EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 10/28/21
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Information meetings set in 36 counties for second proposed carbon capture pipeline across Iowa
Bloomberg: Court Decision Chills Development of New Natural Gas Pipelines
WFMZ: 3 lawmakers call for DEP to halt Mariner East 2 permits
WHTM: Neighbors in Cambria, Indiana, and Chester Counties claim Mariner East Pipeline contaminating water
Daily Local: Legislators hear of water woes from pipeline neighbors
Bloomberg: Phillips 66 to Buy Rest of Pipeline Unit for $3.4 Billion
Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT sells portion of its capacity on the Mountain Valley Pipeline
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: What To Look For In Biden's Methane Rules
Press release: Feinstein, Padilla to Interior: Don’t Weaken Oversight of Oil, Gas Drilling in Santa Barbara County
The Hill: Merkley, Warren and Markey sound alarm over 'dirty' hydrogen provision in climate deal
STATE UPDATES
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Lujan Grisham's pledge to cut carbon emissions attacked by New Mexico oil and gas supporters
EXTRACTION
Press release: More Than 350 Groups Condemn Corporate Net-Zero Pledges as a Dangerous, Unjust Distraction
Agence France-Presse: Canada's new environment minister says no 'secret agenda' on oil
Reuters: Suncor doubles dividend as oil price surge powers profit
CLIMATE FINANCE
Press release: U of T to divest from fossil fuel investments, create climate-positive campus
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Windsor Star: New natural playground unveiled at Holiday Beach
OPINION
The Hill: There's no climate change exception to free speech
The Hill: Pricing methane and carbon emissions will help US meet the climate moment
Iron Mountain Daily News: Enbridge remains vigilant, focused on safe operations
PIPELINE NEWS
Des Moines Register: Information meetings set in 36 counties for second proposed carbon capture pipeline across Iowa
Donnelle Eller, 10/27/21
“Texas-based Navigator CO2 Ventures will hold informational meetings about its proposed carbon capture pipeline with residents and landowners in three dozen Iowa counties beginning in November, the state utilities board said Wednesday,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Navigator CO2's announcement of meetings on its carbon capture and sequestration project comes shortly after Summit Carbon Solutions concluded its series of meetings on a similar project. Navigator says the Heartland Greenway project will capture carbon dioxide from ethanol, fertilizer and other industrial plants in five states, including Iowa, compress it under pressure into a liquid and then transport it through a 1,300-mile pipeline to Illinois where it will be sequestered permanently, deep underground… “Some farmers and landowners at the Summit meetings said they oppose having the project run through their farmland and the pipeline developer's possible use of eminent domain, which could force unwilling landowners to sell right-of-way access. Summit said the company will repair any disruption to cropland and that the project will help Iowa farmers — who sell half of the state's corn crop each year to ethanol producers. The pipeline could help ethanol and other renewable fuels remain viable longer as the nation moves toward electric vehicles to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.”
Bloomberg: Court Decision Chills Development of New Natural Gas Pipelines
10/28/21
“For an interstate natural gas pipeline, it was small but mighty: The 65-mile Spire STL Pipeline transformed the flow of gas in the St. Louis metro region when it came into service in 2019, bringing a promise of lower bills and better reliability to some 650,000 utility customers,” Bloomberg reports. “Now, federal energy regulators—following a scathing court mandate this year—are being forced to consider whether the pipeline construction was even necessary in the first place… “The surprise ruling, which sided with the Environmental Defense Fund and vacated FERC’s certificate for the project, has thrown the future of the already-operating pipeline in jeopardy. And it’s raised alarm bells in the gas industry that federal officials will likely probe deeper—and with more skepticism—into the necessity of new pipelines. “I don’t think it could be overstated how important the D.C. Circuit decision is,” Gillian Giannetti, an attorney for the Sustainable FERC Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has argued against the need for new pipelines, told Bloomberg. The June decison came as a major win for environmental groups who have argued against affiliate contracts in much larger pipeline projects, claiming pipeline developers were “self-dealing” and manipulating FERC’s reviews. “The corporate relationship that is at the core of that case is something that replicates in other cases and has been a problem when it comes to determining whether a pipeline is actually needed,” Giannetti told Bloomberg. The court “drew a line in the sand about the relationship of affiliate contracts and FERC’s failure to properly evaluate contrary evidence.” “...If FERC broadens requirements on the economic-need test, it could alter the way it balances environmental impacts on the other side of the equation. Pipeline projects, already faced with litigation over environmental concerns, could find it insurmountable.”
