Carbon Capture Quandary: EPA's Oversight Under Scrutiny

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The stage is set as the U.S. EPA embraces Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a cornerstone in President Biden's climate strategy.

Environmental watchdog group EIP casts a spotlight on the EPA, suggesting insufficient verification of emissions being trapped underground in CCS projects.

The scrutiny intensifies as EIP's review reveals a lack of specific monitoring requirements, self-authored leak guidelines by companies, and ambiguous enforcement plans.

The EPA, responding to EIP's claims, announces a review of its practices, igniting anticipation for potential changes in oversight.

The drama unfolds with 61 additional CCS applications under the EPA's scrutiny, emphasizing the urgency of robust regulations before widespread operationalization.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) sweetens the deal with tax credits, offering incentives of $60 to $85 per metric ton of carbon captured, sparking industry interest.

EIP's Executive Director, Eric Schaeffer, underscores the need for stringent regulations to protect the environment while advancing climate change combat.

The narrative takes a closer look at the 21 CCS plans reviewed by EIP, revealing a dominance of oil and gas companies, along with contributions from ethanol and coal industries.

The ethanol sector pins hopes on CCS to align with low-emission fuel subsidies, adding a layer of complexity to the environmental and economic interplay.

EPA's jurisdiction over Class VI wells, coupled with some states regulating their wells, unveils a decentralized landscape for CCS oversight.

As the EPA grapples with the balancing act between industry progress and environmental accountability, the fate of CCS projects hangs in the balance.