97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB3758

 

Introduced 2/10/2012, by Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Carbon Dioxide Geologic Storage Act. Provides that a storage operator must have a reservoir permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources in order to operate a storage facility. Sets forth the requirements for the issuance of a reservoir permit, including the requirement that the storage operator has applied for, or has been issued, an Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit as authorized under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act's UIC Program. Provides that the Act applies only to certain carbon dioxide injections wells. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions, hearings, fees, inspections, ownership and conveyance of pore space, reservoir requirements, amalgamating property interests, mineral interests, title to carbon dioxide, liability, project completion, title transfer, enhanced recovery projects, and Memoranda of Understanding. Provides that the Department may adopt rules and issue orders to enforce the Act. Includes a severability clause.


LRB097 19221 JDS 64463 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3758LRB097 19221 JDS 64463 b

1    AN ACT concerning geologic storage of carbon dioxide.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Carbon
5Dioxide Geologic Storage Act.
 
6    Section 5. Statement of policy. It is in the public
7interest to promote the geologic storage of carbon dioxide.
8Doing so will help ensure the viability of the Illinois coal,
9natural gas, power, and other industries under a spectrum of
10potential environmental regulations and will promote economic
11development in Illinois. Further, geologic storage of carbon
12dioxide, a potentially valuable commodity, may allow for its
13ready availability if needed for commercial, industrial, or
14other uses, including enhanced recovery of oil, gas, and other
15minerals.
16    To be practical and effective, geologic storage of carbon
17dioxide requires cooperative use of surface and subsurface
18property interests often across large areas. It is therefore in
19the public interest to employ procedures that promote, in a
20manner fair to all interests, the use of all pore space in a
21clearly defined reservoir to ensure comprehensive management
22of the reservoir and the efficient use of natural resources. It
23is important that rules governing the use and development of

 

 

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1subsurface pore space be consistent with both established
2precedents and subsurface private property rights.
 
3    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
4context requires a different meaning:
5    "Carbon dioxide injection well" means a well that is used
6to inject carbon dioxide into a reservoir for geologic storage.
7    "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
8    "Geologic storage" means the underground storage of carbon
9dioxide in a reservoir.
10    "Mineral owner" means any owner of a whole or fractional
11interest in any or all minerals in real property that has been
12severed from the surface estate by grant, exception,
13reservation, or other means.
14    "Mineral lessee" means any lessee of a whole or fractional
15interest in any or all minerals in real property that has been
16severed from the surface estate by grant, exception,
17reservation, or other means.
18    "Pore space" means subsurface cavities or voids, whether
19natural or artificially created, that can be used as storage
20space for carbon dioxide or other substances.
21    "Pore space owner" means any person, trust, corporation, or
22other entity who has title to the pore space.
23    "Pore space lessee" means any lessee or other person with
24the right to use, by easement or otherwise, a whole or
25fractional interest in any or all of the pore space.

 

 

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1    "Reservoir" means any depleted oil or gas reservoir, saline
2formation, coal seam, or any natural or artificial subsurface
3stratum or formation with a clearly defined reservoir boundary
4and pore space of sufficient porosity and permeability for
5injection and storage of carbon dioxide. "Reservoir" does not
6include an underground source of drinking water or a natural
7gas storage facility.
8    "Reservoir boundary" means the area that delineates the
9vertical and horizontal limits of the reservoir, including
10buffer areas, such that any carbon dioxide injected into the
11reservoir is expected to remain within the boundary in
12perpetuity. The reservoir boundary must be established by
13identifying physical parameters that will constrain buoyant
14migration of the injected carbon dioxide such that it is
15expected to remain within the boundary in perpetuity. The
16reservoir boundary need not include the entirety of a geologic
17formation if it can be shown that physical parameters are
18expected to contain injected carbon dioxide within the
19reservoir boundary in perpetuity.
20    "Reservoir permit" means a permit issued by the Department
21allowing a person to establish and operate a storage facility.
22    "Storage facility" means the reservoir, underground
23equipment, and surface facilities and equipment used or
24proposed to be used in a geologic storage operation. "Storage
25facility" does not include pipelines used to transport carbon
26dioxide to the storage facility from the carbon dioxide source.