WFMZ: 3 lawmakers call for DEP to halt Mariner East 2 permits
Jim Vasil, 10/27/21
“Some Pennsylvania lawmakers are taking aim at the permits given to a pipeline that runs through Berks and more than a dozen other counties. They want the DEP to pull the permits over concerns about water contamination,” WFMZ reports. “State Rep. Dianne Herrin and Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, both Democrats who represent Chester County, and state Sen. Katie Muth, a Democrat who represents parts of Berks, Chester, and Montgomery counties, are calling on the Wolf administration and the state Department of Environmental Protection to revoke project permits until the DEP permitting requirement to restore damaged private water supplies are met. "This is 2021 in America," Muth told WFMZ, "and people do not have clean drinking water." On hand Wednesday were three people from various places across the pipeline's 17-county span who said their water supply was contaminated because of the pipeline work. In a written statement to 69 News, DEP officials said they plan to hold Energy Transfer, the company building the pipeline, accountable and "are determining if any additional actions are appropriate at this time." Also in a statement to 69 News, Energy Transfer said the DEP "determined that there has been no impact" to two of those three people's water supply related to the construction, and that its own investigations came to the same conclusion. Energy Transfer would not comment on the other individual's situation, as that person established legal representation. Company officials went on to say they "treat any potential impact to landowners' private water supplies with the utmost concern." This comes on the heels of Attorney General Josh Shapiro announcing charges against Energy Transfer over alleged environmental crimes.
WHTM: Neighbors in Cambria, Indiana, and Chester Counties claim Mariner East Pipeline contaminating water
Ben Schad, 10/27/21
“Three people who live near the Mariner East Pipeline came to the state capitol on Wednesday. They live in Cambria, Indiana, and Chester Counties near the pipeline which is under construction. They want construction stopped and their water supply fixed,” WHTM reports. “The Mariner East Pipeline runs across Pennsylvania and through several Midstate counties. The protesters brought in their water to show how bad the situation is. “If anyone wants to drink the water, this is it, that’s the water. That came out of my well,” Ron Shawley of Johnstown in Cambria County told WHTM. Two of the three people used to work in the natural gas industry. To date, at least 150 people living along the pipeline have filed water quality complaints with the Department of Environmental Protection.”
Daily Local: Legislators hear of water woes from pipeline neighbors
BILL RETTEW, 10/27/21
“All I want is good water,” said military veteran and Johnstown, Cambria County, resident Ron Shawley,” the Daily Local reports. “Shawley told three elected officials, reporters and the public, during Wednesday morning’s event at the state Capitol Rotunda, about living 20 feet from a pipeline. Shawley blamed Mariner East pipeline builder Sunoco/Energy Transfer for fouling his drinking water during ongoing pipeline construction at the event, “Standing for the Right to Clean Water: Stories from the Mariner East Pipeline Project.” “I was led to believe that this gas company would take care of me,” Shawley said. Shawley claims that the pipeline builder went off-course while digging and laying pipe and hit his well. “If you work with us, we will work with you,” he said he was told by the pipeline builder. Shawley, and two others who spoke at the rally, hail from across the state and live nearby to pipeline construction. They have refused to sign non-disclosure agreements. Shawley was told that if he signed he would give up his right to speak with politicians or the media. The Johnstown resident called for Gov. Tom Wolf to put a stop to construction since the governor “must certainly know what is going on” with at least 150 wells fouled statewide.”
