(The Center Square) – Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy officials dispute claims made in a report recently published by an environmental advocacy group, which the agency says misrepresents the state’s regulation of carbon capture, storage and sequestration.
Carbon capture and sequestration is a fiercely contested issue in central and southwestern Louisiana with communities, parish governments, industry and advocacy groups in disagreement over the economic benefits and long-term risks and of large-scale CO2 storage.
The report released Feb. 11 by the Environmental Integrity Project found that companies have proposed at least 65 carbon capture and storage projects in Louisiana, the most of any state, along with 11 pipelines to carry carbon dioxide to waste disposal or drilling sites. According to the report, the projects would generate a combined 33 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year and at least 135 million tons could be injected into underground reservoirs.
Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy Secretary Dustin Davidson said the environmental group’s list of 65 projects includes many that have been cancelled, contain incorrect information, are counted twice or have not yet begun any formal regulatory process.
“We respect solid science and understand that there is concern among people to whom carbon sequestration, and injection practices in general, are new,” said Davidson. “However, it is our job to ensure that we correct any inaccuracies so that the public has a factual representation of what is being proposed,” he said.
Records posted on the department’s website indicate 33 projects are awaiting approval along with two that are currently operating, one in Ascension Parish and the other in Beauregard Parish.
Davidon said the Department of Conservation and Energy keeps an up-to-date list of projects on its website that the public can access at any time, which can be found here. “The list is updated in real-time, and we recommend and encourage that the public cross reference that page for correct information,” said Davidson.
In October, Gov. Jeff Landry ordered a moratorium on new applications for carbon sequestration projects located on state-owned lands and water bottoms. The executive order was issued to allow the administration time to review the state’s royalty structures and ensure that Louisiana receives fair market value for the use of its public resources.
The governor’s directive also established a 24-month standard for processing carbon capture applications.
The moratorium on new applications reflected growing pressure from local officials and residents in parishes that include Livingston, Tangipahoa, Rapides and St. Helena, where concerns over public safety and potential impacts on the Southern Hills and Chicot Aquifers have led to local bans and legal challenges.
Davidson contends the environmental group’s claims “permits are rushed” and that “the public is kept in the dark” is not supported by facts, noting that “only two carbon capture projects have begun operating in Louisiana and only one has received authorization to geologically sequester carbon.”
“If members of the public have questions about Class VI injection practices and rules or even feel that the protections are not what they feel they should be, we are absolutely fine with that,” said Davidson.
“What we will not stand for is out of state agitators using half-baked “research” to tell Louisianians what should and should not be allow in their state. If the public has questions, then I suggest they reach out to the actual experts at the department and reject the disinformation coming from groups whose entire mission is to cripple the state’s economy and destabilize local communities through deception and fear mongering,” Davidson said.
Louisiana Midcontinent Oil & Gas Association President Tommy Faucheux said CO2 transportation and injection have been a part of Louisiana’s energy industry for nearly 50 years, and he contends a robust regulatory framework is in place to ensure continued safety.
“We must let facts determine our energy industry’s future,” said Faucheux. “Misinformation does nothing more than scare people and send the opportunities we want for future generations elsewhere. As we focus on the future of Louisiana, we should be able to impress upon our children the opportunities they have here in science, technology, engineering, and math,” Faucheux said.
The Center Square could not obtain a response from Reneé Savant, president of the Louisiana CO2 Alliance, a group that opposes carbon capture and storage in the state, before publication.
