U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week granted primary regulatory authority to Texas for its carbon dioxide injection wells. The decision grants primacy for Class VI underground injection control to the state. Railroad Commission of Texas now has primary enforcement authority for Class VI wells for the injection of CO2 into deep underground rock formations for permanent storage.
Wes Wang, commission’s executive director, said Nov. 12, “Primacy will streamline the application process and provide the regulatory certainty that is critical to Texas.” Scott Mason, EPA regional administrator, added, “The Texas Railroad Commission has demonstrated that the state is ready, willing and able to add Class VI wells to its underground injection control program, and the Trump administration is proud to support Texas as it shows once again that you can protect natural resources and grow our nation’s energy economy at the same time.”
Texas becomes the sixth state to have primacy over its Class VI wells; others are Arizona, Louisiana, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming. Texas applied for primacy in 2022 (RRC currently has 18 applications). Todd Staples, president of Texas Oil and Gas Association, said the decision gives investors more regulatory certainty “to unlock significant private investment, accelerate planned projects, and create a new wave of skilled jobs and innovation.”
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