 

 

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1"Storage facility" also does not include a single carbon
2dioxide injection well to be used for experimental, research,
3or evaluation purposes as long as the well does not inject more
4than 1,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide in total and does not
5operate for more than 5 years.
6    "Storage operator" means a person holding or applying for a
7reservoir permit under this Act and holding or applying for a
8UIC permit for the injection of carbon dioxide.
9    "Surface owners" means any owner of a whole or undivided
10fee simple interest or other freehold interest, which may or
11may not include mineral rights, in the surface estate, but does
12not include an owner of a right-of-way, easement, leasehold, or
13any other lesser interest in the surface estate.
14    "UIC permit" means an Underground Injection Control Class
15VI permit authorized under the federal Safe Drinking Water
16Act's Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program that allows a
17person to operate a carbon dioxide injection well.
 
18    Section 12. Applicability. Except for carbon dioxide
19storage projects in Morgan County and Macon County, this Act
20applies only to carbon dioxide injections that commence on or
21after January 1, 2012. For Morgan County and Macon County, this
22Act applies only to carbon dioxide injections that start
23injection well construction on or after January 1, 2015.
 
24    Section 15. Reservoir permit.

 

 

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1    (a) A storage operator must have a reservoir permit issued
2by the Department to operate a storage facility in the State. A
3reservoir permit may be transferred or assigned from one
4storage operator to another upon written consent of the
5Department. This consent shall not be unduly withheld by the
6Department.
7    (b) The storage operator shall submit a plan that:
8        (1) satisfies the reservoir requirements of Section
9    25;
10        (2) amalgamates the pore space within the reservoir
11    boundary and addresses the interests of non-consenting
12    pore space owners and pore space lessees within the
13    reservoir boundary as provided in Section 35, including
14    procedures by which working interests and non-consenting
15    royalty recipients will attended to; and
16        (3) addresses the interests of mineral owners and
17    mineral lessees within the reservoir boundary as provided
18    in Section 40.
19    (c) The storage operator shall also submit proof that it
20has applied for a UIC permit or has been issued a UIC permit.
21    (d) The Department shall issue a reservoir permit to the
22storage operator if the Department finds that:
23        (1) the requirements of Section 25 have been satisfied;
24        (2) the interests of non-consenting pore space owners
25    and pore space lessees within the reservoir boundary have
26    been addressed as provided in Section 35;

 

 

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1        (3) the interests of mineral owners and mineral lessees
2    within the reservoir boundary have been addressed as
3    provided in Section 40; and
4        (4) the storage operator has applied for a UIC permit
5    or has been issued a UIC permit.
6    The Department may condition the granting of a reservoir
7permit on obtaining a UIC permit, but no State agency may delay
8the processing of the reservoir permit application on the
9grounds that the application for another required permit is
10pending.
11    (e) The Department shall issue only one reservoir permit
12per reservoir. A storage operator may not apply for a reservoir
13permit where the reservoir permit encompasses another
14reservoir that is included in a reservoir permit the storage
15operator does not hold. A storage operator may apply to expand
16the reservoir boundary of an existing reservoir permit it does
17hold.
18    (f) The Department shall hold a public hearing regarding a
19reservoir permit application to ensure that the requirements of
20subsection (b) of this Section have been satisfied.
21        (1) Notice of the public hearing shall include:
22            (A) The type of proceedings before the Department
23        and a general statement of purpose for such
24        proceedings.
25            (B) A description of the reservoir boundary,
26        including a legal description of the reservoir.

 

 

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1            (C) A description of the proposed storage facility
2        and its operations.
3            (D) The time, date, and place of the public
4        hearing.
5            (E) The limitations on standing provided by
6        subsection (i) of this Section.
7        (2) Upon receipt of the reservoir permit application,
8    the Department shall fix the time and place for the public
9    hearing, which shall be no less than 60 days nor more than
10    90 days after the date of filing of the application. The
11    Department shall give notice of the hearing at least 30
12    days prior to the hearing in the following manner:
13            (A) By United States first class mail directed to
14        all local governments with jurisdiction over some
15        portion of the proposed reservoir, and to all pore
16        space owners, pore space lessees, mineral owners, and
17        mineral lessees within the proposed reservoir boundary
18        at their last-known address as shown in the tax
19        assessor's records for each county containing some
20        portion of the proposed reservoir. For any pore space
21        owner, pore space lessee, mineral owner, or mineral
22        lessee within the proposed reservoir boundary that is
23        not identified in such records, the storage operator
24        shall be deemed to have acted in good faith, shall not
25        be subject to further obligations, and shall have no
26        liability to such owners or lessees for any legal or

 

 

