California court rejects TerraVault carbon capture project approval over incomplete CEQA review
edhat.comA Kern County judge ruled that California's first operating carbon capture and storage project, California Resources Corp.'s TerraVault 1 at Elk Hills, was approved without a valid environmental review. The court found the project's CEQA analysis failed to assess the polluting industries that could eventually supply CO2 to the site, including hydrogen, cement, and steel plants. The ruling does not immediately stop injections, but CRC will need to redo the environmental review and seek county approval again, a process that could take years. The decision is a setback for California's climate plans, which rely on carbon capture to offset emissions from hard-to-abate sectors. More than 15 similar projects are in development across the state, and the ruling could shape how they are reviewed. It also lands as voters weigh Proposition 45, which would speed up environmental review for projects deemed essential, including carbon capture. For now, community groups that sued are asking the court to suspend operations while the company reworks its impact analysis.