US EPA grants West Virginia authority to oversee carbon capture

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday formally gave West Virginia authority to oversee carbon capture projects in the state, the fourth state granted such ability.

The agency signed a final rule granting primary enforcement authority, known as primacy, to West Virginia to permit so-called Class VI wells in order to speed up the approvals and advance the development of massive carbon sequestration projects.

"As one of my first acts as EPA Administrator, I am proud to sign this rule to allow West Virginia the independence it needs to permit and regulate itself, while also working to safeguard our environment and drinking water," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Carbon capture and storage is an emerging technology that aims to pull carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources before they reach the atmosphere for storage underground.

Over a dozen states have carbon sequestration projects planned or in development and are awaiting approvals by the EPA, which has been a slow process.

North Dakota, Wyoming and Louisiana are the three other states that have been granted authority to oversee their own CO2 injection permitting and oversight.

Last week, Texas oil, gas and industrial groups urged Zeldin to speed up the state's request for primacy. Texas has 43 projects under review - one-third of all U.S. applications.

The Biden administration's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act contains billions of dollars of subsidies, including a lucrative $85 per metric ton tax credit for storing CO2 in geological formations.

While President Donald Trump has vowed to gut the IRA, Biden's landmark climate-change legislation, energy experts say such subsidies will likely survive due to strong support from Republican states and lawmakers.