170Additional criteria for surrender of injection and monitoring licence

170 Additional criteria for surrender of injection and monitoring licence

(1) In addition to the requirements set out in section 168, the Minister may only consent to the surrender of an injection and monitoring licence if—

(a) in the opinion of the Minister—

(i) the greenhouse gas substance that has been injected into an underground geological storage formation in the licence area is behaving and will continue to behave in a predictable manner; and

(ii) the licence holder has reduced the risks associated with the permanent storage of the greenhouse gas substance to as low as is reasonably practicable; and

(iii) the stored greenhouse gas substance will not present a risk to public health or the environment; and

(b) the licence holder has provided the following information—

(i) details of the work carried out under the licence;

(ii) details of the physical, geological, hydrological, chemical and biological conditions at the licence area at the time that the application for surrender of the licence is made;

(iii) a verifiable estimate of the storage capacity of any underground geological storage formation in which a greenhouse gas substance has been injected for the purpose of permanent storage;

(iv) details of the greenhouse gas substance injected under the licence, including a verifiable estimate of the volume of greenhouse gas substance injected, the rate at which it was injected and the injection technique used;

(v) an assessment of the processes and pathways for potential greenhouse gas migration and leakage to the environment;

(vi) an assessment of the effects that any potential leakage might have on public health or the environment and on any other resources in the licence area;

(vii) a risk management plan in the event of leakage to the environment; and

(c) the licence holder has prepared, for the approval of the Minister, a long-term monitoring and verification plan including an estimate of the cost of carrying out the activities in the plan.

(2) Before the Minister consents to the surrender of an injection and monitoring licence, he or she must approve the applicant's long-term monitoring and verification plan.

(3) The Minister may approve the long-term monitoring and verification plan subject to conditions.