If enacted, HB 3803 will significantly affect the processes by which pipeline operators can obtain the necessary permits to construct and operate carbon dioxide transportation pipelines. Applications currently pending before the Illinois Commerce Commission will be suspended until PHMSA completes its rulemaking, effectively putting a stop to all new pipeline projects intended for transporting carbon dioxide during this period. This moratorium will last either for two years from the bill's effective date or until PHMSA adopts its new safety standards, whichever occurs first.
Summary
House Bill 3803, known as the Safety Moratorium on Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Act, aims to establish a temporary halt on the authorization of new carbon dioxide pipelines in Illinois until the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) updates its safety standards for such pipelines. The legislation responds to safety concerns stemming from past incidents involving carbon dioxide transportation and highlights the need for stringent regulations to protect human health and the environment. Under this bill, no pipeline construction certificates will be granted until the revised federal standards are in place.
Contention
Notably, the bill may provoke discussions surrounding the balance between energy infrastructure development and environmental safety. Supporters will likely argue for the necessity of the moratorium in ensuring that safety protocols are updated and enforced, emphasizing incidents like the 2020 failure in Satartia, Mississippi, which raised significant alarms regarding the risks associated with carbon dioxide pipelines. Critics, however, may express concerns over the potential stalling of beneficial infrastructure projects designed to combat climate change through carbon capture and storage technologies, calling for a more balanced approach that still prioritizes safety while allowing for progress in carbon management strategies.
A bill for an act relating to hazardous liquid pipelines, including the establishment of setbacks and safety regulations, specified utility construction project requirements, pipeline project investor disclosures, voluntary easement negotiation requirements, and provisions for land surveys in connection with hazardous liquid pipeline construction projects, and including effective date and applicability provisions.