Lisa Alpert, PhD, PG, Senior Geologist, will present “Environmental Compliance Considerations for Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) Projects” at the 2026 Ground Water Protection Council Annual Forum, taking place September 15-17, 2026, in Anaheim, California. The forum brings together regulators, industry professionals, consultants, and researchers focused on groundwater protection and underground injection control.
Abstract
Environmental compliance monitoring for Class VI UIC CCUS projects involves sampling and analysis of various types of environmental media including ambient air, soil gas, groundwater and formation fluids in the injection zone and above the reservoir confining zone. The anticipated monitoring life-cycle for Class VI UIC projects includes: 1) baseline monitoring, to establish initial (baseline) conditions of environmental media prior to injection; 2) monitoring during operations and active injection; and 3) monitoring following injection, during the post-injection site care (PISC) period. Major considerations for monitoring network design will be discussed, including spatial distribution of monitoring network components, consideration of probable migration conduits for migration, and sensitive regions within the area of review or zones above the confining zone. As projects complete initial baseline (pre-injection) monitoring and transition to routine detection monitoring, methods for data evaluation should be implemented. A generalized approach to ongoing detection monitoring will be presented. Since December 2022, we have successfully designed, implemented, and operated baseline monitoring programs for Class VI UIC projects in the western United States.
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