EPA OKs California’s first CCS storage well permits

In California, on December 30, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued four Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI well permits to Carbon TerraVault JV Storage Company Sub 1, LLC (CTV), a subsidiary of California Resources Corporation (CRC). Class VI UIC wells are used to inject carbon dioxide into deep rock formations for permanent underground storage. This technology, called carbon capture and underground storage or geologic sequestration, can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and mitigate climate change. The four Class VI UIC permits are for the first permitted Class VI injection wells in California and represent the first such permits issued by EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region.

EPA has determined that the activities authorized under the Class VI UIC permits are protective of underground sources of drinking water and public health as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). EPA completed a thorough technical review of all information submitted by CTV in its permit application, as well as the operational standards, the monitoring requirements, and the existing geologic setting. In order to ensure the surrounding community could provide input, EPA held public comment periods and reviewed thousands of public comments submitted on the draft permits. EPA also met with local officials in Kern County, emergency responders, community members, and property owners to explain the Class VI well program, listen to concerns, and answer questions.