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1        equitable remedy or relief arising from, in connection
2        with, or otherwise relating to the storage facility,
3        provided the published notice required by subparagraph
4        (B) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (d) is given.
5        The storage operator shall not be liable for any errors
6        or omissions in such records. The Department's
7        certificate that it has mailed the notices is
8        sufficient evidence that it has done so.
9            (B) By publication of such notice in a newspaper of
10        general circulation published in each county
11        containing some portion of the reservoir at least once
12        each week for 3 successive weeks. The first publication
13        shall be at least 30 days prior to the date of the
14        public hearing. If there is no newspaper published in a
15        county containing some portion of the reservoir, then
16        the publication shall be in a newspaper published in an
17        adjoining county in this State, having circulation in
18        the county in which that portion of the reservoir is
19        located.
20    (g) If the Department does not complete the review of a
21reservoir permit application within 120 days after receipt,
22including the public notice and hearing as described in
23subsection (d) of this Section, then the reservoir permit shall
24be issued. If the Department does not find the storage operator
25to have met the requirements detailed in subsection (b) of this
26Section, then the Department may either decline the application

 

 

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1or require amendment to the application before granting the
2reservoir permit. If the Department requires amendment to the
3application, then the Department shall have 30 days after the
4storage operator amends its application to either grant or
5decline to grant the reservoir permit.
6    (h) The Department may charge a fee to the storage operator
7for review of the reservoir permit application. The fee must be
8in the amount set by Department rule. The amount must be based
9on the Department's anticipated expenses that it will incur in
10reviewing the reservoir permit application.
11    (i) The Department may include conditions in the reservoir
12permit to carry out the reservoir permit requirements. The
13reservoir permit shall contain a description of the reservoir
14boundary and shall authorize the storage operator to use all
15pore space within the reservoir as a storage facility.
16    (j) The Department shall have the right at all times to go
17upon and inspect a storage facility for the purpose of
18ascertaining compliance with the provisions of this Act.
19    (k) Only the storage operator and any pore space owner,
20pore space lessee, mineral owner, or mineral lessee within the
21proposed reservoir boundary who participated, in writing or
22orally on the record, in the public hearing shall have standing
23to seek judicial review of the Department's issuance of a
24reservoir permit.
25    (l) Upon issuance of a reservoir permit, the Department
26shall record a notice of the reservoir permit in each county

 

 

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1under the names of the pore space owners or pore space lessees
2and the storage operator that included any part of the
3reservoir for which the reservoir permit has been granted. The
4notice shall include a legal description of the reservoir and a
5description of the proposed storage facility and its
6operations.
 
7    Section 20. Ownership and conveyance of pore space.
8    (a) Title to pore space is vested in the surface owner.
9    (b) A conveyance of title of the surface estate conveys the
10pore space in all strata underlying the surface estate.
11    (c) Title to pore space may not be severed from the surface
12estate.
13    (d) Grants of easement to use or leasing of pore space is
14not a severance prohibited by this Section.
15    (e) The grants of easement or leasing of pore space shall
16confer carbon dioxide storage rights but shall not confer any
17right to enter upon or otherwise use the surface of the land
18unless the grant of easement or lease expressly so provides.
 
19    Section 25. Reservoir requirements.
20    (a) A reservoir permit may not be issued unless:
21        (1) the reservoir has a clearly defined reservoir
22    boundary;
23        (2) the reservoir is suitable for carbon dioxide
24    injection and storage, including the presence of physical

 

 

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1    parameters to ensure injected carbon dioxide is expected to
2    remain within the reservoir boundary in perpetuity;
3        (3) the reservoir boundary encompasses an area of at
4    least 2,500 acres;
5        (4) the storage operator has made a good-faith effort
6    to identify all pore space owners and pore space lessees at
7    their last-known addresses as identified in the tax
8    assessor's records for each county containing some portion
9    of the proposed reservoir;
10        (5) the storage operator has made a good-faith effort
11    to obtain carbon storage rights through ownership, grants
12    of easement, or leaseholds from all pore space owners and
13    pore space lessees, as applicable, within the reservoir
14    boundary; and
15        (6) the storage operator owns or has obtained carbon
16    dioxide storage rights to at least 51% of the proposed
17    reservoir's pore space based upon the number of surface
18    acres within the reservoir boundary.
 
