Many companies are exploring carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to help reach greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Protecting aquifers is a primary concern for the public to safeguard underground drinking water sources. Starting with near-surface background environmental monitoring is the first step to addressing public concerns and maintaining safety.
A comprehensive monitoring plan helps preserve the safest conditions and can save time and expense during injection and post-closure care. This SCS Engineers webinar explains the concepts, how it protects aquifers, and what to look for in a background monitoring plan. Establishing baseline conditions before injection is the first step. Starting immediately after submitting the Class VI permit application, during the regulatory technical review period provides the time to take these important baseline measurements.
Dr. Charles Hostetler, with nearly four decades of experience as an engineer and hydrogeologist protecting aquifers, explains why near-surface monitoring is important to meet demands for addressing environmental concerns during the design and operation of a CCS project. His expertise helps protect aquifers and save time during the design, build, and operation of CCS wells through closure.
Class VI Underground Injection Control Well Permitting is Part III of our video series on Carbon Capture and Storage. Cutting through red tape and regulatory barriers is key to keeping the permitting process on track for your Class VI UIC well. There are steps you can take to prevent delays and meet key regulatory requirements.
Watch the SCS’s Carbon Capture and Storage webinar to learn more about each phase of the permitting process and how to keep each running smoothly. Carbon capture and storage is an EPA-approved technology companies are exploring to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and understanding the permitting process is key as you plan your project. In this chapter you’ll get answers to these questions:
Your business does not have to be in Illinois to learn from these educational webinars. If you’re ready to explore the benefits of carbon capture and storage but concerned you’ll get delayed by the ins and outs of the Class VI UIC well permitting process, watch Patty Herman’s video to learn more, or contact your local SCS office for a consultation.
Patty Herman graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Master of Science in Biological Sciences. Working in diverse and unique habitats enhances her awareness of the ecosystem’s fragility and the need to protect it, especially for agencies during the permitting process. During graduate school, she was selected by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the Natural Heritage Residency program. The residency provided exposure to resource management in both public and private sectors, interacting with many federal, state, and local agencies, as well as NGOs and landowners. She writes and executes management plans and permits using her intensive experience in land management techniques. She has the unique ability to find common ground with stakeholders, agencies, and the public in safe land management for industrial and manufacturing.
Additional Resources:
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) enables industry and manufacturing to reduce greenhouse gas footprints by up to 2 million metric tons annually, for decades. It’s a great time to learn how this technology works, how it can help you, and what the overall lifecycle of a CCS project looks like. In this chapter, Kacey Garber and Candy Elliot step through best practices based on project experience, regulations (in this example Illinois), and the compilation and submittal of permit applications. You’ll learn about:
Your business does not have to be in Illinois to learn from these educational, non-commercial webinars. Transform how industry leaders like you manage greenhouse gas as a byproduct of modern life.
Helpful Basic Tips:
Early planning and mindful project scoping are critical for a CCS project to understand and communicate the project’s needs, objectives, goals, and conceptualized design. Use site characterization data and have a good handle on the operational parameters to develop a good first model and initial area of review delineation. The monitoring system design should then be tailored based on those data. Use the baseline and operational monitoring data to calibrate the model and refine your area of review delineation.
Early financial planning is also important and should include long-term operations and monitoring. Spend rates will be variable throughout these projects and highly dependent on the project’s phase.
The site geology is a key factor — we highly recommend conducting a feasibility study before beginning a project to assess the suitability of Class 6 injection at the proposed location. In addition, when the permit process begins, it’s important to front-load the site characterization efforts to minimize the uncertainty surrounding your site suitability.
Proactive stakeholder engagement surrounding your project is more likely to help lead your project to success. Developing outreach plans help open and facilitate lines of communication with stakeholders, regulatory officials, and public and environmental advocate groups.
Use an iterative project approach – permitting is not a cookie-cutter but a site-specific process. Your early and thorough planning steps help create a feedback loop that will go on throughout the project’s life. It enables flexibility in implementing your approach.
Kacey Garber is an experienced groundwater project manager for active and closed industrial clients, including routine groundwater monitoring and statistical analyses; reports and permit applications; designing sampling and analysis plans; special groundwater studies; and conducting groundwater well construction planning and design. She has also been involved in PFAS work groups and publishes on the topics of UIC and geologic sequestration. Ms. Garber has a Masters degree in Geoscience.
