LIVINGSTON PARISH - Some residents in Livingston Parish fear carbon capture projects could hurt wildlife, including some endangered species.

On Sunday, Livingston Parish Council Member Dean Coates said he spotted a West Indian Manatee, an endangered species, in the Diversion Canal.

"We see them here quite often," Coates said.

He said from the canal all the way to Lake Maurepas teems with wildlife.

"We have several other species in this area that are on the endangered species list. It's a very delicate environment in Lake Maurepas and the waterways, and we just want to preserve whatever we can," Coates said.

This is one of the reasons why he proposed a resolution in October opposing the permitting of carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, Class VI injection wells, and pipelines in the parish.

Coates said other parishes have passed similar resolutions, like Vernon Parish, which passed a resolution on Tuesday opposing carbon capture sequestration projects. Last month, Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order, halting applications for certain carbon capture wells.

At a September community meeting, residents in Livingston Parish shared concerns regarding a potential carbon dioxide pipeline and facility from companies 1Point5 and Enbridge. The 1Point5 website said the project would span thousands of acres across Livingston and St. Helena Parishes.

Carla DeYoung was one of the residents at the September meeting.

"People are just now finding out about it. There are a lot of people who don't know about it. People we've talked to and is finding out about it, is blown away that this is even being discussed," Carla DeYoung said.

DeYoung said she learned about CCS around 2022 when the company Air Products was working on a project to store CO2 under Lake Maurepas.

"Nobody wants it anywhere near here," DeYoung said.

Her friend Tammy Jo Williams has concerns about what projects like these might spell out for their home.

"The wildlife that we live around, and the people who trap, hunt, and fish as a living, it will have a huge impact on their financials, on their income," Williams said.

Which is why they and Coates want to hear from the Governor on the topic.

"I would like him to put a stop to all of it. Obviously, the people don't want it," DeYoung said.

"What we hope is that the governor will take that into consideration, that that's the will of the people, and try to find another place to store carbon besides inside Livingston Parish," Coates said.