Legislation would give parishes control over carbon capture

(The Center Square) – Louisiana parishes would have a say in how carbon capture and sequestration projects are approved and developed in their jurisdictions under legislation filed by state Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican who represents Pineville and serves as acting House Speaker.“These bills are about fairness, property rights, and respect for local voices,” Johnson said in a statement. “No private company should have the power to force a family off their land, and no community should be sidelined when decisions directly affect their parish.”The regulation of carbon capture and sequestration, a combination of technologies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon dioxide emitted at large industrial plants and storing it permanently deep underground, has been a contentious political issue in recent months.In October, Gov. Jeff Landry issued an executive order directing state regulators to suspend consideration of permits on new projects. No end date has been set for the moratorium.One of Johnson’s bills ...