EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/20/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Sioux City Journal: Moville landowner sets example in resisting CO2 pipeline
Sioux City Journal: WATCH NOW: Moville landowner opposes possible Navigator pipeline crossing her land
Montreal Gazette: Activists arrested after occupying oil pipeline facility in Port of Montreal
Law360: Think Tank Backs Justices' Review Of FERC Pipeline Powers
The Detroit News: Feds: Let Enbridge skip certain Line 5 inspections for 15 years
Michigan Advance: EPA, enviro groups file last flurry of comments for Army Corps’ review of Line 5 tunnel
Michigan Advance: Where the Michigan governor and attorney general candidates stand on Line 5 and climate change
Press release: IUB Approves New Public Informational Meetings for Proposed Wolf Carbon Solutions Pipeline
Fort Madison Daily Democrat: County asked to contribute to pipeline soil study
People’s World: Canada sides with a pipeline, violating indigenous laws — and its own
Associated Press: Pipeline operator agrees to $50M California spill settlement
Associated Press: July 2021 pipeline break leaked 714,000 gallons, not 36,000
Natural Gas Intelligence: Northern Natural’s Gas Pipeline Expansion Granted Positive Draft EIS
Press release: USACE seeks public comment on Environmental Assessment for horizontal directional drill pipe replacement project in Iowa
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Biden denounces Big Oil’s profits, urges permitting reform
Guardian: Biden implores US oil companies to pass on record profits to consumers
Politico: Democrats passed a huge climate bill. Now they’re talking oil.
Reuters: Energy pipeline chief says U.S. fuel export ban would be no help to motorists
STATE UPDATES
Grist: How a Utah utility is helping an Estonian oil company hoard Colorado River water
Albuquerque Journal: State Land Office will require archaeological surveys
Montana State News Bureau: States enter agreement to look at hydrogen hub
EXTRACTION
Press release: The European Parliament calls on nation-states to develop a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
Bloomberg: Justin Trudeau Defends Canada’s Minuscule Climate Progress
Financial Times: ‘Put up or shut up’: can Big Oil prove the case for carbon capture?
The Hill: Carbon emission increases down steeply in 2022: analysis
The Nation: The Deadly Consequences of Urban Oil Drilling
Enbridge: Offshore carbon capture study in Texas is ‘a potential game-changer for the planet’
OPINION
CT Post: Opinion: The time for insurers to reckon with climate change is now
PIPELINE NEWS
Sioux City Journal: Moville landowner sets example in resisting CO2 pipeline
Nick Hytrek, 10/19/22
“As it relates to her legal battle against a carbon dioxide pipeline developer, you could call Vicki Hulse a number of things,” the Sioux City Journal reports. “Concerned landowner. Property rights defender. Underdog. Just don't call her a hero, a title she emphatically rejects. Her fight against Navigator Heartland Greenway isn't about her, and she's not seeking publicity, she told the Journal. Rather, it's about doing what she believes to be right. If you want to call her something, call her an example to landowners whose property is along the route of Navigator's proposed CO2 pipeline. She wants others to know they're not powerless. "I just want to be an example that you can stand up for yourself," Hulse told the Journal. "You can stand up and say no, this is my land." In June, when Navigator's agents, accompanied by the sheriff and a couple deputies, sought entry onto a piece of land that's been in her husband Bill's family for three generations, Hulse told them no. Navigator sued her and Bill two months later. "I think that's why they chose me," Hulse told the Journal. "I was standing up to them and they didn't like that. They're going to make an example of us." Round 1 in the case went to the Hulses when, on Oct. 7, District Judge Roger Sailer denied Navigator's request for an injunction to allow them on the land to complete surveys. Next up is a trial, as yet unscheduled, on the Hulses' counterclaim that Iowa laws giving pipeline companies the right of entry to private land to survey it are unconstitutional. For Hulse, it's a simple fight. She doesn't think companies like Navigator should be able to use eminent domain to gain access to land for pipelines when landowners don't want them.”
Sioux City Journal: WATCH NOW: Moville landowner opposes possible Navigator pipeline crossing her land
Tim Hynds, 10/19/22
“Vicki Hulse talks about the 151 acres of land she owns north of Moville near the Plymouth County line during an interview Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Hulse is resisting efforts by Navigator Heartland Greenway to have surveyors enter her land in preparation for a possible carbon dioxide pipeline to be routed through the property,” the Sioux City Journal reports.
