House Committee Amends, Reports Out Senate Bill Setting A Framework For Geologic Sequestration Of Carbon Dioxide

On June 25, the House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee unanimously amended and reported out Senate Bill 831 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) establishing a framework for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide.

The amendment was supported by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and Clean Air Task Force.

In a letter to Committee members, the groups said-- 

"This amendment will provide significant improvements to the legislation with respect to public land protections, environmental justice (enabling rejection of projects with undue impact on overburdened communities), community engagement, landowner rights (raising consent threshold from 60% to 75% and preventing surface use), preventative induced seismicity management requirements, extending the default post-injection site care period to 50 years, and enabling the Department of Environmental Protection to promulgate and enforce additional regulations as needed to protect the people and environment of the Commonwealth. 

“We are greatly appreciative of Chairman Matzie and Senator Yaw’s hard work on these changes.

“Carbon capture and sequestration, if properly sited away from orphaned wells and managed securely, can play a targeted but important role in Pennsylvania’s larger decarbonization strategy. 

“With this amendment, Senate Bill 831 would provide a solid foundation for realizing that potential that is nation-leading in several respects. 

“While issues with respect to infrastructure siting and buildout (including pipelines) will require separate legislation that should be promptly developed and considered, we urge your support for this amendment.

Click Here for a copy of the amendment.

“This legislation is a proactive step to secure Pennsylvania’s future as a hub for carbon capture and sequestration,” said Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), prime sponsor of the bill. “It’s a pragmatic solution to a problem that we all want to solve – reducing our carbon emissions without crippling the reliability of our existing power grid.”

“Carbon capture technology has the potential to create a significant number of good paying jobs in the construction industry while simultaneously creating family-sustaining permanent jobs for the citizens of our Commonwealth,” said Robert Bair, Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council president.

Position Of Other Groups

On June 24, the Better Path Coalition submitted a letter on behalf of 29 organizations and 20 concerned citizens to House Speaker McClinton and the House Consumer Protection Committee expressing concern over plans for a vote on Senate Bill 831 related to geologic carbon sequestration without holding a hearing or taking into consideration the many consequential matters not included in the bill. 

Click Here for a copy of the letter and a list of organizations signing the letter.

The bill will now go to the full House for consideration.

Click Here to watch a video of the meeting.

Rep. Robert Matzie (D-Beaver) serves as Majority Chair of the House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-4444 or sending email to: rmatzie@pahouse.net.  Rep. Jim Marshall (R-Beaver) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-260-6432 or sending email to: jmarshal@pahousegop.com. 

Related Article:

-- House Committee Told Governor’s Energy Plan Diversifies Energy Generation, Avoids One-Fuel Dependence, Improves Grid Reliability, Lowers Consumer Costs, Generates Jobs; Or Upends Competitive Markets And Is A ‘Death Wish’ For Our Economy  [PaEN]

-- Organizations, Concerned Citizens Call On House Committee To Resist Rushing To A Vote On Bill Related To Geologic Carbon Sequestration Without A Hearing  [PaEN]

[Posted: June 25, 2024]  PA Environment Digest