💧 A proposed 200-mile CO₂ pipeline and injection well project near the Florida-Alabama line has sparked fears of groundwater contamination in the Floridan Aquifer.
⚠️ Alabama Rep. Matthew Hammett urged Walton County leaders to help fight the project, saying even a 1% risk “is too much” for millions of people relying on the aquifer.
📜 Commissioners discussed sending letters to state leaders as Hammett pushes a bill in Alabama to ban CO₂ disposal wells.
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — The Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) met in DeFuniak Springs this past week, and Commissioner Danny Glidewell (District 2) included an environmental agenda item that was presented to the BCC by Representative Matthew Hammett from the 92nd District of Alabama. Mr. Hammett’s district includes Covington County, Alabama, and Walton County, which is neighboring to the north.
The purpose of Hammett’s presentation was to secure support from Walton County commissioners and to ask them to ‘take a stand’ in opposition to the potentially dangerous CO2 (carbon dioxide) waste that will be transported by pipeline (200 miles) and placed deep in the ground.
Hammett told the BCC that “It’s estimated they’re [Reliant] going to try to put in 500 million cubic tons of CO2 waste in the ground per year. It is not just a Covington County problem. One of the sites is within two miles of Paxton city limits.”
Mid Bay News tried to contact Hammett’s office for two weeks for more information; those requests have gone unanswered
So what is the Big Deal of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Storage in the Ground?
Storing carbon dioxide (CO2) underground, a process known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is often touted as a crucial technology in the fight against climate change.
The basic idea is straightforward: capture CO2 from industrial sources like power plants, compress it, and inject it deep underground into geological formations for long-term storage.
While it sounds promising, like any large-scale technological intervention, it comes with its own set of potential risks.
According to the Sustainability Directory, the primary risks of underground CO2 storage include potential leaks, geological instability, and unforeseen environmental consequences, requiring careful site selection and robust monitoring.
The Concern Hits Close to Home – Potentially With Our Drinking Water
Representative Hammett stressed that the problem is much greater than meets the eye.
The fresh water supply that serves Walton County is the Floridan Aquifer. The Floridan Aquifer (according to the University of Florida/IFAS Extension ) “lying below us, one of the most productive aquifer systems in the world…[It] underlies an area of about 100,000 square miles that includes all of Florida, and extends into parts of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina…” (www.nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu)
Because this is the primary water source for Florida and our immediate neighbors to the north, the concern is placing a potentially hazardous waste near 9or potentially in) our most valuable source of life – water.
Hammett spoke about his district’s concerns that contamination of the water supply will impact Florala and Lockhart, Alabama. But he added that Walton County shares that same “groundwater” and, with great concern, he said, “If it’s just a 1 percent chance [for contamination], [that] something can happen – that’s too much. I mean, it could affect millions of people.”
The threat is real, and with this being the drinking water – and our only primary resource in the panhandle of Florida, Hammett believes swift action must be taken, and that is why he came to address the BCC.
What Additional Steps is Hammett Taking?
Representative Hammett has filed a bill for the upcoming Alabama Session. House Bill 64 will seek to ban Class Five and Class Six CO2 disposal wells.
The Representative added that the legislative session will not begin until January 2026. According to WTVY in Covington, AL, State Senator Josh Carnley of District 31, “plans to carry the bill [HB 64] through the Senate if it passes through the House.”
WTVY also reported that an Alabama community organizer, Courtney Luckett, said, “We are going to need laws. We are going to need action at the ‘law maker’ level to stop this from coming, and it is happening.”
Hammett told the BCC in Walton County that the company seeking to create the pipeline and wells to move and store the CO2 waste will have to obtain a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They will also need approval from the Alabama Oil and Gas Board before proceeding with pipeline and storage construction.
Hammett asked the BCC to support Covington County and himself in opposing the project. He said, “I want to encourage you [the BCC] to talk to all your Congressmen, Senators in Washington to help ‘my guys’ in Washington put a stop to them [Reliant] getting this permit… I’m asking you to, you know, let’s be good neighbors and help us – help you.”
Commissioner Glidewell immediately offered the option of sending a letter to Governor Kay Ivey. And then a question-and-answer session began between Representative Hammett and the BCC.
Commissioner Dan Curry said, “So [did] they give you a reason why they don’t keep it [the CO2 waste] in their own backyard?” Hammett responded, “Let’s say it’s their geological formation.”
Hammett indicated that one of the potential sites originally selected for disposal of the CO2 waste was on solid granite rock. Curry replied, “So, it’s a good idea to ship it down south?”
Hammett began describing the composition of the needed pipeline, saying, “[It] has to be 36-inch stainless steel with nickel plate line ready. A conservative estimate would be $700 a foot.”
He then added that the CO2 waste would have to travel approximately 200 miles. I mean, it’s just a cash grab scam, but the threat is real to my county, and we’re neighbors.”
A citizen from Walton County got up to speak regarding the seriousness of the CO2 pipelines and wells that will potentially impact the aquifer due to unforeseen leaks.
She began saying a list of those affected by a potential CO2 leak in the county, and she added, “it [C02 waste] will go into our area, not only into our water aquifer, but also into our citizens. So my question is, if you will please contact Florida Water. We really need Mr. [Lyle] Seigler, [Executive Director Northwest Florida Water Management District], on our side…We have a hard enough time with our water as it is. We don’t want this.”
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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