Montreal Gazette: Activists arrested after occupying oil pipeline facility in Port of Montreal
10/20/22
“A group of protesters who chained themselves to the Valero oil terminal in Montréal-Est on Wednesday to denounce the Enbridge 9B oil pipeline were arrested and released on a promise to appear in court, the group Collectif Antigone said,” the Montreal Gazette reports. “But the occupation of the site continued into Wednesday night, as temperatures dropped to 5 degrees C… “About 40 protesters had occupied the oil transfer terminal in the Port of Montreal at about 4:15 a.m. In the morning, police said the situation was calm, with about 20 chained protesters chanting slogans, and police were on the scene to ensure the safety of the protesters and workers at the installation… “Antigone, which describes itself as supporting the Extinction Rébellion Québec movement, sent a notice to newsrooms saying about 20 of its members had occupied the Valero terminal. According to the statement, “six of (the protesters) have scaled the towers used to load tanker ships and six others are inside a concrete shipping container at the entrance to the site.” “The goal of these activists, who come from across the province, is to immediately obtain a plan to shut down the 9B line and inform the public of the issues concerning this pipeline, such as the threat to drinking water and its indisputable role in the worsening of the climate crisis.” The group said it is demanding “an immediate reduction of the quantity of oil being transported to prevent the risks of a spill as well as a clear plan from governments for (the pipeline’s) immediate closure.”
Law360: Think Tank Backs Justices' Review Of FERC Pipeline Powers
Grace Dixon, 10/14/22
“The landowners urging the U.S. Supreme Court to revive their challenge to the $6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline were backed by a conservative think tank as they argued Friday that the project stems from an unconstitutional delegation of eminent domain authority,” Law360 reports.
The Detroit News: Feds: Let Enbridge skip certain Line 5 inspections for 15 years
Carol Thompson, 10/18/22
“The U.S. Department of Justice has proposed allowing Enbridge Energy not to perform some in-line inspections on Line 5 for at least 15 years, stating pressure tests conducted in 2017 are sufficient to show the twin pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac are not in danger of rupturing on their own before then,” The Detroit News reports. “Enbridge and federal attorneys agreed “that at the current time requiring (in-line inspection) to evaluate potential axial cracks on the Dual Pipelines will not materially reduce risks or enhance pipeline safety on the Dual Pipelines,” according to a proposed modified consent decree filed in U.S. District Court of the Western District of Michigan… “Enbridge did not admit that it is required ever to conduct in-line inspections on Line 5 and reserved the right to argue it is not required to assess the cracks after 2037, according to the proposal released through the Federal Register on Tuesday. The proposal is part of a consent decree between Enbridge and the federal government over a 2010 oil spill on line 6b that wrought havoc in Marshall, Michigan, when more than 20,000 barrels of oil gushed into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. The leak lasted for 17 hours after operators twice decided to keep pumping oil through the line. The oil stretched for 38 miles, contaminating more than 1,500 acres. The Department of Justice sued Enbridge for violating the Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act in the Marshall spill and a smaller spill in Romeoville, Illinois, that also occurred in 2010. The consent decree was issued in 2017; Enbridge paid a $61 million civil penalty for the Marshall spill and spent $110 million on spill prevention and operation improvement measures across its lines in the Great Lakes region. Enbridge also settled a claim filed by Michigan. The Environmental Protection Agency fined Enbridge $6.7 million in 2020 for allegedly violating the consent decree. Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy told the Press the company believes it has "reached the point that most of the (consent) decree can be terminated," since the firm has focused on pipeline safety and worked hard to satisfy the conditions of the decree.” Environmental groups oppose the tunnel plan, instead calling on a full shutdown of oil transport through the Straits. They say the tunnel would take years to build, leaving the pipelines in place for too long, would further the region's dependence on fossil fuels and would be dangerous to operate.”
Michigan Advance: EPA, enviro groups file last flurry of comments for Army Corps’ review of Line 5 tunnel
LAINA G. STEBBINS, 10/18/22
“As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Detroit District, wrapped up the first comment period Friday for its forthcoming review of Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel project, the last flurry of comments recently filed include those from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several prominent Michigan and Midwest environmental groups,” Michigan Advance reports. “The EPA, the Michigan Climate Action Network (MiCAN) and the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) all recommended that USACE assess alternatives to the Line 5 tunnel while reviewing the project as a whole. Other recommendations include those regarding environmental justice, tribal resources, climate change, impacts to endangered species and habitats and more… “For their part, MiCAN and the ELPC filed formal comments on Line 5 primarily suggesting that the agency needs to consider climate impacts and alternatives that do not cross the environmentally-sensitive Straits of Mackinac. “This is an early stage, but the Corps has got to get this right,” Scott Strand, senior attorney for the ELPC, told the Advance. “If the Corps decides now that it will not do anything more than compare the environmental risks of the tunnel with the environmental risks of the existing pipelines, the Corps will be doing both itself and the public a grave disservice.” “...It is the Corps’ responsibility to consider alternatives that support the demand for a rapid transition to renewable energy, not lock us into building more fossil fuel infrastructure,” MiCAN Director Denise Keele told the Advance. “The MiCAN and ELPC comment urged the Corps to do a full life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, both the upstream emissions from oil extraction and the downstream emissions from refining and combusting the oil, and do that analysis for each alternative it considers.”
