The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday finalized two rules related to the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide.
Countries around the world are pursuing carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies in an effort to keep greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere.
In theory, the technology allows carbon dioxide to be captured at stationary sources, like coal-fired power plants and large industrial operations, and injected underground for long-term storage in a process called geologic sequestration.
However there are serious concerns about the economic viability and safety of CCS. Earlier this month Duke University researchers released a report detailing threats to drinking water aquifiers.
The new EPA rules aim to protect drinking water and to track the amount of carbon dioxide that is sequestered from facilities that carry out geologic sequestration.
In August 2010, President Obama’s Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage, co-chaired by the EPA, delivered a series of recommendations to the president on overcoming the barriers to the widespread, cost-effective deployment of CCS within 10 years. The task force concluded that the rules being announced today were an important part of the strategy to promote development of this technology.
Drinking Water Protection
EPA finalized a rule that sets requirements for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, including the development of a new class of injection well called Class VI, established under EPA’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. The rule requirements are designed to ensure that wells used for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide are appropriately sited, constructed, tested, monitored, and closed. The UIC Program was established under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Greenhouse Gas Reporting
EPA also finalized a rule on the greenhouse gas reporting requirements for facilities that carry out geologic sequestration. Information gathered under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program will enable EPA to track the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered by these facilities. The program was established in 2009 under authority of the Clean Air Act and requires reporting of greenhouse gases from various source categories in the United States.
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