19    Section 35. Amalgamating property interests.
20    (a) If a storage operator has not obtained carbon dioxide
21storage rights to all of the pore space within the reservoir
22boundary, then the Department shall require that the remaining
23pore space be included in a storage facility and subject to
24geologic storage for the purposes of administering the
25reservoir permit. Any amalgamation of pore space shall not

 

 

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1include the right to use the surface of the land above the pore
2space.
3    (b) Each non-consenting pore space owner or pore space
4lessee may elect to exercise a working interest in the storage
5facility on the condition that the party exercising the working
6interest shall:
7        (1) be subject to agreements entered into by the
8    storage operator necessary to operate the storage facility
9    for which the storage operator, and all working interests,
10    will be jointly and severally liable;
11        (2) be jointly and severally liable with the storage
12    operator and any other party electing to exercise a working
13    interest for any and all expenses, liabilities, or other
14    costs associated with the storage facility, including but
15    not limited to costs stemming from construction,
16    operation, and closure of the storage facility,
17    compensating mineral owners or mineral lessees for any
18    losses associated with the loss of production or business
19    interruption, and any direct damage the carbon dioxide may
20    demonstrably cause;
21        (3) pay a proportionate share of the capital and
22    operating expenses of the storage facility, which shall be
23    calculated using a fraction, with the number being the
24    surface acres over that party's pore space within the
25    reservoir boundary and the denominator being the number of
26    surface acres within the reservoir boundary; and

 

 

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1        (4) be entitled to a proportionate share of the revenue
2    of the storage facility, which shall be calculated using a
3    fraction, with the numerator being the number of surface
4    acres over that party's pore space within the reservoir
5    boundary and the denominator being the number of surface
6    acres within the reservoir boundary.
7    (c) If a non-consenting pore space owner or pore space
8lessee does not elect to exercise a working interest pursuant
9to subsection (b), they shall be entitled to a royalty for the
10use of their pore space that is fair, reasonable, and equitable
11    (d) If a party electing to exercise a working interest
12fails to satisfy any of the conditions of subsection (b), their
13working interest shall immediately terminate and they shall be
14entitled to a royalty under subsection (c).
15    (e) The Department shall have the authority to commit
16State-owned pore space within the reservoir boundary to the
17storage facility.
 
18    Section 40. Mineral interests.
19    (a) A reservoir permit may not be issued if the interests
20of mineral owners or mineral lessees within the proposed
21reservoir boundary would be adversely affected. For purposes of
22this Section, "adversely affected" means that the Department
23finds that:
24        (1) the reservoir contains a commercially valuable
25    mineral for which a verifiable plan to extract exists and

 

 

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1    that such extraction would be precluded by operation of the
2    reservoir;
3        (2) the cost of mineral extraction of a commercially
4    valuable mineral for which a verifiable plan to extract
5    exists would be significantly increased by the operation of
6    the reservoir; or
7        (3) the extraction rate of a commercially valuable
8    mineral for which a verifiable plan to extract exists would
9    be significantly reduced by the operation of the reservoir.
10    (b) Mineral owners or mineral lessees may drill through or
11near a reservoir to explore for or extract minerals, provided
12the drilling, extraction, and related activities are conducted
13in cooperation with the storage operator and comply with
14Department requirements that preserve the storage facility's
15integrity.
16    (c) A storage operator may drill through or near a mineral
17producing area to operate the storage facility, provided the
18drilling, carbon dioxide storage, and related activities are
19conducted in cooperation with the mineral owners or mineral
20lessees within the proposed reservoir boundary and comply with
21Department requirements that ensure no adverse effect on
22mineral extraction.
23    (d) Mineral owners or mineral lessees shall provide the
24storage operator reasonable access to wells and other
25equipment, as necessary, to ensure that mineral production
26equipment does not provide a leakage pathway for stored carbon

 

 

SB3758- 15 -LRB097 19221 JDS 64463 b

1dioxide. Storage operators and parties exercising a working
2interest according to subsection (b) of Section 35 of this Act
3shall compensate mineral owners or mineral lessees for any
4losses associated with loss of production or business
5interruption due to such activities.
 
6    Section 45. Title to carbon dioxide; liability. The storage
7operator has title to the carbon dioxide injected into and
8stored in a reservoir and holds title until the Department
9issues a certificate of completion. While the storage operator
10holds title, the storage operator and parties exercising a
11working interest under subsection (b) of Section 35 of this Act
12are liable for any direct damage the carbon dioxide may
13demonstrably cause, including direct damage caused by carbon
14dioxide that escapes from the storage facility. The pore space
15owner shall have no liability associated with operation of a
16storage facility, unless the storage operator is the pore space
17owner or the pore space owner has exercised a working interest
18under subsection (b) of Section 35 of this Act.
 
