. Those who want to subjugate American liberties to the whims of European climate tyrants.
Conclusion, the bottom line: Louisiana will be a toxic waste dump, our soil will not be useable and our water will be contaminated. Our children will have no future here in the state we have called home for generations. This is a threat to our way of life that will ultimately have devastating effects on health, safety and environmental quality. This is a Treasonous Act of GREED!
My Great Granddaughter, Norah is the 7th Generation on the property that is her home. As she rides down the road to her home she passes her grandparents home and then her aunt, uncle and cousin’s home, she sees the cemetery where her Great Great Great Grandparents and her Great Grandfather, my late husband, Terry Norris are buried and then she gets to see the cows and calves. I hope to see her riding her bicycle to her grandparents and later on her horse in the field. Safe from any danger. All of this means something to me. I can’t stay silent and watch a bunch of suits that are not representing me destroy her future.
GladysMae Gunter-Carmouche
mypoppysplace@yahoo.com