BATON ROUGE, La. (KPLC) – Today, the Louisiana House Natural Resources & Environment Committee spent most of the day discussing carbon sequestration projects. The mainly discussed whether it should be up to local communities to decide the fates of these projects.

To some, the crux of the issue is money versus the will of the people and concerns about property rights.

House Bill 4 by State Rep. Chuck Owen would have allowed locals to decide.

“I want you to have the same liberty that my people have, and I want my people to have the same liberty you have. We don’t want things forced, I don’t want things forced on you, and I ask you not to force them on others,” Owen told the House committee.

A number of business and industry groups spoke against the bill, saying local options would hurt efforts to attract industry.

Will Green is the president of the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry.

“We talk to businesses all the time, and we represent businesses of all shapes and sizes. They tell us the most harmful thing that you can do is create more unpredictability, uncertainty, more red tape, and more regulations on them,” Green said.

It was past noon when residents from Allen and Vernon Parishes had a chance to speak before the committee.

“I’ve never been here to Baton Rouge to speak against industry.. My family works in industry – oil and gas is very important to us – but this stuff scares the bejesus out of us,” Michael Nichols. a member of a group called We the People, said.

Vernon Volunteer Fire Chief Anja West expressed numerous misgivings about possible carbon sequestration in her parish

“As a volunteer fire chief in rural Vernon Parish, I can testify that we are not prepared for what carbon sequestration will bring to our parish and our state,” West said.

Employees of Exxon Mobil, which proposes to drill a carbon sequestration well in Allen Parish, did not speak publicly. However, Lana Venable, who used to live in Allen Parish, asked to testify, saying she was speaking for herself and was against local options.

“I support being able to do this across the state, because I think it is important. I think that it is also the future of the oil and gas industry, which has been the backbone of our state’s economy,” Venable said.

A committee member asked if she was an employee of Exxon Mobil. She said she is a contractor for the company.

After five hours of testimony, the bill failed, shooting down local options with a ten-to-six vote.

Later, the committee considered HB 601 by State Rep. Brett Geymann to prohibit using eminent domain to take private property for carbon capture pipelines against the wishes of the owners. The bill failed with a tie vote of eight to eight.

On Wednesday, April 29, the State Department of Energy and Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, is holding a public hearing regarding a test well for Exxon Mobile in Allen Parish.

The public hearing is 6 p.m. at the Civic Center in Oberlin at 609 Tiger Lane. If approved, well test results will help decide if the state should permit an injection well for carbon sequestration.

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