There are a multitude of pressures that face the family farm. The normal farming costs are huge, but they are a part of “doing business”. Today, more and more ground is taken up by corporate interests, and development by investors interested in building the next best super mall or subdivision.
It doesn’t end there. With the green initiatives of today, farmers are promised money in exchange for tearing up the farm for wind farms, solar farms, and now, a CO2 pipeline. Yep, you see it, believe it. There is a company that would like to build a CO2 storage facility in Montgomery County Illinois. It will be buried 1 mile below the surface. The high pressure CO2 pipeline will carry CO2 from North Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota, where it is a created in the manufacture of ethanol and fertilizer. It will be stashed away in Montgomery County Illinois if they have their way. As you will see in the images that I have here, the company that does this wants to be able to use eminent domain to grab ground for the project, after receiving massive tax credits from the government (us), not to mention the profits they will generate in this project.
In other areas where these storage facilities have been place, towns and farms have had to be evacuated due to failure of the storage facility, causing a dangerous release of CO2 on the area, not to mention the damage done to the farm ground in the area.
Sounds like a lose, lose, lose situation for not only the farmers, but the citizens of the state of Illinois. Bills are being introduced both pro and con on this project, I pray for the bill that will protect the farmers and the citizens of Montgomery County. We will see.
I am not allowing comments on this because I know there will be potential for a lot of argument both ways. I post this to inform and to provide those interested, a chance to see what the farmers in this area are up against. If you stand for the farmer, you may want to let your representative know how you feel about this project.
On the Family Farm 