19    Section 55. Project completion and title transfer.
20    (a) After carbon dioxide injections at a storage facility
21cease, the storage operator may apply for a certificate of
22completion. Before issuing a certificate of completion, the
23Department, in consultation with the issuer of the UIC permit,
24must find that:

 

 

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1        (1) the storage operator is in full compliance with all
2    laws governing the storage facility, including any ongoing
3    UIC permit requirements;
4        (2) the storage operator has addressed all pending
5    claims, if any, regarding the storage facility's
6    operation;
7        (3) all carbon dioxide injection wells have been
8    plugged, equipment and facilities has been removed, and
9    reclamation work has been completed as required by the UIC
10    permit issuer or the Department;
11        (4) the carbon dioxide in the reservoir has become
12    stable; stored carbon dioxide is stable if it is
13    essentially stationary or, if it is migrating or may
14    migrate, that any migration will be unlikely to cross the
15    reservoir boundary;
16        (5) all monitoring wells, equipment, and facilities to
17    be used in the post-closure period are in good condition
18    and retain mechanical integrity; and
19        (6) the storage operator has transferred to the
20    Department a carbon storage project fund that contains
21    sufficient funds to carry out the site care and monitoring
22    activities required by the UIC permit, if applicable.
23    (b) If the Department does not complete the review of a
24certificate of completion application within 120 days after
25receipt, including the public notice and input deemed
26appropriate by the Department, then the certificate of

 

 

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1completion shall be issued. If the Department does not find
2that the requirements detailed in subsection (a) of this
3Section have been met, then it may either decline the
4application or require amendment to the application before
5granting the certificate of completion. If the Department
6requires amendment to the application, then the storage
7operator shall have 30 days to amend the application.
8Thereafter, the Department shall have 30 days to either grant
9or decline to grant the certificate of completion or the
10certificate of completion shall be issued.
11    (c) The Department may charge a fee to the storage operator
12for reviewing the certificate of completion application. The
13fee must be in the amount set by Department rule. The amount
14must be based on the Department's anticipated expenses that it
15shall incur in reviewing the certificate of completion
16application.
17    (d) Once a certificate of completion is issued the
18following occurs:
19        (1) Title to the stored carbon dioxide transfers,
20    without compensation, to the State.
21        (2) Title acquired by the State includes all rights and
22    interests in, and all future responsibilities and
23    liabilities associated with, the stored carbon dioxide.
24        (3) The storage operator is released from all
25    regulatory requirements associated with the storage
26    facility.

 

 

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1        (4) Monitoring and managing the storage facility is the
2    State's responsibility to be overseen by the Department
3    until such time as the federal government assumes
4    responsibility for the long-term monitoring and management
5    of storage facilities.
6        (5) If the federal government has not assumed
7    responsibility for the long-term monitoring and management
8    of storage facilities, then the carbon storage project fund
9    shall be used for the purposes of monitoring and managing
10    the storage facility. If the federal government has assumed
11    responsibility for the long-term monitoring and management
12    of storage facilities, then the carbon storage project fund
13    shall be refunded to the storage operator.
 
14    Section 60. Enhanced recovery projects.
15    (a) This Act does not apply to applications filed with the
16Department proposing to use carbon dioxide for an enhanced oil
17or gas recovery project. Such applications shall be processed
18pursuant the Illinois Oil and Gas Act.
19    (b) Nothing in this Act serves to limit the ability of an
20enhanced oil and gas project to meet a carbon dioxide storage
21requirement or incentive. This includes, but is not limited to,
22an enhanced oil and gas project meeting the sequestration
23requirements of a clean coal SNG facility or clean coal
24brownfield SNG facility as defined in the Illinois Power Agency
25Act.
 

 

 

SB3758- 19 -LRB097 19221 JDS 64463 b

1    Section 65. Memorandum of Understanding. The Department
2and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency shall enter
3into a Memorandum of Understanding with respect to their
4respective roles under this Act and the UIC program, if
5applicable. The Memorandum of Understanding shall provide for
6procedures to ensure a streamlined and concurrent permitting
7process for storage facilities.
 
8    Section 70. Department; home rule. The Department may adopt
9rules and issue orders to enforce this Act. The Department may
10authorize its employees, qualified by training and experience,
11to perform the powers and duties set forth in this Act. No
12agency of State government or political subdivision of the
13State may regulate a storage facility except as expressly
14authorized under this Act.
 
15    Section 75. Restraint of trade. None of the rights and
16responsibilities pursuant to this Act shall be held or
17construed to violate any of the statutes of this State relating
18to trusts, monopolies, or contracts and combinations in the
19restraint of trade.
 
20    Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
21severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.