The state Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee recently advanced two bills addressing carbon capture sequestration and reporting requirements for accidental spills,
The first bill, Senate Bill 831, would establish a legal and regulatory framework for potential carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) in Pennsylvania.
“This legislation is a proactive step to secure Pennsylvania’s future as a hub for carbon capture and sequestration,” state Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Bradford), who sponsored both bills, said. “It’s a pragmatic solution to a problem that we all want to solve – reducing our carbon emissions without crippling the reliability of our existing power grid.”
Pennsylvania has the ability to store approximately 2.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide underground, according to the Great Plains Institute’s analysis of data from a 2009 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources report.
That is equivalent to the greenhouse gases emitted from 517 million gas-powered passenger vehicles annually, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The second bill, Senate Bill 286, would direct the Environmental Quality Board to establish reporting obligations for accidental discharges or spills of substances that could enter the water.
Currently, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enforces a spill reporting regulation that requires a discharger notify the DEP of all unauthorized spills of any substance.