West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, Phase II
Summary
SCH Number
2006028265
Public Agency
California Energy Commission
Document Title
West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, Phase II
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/17/2006
Document Description
The purpose of this WA is to augment current PIER climate change mitigation research activities and expand its program to develop additional data on regional CO2 sinks; to update and expend regional carbon supply curves; and to validate CO2 injectability and secure storage in the vast depleting oil and/or gas reservoirs and saline formations underlying California's Great Central Valley. This meets the PIER goal of improving the Environmental, Public Health, and Safety of California's Electricity by validating technologies that can keep CO2 produced by fossil fuel combustion away from the atmosphere for centuries or longer, curbing the atmospheric build-up of this greenhouse gas, which has been linked to climate changes that are projected to adversely affect the state. This project also meets the secondary PIER goal of Addressing Important RD&D Gaps, particularly the extent to which climate change mitigation measures for today's energy systems (i.e., carbon sequestration) can affordably forestall adverse impacts over the decades needed to achieve the CO2-emission-free "hydrogen-electric economy."
Contact Information
Name
Guido Franco
Agency Name
California Energy Commission
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Rio Vista
Counties
Sacramento, Shasta
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15277, 15306
Reasons for Exemption
Tasks 7-10 of the Agreement, which involve drilling wells and sequestering carbon in the ground and do not at this time appear to be exempt from CEQA, have not yet been approved by the Energy Commission. An environmental analysis will be conducted in the future regarding these activities.
Task 14 of the Work Authorization involves testing the feasibility of fuels-treatment-based terrestrial CO2 sequestration in an Oregon forest. This work is statutorily exempt from CEQA based Public Resources Code Section 21080(b)(14), 14 Cal. code of Regulations Section 15277. The reason that this exemption applies is because the activities that could cause a direct or indirect change in the environment will be conducted in Oregon, will comply with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or Oregon's laws consistent with NEPA, and will not result in any emissions or discharges that would have a significant effect on the environment in California.
Task 15 of the Agreement involves the following three activities in California:
- Planting trees on a plot range land and studying the amount of carbon that could be potentially sequestered with wide-spread forestation;
- Conducting forest fuel treatments, transportating the material to an existing biomass facility, studying the net carbon benefits of this arrangement, and estimating the potential benefits of this arrangement if it is adopted on a wide-scale basis; and
- A forest management study.
These activities are categorically exempt based on 14 CCR 15306. The exemption applies, because the activities involve basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities that do not result in major disturbances to an environmental resource.
Tasks 1-6, 11-13, and 16-17 all involve paper studies that are also exempt under 14 CCR 15306.
Disclaimer: The document was originally posted before CEQAnet had the capability to host attachments for the public. To obtain the original attachments for this document, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. You may also contact the OPR via email at state.clearinghouse@opr.ca.gov or via phone at (916) 445-0613.