Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) is preparing to resume carbon dioxide injections at its Decatur carbon storage site later this summer, following a 10-month pause triggered by a leak that raised safety concerns.
The site — a flagship Class VI carbon storage project regulated by the US EPA — had been injecting about 2,000 metric tons of CO2 daily before testing revealed that brine and CO2 had migrated into unauthorized underground zones.
ADM attributed the leak, detected in March 2023, to corrosion in a monitoring well.
Leak Prompts EPA Scrutiny and Public Demands for Reform
In response, the EPA issued a violation notice and a proposed enforcement order last fall requiring ADM to take corrective measures.
The company paused injections in late September and began venting CO2 from its ethanol facility under its air permit — missing the opportunity to store an estimated 450,000 metric tons of carbon.
Environmental groups, including Food & Water Watch and the Eco-Justice Collaborative, are calling for stronger EPA oversight, updated material standards, and greater transparency before injections restart. They’ve also urged the EPA to issue new regulations for Class VI well construction and monitoring.
ADM has since updated its monitoring system and said it will use corrosion-resistant steel to prevent similar failures.
Relevant: ADM Suspends CO2 Injections Following Second Leak
EPA’s Class VI rules do not mandate specific materials but require companies to justify their durability for each project. ADM maintains that the leak did not affect surface or groundwater and that its monitoring system functioned as intended by detecting and reporting the issue early.
ADM cannot resume injections until it completes a checklist of corrective actions outlined in an April EPA letter. More than 50 public comments have been submitted on the proposed enforcement order, and the final decision timeline remains unclear.
Local leaders — including Rep. Nikki Budzinski and Decatur City Council member David Horn — support resuming injections, provided EPA safety conditions are fully met. Horn emphasized the need for a city-level emergency plan and cautioned against any CO2 storage plume extending beneath Lake Decatur.
Read more: Assessing The Risks Of CO2 Pipeline Leaks: A New Approach
