Alaska Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program; Class VI Primacy
Key claim: EPA proposes to let Alaska’s oil and gas commission, rather than the federal government, permit and enforce wells that inject carbon dioxide underground for storage, except on Indian lands and exclusive federal areas.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) has received a complete Underground Injection Control (UIC) application from the State of Alaska, requesting primary enforcement responsibility (primacy) for Class VI injection wells under Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1422. The EPA’s approval of the State’s UIC program primacy application would allow the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) to issue and enforce compliance with UIC Class VI permits for injection wells used for geologic carbon sequestration. In this action, the EPA proposes to approve Alaska’s application to implement the UIC program for Class VI injection wells located within the State, except those located within Indian country and those located within areas of exclusive Federal jurisdiction.
Why this matters
Class VI primacy transfers determine who reviews carbon-storage well permits, which has been a major bottleneck for CCS project timelines nationally. Shifting Alaska permitting to a state agency familiar with oil and gas operations could accelerate buildout for Alaska-based sequestration projects, while preserving federal oversight on tribal and exclusive federal lands. The practical effect depends on how Alaska staffs and runs the program relative to EPA’s queue.