EPA Proposes Not Regulating Carbon Sequestration Streams As Hazardous Waste

The US EPA has announced a proposal to not regulate carbon dioxide sequestration streams as hazardous wastes.   I've put the press release below.

I think this is the right approach, but it points out the absurdity of those who recommend prohibiting  natural gas fracking, or restricting it greatly, because of its supposed effects on underground sources of drinking water.  There's no evidence of fracking solutions migrating to drinking water sources, despite thousands of frac jobs over dozens of years, but there is almost no information about the potential impact of putting millions of tons of  CO2 underground.   Nevertheless, EPA blithely pushes ahead with it, perhaps because it's the only technology that appears even remotely feasible for CO2 control. 

At some point there will be more inquiry as to whether this is all even necessary.  Here's a report of another climate scientist who takes issue with the assumption that rising CO2 levels are contributing to global warming, and joining the swelling chorus of those who are pointing to the clear evidence that CO2 emissions increase because of warming.


EPA Takes Action on Reducing Barriers to the Use of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies
Action supports national framework for the safe use of clean energy technology
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule to advance the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, while protecting Americans’ health and the environment. CCS technologies allow carbon dioxide (CO₂) to be captured at stationary sources - like coal-fired power plants and large industrial operations - and injected underground for long-term storage in a process called geologic sequestration. The proposal is consistent with recommendations made by President Obama’s interagency task force on CO_2. sequestration and helps create a consistent national framework to ensure the safe and effective deployment of technologies that will help position the United States as a leader in the global clean energy race.
Today’s proposal will exclude from EPA’s hazardous waste regulations CO₂ streams that are injected for geologic sequestration in wells designated for this purpose under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA is proposing this exclusion as part of the agency’s effort to reduce barriers to the use of CCS technologies.  EPA requests that comments submitted on the rule share analytical data on the overall composition of captured CO₂ streams, including physical and chemical characteristics, to help the Agency determine if additional actions are necessary to ensure the safe use of CSS technologies.
Based on review of existing regulatory programs, EPA’s proposal concludes that the management of CO₂ streams under the proposed conditions does not present a substantial risk to people’s health or the environment, provides regulatory certainty to industries considering the use of CCS technologies, and encourages the deployment of CCS technologies in a safe and environmentally protective manner. 
The proposed rule is complementary to previous EPA rulemakings, including final rules under the Clean Air Act that require reporting by facilities that capture or inject CO₂ streams, and Safe Drinking Water Act regulations that ensure the wells used for geologic sequestration of CO₂ are appropriately sited, constructed, tested, monitored, and closed. EPA will accept public comments on the proposal for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. 

More information on the proposed rule: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/geo-sequester/index.htm
More information on the Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/wells_sequestration.cfm