GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DEMONSTRATING SECURE GEOLOGICAL STORAGE

The document outlines guiding principles for the IRS to establish substantive criteria and implementation processes for verifying the secure geological storage of CO2 used in EOR. It recommends a flexible framework allowing for two primary pathways: EPA's Subpart RR and the ISO 27916 Standard. Because ISO 27916 lacks a built-in implementation mechanism, the authors propose a transparent third-party validation and verification process conducted by qualified professionals, potentially accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or National Accreditation Board (ANAB).

• The authors propose that the IRS establish a flexible regulatory framework for demonstrating secure geological storage under section 45Q, identifying two current pathways that meet the necessary substantive criteria: the EPA's Subpart RR requirements for CO2 injected under Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI or Class II permits, and the ISO 27916 Standard for CO2 incidentally stored during EOR under a Class II permit.
• To address the lack of an implementation mechanism in the ISO 27916 Standard, the document recommends that the IRS create a transparent process for third-party validation and verification. This process would require project-specific documentation—including initial, periodic, and termination plans—to be posted on a public website while protecting confidential business information.
• The proposed validation and verification should be performed by independent, qualified individuals or teams with expertise in earth science disciplines such as reservoir engineering, geophysics, geology, hydrology, geomechanics, or geochemistry. The authors suggest that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or National Accreditation Board (ANAB) could eventually establish a formal accreditation program for these third parties.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2019). GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DEMONSTRATING SECURE GEOLOGICAL STORAGE. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/21092952/45Q-Geologic-Storage.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DEMONSTRATING SECURE GEOLOGICAL STORAGE. 2019. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/21092952/45Q-Geologic-Storage.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DEMONSTRATING SECURE GEOLOGICAL STORAGE |date=27 November 2019 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/21092952/45Q-Geologic-Storage.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cleanairtaskforce2019guiding, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DEMONSTRATING SECURE GEOLOGICAL STORAGE}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/21092952/45Q-Geologic-Storage.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }