If carbon capture ever gets going in Ontario, where will we put it all?
The Ontario government is proposing legislative changes that would open the door to storing carbon dioxide underground in the province, but it’s unclear where the captured greenhouse gas would go.
In a discussion paper released in January, the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry proposes allowing carbon dioxide storage on Crown land. The proposed amendments would still prohibit using carbon dioxide to enhance oil and gas extraction — a concern among some environmentalists since most captured carbon is used to make it easier to produce more oil and gas. Instead, the proposed legislation would focus on options for storing carbon dioxide generated by other large emitters.
According to the discussion paper, storing carbon dioxide deep underground is “one way of reducing the impact of greenhouse gases” from high-emitting sources like gas-fired power plants or heavy industrial activity.
