BEAUMONT, Texas — Dozens of people gathered Tuesday night for a public hearing hosted by the Texas Railroad Commission to weigh in on ExxonMobil’s proposed Rose Carbon Capture and Storage project, a plan that would transport and store carbon dioxide underground in western Jefferson County.

ExxonMobil needs state approval before moving forward with the project, which includes an 18-mile pipeline to carry carbon dioxide from Mid-County to a storage facility near the small community of Cheek. Many residents of Cheek voiced concerns at the meeting about living close to an injection well site.

“We want to protect our community. We would love for this to be in an area not inhabited by people,” said Douglas Cormier, president of the Cheek Texas Association.

Cormier said residents have heard

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