On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Louisiana’s application to gain enforcement authority over carbon capture wells has gone to the Federal Register for public comment. That marks a vital step in the process of receiving “primacy” and accelerating the permitting process.

Permitting for most Class VI carbon dioxide storage wells across the United States, is currently managed by the EPA. In states where the state government has acquired primacy over Class VI wells, the permitting processing time has been cut from years to months.

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said, “Capturing and storing carbon is the next phase of job creation and economic development in Louisiana. Louisiana being able to permit wells independently of the EPA while implementing EPA standards gives us an edge over other states and protects the environment.”

Once Louisiana gains the ability to quickly permit Class VI wells, there are already energy companies preparing to take advantage of the opportunity. A number of high-profile oil and gas companies, including Talos Energy and Occidental Petroleum, are planning to set up carbon sequestration projects for Louisiana.