EPA to Develop Sequestration, Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced plans today to develop safety regulations for carbon sequestration, a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by pumping carbon dioxide into rock formations deep underground.

"Addressing global climate change will require fundamental changes in the way the world generates and uses energy," said Stephan L. Johnson, EPA Administrator. "By harnessing the power of geologic sequestration technology, we are entering a new age of clean energy -- where we can be both good stewards of the Earth, and good stewards of the American economy."

Also known as carbon capture and storage, or geologic sequestration, carbon sequestration involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions at the source -- a coal-fired electric plant, for example -- and injecting them into deep rocks that could trap the gas for millions of years. While the process offers promise for helping to curb global warming, it is not yet widely or commercially used.

Three commercial pilot programs for the process are currently under way around the world: the Sleipner project in Norway's North Sea; the Weyburn project in Saskatchewan, Canada; and the In Salah project in In Salah, Algeria. The U.S. government is also conducting research and development in sequestration. Among its projects is FutureGen, a proposed zero-emissions power plant that would burn coal to produce electricity and hydrogen and would sequester its greenhouse gas emissions below ground. Four cities are currently in the running for the project: Mattoon, Illinois; Tuscola, Illinois; Odessa, Texas; and Jewett, Texas.

The EPA plans to develop a regulatory system to ensure consistent permitting and safety of geologic sequestration projects. The permitting system would fall under the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act. The act includes the Underground Injection Control program, which governs the injection of fluids underground to ensure there is no harm to current or future drinking water supplies. The EPA will work with the U.S. Department of Energy to evaluate how sequestration could potentially affect health, safety and the environment.

The EPA expects to have a proposal ready by next summer, and says it will seek out public input on its proposals throughout the development process.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "EPA to Develop Regulations for Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide." URL: (http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/84bd1ef19c00eb7a85257371006b6a21!OpenDocument)