EPA Takes Action on Reducing Barriers to the Use of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies / Action supports national framework for the safe use of clean energy technol...
WASHINGTON -
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing
a rule to advance the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS)
technologies, while protecting Americans’ health and the
environment. CCS technologies allow carbon dioxide
(CO2) 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. The proposal is consistent with
recommendations made by President Obama’s interagency task
force on CO2. sequestration and helps create a consistent national
framework to ensure the safe and effective deployment of
technologies that will help position the United States as a leader
in the global clean energy race.
Today’s proposal will exclude
from EPA’s hazardous waste regulations CO2 streams that are
injected for geologic sequestration in wells designated for this
purpose under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA is proposing this
exclusion as part of the agency’s effort to reduce barriers
to the use of CCS technologies. EPA requests that comments
submitted on the rule share analytical data on the overall
composition of captured CO2 streams, including
physical and chemical characteristics, to help the Agency determine
if additional actions are necessary to ensure the safe use of CSS
technologies.
Based on review of existing
regulatory programs, EPA’s proposal concludes that the
management of CO2 streams under the proposed conditions does not present
a substantial risk to people’s health or the environment,
provides regulatory certainty to industries considering the use of
CCS technologies, and encourages the deployment of CCS technologies
in a safe and environmentally protective manner.
The proposed rule is complementary to
previous EPA rulemakings, including final rules under the Clean Air
Act that require reporting by facilities that capture or inject
CO2 streams, and Safe Drinking Water Act regulations that
ensure the wells used for geologic sequestration of
CO2 are appropriately sited, constructed, tested,
monitored, and closed. EPA will accept public comments on the
proposal for 60 days following publication in the Federal
Register.
More information on the proposed
rule:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/geo-sequester/index.htm
More information on the Geologic Sequestration of Carbon
Dioxide:
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/wells_sequestration.cfm