104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3081
 
Introduced 1/29/2026, by Sen. Paul Faraci
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
415 ILCS 5/59.18
    Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission shall study and review any reports submitted to the Commission regarding the depletion or exhaustion of the Mahomet Aquifer resource due to expanding industrial withdrawals of water.


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A BILL FOR
 
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1    AN ACT concerning safety.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Environmental Protection Act is amended by 
5changing Section 59.18 as follows:
 
6    (415 ILCS 5/59.18)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2032)
8    Sec. 59.18. Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission.
9    (a) The Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission is 
10hereby created to study and review any reports submitted to 
11the Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission regarding the 
12safety of carbon capture and storage in the Mahomet Aquifer 
13Area and any sole source aquifer project review areas 
14designated by the United States Environmental Protection 
15Agency. The Commission shall also study and review any reports 
16submitted to the Commission regarding the depletion or 
17exhaustion of the Mahomet Aquifer resource due to expanding 
18industrial withdrawals of water. The Commission shall consist 
19of the following members:
20        (1) the Director of the Environmental Protection 
21    Agency or the Director's designee; 
22        (2) the Director of Natural Resources or the 
23    Director's designee;
 
 
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1        (3) the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management 
2    Agency and Office of Homeland Security or the Director's 
3    designee;
4        (4) the Director of Agriculture or the Director's 
5    designee;
6        (5) the Attorney General or the Attorney General's 
7    designee;
8        (6) 3 members appointed by the President of the 
9    Senate, only one of whom may be a Senator;
10        (7) 3 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
11    Representatives, only one of whom may be a Representative;
12        (8) 3 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
13    Senate, only one of whom may be a Senator; and
14        (9) 3 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
15    House of Representatives, only one of whom may be a 
16    Representative.
17    All meetings of the Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study 
18Commission shall be open to the public and shall be held within 
19the Mahomet Aquifer Area region or within 25 miles of the 
20region. The Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission shall 
21maintain a website where all reports and studies submitted to 
22or approved by the Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission 
23shall be posted for public display. The University of Illinois 
24shall provide administrative assistance to the Mahomet Aquifer 
25Advisory Study Commission. No later than 90 days after the 
26effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General 
 
 
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1Assembly, the Commission shall hold its first meeting at the 
2call of the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, 
3at which meeting the members shall select a chairperson from 
4among themselves. After its first meeting, the Commission 
5shall meet at the call of the chairperson. Members of the 
6Commission shall serve without compensation. Members' terms 
7shall be 3 years, and members may be reappointed by their 
8respective appointing authority.
9    (b) Subject to appropriation, the Prairie Research 
10Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
11shall submit a final report on the potential for carbon 
12sequestration in the Mahomet Aquifer Area and any project 
13review areas to the Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission 
14no later than December 31, 2030. The Prairie Research 
15Institute shall submit annual status reports by December 31, 
162027 and December 31 of each year thereafter until the final 
17report is submitted on December 31, 2030. The final report 
18shall provide an assessment of the safety and risks of carbon 
19dioxide storage in the Mahomet Aquifer and its project review 
20areas, including, but not limited to, any effects on human, 
21animal, and environmental health. The report shall review 
22carbon sequestration conducted in Illinois and other similarly 
23situated states, particularly how carbon sequestration affects 
24aquifers and other underground water sources. The report shall 
25review the permitting processes and the coordination with 
26applicable federal law or regulatory commissions, including 
 
 
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1the Class VI injection well permitting process.
2    (c) The Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission shall 
3also engage with interested stakeholders throughout the State 
4to gain insights into safety perspectives from residents, 
5environmental justice organizations, environmental 
6nongovernmental organizations, representatives of industry, 
7landowners, farm bureaus, manufacturing interests, labor 
8unions, and others.
9    (d) The Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission shall 
10submit a final report of its findings regarding the Mahomet 
11Aquifer and its project review areas to the Governor and the 
12General Assembly no later than December 31, 2031. The 
13Commission may file status updates with the Governor and the 
14General Assembly as determined by a majority of the members.
15    (e) The Mahomet Aquifer Advisory Study Commission is 
16dissolved and this Section is repealed on January 1, 2032.
17(Source: P.A. 104-119, eff. 1-1-26.)