Michigan Advance: Where the Michigan governor and attorney general candidates stand on Line 5 and climate change
LAINA G. STEBBINS, 10/19/22
“On virtually all policy points, Democratic incumbents Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel couldn’t be further apart from their GOP challengers, gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon and Attorney General nominee Matthew DePerno,” Michigan Advance reports. “But perhaps one of the most tangible, albeit lesser-mentioned differences between the candidates for governor and attorney general is their contrasting positions on Line 5, the long-embattled oil pipeline in the Great Lakes that has been a flashpoint of environmental and economic debate for the past decade. Environmentalists have long expressed their concern that an oil spill in the turbulent Straits waters would cause irreparable damage to the Great Lakes region. All 12 of Michigan’s federally recognized tribes also strongly oppose Line 5 and its proposed replacement for treaty rights reasons… “While Whitmer and Nessel have both spoken out against Canadian owner Enbridge and filed lawsuits in attempts to shut down the nearly 70-year-old pipeline, Dixon and DePerno have slammed their actions and vowed to keep Canadian oil running through the pipeline that snakes under the Straits of Mackinac. In terms of environmental policy, the Democratic incumbents have put forward their own efforts to fight climate change, pollution and more. While the Republican challengers have not made environmental issues a top campaign priority, they have opposed many of Democrats’ actions, making it possible that they would reverse course if voted into office.
Press release: IUB Approves New Public Informational Meetings for Proposed Wolf Carbon Solutions Pipeline
10/19/22
“The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) today issued an order approving the dates, times and locations for four new public informational meetings requested by Wolf Carbon Solutions US, LLC (Wolf). The meetings are to discuss Wolf’s proposal to build and operate a carbon capture pipeline system that will transport liquefied carbon dioxide from local facilities in eastern Iowa to an underground storage facility in Illinois… “On September 23, 2022, the IUB issued an order raising questions about the meetings, who was given notice of the informational meetings, and whether Iowa statute and IUB rules regarding notice were properly met. Wolf responded to the IUB’s order on October 3, 2022, stating an internal review found that some anomalies with its process had occurred, likely resulting in certain landowners not receiving notice via certified mail as required by Iowa law. Wolf stated it would voluntarily reschedule the informational meetings… “The IUB is also requiring Wolf to provide printed parcel-specific maps for each landowner, person residing on, and person in possession of the land for those parcels upon which the pipeline is currently anticipated to be located. Once the IUB declares a meeting adjourned, Wolf can begin easement negotiations in that county. Today’s order also addresses land surveying and landowner negotiations, and confirms, as stated by the IUB presiding officers at the previously held informational meetings, that Wolf is able to move forward in the process only with those individuals who it can prove were given proper notice of the first round of informational meetings. If Wolf is unable to prove proper notice via certified mail return receipt, no landowner negotiations nor surveying can take place until proper notice is sent and the second round of informational meetings is held.”
Fort Madison Daily Democrat: County asked to contribute to pipeline soil study
Robin Delaney, 10/20/22
“Lee County has been asked to chip in for a study measuring moisture content in the soil around pipeline construction,” the Fort Madison Daily Democrat reports. “The request surfaced during a workshop session after Monday’s regular meeting of the Lee County Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Vice Chair Garry Seyb Jr. said the request came from the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC). “We all voted on this earlier in the year to have it added to the pipeline construction process,” Seyb said, adding that it will give inspectors more control over the pipeline projects. “There is no standard put into the requirements for pipeline and our inspectors to be able to look at things. This study will be a catalyst to determine what that number is.” “...Seyb said another benefit will be that the study will set a standard determining when pipeline construction must stop because of the moisture level. Supervisor Ron Fedler said this proved to be an issue in the aftermath of the Dakota Access Pipeline installed a few years ago. “One the biggest complaints I heard after the Dakota Access pipeline went through, and a few years later, the trench that was dug was settling because the soil really wasn’t compacted very well so Mother Nature compacts it. I was told some had success with the pipeline fixing it and some complained they haven’t had that success yet. I hope Dakota Access does make that right.” “...One of the three pipeline projects, Navigator Heartland-Greenway, that is to run from the northwest corner of the county to Montrose before crossing the Mississippi River, has encountered opposition, including pending lawsuits, over the safety of nearby property owners. “More than 44 counties have said ‘we don’t want it.’ I don’t know of any that have come out and shouted to the high heavens saying ‘we want it.’ They’ve all said they don’t,” Seyb said, adding that people should lobby legislators with their concerns because counties don’t appear willing to assume the cost of taking legal action.”
