217 Today: Plans for carbon dioxide pipelines raise safety concerns for small town responders in the Midwest

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A semi-trailer emblazoned with the slogan, “No hazardous carbon pipelines,” greets drivers entering the town of Fremont on Hwy 23. Emergency responders in small towns such as Fremont have raised safety concerns regarding CO2 pipelines and their ability to deal with a rupture.
  • Photo: Grant Gerlock / Special To Harvest Public Media

October 13, 2023

Today’s headlines:

  • A rally was held at the University of Illinois last night to show support for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel
  • There’s a new push for a law that would require police to remove guns from the homes of accused domestic abusers.
  • The Illinois House Speaker says it’s unlikely that state lawmakers will use the fall veto session to send more money to Chicago to support migrants.
  • ​​The Fighting Illini football team is on the road to face the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about three companies that are seeking approval for pipelines to transport carbon dioxide captured from Midwestern ethanol plants and how rural emergency officials are worried about the process.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Mawa Iqbal, Alex Degman, Nour Longi, Colin Hislope and Grant Gerlock.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.