EPA Rules Address CO₂ Sequestration

Carbon dioxide sequestration is the focus of two rules EPA issued last week. One requires annual reporting by all facilities that sequester CO₂ in geologic formations or inject it underground for any reason, including enhanced oil and gas recovery. This rule, issued under the Clean Air Act, will allow EPA to track how much CO₂ is sequestered underground. The second regulation sets requirements for siting, constructing, testing, monitoring, and closing CO₂ injection wells. The agency issued this rule under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The two regulations are intended to provide businesses with regulatory certainty about deploying technology to capture CO₂ from coal-fired power plants and sequestering it underground, according to the agency. “By providing clarity about greenhouse gas reporting and the necessary protections for drinking-water sources during carbon sequestration, we’ve cleared the way for people to use this promising technology,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson says.