Trump eliminates need for carbon capture technology

The Trump administration recently succeeded in revoking the 2009 Endangerment Finding. This scientific-based finding classified carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluorides as a threat to public health and welfare.

Studies show that increases in these air pollutants means more asthma and increases in other adverse health outcomes like cardiovascular disease.

Increased carbon dioxide levels from combustion of fossil fuels causes increases in global temperatures that lead to heat waves, droughts, intensification of hurricanes and flooding. Increased heat and record droughts have already negatively impacted Ohio’s agricultural systems.

Trump and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, believe that there is no such thing as climate change. In September 2025, Trump’s EPA proposed a rollback of greenhouse gas reporting requirements even though over 53,000 public comments expressed objections.

Their justification for this rollback, “the EPA has determined that the program imposes significant costs on the regulated community and eliminating the collection of this data would minimize the burdens of reporting and record keeping, consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act.”

Following in lock-step with the anti-science Trump administration, Ohio’s politicians are proposing we now categorize fracked methane gas as “green energy” via SB 294. This bill “allows hydrocarbons to be considered clean” and “excludes renewables as reliable energy sources.”

Frankly, there isn’t a single piece of pro-fossil fuel legislation Ohio’s Republicans won’t support. That includes SB 136 which is now working its way through the Ohio Senate. This bill, like its recently passed companion bill in the house, HB170, will allow Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources to assume primacy over Class VI carbon dioxide storage wells and pore space permitting.

Landowners in Carroll, Harrison and Jefferson counties have already been solicited to sign lease agreements for storing the high-pressure supercritical asphyxiant under their property. Now comes the interesting development; if carbon dioxide is no longer dangerous according to Trump, why would the fossil fuel industry be pushing to capture CO₂ via CCS?

Why are Ohio’s politicians proposing legislation to assume responsibility for dangerous CO₂ wells and pore space facilities? Why will Ohio citizens be forced to store this dangerous gas under their property? Both bills allow for forcing landowners into pore space leases.

The simple answer to these questions is of course money. After all, industries who participate in CCS would be paid per ton of CO₂ captured. These payments are funded by tax-payers.

The 45Q legislation which handles these payments was updated under the Big Beautiful Bill. It states that carbon dioxide captured from point sources like industrial smokestacks would get $85 per ton of CO₂ and carbon dioxide directly captured from air would get subsidies of $180/ton.

Imagine getting paid for your pollution. Considering Ohio’s and Trump’s assertions that climate change is a hoax, do we even need carbon capture? It appears Trump has just eliminated the need for carbon capture and sequestration technology.

Dr. Randi Pokladnik

Tappan Lake