OH HB170

Grants the Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management sole and exclusive authority to regulate carbon capture and storage (geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide) in Ohio through UIC Class VI permits

Establishes pore space ownership rules: surface landowners own all subsurface pore space unless previously severed, and mineral/oil and gas estates remain dominant over pore space interests

Creates a statutory consolidation process allowing storage operators who obtain consent from 70% of pore space owners to petition for use of the entire proposed storage facility after good-faith negotiations fail

Imposes a fee of 5.25 cents per metric ton of injected carbon dioxide to fund the new Carbon Dioxide Storage Facility Fund for post-closure care, and requires operators to maintain at least $15 million in liability insurance plus surety bonds

Transfers long-term liability for stored carbon dioxide to the state after a minimum 50-year post-injection period, once the operator receives a certificate of project completion demonstrating the CO2 is stable and poses no threat to health, safety, or drinking water