4-20-2011

CO2 STORAGE STILL ALIVE IN FAYETTE COUNTY

The bid for carbon dioxide storage for the FutureGen 2.0 Alliance went to Morgan County about a month ago but Fayette and Effingham counties have not lost out completely. Willow Grove Carbon Solutions of Bloomington continues to work on easements for carbon dioxide storage for its Loudon project which includes an area north of St. Elmo in Fayette county and parts of Effingham county. WGEL spoke with Martin Culik, senior project manager for Willow Grove, who said the company had two meetings with 350 landowners recently and they have approximately half the easements that cover the 25,000 acres designated suitable for carbon dioxide storage. Culik explained the geology around the selected area is suitable for storage since its layers of rock are progressively older toward the center of the fold such that the oldest beds are at its core.  This creates a lateral confinement or trap for the injected CO2.

The graphics below represent the geological formation called an anticline.  An anticline is an arch-shaped fold structure caused by tectonic plate compression in which the sides of the fold slope apart with a downward concave. The oldest rock layers form the core of the fold, and outward from the core progressively younger rocks occur. Anticlines form hydrocarbon traps, particularly in folds with reservoir-quality rocks in their core and impermeable seals in the outer layers of the fold.

 

Diagram of Anticline

Willow Grove still believes the Fayette County area is a viable host for carbon dioxide storage and such sites will be needed as new regulations requiring utilities to capture and store carbon dioxide go into effect.  Many of those have a much larger potential for CO2 generation than the FutureGen project. Those include a coal-burning power plant in Newton that generates an estimated 8 million tons of carbon dioxide each year and one in Coffeen that generates an estimated 6 million tons annually.  The FutureGen project was estimated at 1.3 million tons per year.

 

GHS SCHOLASTIC TEAM AWARDS

The Greenville Scholar Bowl team had a fantastic year. Coach Jay Winter congratulates Peter Houston who was named to the All-Conference, All-Sectional, and All-State teams; Isaac Gilmore named to the All-Conference and All-Sectional Teams; and Logan Lippert, named to the All-Conference Second Team and Honorable Mention for the All-Sectional Team. The team had 51 wins in 74 matches, a school record, and a perfect 9-0 record in the conference. Coach Winter says he is very proud of everyone on the team and is looking forward to next year.

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UNIT 2 BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

The Unit 2 Board of Education met at the Sorento Center Monday night.  Unit 2 schools are adding more technology.  Sorento Principal Carpenter demonstrated a mobile netbook computer cart.  The cart has 30 netbook laptops that may be moved from room to room.   The grant, recently secured by Unit 2, will allow these carts of netbook laptops to be placed in every 3rd and 4th grade room at Greenville Elementary School.  Those netbooks should be arriving soon, and training is being set up for the teachers to become accustomed to the new technology and its uses in the classroom.  The board approved the purchase of a new 71-passenger bus and a small buss.  The bus fleet will be upgrading its camera systems during the summer, installing sixteen digital cameras at a cost of nearly $1,200.00 each. The Greenville Junior High Gym will get a new look this summer.  The floor will be sanded, painted and resurfaced for a cost of approximately $13,000.     

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