Burying Carbon Dioxide

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By Holly Zuluaga

Summary

PNNL just announced plans to store carbon dioxide underground, instead of sending it into the air.

Story Published: Nov 19, 2008 at 5:58 PM PST

WALLULA--PNNL just announced plans to store carbon dioxide underground, instead of sending it into the air.

It's a big step in the right direction and it's happening right in our backyard.

"It would be gone from the atmosphere," Charlotte Sullivan said.

Our area is perfect for the testing because of the kinds of rocks we have here.

PNNL is working with Boise Cascade at the Wallula Papermill to do the test.

Boise tells Action News they are on board.

They are already trying to reduce emissions at the plant.

Here's how it works.

First they'll dig a well about three-thousand feet.

Then the carbon dioxide is injected.

Charlotte Sullivan says the CO2 gets trapped and can't leak up.

Think of each level of rock like a pancake, and at 3,000 feet, the ideal rock or "basalt" has lots of holes, and on top it's a more solid layer.

Then it sits for about two years.

Scientists say it will turn to rock.

But is it safe?

"When we put the CO2 in the ground we're basically making Eastern Washington Perrier, it's just bubbly water that we're putting in there," Sullivan said.

After the test is complete, the hope is that commercial companies can use the procedure all over the world.

"It wouldn't do us a lot of good if we just sequestered our CO2 here and no one else does," Sullivan said.

If successful this forward technology could literally change the world, and it all started right below our feet.