rxEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
What is carbon sequestration?
Scientists now believe the buildup of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases as a result of human activities is
changing Earth's atmosphere and tending
to warm the planet. Scientific studies
link these changes to shrinking glaciers,
sea level rise, changes in plant and
animal habitats, and other global effects.
One way to stop this buildup is to avoid
emitting carbon dioxide into the air in
the first place.
Carbon dioxide can be captured and
injected underground for long-term
storage in a process called geologic
sequestration - also called carbon
sequestration - one of several options for
easing the effects of climate change.
Sequestration is the process of injecting
carbon dioxide from large sources, such
as power plants, into rock formations
thousands of feet below the surface.
With proper site selection and
management, this technique could play a
major role in reducing carbon dioxide
emissions.
About 95 percent of coal-fired power
plants and other large emission sources
in the United States are within 50 miles
of a possible sequestration site. This
large storage capacity has the potential to
contribute significantly toward meeting
the goals of the nation's climate policy.
Additional information on carbon
capture and storage is at
www.epa.gov/safewater/ uic
/wells_sequestration.html.
Additional information on carbon
capture and storage activities in the
Region 5 states can be found at
www.epa.gov/region5 /water/uic/
carbon_sequestration.htm.
EPA Proposes to Reissue
Permit for MRCSP Injection
Well
Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership
Otsego County, Michigan December 2008
MI-137-5X25-0001
0 0.5 1 Mile
Introduction
Core Energy, LLC of Traverse City, Michigan has applied to the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a permit
to continue to operate a Class V Carbon Storage injection well
located in Otsego County (see map). In partnership with the Midwest
Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP), Core Energy
is using this well as part of a research project aimed at measuring the
behavior of carbon dioxide (CO2) injected into a rock formation
below the ground. Researchers are injecting CO 2 at depths betwween
3,442 to 3,515 feet below the surface, and observing the behavior of
the gas in rock formations. The carbon dioxide is stored in the Bois
Blanc Formation and the Bass Island Dolomite, deeper than 3,190
feet beneath the surface.
Injecting carbon dioxide deep underground is one step in a process
called "carbon capture and storage" (see box, left), a developing
approach to slow global wanning. The Midwest Regional Carbon
Sequestration Partnership is one of seven partnerships in a nationwide
effort - led by U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy
Technology Laboratory - to develop technologies to stabilize
atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
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Intent to Issue a Permit
Review of the permit application indicates that no
significant environmental impact should result from
the injection operation. The EPA therefore intends to
issue a permit for this well. Under the authority of
Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR)
Parts 144 and 146, EPA permits must specify
conditions for construction, operation, monitoring,
reporting, and plugging and abandonment of injection
wells so as to prevent the movement of fluid into any
underground source of drinking water (USDW). A
USDW is defined as any aquifer or portion thereof
which contains less than 10,000 milligrams per liter of
total dissolved solids and which is being or can be
used as a source of drinking water. In accordance with
40 CFR §124.8, general information and highlighted
permit conditions specific to this well are described
below.
Construction Requirements
The injection well is fully cased and cemented to
prevent the movement of fluids into or between
USDWs, meeting the regulatory criteria of 40 CFR
§144.52(a)(l).
Site Geology
The injection zone is the Bois Blanc Formation and
Bass Islands Dolomite from 3190 feet to 3515 feet
below the surface. The immediate overlying confining
zone is the Amherstberg-Lucas Formation which is
composed of limestone, dolomite, and anhydrite.
Adequate confining layers exist between the Bois
Blanc Formation formation and the base of the
lowermost Underground Source of Drinking Water.
The base of the lowermost USDW has been identified
at a depth of 665 feet below the surface. This water-
bearing formation is the Glacial Drift.
Area of review (AOR)
The AOR is defined as the area within a 1/2-mile
radius of the injection well. It has been determined
that there are six wells that penetrate the confining
zone within the AOR. The construction and plugging
details have been reviewed and determined to be
adequate to prevent the upward movement of fluids or
gases.
Maximum Injection Pressure
The proposed permitted maximum injection pressure
shall be limited to 1197 pounds per square inch gauge
(psig) to prevent fractures in the rock formation
Financial Assurance
Core Energy, LLC has demonstrated adequate
financial resources to close, plug and abandon this
underground injection operation. A bond in the
amount of $250,000 has been established for this
purpose with Chase Bank.
Submitting Public Comments
Detailed information on submitting public comments
is found on the attached public notice.
You may see the draft permit at: Otsego County
Library, 700 South Otsego, Gaylord, Michigan,
Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.,
Thursday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m..
The draft permit is also on the Internet at
http ://www. epa.gov/r5water/uic/uic.htm
Copies of the draft permit and administrative record
for this permit action are available for public review
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the address listed at
right. It is recommended that you telephone Leslie
Patterson before visiting the Region 5 office.
Part C of the SDWA specifically mandates regulation
of the underground injection of fluids through wells to
assure that the quality of the underground sources of
drinking water is protected. Section 1421 of the SDWA
requires the EPA to administer underground injection
control (UIC) programs in the states which do not have
approved UIC programs. Michigan has not acquired
primacy over the UIC program for Class V injection
wells, therefore EPA is administering the permit
program pursuant to regulations at 40 CFR Part 147.
For more on this permit or to view the
administrative record, contact:
Leslie Patterson, EPA Region 5
77 W. Jackson Blvd. (WU-16J)
Chicago, IL 60604
312-886-4904, or toll-free, 800-621-8431
patterson.leslie@epa.gov
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