Draft requires monitoring, decommissioning reports and larger fines for sequestration projects

Staff walked commissioners through new monitoring, decommissioning and enforcement language in the draft ordinance. Under the proposed rules, project owners must record documents for properties in the CO2 plume and provide the recorded versions to the planning department within 30 days of recording.

The draft requires notification of decommissioning and abandonment for monitoring and test wells within 30 days after injection ceases, removal of well-related materials to a depth of 48 inches and restoration to a condition similar to that before the project. Staff also noted that certification of project completion under Indiana Code must be provided to the county commissioners and planning department within 30 days of issuance. Enforcement language was amended to set fines at $2,500 per day for violations specific to carbon sequestration projects compared with the county’s typical $100–$300 per day penalty range.