(a) The state board shall establish a Carbon Capture, Removal, Utilization, and Storage Program to do all of the following:

(1) Evaluate the efficacy, safety, and viability of CCUS and CDR technologies and facilitate the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide from these technologies, where appropriate.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(2) Develop monitoring and reporting schedules to state regulatory agencies for carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects to ensure efficacy, safety, and viability of the projects.

(3) Ensure that all carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects include the following, as appropriate:

(A) Strategies to minimize, to the maximum extent technologically feasible, copollutant emissions from facilities where CCUS or CDR technology is deployed to ensure that the use of carbon dioxide removal technologies and carbon capture and storage technologies does not have an adverse impact on local air quality and public health, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

(B) Strategies to ensure that carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects minimize, to the maximum extent technologically feasible, local water pollution or air pollution from construction- and transportation-related impacts from the projects in communities adjacent to carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects, including a geologic storage complex.

(C) Strategies to minimize the risk of seismic impacts to, and from, geologic storage projects, including the risk of gas leakage due to seismic activity.

(D) Monitoring and reporting of seismic activity related to geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, and monitoring of sequestered carbon dioxide, including movement within the geologic storage complex, for a period of time that is sufficiently long enough to demonstrate that the risk of carbon dioxide leakage poses no material threat to public health, safety, and the environment and to achievement of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in California and that terminates no earlier than 100 years after the last date of injection of carbon dioxide into a geologic storage reservoir. In adopting regulations pursuant to subdivision (c) that pertain to this subparagraph, the state board shall consult with the State Geologist.

(E) Monitoring of criteria pollutants and potential toxic air contaminants at the one or more sites within the geologic storage complex and at mobile or fixed sites within the facility, and monitoring of ambient carbon dioxide concentrations over the geologic storage complex to facilitate leak detection. Monitoring required under this section shall continue for a period of time that is sufficiently long enough to demonstrate that the risk of carbon dioxide leakage poses no material threat to public health, safety, and the environment and to achievement of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in California and that terminates no earlier than the completion of the applicable postinjection site care and site closure plan pursuant to Section 146.93 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(F) Projects meet best available control technology requirements as determined by the local air district.

(b) In carrying out the objectives of the program, the state board shall prioritize the following:

(1) Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases.

(2) Minimizing land use and potential environmental, noise, air quality, water quality, traffic, seismic, and other related impacts, and any potential health and safety risks, to all communities where CCUS and CDR technologies are deployed, and carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects are located to the maximum extent feasible.

(3) Maximizing workforce development and employment opportunities in each community where CCUS and CDR technologies are deployed, and carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects are located, to the extent feasible.

(4) Leveraging private funding sources and public-private partnership structures alongside potential state funding sources.

(5) Reducing fossil fuel production in the state.

(c) The state board shall adopt regulations to implement this section.

(d) In developing the program, the state board shall consult with the Geologic Carbon Sequestration Group established pursuant to § 2213 of the Public Resources Code.

(e) In tracking progress toward the state’s climate targets, the state board shall prevent the double counting of emissions reductions associated with utilizing carbon dioxide that is captured or removed from the atmosphere. The state board may use a state board-approved third-party verifier to satisfy this subdivision.

(f) (1) Beginning January 1, 2025, and every two years thereafter, the state board shall report to the Legislature on the progress of the program. The report shall, at a minimum, include an evaluation of potential local environmental impacts and potential long-term leakage impacts as well as recommendations on measures to reduce these impacts of completed carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration projects.

(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with § 9795 of the Government Code.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 359, Sec. 2. (SB 905) Effective January 1, 2023.)