I'm glad I don't live in Decatur, Illinois

Mind you, just over 74,000 people do, so all I can hope is that they all have some oxygen tanks and breathing apparatuses to hand.  You see, according to Eric Worrall at WUWT, the good 'folks' (as 'The One' always refers to his subjects!) are sitting on the top of 1,000,000 tons of CO2. Heh, you probably grunt, typical Mother nature, always playing tricks!  But not this time.  No, no, this time it is loony, swivel-eyed Greenies who are trying to prove the efficacy of burying CO2 underground.  But, they assure the good people, ooops, sorry, the 'folks' of Decatur that they have been really, really careful and, honest Injun, nothing can go wrong: 

“Extensive monitoring takes place during and after injection to be sure the stored CO2 stays in place. Monitoring techniques include using geophysical technology to confirm the position of the CO2 underground and wells to monitor groundwater and soils. 

No out-of-bounds health, safety or environmental risks were observed from this properly designed and managed storage site. Appropriate risk mitigation and management plans were an integral part of the overall project planning. Extensive monitoring took place before, during and now after the injection to be sure the CO2 stays in place. The first line of monitoring begins deep below the ground, so we know if any leakage occurs long before any CO2 might reach the surface.”

So that's alright then!  I mean, no chance of wicked old Mother Nature kicking off on one like she did at Lake Nyos in Africa:

Nyos is one of only three known exploding lakes to be saturated with carbon dioxide in this way, the others being Lake Monoun, also in Cameroon, and Lake Kivu in Democratic Republic of Congo. On August 21, 1986, possibly as the result of a landslide, Lake Nyos suddenly emitted a large cloud of CO₂, which suffocated 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock in nearby towns and villages.

Of course, CO2 is invisible and heavier than air so that en masse it rarely rises above 10'.  Thus, the first indication you will get is people dropping dead around you from suffocation, that is, just before you do the same.  My advice to the citizens of Decatur -  buy a penthouse appartment - now!

 

 

Comments

[JK]

Just a little sidebar David. Allowing as how the Greenies are interested in Carbon Capture and serendipitously I mentioned below Methane Hydrates. From that February 2013 link;

"Finally, and perhaps most promising, is carbon dioxide injection. In this process, carbon dioxide essentially replaces the natural gas within the hydrate, allowing for the release of natural gas and the capture of carbon dioxide.

"... Most of these research programs are in the exploratory, experimental and laboratory phases, with expeditions seeking samples to determine the extent of deposits so as to direct further research. Last year, however, Japan completed a successful field test in Alaska in collaboration with Norway and ConocoPhillips, successfully producing natural gas through controlled dissociation via carbon dioxide injections. In recent weeks, Japan has also begun offshore production tests in the Nankai Trough off the coast of central Honshu.

"Despite these recent advances, commercial production is still unlikely for at least 10 to 15 years. Japan believes that commercial production will be possible by 2018, while the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that countries with the "political will" to pursue methane hydrates could see production by around 2025.

"While initial offshore exploration has occurred near the coast, often within a given country's exclusive economic zone, future exploration will likely continue offshore. This exploration could happen in contentious waters, especially in East Asia."
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Incidentally, a million tons of CO2 lingering around under Illinois isn't really Illinois' biggest gas[bag] problem ... and really, a million tons compared to the cause of the African lakes exploding, Vulcanism (where the measurements are in the trillions of tons)

Pity though the Greenies didn't think to inject the stuff right under the Chicago Mayor's offices.

[David Duff]

"Pity though the Greenies didn't think to inject the stuff right under the Chicago Mayor's offices."

If only . . .

[woodsy42]

Just wait for the outcry when they get fizzy "sparkling" tapwater.

[David Duff]

A scientific investigation into why beer fizzes! Well, I'd trust the results of that even less than I do most 'scientific' prognostications!

But, Woodsy, imagine the cheers if it was sparkling beer!