North Dakota acquires first EPA approval for state carbon storage program
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved North Dakota’s request for regulatory primacy over Class VI injection wells, which are used long-term storage of CO2, the first approval of its kind in the United States.
Red Trail Energy has announced plans to utilize advanced carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology at its ethanol plant in Richardton, North Dakota. This will allow Red Trail to reduce the facility’s emissions and sell ethanol to states that have emission requirements for fuels.
“Having secured this first-of-its-kind approval for our state, Red Trail Energy can move forward on its plan to sequester CO2 from their ethanol plant,” Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said. “This is a prime example of the kind of technologies that can be developed by providing a strong business climate and regulatory certainty.”
North Dakota submitted its application to become the primary regulatory body for Class VI injection wells in June 2013. The EPA granted the request following a meeting between Hoeven and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, during which Hoeven urged its approval.
“CCS technology will be a vital tool in supporting North Dakota’s energy future,” Hoeven said. “We’ve worked since 2008 to create an environment that empowers our state’s energy industry to lead the way in developing not only new clean coal technologies, but also innovative projects for renewable energy sources like ethanol.
