WABASH COUNTY, IN (WPTA) – This from 21alivenews.com: There is a new lawsuit in the ongoing fight over a proposed carbon capture project in Wabash County.
POET Biorefining filed a complaint in federal court on March 5 that aims to strike down an ordinance passed by the Wabash County Board of Commissioners in June 2025. The ordinance blocks any local permits for “any structure related to any carbon sequestration project.”
POET owns an ethanol plant in North Manchester. The company wants to capture biogenic CO₂ from corn fermentation, compress it on-site, and inject it underground into rock formations beneath and around the facility.
According to the lawsuit, “POET will both use its own pore space under its Wabash County facility and will pay surrounding landowners (many of whom are farmers) for the privilege of using their pore space for the CCS Project. The CCS Project will therefore provide direct pecuniary benefits to POET and other landowners in Wabash County.”
Residents in Wabash County have raised environmental concerns about carbon capture efforts.
In the lawsuit, POET points to federal and state oversight of carbon storage wells, arguing that the EPA’s “rigorous” permitting process and Indiana’s regulatory framework provide safeguards to protect groundwater, landowners and communities.
21Alive News has reached out to POET and its law firm for comment and has also left a message with the Wabash County Board of Commissioners.