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Lawmakers in Ohio and West Virginia have introduced bills aimed at regulating the underground storage of carbon dioxide (CO2), a technology that has the potential to mitigate emissions from industrial sources.
The West Virginia Senate has passed SB 627, which allows the state Division of Natural Resources (DNR) to lease underground pore spaces beneath state parks for carbon storage.
The bill builds on previous legislation that permitted similar leases under state forests and wildlife management areas.
While the latest version of SB 627 prohibits surface disturbances in state parks for drilling or injection activities, concerns remain about the safety of underground carbon storage, with state geologists acknowledging that containment systems “are not perfect.”