Greenhouse gas: carbon capture and storage.

(1) Existing law requires the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources to regulate the construction and operation of wells. Under existing federal law, the division has been delegated with the responsibility of regulating class II wells under the federal Underground Injection Control program. This bill would, upon the adoption by the State Air Resources Board of a final methodology for carbon capture and storage projects seeking to demonstrate geologic sequestration of greenhouse gases, specifically require the division to regulate carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery projects that seek to demonstrate carbon sequestration under various laws providing for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. (2) The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State Air Resources Board to establish regulations to achieve specified greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. The act authorizes the state board to include market-based compliance mechanisms in achieving those reduction goals. This bill would require the state board, by January 1, 2016, to adopt a final methodology for carbon capture and storage projects seeking to demonstrate sequestration under various laws providing for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. (3) The Elder California Pipeline Safety Act of 1981 vests the State Fire Marshal with the exclusive safety regulatory and enforcement authority over intrastate hazardous liquid pipelines and, to the extent authorized by an agreement between the State Fire Marshal and the United States Department of Transportation, interstate hazardous liquid pipelines. This bill would additionally vest exclusive safety regulatory and enforcement authority over pipelines transporting a fluid consisting of more than 90% carbon dioxide compressed to a supercritical state. (4) Existing law defines land as a material of earth and includes free or occupied space for an indefinite upward or downward distance for the purpose of prescribing ownership of land. This bill would specify that free space includes pore space that can be possessed and used for the storage of greenhouse gas.