The state Senate has overwhelmingly endorsed a measure that would set parameters for underground storage of carbon dioxide, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants and other energy plants.
Senate Bill 498 is sponsored by Sen. Keith Bales, R-Otter. It passed 41-9 Monday and needs one more affirmative vote from the Senate before moving on to the House.
The bill seeks to establish a legal framework carbon capture in Montana. It says a company that pumps CO2 into the ground will be responsible for it for 20 years before the state takes over.
The bill does not define who owns the geological formations where the gas is stored. But an amendment is expected that would state that surface owners also own the pore space below their property.
Monday’s vote came as the White House reviews a proposed finding by the Environmental Protection Agency that global warming is a threat to public health and welfare.