Bloomberg: Phillips 66 to Buy Rest of Pipeline Unit for $3.4 Billion
By Gerson Freitas Jr., 10/27/21
“U.S. refiner Phillips 66 agreed to buy the rest of its pipeline affiliate that it doesn’t already own in an all-stock-deal valued at about $3.4 billion, the latest effort to streamline midstream operations,” Bloomberg reports. “...The deal is the latest blow to the tax-efficient master limited partnership model once popular in the energy industry. Spinning out pipeline businesses into separately-listed MPLs was a well-trodden path for companies to attract capital, but the structure has lost the favor of investors since the crude-market crash of 2014-2016 and a change to U.S. tax policy that pummeled MLP stock prices. The number of MLPs have dwindled, with companies including TC Energy Corp. rolling up their sponsored pipeline operations… “The deal also comes as Phillips 66, the second largest U.S. refiner by market value, recovers from pandemic lockdowns that drastically reduced fuel demand last year. “
Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT sells portion of its capacity on the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Paul J. Gough, 10/27/21
“EQT Corp. on Wednesday said it had sold a little less than half of its capacity on the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” the Pittsburgh Business Times reports.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: What To Look For In Biden's Methane Rules
10/27/21
“EPA could propose rules as early as today to rein in methane leaked during oil and gas production,” E&E News reports. “The long-expected draft regulations for new and existing oil and gas infrastructure are likely to be announced before President Biden boards Air Force One tomorrow for a swing through Europe that includes an appearance early next week at the climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Together with rules for vehicle emissions, EPA’s methane actions are among the most important climate regulations the agency plans to deliver during Biden’s first year in office. They’re also a centerpiece of his message at the Glasgow gathering, known in U.N. lingo as the Conference of the Parties, or COP. ‘This is going to be a program that is set up on sort of a transportation transition,’ said Kevin Book, who leads research at Clearview Energy Partners, noting that Obama administration officials pointed to EPA’s Clean Power Plan when they attended the Paris climate summit in 2015. ‘This is the methane COP more than the power plant COP,’ he said. […] Besides more frequent leak detection and repair requirements, Winn said, EDF is looking to see whether EPA mandates the use of equipment that emits zero, rather than limited, methane. Greens have also pushed for a ban on the routine use of flaring to burn off gas associated with oil wells. Faulty flares that vent gas are major contributors of methane, EDF’s research has shown, particularly in the Permian Basin. But questions remain about how the rule will be structured. One unknown is whether the Biden administration will accommodate industry’s opposition to regulating low-production well sites the same way it does more productive operations
Press release: Feinstein, Padilla to Interior: Don’t Weaken Oversight of Oil, Gas Drilling in Santa Barbara County
10/26/21
“Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.) today called on the Department of the Interior to withdraw its draft General Conservation Plan for oil and gas drilling in Santa Barbara County and instead continue to utilize existing project-specific Habitat Conservation Plans. Proceeding with the Interior Department’s draft plan may lead to insufficient information about how proposed oil and gas projects may adversely affect health and the environment, including harm to threatened or endangered species. With the recent draft rule by the California Geologic Energy Management Division related to buffer zones surrounding oil and gas wells, California is leading in the clean energy transition and the Interior Department should follow suit. “We write to request that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service withdraw the draft General Conservation Plan (GCP) and associated draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for oil and gas activities in Santa Barbara County, California,” the senators wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Haaland.
The Hill: Merkley, Warren and Markey sound alarm over 'dirty' hydrogen provision in climate deal
BY ALEXANDER BOLTON, 10/27/21
“A trio of Democratic senators are sounding an alarm over what they say is an effort to add language to the budget reconciliation bill that would create new incentives for hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, which they fear would undercut the broader goals of climate legislation,” The Hill reports. “As policymakers, we must be attentive to the reality that not all hydrogen is clean and reject efforts to further subsidize dirty hydrogen in the Build Back Better Act,” Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote in a letter to Democratic leaders released Wednesday afternoon. They argued that while hydrogen has been touted as a “zero-emission” alternative energy source, “recent peer reviewed science has found that fossil fuel-based hydrogen might have greater greenhouse gas impacts than traditional fossil fuels.” The lawmakers acknowledged that hydrogen might someday be an important source of clean energy but asserted the technology isn’t ready yet. “There’s just one problem: Current hydrogen production is not at all ‘clean.’ In fact, 94 percent of hydrogen produced in the [United States] comes from fossil fuels,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
STATE UPDATES
Carlsbad Current-Argus: Lujan Grisham's pledge to cut carbon emissions attacked by New Mexico oil and gas supporters
Adrian Hedden, 10/27/21
“New Mexico Democrat leadership appeared ready to push an environmental agenda in the upcoming legislative session as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pledged the state would cut all carbon emissions from every sector by 2050,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “...Oil and gas revenue made up about a third of the state’s economy in recent years, while New Mexico rose in 2021 to second in the nation in oil production. The governor’s emphasis on placing additional regulations on oil and gas since taking office was viewed by Republicans and industry allies as threatening the state’s main economic driver… New Mexico’s Republican leaders criticized the Democrat governor’s promise to cut all carbon emissions and require such efforts by law. GOP leaders said such a move would mean removing $2.6 billion from the state’s budget and could disrupt New Mexico’s economy and the nation’s energy supply. House Minority Leader Jim Townsend (R-54), who represents parts of Eddy County in the Permian Basin region, said the state’s finances were already imperiled after multiple “economic shutdowns” enacted by the governor during the COVID-19 pandemic, referring the state’s emergency orders to limit public gatherings and non-essential business activities to slow the spread of the virus. Disrupting oil and gas in New Mexico would only further deepen the economic damage, Townsend told the Argus. “Governor Lujan Grisham and the political elite in Santa Fe should be focused on rebuilding the economy that was destroyed with their multiple economic shutdowns, instead they are slashing state revenue to pacify their donors.”.
