From our friends in the land down under.......... a list of dangers associated with carbon sequestration (CCS) - for your reference, the link to the web site is here
Just a few of them......- The cost of monitoring reservoirs will have to be borne by someone. Corporations have already suggested that the public pay for monitoring.
- It is unclear what remedial work can be done, if any, should carbon die-oxide leak from a reservoir.
- Many trials of CCS technology have leaked and some projects factor in a leak factor per year.
- Reservoirs of sequestered carbon die-oxide must be monitored forever.
Quoting the IPCC report. http://www.ipcc.ch/activity/srccs/index.htm emphasis added. Comment;
Hydrocarbon pipelines do leak, and CO2 is a smaller molecule than most of the hydrocarbons, giving it a greater tendency to leak. The ‘very important’ role of monitoring would have to continue forever.
"In the case of CO2 injection into deep saline formations, there is also the small possibility that displaced brine could contaminate groundwater. The contamination of freshwater aquifers could be caused by vertical migration of stored CO2. Buoyancy forces, caused by the density difference between the injected supercritical CO2 and the formation waters, will tend to drive stored CO2 upward. If the formation is not a geologic trap or not adequately sealed by an impermeable caprock, CO2 could leak from the storage reservoir. There is then the potential for the vertically migrating CO2 to dissolve in shallow aquifer waters, form carbonic acid and lower the aquifer water pH, which in turn could result in the mobilization of heavy metals and/or the leaching of nutrients. In a worst-case scenario, the contamination of a freshwater aquifer could exclude its use for drinking or irrigation supplies. CO2 migration within the subsurface also has the potential to contaminate energy and mineral resources as well as pose an occupational safety hazard for mining and exploration activities. “"Slow, long-term release of CO2 to the atmosphere (i.e. reservoir leakage)
Reduction in the net climate change mitigation achieved through CCS, resulting in worse than expected global warming
Sudden large-scale release of CO2 to the atmosphere
Reduction in the net climate change mitigation achieved through CCS, resulting in worse than expected global warming
Asphyxiation of humans, animals and plants
Escape of CO2 to shallow groundwater
Water acidification, mobilised toxic metals, leached nutrients (Bruant et al. 2002)
Displacement of deep brine upward
Contamination of potable water sources"
There is considerably more information on their web page.......be sure to visit it to read the article article and follow links.
http://www.aboutcarbon.com.au/Display.aspx?tabid=3300
