Summary of S. 1502: The Carbon Storage Stewardship Trust Fund Act of 2009
S. 1502 would establish a program managed by the Department of Energy to create a trust fund to ensure prompt compensation for any damages from the geologic storage of carbon dioxide. Importantly, the bill also identifies the transfer of responsibility for stewardship of a geologic site to the Federal or State government following the receipt of a site closure certificate. Site closure certification and legislative clarity in the responsibility for post-closure stewardship activities were among the recommendations proposed in Guidelines for Carbon Dioxide Capture, Transport, and Storage.