Policy and Legal

The NAM is urging the EPA to move forward with a proposed rulemaking that would allow the Railroad Commission of Texas “to issue and enforce compliance with [Underground Injection Control] Class VI permits for injection wells used for geologic carbon sequestration.”

• Due to manufacturers’ concern for environmental stewardship, the NAM is a strong proponent of measures that will mitigate emissions, NAM Vice President of Domestic Policy Chris Phalen told the agency.
• “Manufacturers view clean energy solutions, such as carbon capture and sequestration/storage technologies, as important parts of our country’s energy present and future, and manufacturers are leading the charge in developing them and scaling them up for widespread use.”

A quick review: The CCS process is made up of three steps: capturing the carbon dioxide; transporting by pipeline, road or ship; and injecting it far below ground for permanent storage.

• “Industries across the United States are investing substantially in CCS to decarbonize their operations and produce more sustainable products. In Texas, these projects have the potential to contribute $1.5 billion to the Texas economy and create 7,500 full-time, high-paying jobs,” the NAM noted.

State empowerment: Allowing states to permit permanent sequestration via the EPA’s Class VI injection well program would be a huge step forward for CCS across the country, as states are far more aware of their own geologies than is the federal government.

• State primacy in permitting would represent a victory for the Trump administration’s (and the NAM’s) push to streamline permitting across the federal government and jumpstart much-needed energy, infrastructure and related projects.

The last word: “Granting state primacy to Texas and other states will help create jobs, grow investment in manufacturing and pave the way for energy solutions that will support the United States’ 21st-century economy,” concluded Phalen.