Underground Leakage at CCS Injection Site Raises Serious Alarms Over Faulty Technology

Published Oct 2, 2024

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Climate and Energy

The operators of the nation’s first underground carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility announced today that they have paused injections of carbon dioxide in the well due to likely leakage deep underground. This comes on the heels of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launching an enforcement action against the facility after another leak was discovered earlier this year at the site, which is tied to ethanol production. 

In response, Food & Water Watch Policy Director Jim Walsh issued the following statement:

“The leaks at this first-of-its-kind facility in the U.S. are laying bare significant issues with the federal government’s deeply flawed CCS program – particularly as it pertains to oversight and transparency by regulators charged with protecting drinking water. Self-monitoring and reporting that the EPA relies on to protect drinking water from carbon dioxide leaks is clearly falling short, and public notification is severely lacking.

“The EPA must order a halt to all carbon dioxide injection at wells across the country – most of which are ironically used for increased oil extraction – at least until it can inspect and verify that the wells are absolutely leak-proof. Furthermore, EPA should hold off on permitting new applications for injection wells, or granting state primacy over permitting, until it can assure communities that this fledgling, faulty technology is not going to contaminate drinking water or cause massive leaks of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.” 

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Press Contact: Seth Gladstone [email protected]

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