People’s World: Canada sides with a pipeline, violating indigenous laws — and its own
MARK ARMAO, 10/19/22
“When Chief Dsta’hyl arrived on a Saturday morning in October, the big construction vehicles rumbled back and forth over the cold mud,” People’s World reports. “...The area that was being prepared for construction lies within the territory of the Wet’suwet’en, a First Nation in what is currently called British Columbia, Canada. As a supporting chief from the Likhts’amisyu clan, Dsta’hyl had been tasked with enforcing Wet’suwet’en law in the area. The scene he was witnessing — construction crews preparing to build a pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory, without their consent — represented a blatant violation of those laws. And Dsta’hyl had seen enough. After warning the on-site construction managers that they were trespassing, he arrived the next day and approached a pair of orange-vested security subcontractors employed by TC Energy, the company building the fracked gas pipeline known as Coastal GasLink, or CGL. He notified them that he would be seizing one of their excavators and then stepped onto the hulking vehicle and disabled it by disconnecting its battery and other components. Though he planned to leave the vehicle in place, Dsta’hyl said he wanted to make a statement to the company, which the traditional leaders decided to evict from their territory last year… “That incident was one of the latest standoffs between the Wet’suwet’en and Coastal GasLink over the proposed pipeline, which, if completed, would carry 2 billion cubic feet per day of fracked gas from northeastern B.C. to a proposed processing facility on the Pacific coast. Although the company says it received all necessary permits and approvals to build the pipeline, the hereditary chiefs of the five clans of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation contend that because they never gave the company permission to build on their territory, the construction efforts violate their laws — not to mention Canada’s own laws.”
Associated Press: Pipeline operator agrees to $50M California spill settlement
10/18/22
“A pipeline operator has agreed to pay $50 million to thousands of Southern California fishermen, tourism companies and property owners who sued after an offshore oil spill last year near Huntington Beach,” the Associated Press reports. “A proposed settlement between Amplify Energy Corp., which owns the pipeline that ruptured in October 2021 and spilled 25,000 gallons (94,600 liters) of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, and the businesses and residents was filed Monday in federal court in Santa Ana, court documents show. Under the proposal, the Houston-based energy company would pay $34 million to commercial fishermen and $9 million to coastal property owners. It also would pay $7 million to waterfront tourism operators, including businesses that provide surf lessons and leisure cruises and shops that sell swimwear and fishing bait… “This is a really dramatic first step and a dramatic compensation for these victims of this terrible tragedy,” Wylie Aitken, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs, whom he estimated number more than 10,000, told AP. “Though it may not be 100% it is very substantial and very helpful and a good deal of compensation to them. We’re going to continue to try to get every last penny that they deserve.”
Associated Press: July 2021 pipeline break leaked 714,000 gallons, not 36,000
10/20/22
“A wastewater spill from a pipeline break last year in the northwestern North Dakota oil patch was 20 times greater than first reported, the state Department of Environmental Quality said Wednesday,” the Associated Press reports. “Tallgrass Energy first estimated that nearly 36,000 gallons of produced water was released during the spill. The company now says the volume was actually closer to 714,000 gallons. Produced water is a mixture of saltwater and oil that can contain drilling chemicals. It’s a byproduct of oil and gas development.”
Natural Gas Intelligence: Northern Natural’s Gas Pipeline Expansion Granted Positive Draft EIS
LETICIA GONZALES, 10/19/22
“Federal regulators said a plan to construct about 10 miles of natural gas pipeline and other related infrastructure along the Northern Natural Gas Pipeline would not cause significant adverse environmental impacts as long as some mitigation measures were put in place,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “The Northern Lights 2023 Expansion Project, targeting south/southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin, is expected to begin service in November 2023 if given final approval. Northern Natural filed the application with FERC in March [No. CP22-138-000]… Included in the project would be 9.8 miles of pipeline in six segments (four pipeline extensions and two pipeline loops). The pipelines would range in size from four inches to 36 inches in diameter. The expansion also includes constructing four valve settings, abandoning and removing two existing valve settings, and modifying six existing aboveground facilities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said constructing and operating the project would result in some adverse environmental impacts. However, most of the impacts would be temporary and occur during construction. With implementation of Northern Natural’s impact avoidance, minimization and mitigation measures, as well as adherence to Commission staff’s recommendations, these impacts “would be reduced to less than significant levels,” FERC said in the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The agency noted, however, that climate change impacts were not characterized in the DEIS as significant or insignificant.”
