California's first carbon capture project is now injecting CO2 underground, but environmental groups are still fighting it

California Resources Corporation has started injecting carbon dioxide from its natural gas processing plant into an oil field in Kern County. The Carbon TerraVault I project is the first operational carbon capture and storage site in the state, sending up to 100,000 tons of CO2 per year underground. The project faced years of permitting delays and is still being challenged in court by environmental groups who say the county's environmental review was insufficient. California finalized pipeline rules this week that could support more CCS projects. The TerraVault is a test case for the state and for other regions looking to build similar operations. The outcome of the legal challenge and the performance of the injection site will shape how quickly the industry scales in California and beyond.