Candy Elliott has 14 years of experience in assessment and remediation, including comprehensive geologic and hydrogeologic site assessments in several states. Her projects include site characterization, site assessment and remediation, brownfields, groundwater monitoring and reporting, groundwater corrective action, mining, and other industrial facility or site development projects. She also supports new and existing geologic permitting assignments for waste clients and facilities. Ms. Elliott is a licensed Professional Geologist.
Engaging With Your Stakeholders and Public Outreach is Part II of our four part video series.
Geologic sequestration can be seen as an incredible public good that reduces greenhouse gas and protects the health and wellness of generations to come, or a local risk. It’s likely you will receive questions and concerns from the public and other stakeholders during your project’s lifecycle. You can use an effective stakeholder engagement plan to help you anticipate and respond to those questions and concerns.
Watch the Geologic Sequestration webinar to learn how to engage your key stakeholders in a supportive, consistent way that demonstrates your commitment to the community and builds trust. Geologic sequestration is an EPA-approved technology companies are exploring to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In this chapter you’ll learn:
If you’re ready to explore the benefits of geologic sequestration and want to educate the public and stakeholders about the safety and sustainability of Class VI underground injection control wells, watch Richard Southorn’s video to learn more, or contact your local SCS office for a consultation.
Richard Southorn, PE, PG, serves as Project Director in our Chicagoland office. He manages coal combustion residual (CCR) and municipal solid waste projects, ranging from construction plan development to full-scale design services. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Alabama, South Carolina, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, Hawaii, Oregon, and Georgia; and a licensed Professional Geologist in Illinois and Delaware.
Additional Resources:
Our latest video release is Carbon Capture and Storage – CCS Webinar Series. The video features Illinois as an example, but much of the information pertains to all states. Shifting consumer sentiment drives significant rewards to companies that acknowledge and address their climate impact. Many legislators, regulators, and industry professionals agree carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is one way to lower carbon footprints. Watch the Illinois Basin Carbon Capture and Storage webinar to learn about the benefits. It is an EPA-approved technology that companies are exploring to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CCS includes three main components:
Geologic sequestration of CO2 can be of great benefit because it plays an important role in reducing GHG emissions, but some may see it as a risk without education. We’ve broken the webinar about the key influencers for industry and manufacturing use into 5 chapters:
Our professionals are available to answer questions about this technology and other methods to reduce your carbon footprint. Contact us at .
What if you could reduce your company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1.5 to 2 million metric tons per year for the next 20 years?
Now you can, with carbon capture and storage technology. Watch the Illinois Basin Carbon Capture and Storage webinar to learn more. Carbon capture and storage is an EPA-approved technology companies are exploring to help reduce GHG emissions.
In Illinois and many other states, leading firms are submitting permit applications for Class VI underground injection control wells. It’s a great time to review the state of the practice and learn how this technology works and how it can help you meet your carbon reduction goals. In this video chapter, SCS answers these questions:
This technology is on track to transform how industry leaders like you manage greenhouse gas as a byproduct of modern life. Watch Charles Hostetler’s short video to learn more, or contact your local SCS Engineers’ office for a consultation.
Dr. Charles Hostetler has nearly four decades of experience as an engineer and hydrogeologist. He has diverse experience in coal combustion residue (CCR) and solid waste management permitting, design, and construction projects. His areas of expertise focus on supporting electric utilities, property owners and developers, solid waste facility owners and operators to meet demands for addressing environmental changes and impacts on their operations.
Additional Resources:
Hear from SCS Engineers experts at the ninth Global Waste Management Symposium in Indian Wells, California, February 25-28, 2024. SCS is also is a Silver Sponsor of the conference.
The GWMS serves as a forum to discuss applied and fundamental research, case studies and policy analysis on solid waste and materials management. The community of researchers, engineers, designers, academicians, students, facility owners and operators, regulators and policymakers will participate.
Numerous SCS Engineers experts will be on hand to discuss your solid waste management challenges, and several are presenting at the symposium, including:
The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) is a strategic partner of the symposium.
Click here for schedule, registration, and other conference details
Hope to see you there!
With climate change becoming a center of attention globally, much focus has pointed toward carbon capture and storage (CCS) in recent years. While USEPA has published general guidance for Class VI permitting, it is still a new permitting challenge for both scientists and regulators alike. Drawing on lessons learned from more familiar and well-developed regulatory frameworks will be beneficial.
