Area residents will soon have the opportunity to review environmental and economic impact studies related to the proposed carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration projects in the region.

The Allen Parish Police Jury is hosting a public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday, March 24, at the Civic Center, located at 609 Tiger Lane, in Oberlin. An open house prior to the public hearing has been canceled.

At the hearing, Gulf Engineers and Consultants (GEC) will present findings from their environmental and public health risk assessments. The H.C. Drew Center for Business and Economic Analysis at McNeese State University will follow with the findings of their economic impact study. After the presentations, the public will have the opportunity to ask questions.

“The whole plan is for people to have access to the reports and be able to ask questions,” Allen Parish Police Juror  and Louisiana CO2 Alliance Chairman Roland Hollins said.

There are several CO2 sequestration projects being planned in Allen Parish. These include the Magnolia sequestration project by Oxy Low Carbon Ventures in the north-center of the parish, as well as the Hummingbird and Mockingbird CO2 sequestration projects by ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions Onshore Storage in the southern part of the parish.

In addition, ExxonMobil, through its acquisition of Denbury Carbon Solutions, is planning a project in southern Vernon Parish to the northwest of Allen Parish.

He said the goal of the meeting is to create an open channel for the public to ask questions and receive transparent answers on the local impact of the proposed projects.

“We hired GEC of Baton Rouge to conduct a risk assessment, “ Hollins said “We initially had six companies to undertake the assessment, but when we inquired whether they had ties to other companies involved in these injections, or might be in the future, three of them got up and left.”

During the risk assessment, Hollins said GEC collected as much information as they could from the CO2 companies, examined the areas’ geology and investigated the risks associated with pipelines, rock formations and water.

“We needed professionals to conduct this assessment,” Hollins said. “This meeting aims to review that assessment, allowing the public to ask questions and receive answers.”

Hollins said overall, the assessment indicated a minimal threat.

“The greatest risk isn’t from injections,” he said. “However, if something was to happen, it would be very bad.”

The assessment suggests a reduced risk of leaks from these formations, though it cannot definitely rule them out, he said.

The report indicated a significant risk to the water aquifer if faults are undetected, or if old, abandoned, or improperly sealed wells act as conduits, Hollins said. To mitigate this, wells must be correctly plugged using appropriate materials

Additionally, Hollins said he asked about seismic activity but noted the risk assessment lacked substantial information in that area.

“But they did say that it could be a bad deal if they did have a leak and it wasn’t detected,” he said.

He said the parish spent a lot of money to ensure the community is well-informed about both the risks and benefits involved, and to provide a platform for addressing serious inquiries.

“Our aim is to get public access to as much information as possible,” he said.

Hollins said there is a deep sense of urgency within the community.

“I’ve never felt this desperate in my life for our community,” he said. “I can’t sleep. I spend so much time going to meetings and setting up meetings trying to counter Oxy and Exxon, the biggest industries in the world and it’s hard.”

Hollins said countering the influence of major industries like Oxytocin’s and Exxon is challenging due to their vast resources.

“Our strength lies in the support of our communities,” he said.

The police jury has been working on risk assessments for nearly a year. The police jury has allocated funds, including $60,000 to GED for a study and $5,000 to McNeese for an impact study.

While the GEC study focuses on environmental and health concerns, the McNeese study centers on job creation and the financial benefits from CO2 initiatives, including lease payments to landowners.

McNeese found that the project would generate over $81 million in labor income in Allen Parish over 12 years, considering construction jobs over two years and operations staff over a 10-year operating period. They also projected a fiscal impact for Allen Parish of $3.5 to $4.4 million in tax collections from 2026-2035.

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The risk assessment is available on the police jury’s website or the Louisiana CO2 Alliance Facebook page.