In order to meet the emissions performance standard, all
baseload electric generation facilities or individual units that are subject to
this rule, and must use nongeologic sequestration of greenhouse gases to meet
the emissions performance standard, will submit sequestration plans or
sequestration programs for approval to EFSEC or ecology, as appropriate.
(1) Sequestration plans and sequestration
programs must include:
(a) Financial
requirements. As a condition of plant operation, each owner or operator of a
baseload electric generation facility or unit or baseload electric cogeneration
facility or unit utilizing non-geologic sequestration as a method to comply
with the emission performance standard in WAC
463-85-130 is required to provide
a letter of credit sufficient to ensure successful implementation, closure, and
post-closure activities identified in the sequestration plan and sequestration
program, including construction and operation of necessary equipment, and any
other significant costs.
(i) The owner or
operator of a proposed sequestration project shall establish a letter of credit
to cover all expenses for construction and operation of necessary equipment,
and any other significant costs. The cost estimate for the sequestration
project shall be revised annually to include any changes in the project and to
include cost changes due to inflation.
(ii) Closure and post-closure financial
assurances. The owner or operator shall establish a closure and a post-closure
letter of credit to cover all closure and post-closure expenses, respectively.
The owner or operator must designate EFSEC as the beneficiary to carry out the
closure and post-closure activities. The value of the closure and post-closure
accounts shall cover all costs of closure and post-closure care identified in
the closure and post-closure plan. The closure and post-closure cost estimates
shall be revised annually to include any changes in the sequestration project
and to include cost changes due to inflation. The obligation to maintain the
account for closure and post-closure care survives the termination of any
permits and the cessation of injection. The requirement to maintain the closure
and post-closure accounts is enforceable regardless of whether the requirement
is a specific condition of the permit.
(b) The application for approval of a
sequestration plan or sequestration program shall include (but is not limited
to) the following:
(i) A current site map
showing the boundaries of the permanent sequestration project containment
system(s) and all areas where greenhouse gases will be stored.
(ii) A technical evaluation of the proposed
project, including but not limited to, the following:
(A) The name of the area in which the
sequestration will take place;
(B)
A description of the facilities and place of greenhouse gases containment
system;
(C) A complete site
description of the site, including but not limited to the terrain, the geology,
the climate (including rain and snowfall expected), any land use restrictions
that exist at the time of the application or will be placed upon the site in
the future;
(D) The proposed
calculated maximum volume of greenhouse gases to be sequestered and areal
extent of the location where the greenhouse gases will be stored using a method
acceptable to and filed with EFSEC or ecology as appropriate; and
(E) Evaluation of the quantity of sequestered
greenhouse gases that may escape from the containment system at the proposed
project.
(iii) A public
safety and emergency response plan for the proposed project. The plan shall
detail the safety procedures concerning the sequestration project containment
system and residential, commercial, and public land use within one mile, or as
necessary to identify potential impacts, of the outside boundary of the project
area.
(iv) A greenhouse gases loss
detection and monitoring plan for all parts of the sequestration project. The
approved greenhouse gases loss detection and monitoring plan shall address
identification of potential release to the atmosphere;
(v) A detailed schedule of annual benchmarks
for sequestration of greenhouse gases;
(vi) Any other information that the
department deems necessary to make its determination;
(vii) A closure and post-closure
plan.
(c) In order to
monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the sequestration plan or
sequestration program, the owner or operator shall submit a detailed monitoring
plan that will ensure detection of failure of the sequestration method to place
the greenhouse gases into a sequestered state. The monitoring plan will be
sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that the sequestration provided by
the project meets the definition of permanent sequestration. The monitoring
shall continue for the longer of 20 years beyond the end of placement of the
greenhouse gases into sequestration containment system, or 20 years beyond the
date upon which it is determined that all of the greenhouse gases have achieved
a state at which they are now stably sequestered in that environment.
(d) If the sequestration plan or
sequestration program fails to sequester greenhouse gases as provided in the
plan or program, the owner or operator of the baseload electric generation
facility or unit or baseload electric cogeneration facility or unit is no
longer in compliance with the emissions performance standard.
(2)
Public notice and
comment. ESFEC must provide public notice and a public comment period
before approving or denying any sequestration plan or sequestration program.
(a) Public notice. Public notice shall be
made only after all information required by the permitting authority has been
submitted and after applicable preliminary determinations, if any, have been
made. The applicant or other initiator of the action must pay the cost of
providing public notice. Public notice shall include analyses of the effects on
the local, state, and global environment in the case of failure of the
sequestration plan or sequestration program. The sequestration plan or
sequestration program must be available for public inspection in at least one
location near the proposed project.
(b) Public comment.
(i) The public comment period must be at
least 30 days long or may be longer as specified in the public
notice.
(ii) The public comment
period must extend through the hearing date.
(iii) EFSEC shall make no final decision on
any sequestration plan or sequestration program until the public comment period
has ended and any comments received during the public comment period have been
considered.
(c) Public
hearings.
(i) EFSEC will hold a public hearing
within the 30-day public comment period. EFSEC will determine the location,
date, and time of the public hearing.
(ii) EFSEC must provide at least 30 days
prior notice of a hearing on a sequestration plan or sequestration
program.
Notes
Wash. Admin. Code
§
463-85-220
Amended by
WSR
25-12-020, Filed 5/22/2025, effective
6/22/2025
Statutory Authority: Chapters 80.70 and 80.80 RCW and RCW
80.50.040. 08-14-064, § 463-85-220, filed 6/25/08, effective
7/26/08.