Press release: USACE seeks public comment on Environmental Assessment for horizontal directional drill pipe replacement project in Iowa
10/19/22
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District is seeking public comment to evaluate the impacts of the proposed Northern Natural Gas Company Odebolt Creek Horizontal Directional Drill Pipe Replacement Project in Ida Grove, Iowa. The proposed project entails installing a new pipeline with adequate cover and to remove an exposed pipeline segment. The new pipe will be installed approximately 25 feet below Odebolt Creek… “All Comments must be postmarked or received no later than November 19, 2022. BACKGROUND: Project activities include the replacement of approximately 538 feet of pipeline to replace exposed pipe. The project includes the installation of the new pipeline segment via the HDD construction method with approximately 117 feet of pipeline to be installed on either side of Odebolt Creek via open cut construction techniques. The project will ensure system reliability, pipeline integrity, and public safety.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Biden denounces Big Oil’s profits, urges permitting reform
Robin Bravender, 10/19/22
“President Joe Biden blasted energy companies on Wednesday as he announced new policies aimed at lowering gas prices ahead of next month’s midterm election,” E&E News reports. “Bring down the price you charge at the pump to reflect what you pay for the product,” Biden said to energy companies during a White House press conference. “You’ll still make a significant profit. Your shareholders will still do very well, and the American people will catch a break they deserve and get a fair price at the pump as well.” The administration announced the release of an additional 15 million barrels of oil from U.S. emergency reserves (Energywire, Oct. 19). Biden said he’ll consider additional releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the months ahead “if needed” and plans to replenish the reserve when oil prices drop to $70 per barrel… “The president also reiterated his desire for Congress to pass permitting reform legislation, which he said will “accelerate the development of clean energy” and improve national security. Right now, he said, securing approval for energy projects is “too cumbersome and too time consuming.” He urged Congress to “pass a permitting bill to speed up the approval of all kinds of energy production from wind to solar to clean hydrogen.” An effort to advance permitting reform stalled before Congress went on recess, but the White House and some lawmakers tell E&E they are still committed to hammering out a deal to overhaul the nation’s permitting requirements for energy projects.”
Guardian: Biden implores US oil companies to pass on record profits to consumers
Dominic Rushe and Lauren Aratani, 10/19/22
“Joe Biden has called on oil companies to pass on their massive profits to consumers as he announced the release of 15m barrels of oil from the US strategic petroleum reserve,” the Guardian reports. “Biden is fighting to keep gas prices in check ahead of November’s midterms. He blamed Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for the global spike in oil prices and said his administration was doing all it could to keep prices in check. “Gas prices have fallen every day in the last week,” said Biden. “That’s progress, but they’re not falling fast enough. Gas prices are felt in almost every family in this country. That’s why I’ve been doing everything in my power to reduce gas prices.” He called on US oil companies to help. In the second quarter of 2022, the six largest US oil companies reported profits of $70bn, said Biden. “So far, American oil companies are using that windfall to buy back their own stock, passing that money on to shareholders, not consumers,” he said. “My message to all companies is this: you’re sitting on record profits. And we’re giving you more certainty. You can act now to increase oil production. You should not be using your profits to buy back stock or for dividends – not while the war is raging.” The announcement of the latest oil release speeds up the sale of the last of the 180m barrels that Biden announced in March would be sold. The announcement comes after the oil-producing Opec+ nations said they would cut oil production, driving up prices, in a move that angered White House officials.”
Politico: Democrats passed a huge climate bill. Now they’re talking oil.
JOSH SIEGEL, 10/19/22
“Democrats’ messaging war over high gasoline prices is overshadowing one of their hardest-fought legislative achievements — the climate bill that President Joe Biden signed just two months ago,” Politico reports. “The pivot is especially glaring in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Nevada and New Hampshire, where Democratic Senate candidates facing an electorate of disgruntled motorists are trying to shift voters’ ire to the oil industry. Some are also attacking their Republican opponents for alleged coziness with fossil fuel companies, or they’re expressing newfound enthusiasm for domestic oil and gas production. In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman has called for an end to oil companies’ “price gouging bullshit” and suggested prosecuting CEOs of businesses caught inflating prices. In Nevada, a new Democratic ad supporting Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto accuses her Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt, of doing the bidding of oil and gas companies as the state’s attorney general. The tack is a contrast from 2020, when Democrats including Biden jockeyed with each other to propose sweeping plans for curtailing the long-term threat of global warming. It also reflects Democratic nervousness that Republicans may succeed in getting voters to blame Biden’s climate policies for the short-term plague of inflated fuel prices — no matter that the U.S. remains the world’s largest oil and natural gas producer. “It’s a lot easier for Democrats to say industry is at fault for high prices than it is to explain how climate policies have not raised prices,” “...This rhetorical maneuvering lessens the amount of time Democrats can spend boasting about their $700 billion-plus climate and health care bill, H.R. 5376 (117), a potentially transformative piece of legislation that promises to retool the U.S. economy and confront the danger of global warming. Democratic lawmakers still talk up the bill, which they renamed the Inflation Reduction Act, saying it will lower energy costs by subsidizing cleaner technologies and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. But those actions will take years to show results — and the Democrats know voters are dealing with gasoline prices every time they fill up.”
Reuters: Energy pipeline chief says U.S. fuel export ban would be no help to motorists
10/19/22
“A ban on U.S. exports of gasoline and other refined products will not reduce prices for motorists, the chief executive of pipeline and storage provider Kinder Morgan, said on Wednesday,” Reuters reports. “It won't have the desired effect," Steven Kean, CEO of the Houston-based company said during a conference call with analysts. He said the company does not believe a ban will emerge "as it is thought through more."
