2009 House Bill 5253: Impose carbon dioxide sequestration fees and provide liability waivers

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Introduced by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R) on August 19, 2009, to establish regulations and impose fees of $1 per ton on operators of underground carbon dioxide sequestration facilities, and provide immunity from civil or criminal prosecution after 10 years if the operator has followed all the rules and the facility maintains its integrity. Ownership of the underground reservoir (and subsequent liability) would then transfer to the state. The bill would also empower local governments to use eminent domain to take privately owned land to create such a facility. Sequestration is the injection of CO2 into wells deep in the ground, and is a technique being investigated to use mainly in conjunction with coal burning power plants to mitigate the possibility of global warming caused by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
- Referred to the House Energy and Technology Committee on August 19, 2009.

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1) Re: 2009 House Bill 5253 (Impose carbon dioxide sequestration fees and provide liability waivers ) by JPHodge on August 26, 2009

Carbon dioxide sequestration is a stupid idea. We the citizens and tax payers need the state of Michigan to stay out of it. Do not provide immunity from civil or criminal prosecution to owners and operators of underground reservoir facilities. Do not allow ownership transfer of underground reservoir facilities to the state. Do not transfer the liability for maintaining the integrity of underground pressurized carbon dioxide gas reservoir systems to the citizens and tax payers of this state forever. Instead we need the state to treat facilities of underground pressurized carbon dioxide gas reservoir facilities with more caution and scrutiny than it does for nuclear power plants. After all, we can decommission a nuclear power plant after its useful life is ended. What can be done with an underground reservoir of pressurized toxic carbon dioxide gas when we are tired of operating and maintaining it in 50, 100, or 1000 years? It is immoral to impose any such state commitment onto future generations.

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2) 2009 House Bill 5253 (Impose carbon dioxide sequestration fees and provide liability waivers ) by admin on January 1, 2001
Introduced in the House on August 19, 2009

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