Regulatory Guidelines
Environmental permitting is focused on reducing the potential impacts of the proposed project as much as possible. These considerations pertain to air quality, water quality, impacts to wildlife, and impacts to human life and activities. Permits and approvals for all stages of an offshore CCS hub development can come from a plethora of local, state, and federal agencies, some of which include:
Additional Resources on Federal Offshore Agencies
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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is an agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) responsible for managing development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way. BOEM is actively advancing offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives, emphasizing the development of federal regulations to govern offshore carbon sequestration projects. BOEM is currently drafting rules to establish a framework for leasing, permitting, and monitoring CCS activities in federal waters, ensuring alignment with environmental and safety standards. These regulations aim to facilitate responsible offshore carbon storage while addressing technical, legal, and ecological considerations, positioning BOEM as a key agency in enabling the U.S. to meet its climate goals through marine-based CCS solutions.
BOEM is conducting an ongoing offshore carbon storage assessment of the offshore Atlantic which is accessible here: https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/about-boem/regulations-guidance/Atlantic-SECARB-Presentation.pdf
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https://www.bsee.gov/environmental-stewardship/carbon-sequestration
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) promotes offshore safety, environmental protection, and resource conservation. In collaboration with BOEM, BSEE ensures safe, environmentally sound offshore CCS operations, focusing on operational integrity, risk management, and post-injection CO₂ monitoring. It enforces well-construction standards, leak detection, and emergency response protocols, reinforcing its role in marine ecosystem protection as offshore carbon sequestration expands under federal regulations.
Part of the study’s scope is to investigate the guidelines and regulations that are needed to develop an offshore CCS hub. For a project seeking to transport CO₂ from onshore sites to offshore storage, some examples of permits, approvals, and authorizations that may be required include: