Bobbak Talebi
SMEA 521 - Nives Dolšak
December 6, 2011
Domestic Carbon Capture and Storage
“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a set of technologies that can greatly reduce
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new and existing coal- and gas-fired power plants,
industrial processes, and other stationary sources of CO2. CCS is a three-step process that
includes capture and compression of CO2 from power plants or industrial sources;
transport of the captured CO2 (usually in pipelines); and storage of that CO2 in geologic
formations, such as deep saline formations, oil and gas reservoirs, and unmineable coal
seams.” 1 According to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Energy
Agency (IEA), “studies indicate that
Table 1: Storage Capacity for each RCSP
areas of the United States with
appropriate geology could theoretically
provide storage potential for more than
3,000 billion tonnes of CO2.” 2 Based on
this potential, the United States has
initiated mechanisms to develop and test
small-scale domestic CCS programs prior
to launching large-scale commercial
application. Although there are still
major concerns of near-and long-term
deployment of CCS technologies,
federally funded research, development,
and demonstration (RD&D) programs
were established to help reduce project
uncertainties. In response, regional, state
and local action is being taken to
implement these programs, which are
regulated
by
the
Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) finalized
geologic sequestration and greenhouse
gas reporting requirements and state law.
In 2003, DOE launched the Regional Carbon
Sequestration Partnership (RCSPs) initiative.
This initiative created a network of seven
RCSPs to help develop the technology,
infrastructure, and regulations to implement
large-scale CO2 sequestration in different
regions and geologic formations within the
Nation.3 During the first phase of the program,
the Partnerships characterized the potential for CO2 storage in deep oil-, gas-, coal-, and
saline-bearing formations. This work led to the publication of the Carbon Sequestration
1
Report of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage August 2010
Report of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage August 2010
3
US Department of Energy, Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships
2
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Bobbak Talebi
SMEA 521 - Nives Dolšak
December 6, 2011
Domestic Carbon Capture and Storage
Atlas of the United States and Canada, and laid the foundation for Federal support for
future project development phases. The two RCPSs located in Washington State are the
West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB), and the Big Sky
Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (BSCSP).
February 2010, President Obama established an Interagency Task Force on Carbon
Capture and Storage composed of 14 Executive Departments and Federal Agencies. The
Task Force, co-chaired by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection
Agency, was charged with proposing a plan to overcome the barriers to the widespread,
cost-effective deployment of CCS within 10 years, with a goal of bringing 5 to 10
commercial demonstration projects online by 2016.4 $3.4 billion of available budgetary
resources from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act5 have been allocated
to facilitation the achievement of these goals. In addition to prior year appropriations,
various other incentives, such as tax credits and loan guarantees are also available to
many of these projects.6 Given the framework of the RCSPs, funding was filtered into
projects that are currently testing the strengths and weaknesses of various methods of
geologic carbon sequestration.
Table 2
Washington State has two main types of substantial
geologic formations that are probable for CCS. The first
are saline. These basins contain sandstone and shale
sequences up to 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) thick. The
largest in terms of potential CO2 storage resource is
Washington’s Puget Trough. The total CO2 storage
resource for the sedimentary basins is in the range of 40
billion to 590 billion metric tons (50 billion to 650
billion tons).7 The second, and less certain, are basalt.
There are still outstanding questions regarding largescale injection into basalts due to concerns of leakage,
the evolution of plume once injected, and difficulties in
monitoring the CO2 once injected.8
Using funds from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, DOE has
partnered with RCSPs and other federal, state, and local entities to conduct two pilot
projects in Washington to test these geologic formations. The Centralia-Chehalis Basin
investigation is a targeted study of CO2 storage potential in deep coal seams and saline
formations. This basin, estimated up to 345 million metric tons (380 million tons)
storage resource, would be sufficient for 22 to 86 years of emissions from the nearby
TransAlta coal-fired power plant at 50 percent capture. 9 The second project is the
Wallula Basalt carbon dioxide sequestration pilot study. Battelle Memorial Institute,
4
Carbon Capture and Storage Interagency Task Force
Public Law 111-5
Report of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage August 2010
7
West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB) Atlas Report 2010
8
Geological carbon sequestration options in WA. September 13, 2007. George Peridas. Natural Resources Defense Council
9
West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB) Atlas Report 2010
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Bobbak Talebi
SMEA 521 - Nives Dolšak
December 6, 2011
Domestic Carbon Capture and Storage
Pacific Northwest Division will conduct a five year
pilot study to inject a maximum of 1,000 metric tons
of food grade carbon dioxide (CO2) into a target
basalt injection zone over a period of 14 to 30 days.