STATE UPDATES
Grist: How a Utah utility is helping an Estonian oil company hoard Colorado River water
Naveena Sadasivam, 10/19/22
“Millions of years before dinosaurs went extinct, what is now Utah was submerged by a broad, shallow sea. Over millennia, as the water receded and tectonic plates shifted, rich organic marine material accumulated, forming thick layers of sediment that eventually became the fossil fuel deposits of the Uinta Basin in the northeastern part of the state. The formation is estimated to hold as many as 300 billion barrels of oil — more than the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia,” Grist reports. “The basin’s immense oil-producing potential remains largely untapped. Drillers in the Uinta Basin extract about 65,000 barrels of oil per day, or just over 1 percent of the more than 5 million barrels daily drilled in the Permian Basin, which straddles West Texas and New Mexico and is the country’s most productive fossil fuel reserve. One of the biggest hurdles is the waxy and viscous quality of Uinta oil, which is so thick that it needs to be constantly heated to keep it liquid. The deposits are also trapped in tiny pores between rocks and more widely dispersed than other shale formations in the country. As a result, oil drillers have been tepid in exploring the basin, despite high gas prices and calls to boost American oil production. A state-owned company from the tiny Baltic nation of Estonia wants to change that. The company, Enefit American Oil, has proposed strip-mining 28 million tons of rock, heating them up to temperatures around 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and extracting a type of synthetic crude oil. Enefit plans to operate on about 7,000 acres of desert land just south of Dinosaur National Monument and produce 50,000 barrels of oil per day, almost doubling the entire basin’s production. Its novel oil extraction method is also reportedly up to 75 percent more carbon-intensive than traditional fossil fuel extraction. No operation of its kind currently exists in the United States. But Enefit’s grand plans hinge on one crucial resource that’s in short supply all over the American West: water. The operation needs millions of gallons a day to break up the petroleum-carrying rock and extract oil. In 2011, the company purchased a water right for approximately 10,000 acre-feet — or 3.2 billion gallons — of water from the White River, a tributary of the Green River which flows into the beleaguered Colorado River.”
Albuquerque Journal: State Land Office will require archaeological surveys
THERESA DAVIS, 10/18/22
“The New Mexico State Land Office has finalized a rule that will require state trust land lessees to submit archaeological or cultural surveys before starting big projects like building pipelines or roads or drilling for oil and natural gas,” the Albuquerque Journal reports. “...Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard told the Journal the new regulation will help protect cultural sites that are an important “part of New Mexico’s story.” “The previous approach to cultural properties on trust lands was, ‘if you break it, you buy it,’ and that simply isn’t good enough,” she said told the Journal. Surveys could help the land office determine if lessees need to adapt plans to avoid sensitive sites. The survey work may include consultations with tribal historic preservation officers.”
Montana State News Bureau: States enter agreement to look at hydrogen hub
10/18/22
“In a press release Tuesday, the governor said Montana has agreed to look at developing a regional clean hydrogen hub along with North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin,” the Montana State News Bureau reports. “We’re ramping up American-made energy in Montana, from wind, to oil and gas, to hydropower, to hydrogen,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a press release. The plan is called the Heartland Hydrogen Hub and would involve states and industry groups coordinating in the fields of agriculture, transportation, national security and clean energy production. The other governors who signed the agreement include North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. The memorandum of understanding includes "coordinating and developing a regional clean hydrogen hub as contemplated by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" passed by Congress. The states will develop a proposal to submit to the U.S. Department of Energy to seek federal funding.”
EXTRACTION
Press release: The European Parliament calls on nation-states to develop a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
10/20/22
“ In a resolution passed earlier today outlining its demands for COP27, the European Parliament called on nation-states to “work on developing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty”, a proposed international mechanism that would complement the Paris Agreement by enabling an equitable phase-out of oil, gas and coal production, responsible for more than 80% of global emissions in the last decade. The resolution reinforces the growing diplomatic support for a new international mechanism, less than a month after the World Health Organization urged governments to endorse a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and Vanuatu became the first nation-state to call for Treaty at the UN General Assembly, a pivotal step for the ideal which was immediately followed by public displays of support from the Government of New Zealand and the President of Timor-Leste… “The EU resolution responds to scientific warnings by urging governments to “phase-out fossil fuels as soon as possible”, but also demands for climate justice and a just transition, calling on European countries to “stand ready to contribute to closing the gap necessary to limit global warming to 1.5° C, in a just, socially balanced, fair and cost-effective way, while taking into account aspects of global fairness and equity and the EU’s historical and current responsibility for the emissions causing the climate crisis.” The successful amendment to include a call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty was proposed by members of the Parliamentarians Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Future, a global network of close to 500 legislators from every continent who have called for “new international commitments and treaties, complementing the Paris Agreement, to address the urgency of a swift and just transition away from fossil fuel energy”.
