On the last full day of the Biden Administration, the EPA granted West Virginia the green light to permit wells used for the geologic storage of carbon dioxide, a controversial and untested method of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.  

West Virginia is the fourth state to receive top regulatory authority, or primacy, over these types of wells, known as Class VI wells, following North Dakota in 2018, Wyoming in 2020, and Louisiana in 2023. Primacy grants states the right to issue permits for Class VI wells in lieu of EPA, although EPA retains authority over all state programs.

West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the streamlined process in her home state is “essential to protecting our ability to provide reliable, baseload power in West Virginia through coal and natural gas, while reducing our power and manufacturing sector emissions.”

Carbon capture and sequestration is an expensive and largely unproven technology that requires strict oversight, which critics say fossil fuel-friendly West Virginia is not likely to supply. Storage sites can pose risks to drinking water if not properly located and must be monitored even after injection to ensure CO2  doesn’t leak.