Concerns linger in the air as company moves forward to store CO2 under Lake Maurepas
By Katie Easte WBRZ - TV Baton Rouge
Air Products, an industrial gas supplier, seeks to conduct seismic surveys of Lake Maurepas in Livingston Parish before dredging and tearing up the lake's bottom in preparation for CO2 storage. Air Products intends to meet clean air act requirements for the criteria pollutant, CO2, by storing the gas in injection wells under Lake Maurepas, rather than releasing the Greenhouse Gas into the atmosphere. GHGs are compound gases that trap heat or longwave radiation in the atmosphere. Sunlight or shortwave radiation easily passes through these types of gases and the atmosphere, making the Earth's surface warmer. Earth is an amazing planet and will cool itself with more frequent and more intense weather events, such as heavy rains and typhoons and hurricanes. The planet will survive; it remains to be seen how various species of life on Earth will be able to adapt to the changing climate patterns from warming temperatures, including the human species.
The Livingston Parish Council recently passed a moratorium banning injection wells from being installed under the lake. It remains unclear how this new technology for CO2 will affect the lake's ecosystem and the quality of life for residents.
Air Products' Blue Energy LLC (Air Products) is proposed for construction and operation in Darrow, Louisiana. Its initial Title V Part 70 air operating permit application indicates the complex includes production facilities, pipelines, and "pore space for the permanent sequestration of carbon dioxide." Air Products lists on page 9 and recaps on page 20 of the application the proposed pollutants to be emitted, noting "the proposed Darrow Blue Energy facility emissions include no criteria pollutants greater than the Title V Part 70" thresholds that would classify the project as a Major Source. Therefore, under the Clean Air Act 40 CFR Part 70 Operating Permit Program, "the facility is classified as a minor source."
LDEQ does not typically public notice nor conduct public hearings to receive public comments for a minor source. Although public comments can always be sent to the state agency at
DEQ.PUBLICNOTICES@la.gov
REFERENCE AI 233211 PER20220001
The permit application is available in LDEQ's EDMS document 13210585 dated 3/21/2022
Based on reporting by Katie Easte at WBRZ - TV, the seismic survey's permits may be through the LDNR.
No comments:
Post a Comment