Bloomberg: Justin Trudeau Defends Canada’s Minuscule Climate Progress
Zahra Hirji and Akshat Rathi, 10/19/22
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pitches Canada as a global climate leader, one that’s adopted increasingly bold climate targets and policies under his watch. But Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions tell an entirely different story,” Bloomberg reports. “In the seven years since Trudeau took office, emissions have plateaued while Canada’s economy has grown 8%. A cleaner electric grid coexists with even more extraction and burning of oil. But all of Canada’s peers in the Group of Seven, or G-7, have managed to achieve economic growth while simultaneously cutting emissions, and Canada’s environmental commissioner says the country is struggling to bend the emissions curve. Among the Group of 20 major economies, or G-20, Canada ranks behind only Saudi Arabia. Trudeau sees it differently, and this week he defended his track record in an interview with Bloomberg Green in Ottawa. “We put forward not just targets but a plan to reach those targets that included, for the first time, a broad-based price on pollution,” he told Bloomberg… “But as Trudeau sees it, Canada also doesn't need to eliminate fossil-fuel production to reach its climate goals. In fact, oil output will continue to increase for some time. “Canada is positioned to be the supplier of energy in a net-zero world,” he told Bloomberg. “If the companies can cut emissions, then there is room within that to increase production.”
Financial Times: ‘Put up or shut up’: can Big Oil prove the case for carbon capture?
Justin Jacobs, 10/19/22
“The Houston Ship Channel along the Gulf Coast in Texas is the global economy’s petrol station,” the Financial Times reports. “...Those facilities also pump out tens of millions of tonnes of CO₂ every year, making it one of America’s largest concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions, and a challenge to a world confronting a climate crisis. ExxonMobil, the western world’s largest oil supermajor, thinks it has a solution to this problem — and it does not involve solar panels or wind turbines. It has put forward a $100bn idea to keep the fuel flowing while trapping the carbon dioxide spewing from the plants, running it through miles of new pipelines to be stored in reservoirs deep under the nearby Gulf of Mexico’s seabed. Oil and industrial giants Shell, Chevron, Dow Chemical, Ineos and others with facilities in the area are backing the plan. This is not a new idea; the first plant to capture and store carbon dioxide was built in Texas more than 50 years ago. Yet despite decades of research and investment, the carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry has never managed to live up fully to its backers’ promises. Only a handful of plants currently exist in the US. Now, however, a fresh wave of political and industrial backing is creating new momentum for CCS. Congress is set to inject billions of dollars into efforts to capture and store carbon in the form of tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act passed this summer. The Biden administration sees the technology as key to making the American economy net-emissions free by 2050. Big Oil and other industrial polluters under pressure to green their businesses are promising to spend big on carbon capture. With this momentum, the pipeline of development is lengthening: according to the International Energy Agency, there are now about 80 CCS projects in various stages of development in the US aiming to start up by 2030… “But carbon capture’s role in the climate fight is far from a settled question. Its backers cast it as a sort of white knight that can keep swaths of the fossil fuel economy humming while removing the greenhouse gas pollution that threatens climate catastrophe. Exxon’s chief executive Darren Woods is fond of arguing that oil and gas are not the problem — the emissions are. Yet critics see carbon capture as a wasteful detour in the effort to green the economy, only put forward by fossil fuel producers as a smokescreen to protect the future of their core oil and gas businesses. “It is a way to say that we actually don’t have to phase out fossil fuels,” Steven Feit, an attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, told FT. “We can keep using them. Don’t worry, we’ll just clean them up. It’s fundamental to keeping fossil fuels at the centre of the energy mix.”
The Hill: Carbon emission increases down steeply in 2022: analysis
ZACK BUDRYK, 10/19/22
“Carbon emissions rose at a significantly slower pace this year than the year before, due largely to increased deployment of renewable energy, according to an analysis by the International Energy Administration (IEA),” The Hill reports. “Emissions for 2022 are poised to increase about 300 million metric tons, compared to close to 2 billion metric tons last year, according to the IEA. The 2021 increase was largely driven by the rollback of COVID-19-related restrictions and the recovery of the economy. The lack of this sudden burst of activity in 2022 means emissions were always poised to grow by less in 2022, but without the increased use of renewables and electric vehicles, they would have jumped by closer to 1 billion metric tons, according to the IEA. Solar and wind power drove the growth in renewables this year, comprising a record increase of about 700 terawatt-hours and preventing an increase of more than 600 million metric tons of carbon. Hydropower also increased this year, comprising about 20 percent of renewable growth despite an increase in drought conditions in several regions… “However, the IEA also determined that emissions from coal use specifically are set to rise this year as natural gas prices drive some countries to fall back on coal power. Driven primarily by increases in Asia, global coal-driven emissions are set to increase 2 percent in 2022.”
