Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said one of the five pillars that would guide the agency’s work over the first 100 days would be permitting reform, cooperative federalism, and cross-agency partnership. Administrator Zeldin is making good on that commitment. On February 18th, the EPA signed an approval, granting the state of West Virginia Class VI Primacy– the authority to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) injected into deep rock formations. Newly appointed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated, “As one of my first acts as EPA Administrator, I am proud to sign this rule to allow West Virginia the independence it needs to permit and regulate itself, while also working to safeguard our environment and drinking water.”
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Class VI wells are an important part of geological sequestration (GS), which is emerging as a viable emissions reduction solution. As C3 Solutions Policy Associate Cecilia Greco wrote, “Class VI wells are used in CCS technology called geological sequestration. Carbon dioxide is injected into underground rock formations and stored long-term.” Storing carbon dioxide into these deep rock formations reduces the amount in the atmosphere, and allows for the safe disposal of it later on. Geological sequestration can capture carbon dioxide from point sources, such as industrial plants, as well as from nonpoint sources, like directly from the atmosphere.
Class VI wells are subject to strict regulation under the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program to protect Underground Sources of Drinking Water (USDWs). Since these underground injections deal with sources of water meant for public use and consumption, state primacy is challenging to obtain.
>>>READ: West Virginia’s Push for Class VI Primacy
The requirements are burdensome and include site characterization, establishing the geology in a certain area that can receive and contain CO2, and being able to accurately predict the extent of the CO2 that is being injected. Granting states autonomy to regulate this themselves is a welcome step towards environmental progress.
West Virginia joins North Dakota (2018), Wyoming (2020), and Louisiana (2023) on the short list of states with Class VI primacy. Meanwhile, dozens of states are awaiting approval from the EPA, which can be a slow and lengthy process.
Fortunately, these states may not have to wait much longer. Administrator Zeldin has committed to expediting the EPA’s review and approval process of state primacy, and our environment and country will be better off because of it. As Zeldin said, “It will be important for the EPA to work with our partners at the state and federal levels to ensure projects are being approved and companies can invest billions of dollars into our nation. Streamlining these processes, while partnering with businesses to follow the necessary steps to safeguard our environment, will incentivize investment into our economy and create American jobs.”
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
