Prohibits the importation of captured carbon dioxide into Louisiana for sequestration

House Bill 510 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 30:1104(C) to impose a new requirement on carbon dioxide sequestration projects in the state. The bill changes the existing condition from requiring that at least one enumerated condition be met prior to reservoir use or eminent domain exercise to requiring that all enumerated conditions be satisfied. Additionally, the bill adds a new fourth condition to the enumerated list: that any carbon dioxide to be stored within Louisiana must have been generated within the state itself. This modification effectively prohibits the importation of captured carbon dioxide from outside Louisiana for purposes of underground sequestration.

The practical effect of this legislation is to restrict carbon dioxide sequestration operations in Louisiana to projects using only CO2 produced from sources located within state boundaries. This impacts companies and entities engaged in carbon capture and sequestration activities, as well as those considering investment in such projects. The change affects both the authorization to use reservoirs for carbon dioxide storage and the ability to exercise eminent domain rights to acquire property or access for storage facilities. Any project proposing to import captured carbon dioxide from other states or locations would be prohibited from proceeding under Louisiana law.

This amendment operates within the statutory framework governing carbon dioxide capture and sequestration established in Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 30. The change interacts with the existing procedural requirements in R.S. 30:1104(C), which mandate that the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality hold public hearings in the parish where a storage facility is located before making findings on the enumerated conditions. The bill also affects the exercise of eminent domain rights referenced in R.S. 19:2(11) and R.S. 30:1108, as these rights now become subject to the additional state-of-origin requirement for the carbon dioxide being sequestered.