Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito have announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made the first step towards granting West Virginia the ability to issue its own Class VI well permits for carbon storage.
After being formally enacted, this primacy over carbon capture and storage wells will allow companies to receive permits from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), accelerating the process, which currently requires a permit from EPA, while still upholding strict safety standards.
“West Virginia has always been at the forefront of deploying cutting-edge energy technologies,” said Chairman Manchin. “CCS will strengthen our energy security, create high-paying jobs, and reduce emissions. Ensuring these wells can be approved quickly and safely by WVDEP experts who know our state best is key to realizing this goal, and I’m glad the state and the EPA have collaborated on this important initiative and look forward to seeing it finalized as quickly as possible.”
West Virginia is expected to receive $44 million to develop a carbon storage hub from the DOE, as part of $518 million funding program. Advanced Resources International is the company set to explore the development of a carbon storage hub in two neighbouring areas in Belmont County, Ohio and Marshall County, West Virginia.
There are further steps before the primacy becomes a fact but if granted West Virginia would become the fourth state after North Dakota, Wyoming, and Louisiana to issue its own Class VI permits.
Ranking Member Capito echoed Manchin’s sentiment by saying: “After too long of a delay, it is welcome news that EPA has taken this step towards granting West Virginia the authority we need to properly implement carbon capture technology. I have frequently said that the states are better suited than Washington to carry out this authority and get these projects up and running. Carbon capture, use, and storage is essential to protecting our ability to provide reliable, baseload power in West Virginia through coal and natural gas, while reducing our power and manufacturing sector emissions. I look forward to the swift finalization of this authority and its enactment in our state.”
Read more: 23 Carbon Storage Projects Selected For $518 Million DOE Funding