The injection zone will be at a depth of 2,700 to
2,900 feet below ground surface in a borehole that is
located within the boundary of the Boise Whitepaper
Mill property.10
Figure 1
These new geologic carbon storage projects are
regulated at the federal and state levels. At the
federal level, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) took action in 2010. The Agency finalized
the “Class VI rule builds on existing UIC Program
requirements, with extensive tailored requirements
that address carbon dioxide injection for long-term storage to ensure that wells used for
geologic sequestration are appropriately sited, constructed, tested, monitored, funded, and
closed.”11 Additionally, “in a separate, yet complimentary, rulemaking under authority of
the Clean Air Act, EPA has finalized reporting requirements under the Greenhouse Gas
Reporting Program for facilities that inject CO2 underground for geologic sequestration
and all other facilities that inject CO2 underground.” 12 These regulatory actions enforce
national best practices, however, the EPA is not the lead entity of state permitting
authority on such projects.
To regulate state substantial development permits the Washington State Department of
Ecology (DoE) administers State Law, which is then implemented by local jurisdictions.
Interestingly, geologic carbon storage is not listed under DoE’s Climate Policy Laws and
Executive Orders Policy Framework.13 In an effort to determine what state regulations
are being applied for the pilot study and project located in Washington, I had to locate the
permits for each project. The Centralia-Chehalis Basin investigation is a targeted study
was initiated due to Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 6001 adopted in 2007. The
Bill requires new power generation plants that produce over 1,100 pounds of greenhouse
gases per megawatt-hour (lb GHG/MWh) to develop a plan with economically and
technically feasible sequestration to be implemented within five years of plant
operation.14 The Wallula Basalt pilot study, Washington State law requires any facility to
obtain a permit before discharging chemicals to waters of the state, which includes
groundwater. A State Waste Discharge Permit limits the types and amounts of pollution
the facility may discharge. Ecology bases those limits either on (1) the pollution control
Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Permitting and Reporting Information System, “Battelle.” Project Fact
Sheet, March 2011.
11
EPA Water: Underground Injection Control
12
EPA Water: Underground Injection Control
13
Department of Ecology. State of Washington. Washington State Climate Policy Laws and Executive Orders Policy Framework
(2005-2010)
14
Washington State Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6001
10
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Bobbak Talebi
SMEA 521 - Nives Dolšak
December 6, 2011
Domestic Carbon Capture and Storage
or wastewater treatment technology available to the industry, or on (2) the effects of the
pollutants on the groundwater. 15 In addition to State regulations and policies, local
governments also have permitting authority on developments within their boundaries. In
this case, however, I could not locate local government laws or policies that pertain to
geologic carbon storage.
From this brief overview of CCS actions taken at the federal, state, and local levels, it is
evident that policies and regulations are instruments that foster change. The initial
regional studies of domestic feasibility conducted by RCSPs were supported by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the President’s Interagency Task Force
on Carbon Capture and Storage. The implementation of specific small-scale projects to
test these projections, narrowed the focus to specific States. This transition inherently
triggered State policy and regulations to address the impacts of these projects on the local
community. EPA regulations ensure that specific standards are being met throughout the
nation, based on best available science. Without the creation and allowances of these
domestic polices and regulations, projects like CCS would not be feasible.
Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Permitting and Reporting Information System, “Battelle.” Project Fact
Sheet, March 2011.