In our Technical Bulletin, Applying Lessons Learned From Municipal Solid Waste and Coal Combustion Residuals to the Development of Testing and Monitoring Plans for CO2 Storage Projects, we focus on the testing and monitoring aspect of Class VI permitting and related complexities, including the project’s overall scale, enhanced costs, and enhanced regulatory risk. We discuss the key considerations for developing an effective CCS Testing and Monitoring Plan based on lessons learned from developed MSW and CCR monitoring programs, as well as how early planning and good judgment can help navigate the complexities associated with CCS projects and ultimately reduce those complexities and associated project costs.
Recommendations include meticulous site characterization efforts early in the CO2 storage project and tailoring the monitoring network. The latter includes placing monitoring wells based on multiphase modeling predictions, designing geochemically and geomechanically compatible monitoring wells, and using strategic statistical techniques to analyze and interpret monitoring data.
It is important to remember that for CO2 storage, groundwater monitoring is not intended to be the primary monitoring method for detecting fluid leakage and migration. It is only one of many required testing and monitoring methods. Even so, the monitoring network must be planned and established appropriately and then tightly coordinated with the other testing and monitoring methods to maximize the protection of underground sources of drinking water.
SCS Engineers will continue to post timely information, resources, and presentations to keep you well informed. These include additional guidance, industry reaction, and webinars with our teams using our website, on SCS Engineers LinkedIn, and on SCS YouTube on-demand forums.
Additional resources at your fingertips:
Meet SCS Engineers’ carbon sequestration and deep well injection experts at BOOTH 729 at the 39th annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) & Expo, June 12-14, in Omaha, Nebraska.
The FEW provides cutting-edge content and unparalleled networking opportunities to the global ethanol industry within a dynamic business-to-business environment. It is the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the world—and is powered by Ethanol Producer Magazine.
The FEW delivers timely presentations with a strong focus on commercial-scale ethanol production – from quality control and yield maximization to regulatory compliance and fiscal management. The FEW is also the ethanol industry’s premier forum for unveiling new technologies and research findings. The program extensively covers cellulosic ethanol while remaining committed to optimizing existing grain ethanol operations.
Abstract: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is becoming increasingly attractive due to growing climate change concerns as well as tax incentives related to conducting CO2 capture. Facilities that capture CO2 may consider storing captured CO2 via geologic sequestration (GS). GS at a given location requires a Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit for a Class VI UIC well(s) to inject supercritical CO2. These permits require multiphase flow modeling to delineate both the extent of the supercritical CO2 plume and areas that exceed a critical pressure threshold as a result of injection. We have found numerical modeling is also valuable during project scoping to provide a sense of what the total CO2 storage capacity may be for a given project. To determine long-term storage capacity, CO2 trapping (storage) mechanisms must be considered, including structural/stratigraphic, capillary, solution, and mineral trapping (depending on geochemistry). Solubility trapping appears to be the ultimate trapping mechanism for injected CO2 under most geochemical conditions; therefore, solution storage efficiency will be a key metric for project scoping. Solubility trapping occurs when the CO2 dissolves from its separate, buoyant phase into formation pore water. If the total available pore space for the project and the solubility limit of CO2 can be estimated, then the total solution storage capacity can also be estimated. Then numerical modeling can be used to estimate design and operational parameters to quickly examine under what conditions the most efficient use of pore space occurs. In this example, we investigated what factors may promote solution storage efficiency using a multiphase flow model. This includes how supercritical CO2 injection rate, duration, and location(s) affect solution storage efficiency. This simplified study concluded that injection rate, duration, and location(s) all affect solution storage efficiency. Project-specific considerations need to be incorporated into the model in order to determine the conditions ideal for maximizing solution storage efficiency.
The 2023 FEW program has four concurrent tracks and three additional events:
The FEW typically draws industry professionals from all 50 states and more than 30 countries. Upwards of 550 biofuels producers from 209 facilities all over the world attend each year.
The 2023 FEW proudly visits Omaha, NE. We look forward to seeing you there!
Click for more information as speakers and topics are announced. Early Bird Registration ends May 3.
Glenn Haave has had a close relationship with protecting our environment for years, ever since his days working on the ocean towing ships in and out of ports. He figured his deep appreciation of his natural surroundings and desire to protect them might carry into his chosen career path, especially after earning a Bachelor of Science in Geology. But when he came to SCS Engineers as a high-spirited, new graduate, he had no idea of the opportunities that would come his way— both at SCS and serving in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves.
“Both SCS and the Coast Guard hold you accountable to rise to the occasion and get the job done. With that trust and delegation of responsibilities, I am challenged to become a leader, which gives me a sense of duty and confidence,” Haave says.
