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Residents in Ascension and Livingston parishes are raising concerns about a proposed 50-mile carbon dioxide pipeline that would run near homes, schools and environmentally sensitive areas, Louisiana Illuminator reports.
The pipeline, being developed by CF Industries, would transport an estimated 2.3 million tons of carbon dioxide annually from a new ammonia plant in Modeste to an underground injection site in Holden, where a permit for the injection well is still awaiting approval from the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy.
During a recent tour organized by the environmental justice group Louisiana Bucket Brigade, residents said they have received limited information from public officials about the project, including safety and emergency response plans. Some homeowners live just 30 yards from the proposed route, while others are concerned about its proximity to French Settlement High School and elementary school.
Residents also cited a 2020 carbon dioxide pipeline rupture in Sartoria, Mississippi, that hospitalized 45 people. The colorless, odorless gas caused people nearby to lose consciousness from oxygen deprivation and prevented internal combustion engines from operating, complicating evacuation and emergency response.
Residents said communities along the proposed route have limited emergency resources to handle a similar incident. The pipeline was originally planned to cross one resident’s property but has since been moved farther away. Residents believe their complaints prompted the change, though CF Industries has not provided an official explanation.
The concerns come as Louisiana continues processing previously submitted carbon storage projects under Gov. Jeff Landry’s October moratorium. The Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy lists 23 active Class VI applications statewide, while three injection wells have been permitted in Ascension, Cameron and Caldwell parishes. The only carbon dioxide injection well application submitted for Livingston Parish is for the Pelican Sequestration Hub in Holden, where the CF Industries pipeline would end.
CF Industries did not respond to emails and a call from the Illuminator requesting comment.