The Nation: The Deadly Consequences of Urban Oil Drilling
Mara Cavallaro, 10/19/22
“When Nalleli Cobo got her first MRI, the nurse told her it would be a picture of her brain,” The Nation reports. “...The story of University Park, the South Los Angeles neighborhood where Cobo grew up, echoes that of districts across the United States: St. John the Baptist Parish, La.; Laredo, Tex.; Laurel, Miss. All are predominantly Black or Latinx communities, all are low-income, and all are sites of environmental racism, where corporations profit from industrial air pollution that kills. St. John Parish, the majority Black county in an 85-mile stretch of land unaffectionately nicknamed “Cancer Alley” for its unnaturally high levels of cancer diagnoses, is home to a manufacturing plant that emits neoprene, a carcinogen that causes nosebleeds, headaches, and tachycardia along with cancer. Industrial plants in Laredo and Laurel increase the risk of cancer to 18 times and 39 times the EPA’s acceptable levels, respectively. And Los Angeles is the single largest urban oil field in the nation, with 3.2 million of its residents living within a quarter mile of an active or idle oil or gas well. For years, residents of these states, Cobo included, have been organizing for clean air and health protections. In 2021, a regional victory became a flash of national hope when Los Angeles pledged to ban new oil drilling and phase out existing wells. Last month, California’s state legislature channeled that momentum into SB 1137, a bill establishing “health protection” buffer zones between oil extraction and sensitive land—including homes, schools, parks, and health care facilities.”
Enbridge: Offshore carbon capture study in Texas is ‘a potential game-changer for the planet’
10/19/22
“...Research work has officially begun on a new marine study to determine the carbon sequestration potential of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Reef. The largest artificial reef in Texas lies 13 nautical miles northeast of South Padre Island in the Gulf of Mexico. The carbon sequestration study—which could provide a seminal moment in the battle against climate change—was announced in May by the Friends of RGV Reef, a non-profit that created the reef in 2017, and researchers at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), led by Dr. Kline. The study is being funded through a $250,000 Fueling Futures grant from Enbridge. “The research is a first of its kind anywhere,” says Gary Glick, President of the Friends of RGV Reef. “It is the first and most comprehensive study in the world to determine whether artificial reefs can capture or trap carbon—and may be a solution in dealing with our real-life climate challenges.” “Our team is seeking to quantify how much carbon is being captured by RGV Reef,” he says. “We are surveying . . . the biomass in the water column, which includes everything from the millions of fish who now live on the reef, to the mass of living microorganisms in the water and those that attach themselves to the reef like sea urchins and barnacles. We’ll also look at the carbon capture capabilities of the bottomland and the sediment, in and around the reef.” All over the world, efforts are underway by governments, businesses and communities to reduce their carbon footprint through efficiencies, emissions reduction, and environmental initiatives like tree plantings. As a result of this study, reefs could become another important tool in combating greenhouses gases, a key contributor to climate change.”
OPINION
CT Post: Opinion: The time for insurers to reckon with climate change is now
Samantha Dynowski is state director at Sierra Club Connecticut Chapter; Tom Swan is executive director of CT Citizen Action Group, 10/13/22
“Hurricane Ian is a stark reminder of devastation that will only increase if we fail to act much more aggressively to halt climate change. Ian’s destruction will cost tens of billions of dollars, disrupt food supplies throughout the country, result in the loss of potentially hundreds of lives and painfully disrupt thousands of families. Climate change is making super-storms like Ian more frequent and more dangerous, and our time to act is growing short,” Samantha Dynowski and Tom Swan write for the CT Post. “As thousands of homeowners make claims on their insurance to restore Ian’s damage, billions of dollars in insurance outlays are placing a growing number of insurers at risk of insolvency — and homeowners are having difficulty affording premiums. This is particularly true for communities of color, who are bearing much of the destruction and disruption from climate change. This is not in the interest of insurance companies’ policyholders or shareholders. Unfortunately, these companies, particularly U.S.-based insurers, are acting like firefighters who start fires instead of partners in addressing this crisis. U.S. Insurers, including Travelers and The Hartford, pillars of the Connecticut insurance industry, must instead lead on climate change — from a business, fiduciary and moral perspective. An ever-increasing number of insurers and reinsurers are recognizing that they can’t continue to fuel climate change through their investments and underwriting… “A recent report from the California Insurance Department found that 10 U.S.-based property and casualty insurers had $59.7 billion invested in fossil fuels in 2019. The Hartford had $2.8 billion and Travelers disclosed they had $4.7 invested in these companies, which represented a slight increase over 2018 for both… “There is no acceptable rationale for these corporations’ refusal to commit to stop underwriting new fossil fuel projects, for aligning their business with the Paris Accord and redirecting their investments in fossil fuels to a green economy. Time is tight, but the need for real leadership by The Hartford and Travelers is now.”