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Once completed, it is hoped the regulations will ensure there is a consistent and effective permit system under the Safe Drinking Water Act for commercial-scale geologic sequestration programmes to help reduce the effects of climate change.

Stephen L. Johnson, EPA Administrator, said:
"Addressing global climate change will require fundamental changes in the way the world generates and uses energy. By harnessing the power of geologic sequestration technology, we are entering a new age of clean energy – where we can be both good stewards of the Earth, and good stewards of the American economy."

EPA is working with the Department of Energy as it carries out its carbon sequestration research and development programme and is also coordinating efforts to evaluate potential impacts on health, safety and the environment.

The Safe Drinking Water Act established the Underground Injection Control (UIC) programme to allow the safe injection of fluids into the subsurface in a manner that does not endanger current or future underground sources of drinking water.

EPA plans to propose regulatory changes to the UIC programme in the summer of 2008.