Combining Geology, Hands-On Experience, and Teamwork
Starting at SCS doing groundwater and soil sampling and helping remediate landfills for redevelopment, Haave proved to be a fast learner. Quickly building on his skills, he was presented with a unique proposition– to join one of only a few multidisciplinary teams in the country that design and install deep well injection infrastructure. EPA-approved injection wells are safe for placing fluids underground into porous geologic formations. These underground formations may range from deep sandstone or limestone to a shallow soil layer. Injected fluids may include water, wastewater, brine (salt water), or water mixed with chemicals.
Planning, permitting, and executing these projects is a multifaceted undertaking encompassing geologic consulting, reservoir engineering, and deep drilling, with environmental protections and sustainability as core goals.
“Few geologists ever get to work on this type of job. These projects require a lot of capital, time, and very specialized expertise. I was fortunate to be working at SCS’s Miami office at the right time, able, and willing,” says Haave, drawn to complex tasks calling for a razor-sharp eye for detail, focus, and discipline.
Drawing on his experience supporting the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department Ocean Outfall Legislation Injection Well Program, where he saw 11 wells constructed in a demanding, high-profile project, he is now on a multidisciplinary team of SCS professionals.
Innovations in Carbon Sequestration – Protecting Our Environment
Now, he takes on a new charge: working on a type of deep injection well called a Class VI well. This sophisticated infrastructure directs carbon dioxide (CO2) liquids and gases into the ground for long-term storage. A fairly new, EPA-approved carbon sequestration technique, it is proven effective at substantially reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.
“Class VI wells are an exciting evolution as the world looks to decarbonize the economy. I feel like I am part of an extraordinarily innovative solution where I am using my background to support a global effort to impact our climate positively,” Haave says.
“I feel a sense of purpose in that we are helping mitigate exponential global warming. At least as important, I am comforted that what we do brings hope that my son, daughter, and their generation will grow up on a healthy, safe planet.”
Another Dimension – U.S. Coast Guard A School
As he embraces this unique opportunity to help the environment, he celebrates another milestone: graduating from U.S. Coast Guard A School and advancing in rank to Marine Science Technician Petty Officer Third Class. His calling will be responding to pollution incidents to protect U.S. waters and inspecting facilities and container vessels that transfer hazardous materials to and from land.
Getting into the Reserves is not easy, nor are the next steps. Making it into A school after boot camp is typically a two-year journey: the waiting list of accomplished graduates is long.
Haave finished three intensive months of classroom work; mock training in the field, morale-building exercises to keep spirits high while away from family and friends, and a battery of testing.
Through these rigorous trials, he took on the honorary role of Master at Arms, leading and mentoring his shipmates and serving as a liaison between the crew and captain.
“Becoming a Coast Guardsman was like a dream come true. It was something I had wanted to do since I was 19. But I needed time to mature. I did a lot of soul searching before I could fully realize what was entailed in living up to Coast Guard expectations; to truly embrace that it’s about a sense of duty to country and family, and to deliver on that conviction,” says Haave, now 37, and nominated as a most inspirational person by his shipmates and instructors.
When he shared his long-envisioned, materialized aspiration with his SCS supervisors, he was unsure what they would think; he was taking on another big commitment.
“They were not only accommodating, but they are proud. SCS Engineers is a military-friendly organization. They are always supportive, flexible, and believe in me.”
In the Coast Guard, he had a choice from a far-encompassing list of specialty areas, given his high military school entrance score. He chose marine science technology because it tied in with his civilian work – navigating and ensuring adherence to federal regulations and being a steward of the environment.
Looking Forward
Gazing back at how far he’s advanced in just the last few years, then looking forward, Haave says, “You know, I’m just 37 years old. I feel like I have a lot more in my gas tank –the amazing experiences I have been fortunate to have are just the beginning. I see more opportunities to advance as a leader and to become an even more rounded geologist, able to approach every project comprehensively and deeply.”
We thank all of our veterans and appreciate Glenn Haave for his service to the U.S. Coast Guard and his commitment to protecting our environment with SCS Engineers by advancing sustainable environmental practices and solutions.
Find out more about carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases:
Video: Building a Well
Information: Deep Well Injection and Sequestration Wells
Video: Carbon Sequestration for Landfills and GHG Tutorial
Safe engineering takes discipline and teamwork –qualities that have always served SCS and our clients with innovative, proven solutions for running operations more efficiently and greener. For a rewarding career, consider SCS Engineers, where all employee-owners have a vested interest in every solution.
