Covington County; underground carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids storage prohibited; constitutional amendment

Elections

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Hammett (M)
Last action: 2026-01-13
Official status: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Covington County Underground Storage Ban

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to ban storing carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids in underground wells in Covington County, Alabama.

What This Bill Does

Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama that bans people from injecting or storing carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids into underground wells in Covington County.
Includes a ban on operating specific types of underground injection wells (Class V and Class VI) as defined by federal regulations.
Requires an election for voters to decide whether to approve the amendment.

Who It Names or Affects

People who want to inject or store carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids in underground wells in Covington County.
Local government officials responsible for overseeing elections in Covington County.

Terms To Know

Class V well: A type of underground injection well used to dispose of non-hazardous waste, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Class VI well: A type of underground injection well specifically designed for carbon dioxide storage, also defined by the U.S. EPA.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if someone violates this ban.
It is unclear how this amendment will affect existing or planned projects in Covington County that involve underground injection wells.

Bill History

2026-01-13 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Economic Development and Tourism

Official Summary Text

Covington County; underground carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids storage prohibited; constitutional amendment

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB61 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB61
4UGNU3R-1
By Representative Hammett (Constitutional Amendment)
RFD: Economic Development and Tourism
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 13-Nov-25
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4UGNU3R-1 11/13/2025 ZAK (L)ZAK 2025-3343
Page 1
PFD: 13-Nov-25
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would propose an amendment to the
Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to Covington
County, to prohibit persons from injecting and storing
carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids in underground
wells in the county.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to underground injection wells, to propose an
amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to
Covington County, to prohibit the injection and storage of
carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids in underground wells in
the county .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution
of Alabama of 2022, is proposed:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
In Covington County, no person may inject, store, or
sequester carbon dioxide or nonhazardous fluids in underground
wells. This prohibition includes the operation of a Class V
and Class VI well as defined by the United States
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HB61 INTRODUCED
Page 2
and Class VI well as defined by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Underground
Injection Control Program of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42
U.S.C. § 300f et seq.
Upon ratification of this constitutional amendment, the
Code Commissioner shall number and place this amendment as
appropriate in the constitution omitting this instructional
paragraph and may make the following nonsubstantive revisions:
change capitalization, hierarchy, spelling, and punctuation
for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest
grammatical, clerical, and typographical errors; revise
internal or external citations and cross-references; harmonize
language; and translate effective dates.
END PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment
shall be held in accordance with Sections 284, 284.01, and 285
of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and the election laws
of this state. The appropriate election official shall assign
a ballot number for the proposed constitutional amendment on
the election ballot and shall set forth the following
description of the substance or subject matter of the proposed
constitutional amendment:
"Relating to Covington County, proposing an amendment
to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to prohibit the
injection and storage of carbon dioxide and nonhazardous
fluids in underground wells in the county.
Proposed by Act ____."
This description shall be followed by the following
language:
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HB61 INTRODUCED
Page 3
language:
"Yes( ) No( )."
Section 3. The proposed amendment shall become valid as
part of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, when approved by
a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
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