15
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Bobbak Talebi
SMEA 521 - Nives Dolšak
December 6, 2011
Domestic Carbon Capture and Storage
References and Supporting Information:
Table 1 - Department of Energy, National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographic Information
System (NATCARB)
Table 2 - West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB) Atlas Report 2010
Figure 1 - Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnership, Basalt Pilot
Carbon Capture and Storage Interagency Task Force:
http://epa.gov/climatechange/policy/ccs_task_force.html
US Department of Energy, Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships
http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/sequestration/partnerships/index.html
Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum: http://www.cslforum.org/
2011 U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report
http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
Geological carbon sequestration options in WA. September 13, 2007. George Peridas. Natural Resources
Defense Council www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/wac173407_218/CCSoptionsinWA_NRDC.pdf
Report of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage August 2010
http://epa.gov/climatechange/policy/ccs_task_force.html
Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory http://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/cfe/
Emission capture study funded for paper industry October 19, 2009, Geoffrey Harvey
http://www.pnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=430
Department of Energy Carbon Sequestration
2010 Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada – Third Edition (Atlas III)
http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/carbon_seq/refshelf/atlasIII/index.html
Department of Energy, National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographic Information System
(NATCARB)
http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/carbon_seq/natcarb/storage.html
West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership http://www.westcarb.org/
West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership WESTCARB Atlas Report 2010
http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/carbon_seq/refshelf/atlasIII/2010AtlasIII_WESTCARB.pdf
Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnership, Basalt Pilot
http://www.bigskyco2.org/research/geologic/basaltproject
Washington State Climate Policy Laws and Executive Orders
Policy Framework (2005-2010) http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/laws.htm
Department of Ecology. State of Washington. 2008. Growing Washington’s Economy in a CarbonConstrained World: A Comprehensive Plan to Address the Challenges and Opportunities of Climate
Change. December 2008.
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0801025.pdf
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Bobbak Talebi
SMEA 521 - Nives Dolšak
December 6, 2011
Domestic Carbon Capture and Storage
Sedimentary basin database for Washington and Oregon States for the geologic carbon dioxide assessment.
http://www.energy.ca.gov/publications/displayOneReport.php?pubNum=CEC-500-2007-003
Carbon Sequestration Role in State and Local Actions DOE/NETL-2005/1212. Melissa Chan and Sarah
Forbes, January 2005
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3
A%2F%2Fwww.netl.doe.gov%2Ftechnologies%2Fcarbon_seq%2Frefshelf%2Fslfinal_1.pdf&ei=MpfaTt2
XNIfWiAKI0sSCQ&usg=AFQjCNEJnwxEW0Jcycgt58eArvRvvkGLMA&sig2=mk8il7cYtwcobnIYP6neKw
Department of Ecology. State of Washington. Washington State Climate Policy Laws and Executive Orders
Policy Framework (2005-2010)
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/laws.htm
Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Permitting and Reporting Information System,
“Battelle.” Project Fact Sheet, March 2011.
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wqreports/public/WQPERMITS.document_pkg.download_document?p_docum
ent_id=11850
Environmental Protection Agency, Water: Underground Injection Control, Geologic Sequestration of
Carbon Dioxide http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/wells_sequestration.cfm
Centralia-Chehalis Basin project - Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Submitted to Washington Energy
Facility Site Evaluation Council Application 2006-01. July 30, 2007
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCoQFjAB&url=http%3
A%2F%2Fwww.efsec.wa.gov%2FPMEC%2FAdjudication%2FPrefile%2520Applicant%2520testimony%
2FBeatty%2FExhibit%2520%28TJB2%29.pdf&ei=SMXbTqrYKIeJiAL_g52iCg&usg=AFQjCNGiL_WrqYMDaWF5XbAREqxsHLc1xA&sig
2=Wkg45VD3NbLeRmAR5rpelQ
Washington State Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6001
http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/ViewRoot.asp?Action=Html&Item=1&X=1206092806&p=1
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