The Illinois Commerce Commission has granted Wolf Carbon Solutions' motion to withdraw from the pipeline construction application process without prejudice, leaving the door open for a new filing in the future.
The board voted unanimously Wednesday to accept the withdrawal filed back in November.
The pipeline has drawn criticism from landowners and environmentalists, among others. They cite safety concerns, and oppose the eminent domain process that can be used to gain land rights for pipeline construction.
Wolf Carbon Solutions touts carbon capture and sequestration as a solution to climate change. The process pipes emissions captured from ethanol plants and other carbon-producing sources to a permanent underground storage site. That traps the gases and prevents them from escaping into the atmosphere.
Administrative law judges agreed with the ICC staff recommendation that Wolf Carbon Solutions wait until new federal pipeline rules are published before filing a new application. The Illinois Commerce Commission application process happens within an 11-month window that was set to wrap up this May before the company's withdrawal.
The proposed pipeline route ran from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Decatur. It would have passed through several Illinois counties, including Peoria, Stark, and Tazewell. The latter two counties passed resolutions opposing the pipeline project.
