Recently, a federal judge ruled against the enforcement of a moratorium on carbon capture and sequestration in Livingston Parish, Louisiana.
The ruling by Judge Shelly Dick of the Middle District Court of Louisiana has been praised by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) and the Louisiana Chemical Association (LCA).
To begin with, the moratorium was put in place to stop leading hydrogen manufacturing company AirProducts from conducting seismic tests or building test wells in Lake Maurepas for one year.
Shortly after, Air Products sued the parish government for imposing the moratorium, despite the company having obtained the necessary permits to inject non-hazardous materials underground and for the “detonation of charges for seismic testing” from state agencies.
Judge Shelly Dick stated in her ruling that only the state has the right to regulate Class V injection wells, and not the parish.
Relevant: Livingston Parish Puts a Year-Long Moratorium on CO2 Injection Wells
“We are pleased with the ruling, and we remain committed to continuing to share information with all local parish councils, elected and regulatory officials and local residents about Air Products’ clean energy project and its environmental and economic benefits, and employment opportunities,” said Art George, communications director at Air Products.
Officials from BRAC and LCA have also applauded the judge’s decision to grant an injunction, saying that the ruling will allow the energy capital that is the Baton Rouge Area to continue growing and providing high-paying jobs in the region.
According to Russell Richardson, BRAC’s senior vice president of business development, the region is well-positioned to lead the way to a “low-carbon, zero-emission future.”
Read more: Southeastern Louisiana University Will Conduct Independent Monitoring On Lake Maurepas
