“After thorough technical review and engagement with the public, including consideration of over 1,000 public comments, EPA has determined that the two proposed wells meet public health and safety requirements to move forward,” EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore said in a statement.

Indeed, how many times have we heard that?  One thousand public comments and all.  What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing, until an unforeseen “accident” occurs.  Then the statement will go something like “We were in 100 per cent compliance with all the laws and regulations, therefore, it is not our fault.”

Deep injection wells are handy waste disposals but it is the old “out of sight, out of mind” solution which is rife with risks because we do not know what happens underground, especially over time.

Read the original article with photos and video here in the IndyStar.

Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum

Wabash Carbon Services, a subsidiary of Wabash Valley Resources, said the permits will allow the company to move forward with construction of its ammonia fertilizer plant in Terre Haute. The company plans to transport the CO2 generated from manufacturing the fertilizer to the two wells that will be sunk deep beneath sites in Vigo and Vermillion counties.

The company hopes the plant will serve as a model for creating fertilizer with zero carbon emissions, though critics say carbon capture and storage (CCS) promotes continued reliance on fossil fuel use rather than transitioning to renewable sources of energy. And while the company claims its carbon storage technology is safe, some environmental advocates say the permitted wells lack proper preparation and testing.

The permits, which take effect in March, allow the company to stash the carbon 4,000 to 5,000 feet underground. Wabash Valley Resources plans to inject up to 1.67 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year into the wells over a 12-year period. That is a maximum of about 20 million metric tons — roughly the weight of about 6.7 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks.

Carbon capture and storage is gaining ground across the U.S. with the help of a $251 million investment from the Biden administration meant to mitigate the effects of climate change. Organizations like the Environmental Working Group oppose these claims, however, saying CCS only delays the transition to more effective climate change mitigation.

Opinions on the effectiveness of CCS remain divided and groups in Indiana are left with many questions as the fertilizer plant moves forward.

Critics say wells lack proper testing

Kerwin Olson, executive director at Citizens Action Coalition, said his organization is disappointed in the permit approvals.

“Taxpayers and local property owners are consuming the risk,” Olson said. “There’s the potential for water contamination, escaped CO2 and not to mention concerns around seismic risk.”

The injection sites will sit just outside the Wabash Valley seismic zone, which is capable of producing significant earthquakes. The United States Geological Service said in an undated report that there is “clear evidence that the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone represents a significant seismic risk.”

Olson and CAC said the proposed injection wells should be located inside the fence of the company’s plant where the initial site characterization was done, and contend the permitted sites lack proper planning. Pre-seismic modeling is necessary, and Olson said he remains concerned that that the geology where the wells are going has not been properly vetted.

Olson, however, said 2-D testing is not sufficient and Wabash Carbon Services should be using 3-D models for these deep wells.

Seismic concerns are only part of Olson and other critics’ worries. The carbon stored underground can migrate, potentially affecting nearby air and water quality. The carbon is stored under pressure, so naturally wants to move. This can force salt water, or brine, into freshwater creating land unsuitable for farming, Olson said. The CO2 can also leak above ground, potentially putting farm animals and humans at risk of asphyxiation.

Previously:Carbon capture is gaining a foothold in Indiana. Here’s what it may mean to Hoosiers

Wabash Valley Resource’s permits, known as Class VI, are relatively new to the EPA. Wabash Valley Resources is only the second company in the U.S. to hold active Class VI permits, with Archer Daniels Midland Company in Macon County, Illinois, holding the others.

Carbon capture touted as climate solution

The company, which recently converted its gasification plant into the fertilizer facility, said capturing and storing carbon underground will reduce the carbon impact of making ammonia fertilizer.

Emily Grubert, professor at the University of Notre Dame who previously worked on carbon management with the U.S. Department of Energy, said carbon capture and storage is technology that in specific settings may help reach climate goals.

“It’s really energy and resource intensive with a lot of support infrastructure needed to the extent that when we do it, we need to be careful to do it with an excellent project,” Grubert said.

Storing carbon should not prolong fossil fuel dependency but should be used for mitigating emissions, she said. Certain industrial applications, such as cement and steel plants, release CO2 in the manufacturing process and might benefit from the storage technology.

“In a lot of ways,” she said, “this might be a test case for how Indiana will handle carbon capture and storage.”

More:Feds give Indiana, other states $1B for Midwest hydrogen hub. Will we lead on clean energy?

Next steps forward for Wabash Valley

While the Class VI permits are a step forward for Wabash Valley Resources, the company cannot begin injecting carbon until it receives further approval from the EPA’s Region 5 Director of the Water Division.

The company says its fertilizer plant and accompanying carbon storage project are “strategically significant” for Indiana as the state has a demand for agricultural ammonia and the region’s geology is ideal for sequestering carbon.

As the company moves forward, Olson said CAC will continue organizing for the folks on the ground near the proposed project who have concerns or don’t want to see it built.

“I’ve gotten to know those folks out there, some who are very close to injection sites and others in the community who don’t like this idea and think it’s putting their children and elders at risk,” Olson said. “It breaks my heart. There are good folks who don’t want this.”

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.