CO2 pipelines - PHMSA heard public concerns

The Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently organized a CO2 Safety Public Meeting on May 31 and June 01, 2023 in Des Moines, IOWA. The meeting was attended in person by around 50 individuals, including landowners, and it garnered online viewership from 850 people worldwide. Various concerns were voiced by members of the public during this meeting.

Heartland Greenway is a proposed carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) system by Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC ("Navigator"). It aims to provide biofuel producers and other industrial customers in five Midwest states with a cost-effective and long-term solution to reduce their carbon footprint. The project aims to reach industrial customers in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Recently, Wolf Carbon Solutions and ADM (a nutrition and agricultural origination and processing company) signed a Letter of Intent, allowing the transportation of CO₂ produced at ADM's facilities in Clinton and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, through a new pipeline to storage sites in Illinois. However, there have been concerns raised by the public and landowners regarding these projects.

The first and foremost hindrance to CCS implementation is the lack of public awareness about climate change. Many still believe that global warming does not exist and that CO2 is not the primary culprit. The general perception even among strong proponents of climate change mitigation is that “Big Oil” wants to keep producing and hence they are promoting the CCS technology, which is not a sustainable, not commercially viable solution, or totally unnecessary. The public is willing to pay more electricity bills to support renewable energy sources than spend tax dollars on CCS projects. For many, the simple solution for climate change is to move away from fossil fuels and their usage. Unfortunately, it is not possible in the near term. We cannot replace fossil fuels overnight. It will be a phased approach and many Netzero goals are built around a combination of increasing the use of clean energy sources, and renewables, capturing as much as possible CO2 from the point of release and atmosphere, etc. Creating such awareness is one of the key aspects of public acceptance of CCS projects.

The local opposition to CCS projects is driven by factors such as a potential decrease in property and land value, risk of a sudden release of CO2 affecting public health, disturbances from increased traffic, general ‘industrialization’ of the area, harming tourism, and other investments.

CCS involves the transportation of CO2 via pipelines and injection into the ground, which can raise concerns about the potential environmental impact and safety while transporting and storing CO2 underground. Some believe seismic activities could be induced by high-pressure CO2 stored underground. Another major concern is the contamination of drinking water reservoirs by CO2 which could inadvertently leak from the underground reservoirs and contaminate our drinking water supply.

Natural gas pipelines operate in the range of 200 to 1400 psi. But CO2 pipelines will operate at 1200 to 2800 psi. One of the major concerns with high-pressure CO2 pipelines is running ductile fractures. In order to prevent rupture from traveling long distances and the pipeline will need to be installed in shorter sections or installed with crack arresters. The weld at the joint will effectively act as a rupture arrester. Too many welds will reduce the integrity of the pipeline overall. In the United States, there is an extensive network of approximately 3.4 million miles of underground pipelines. Many of these pipelines carry natural gas, and there are also new CO2 pipelines being developed in close proximity to this existing infrastructure. It is important to note that the failure of either the natural gas pipeline or the CO2 pipeline can have a significant impact on the other, potentially leading to a wider area of disruption and consequences.

Currently, there are no existing regulations in place that specifically address the potential impacts and considerations related to the interaction between natural gas pipelines and CO2 pipelines. This highlights the need for comprehensive rules and guidelines to cover the potential impacts and ensure the safety and integrity of both pipeline systems in such situations.

Pipeline failures would release huge quantities of CO2 which could suffocate people and animals living close to the pipeline right of way. Currently, there are no setback requirements for pipelines from existing dwellings. There are two new CO2 pipelines that are being proposed to be built in IOWA and these proposed routes are almost 100 ft away from some of the properties. Although CO2 is not flammable, being heavier than air, in case of a pipeline leak it tends to stay closer to the ground and affects people who live closer to the pipelines including death by asphyxiation. Public concern has been heightened by past incidents involving the sudden release of large amounts of CO2. One such event took place in Satartia, Mississippi, in 2020, resulting in the suffocation of over 200 people. Another tragic incident occurred in 1986, known as the Lake Nyos disaster, where the release of CO2 claimed the lives of more than 1,750 individuals and 3,500 livestock. As CO2 is an odorless gas, the first responders and pipeline operators could also be affected by CO2 release by a pipeline leak. It is a genuine concern that could be mitigated by adding odorant to CO2 pipelines. A recent pipeline safety trust report of CO2 pipelines proposes this measure.

The functioning of internal combustion engines depends on the presence of oxygen, and if there is a huge release of CO2, emergency responders may not be able to promptly reach the pipeline to initiate rescue operations. This could hinder the rescue efforts, leading to a higher number of fatalities due to insufficient medical assistance. One of the proposed solutions is to use battery-powered vehicles or some other technological modification of internal combustion engines to continue operating under these conditions. Another issue raised is that in the majority of these counties where pipelines are proposed, emergency responders are volunteers, and they will not have enough training to handle special circumstances like a CO2 cloud release.

If a pipeline crossing a river or any other water body fails, the CO2 released can dissolve in the water, creating carbonic acid. The extent of damage caused by this can vary depending on the concentration of carbonic acid and the duration of exposure. The acid can spread through the water and travel a considerable distance from the source of the leak. Fish and other aquatic species may be severely affected by the increased acidity levels, which can damage their gills and make it harder for them to breathe. Additionally, the acid can also damage the reproductive systems of these organisms, potentially impacting their populations in the long run. Therefore, it is essential to take necessary precautions and preventive measures to avoid such incidents and minimize their adverse effects on the environment and aquatic life.

Although some of the risks associated with CCS are particularly relevant to local communities, there are also potential benefits that can be derived from it, such as increased investment in the area, greater employment opportunities, support for local coal, oil or power generation industries, and an enhanced international reputation for the region due to its contribution to mitigating climate change. The economic advantages of CCS have been demonstrated to be a crucial consideration in gaining public approval for such projects, particularly in areas that are experiencing economic challenges.