The Allen Parish Police Jury passed a resolution Monday asking the state to delay issuing any Class V or Class VI well permits within the parish until after the 2025 legislative session.

Police Juror Roland Hollins said the request is due to the need to allow recently pre-filed legislation concerning CO2 to take effect before moving forward on any proposed projects. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that any significant legislation impacting local government can be implemented before proceeding.

“We’ve worked hard to get these bills on the table, let’s see where they end up before moving forward on these proposed projects,” Hollins said. “What we do now matters for everybody, even those who don’t feel like there are any risks.”

Several bills related to CO2 have been pre-filed ahead of the April legislative session. Of particular note, House Bill 4, authored Reps. Charles Owen, Rodney Schamerhorn, Beryl Amedee and Dodie Horton, would grant individual parishes the authority to decide whether or not to permit Class VI carbon dioxide injection wells within their jurisdiction. This decision could be made by local governing authorities or through a parish wide election triggered by a voter petition.

“We’ve got to get this stuff right if it is coming and our first obligation should be to our landowners,” Hollins said. “We have some bills on the table giving our people an opportunity to vote and push back on eminent domain on C02 pipelines. There is just too much risk to our people and I am against having eminent domain put on our landowners and paying our people for private gain instead of public good.”

Several factors contribute to the police jury’s concerns, including the federal classification of carbon dioxide as a hazardous material, the passage of federal tax credit legislation for carbon sequestration, and notification of potential industrial-scale carbon dioxide pipeline and sequestration projects in the parish.

Class V wells are used for injecting non-hazardous fluids into or above an aquifer. In contrast, Class VI wells are designed for the long-term storage of carbon dioxide in deep rock formations. Due to their critical function, Class VI wells are subject to the most complex and stringent permitting requirements of any class of injection well.

The police jury has been notified of several potential industrial scale carbon dioxide pipelines, Class V and Class VI injection wells and sequestration projects that aim to capitalize on the federal tax credit.

While the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources has permitting authority over these wells, the police jury remains concerned about potential risks to local residents and natural resources, including groundwater used for public drinking water and crop irrigation. These concerns, coupled with the lack of clear local benefits from the proposed projects, underscore the need for a delay until relevant legislative matters are addressed.

As of Feb. 4, Calcasieu, Cameron, Beauregard, Allen and Vernon parishes have proposed Class VI carbon sequestration projects, according to the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources website. However, the state has not approved any of these projects.

Additionally, Class V test wells have been permitted in 17 parishes, including Allen, Cameron, Vernon. Nine other Class V test wells, including two in Allen and one in Vernon, are currently under review.

Substantial questions and concerns regarding risks, mitigation, safety measures, landowner property rights, and the apparent lack of local benefits remain unanswered. The police jury believes these issues should be addressed through legislation in the upcoming session, which could significantly change the regulatory and fiscal landscape for proposed CO2 sequestration projects.