EXTRACTION
Press release: More Than 350 Groups Condemn Corporate Net-Zero Pledges as a Dangerous, Unjust Distraction
10/27/21
“354 groups released a statement today calling “net-zero” emission pledges by corporations and governments a dangerous distraction from real climate action. This comes as the House Oversight and Reform Committee holds a hearing to ”examine the role of the fossil fuel industry in spreading climate disinformation and heating the planet.” CEOs and presidents from Exxon Mobil, BP America, Chevron, Shell Oil, the American Petroleum Institute and U.S. Chamber of Commerce will be testifying. Shell and BP have announced “ambitions” to be net-zero by 2050 and Chevron has announced a similar “aspiration.” The hearing comes just days before COP 26, the United Nations’ climate negotiations taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, which many have dubbed the “net-zero” COP. In their letter to government policymakers -- including those from Biden Administration, Congress, and state and local governments -- the groups describe these net-zero pledges as ineffective, unjust greenwashing drastically out of touch with the worsening climate crisis.”
Agence France-Presse: Canada's new environment minister says no 'secret agenda' on oil
10/27/21
“Canada's new activist-turned-environment minister on Wednesday sought to reassure the nation's oil sector -- the fourth largest producer in the world -- that he has no "secret agenda," following pushback over his appointment,” Agence France-Presse reports. “Steven Guilbeault, a prominent former climate activist tapped by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the role in a major post-election cabinet shuffle, spoke after a backlash by oil executives and the premier of oil-rich Alberta. "Canadians ... want governments to do more in the fight against climate change," Guilbeault said. But, he added, most of Ottawa's climate plans have already been announced, including a carbon tax set to rise to Can$170 per tonne by 2030, and the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies by 2023. "I don't have a secret agenda as environment minister," he said. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Guilbeault noted that the federal government "has power over pollution," but that resources development is a provincial purview. As such, he said Ottawa will soon introduce legislation and regulations to "cap and diminish over time" the amount of pollution from the Alberta oil sands -- the top single source of carbon emissions in Canada. "But we're not trying to cap (oil and gas) production," he insisted.
Reuters: Suncor doubles dividend as oil price surge powers profit
10/27/21
“Oil producer Suncor Energy Inc (SU.TO) doubled its dividend on Wednesday as a rebound in crude prices from pandemic-driven lows helped it post a third-quarter profit compared with a year-ago loss,” Reuters reports. “The company, Canada's No.2 oil and gas producer, has generated strong free cash flow this year as energy prices soar on tight supplies and growing global fuel demand. Earlier this month, the North American crude oil benchmark hit a seven-year high of more than $85 per barrel. The rebound helped Suncor reinstate its dividend to pre-pandemic 2019 levels of 42 Canadian cents per share, from 21 Canadian cents per share. The company reported a net profit of C$877 million ($709.72 million), or 59 Canadian cents per share, compared with a loss of C$12 million, or 1 Canadian cent per share, a year earlier… “The company produced 698,600 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in the third quarter, compared with 616,200 boepd a year earlier and 699,700 boepd in the previous three months.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Press release: U of T to divest from fossil fuel investments, create climate-positive campus
10/27/21
“The University of Toronto is committing to divest from investments in fossil fuel companies in its $4.0-billion endowment fund beginning immediately. As part of a suite of sustainability measures announced by U of T President Meric Gertler today, the University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM) – U of T’s investment manager – will divest from all direct investments in fossil fuel companies within the next 12 months, and divest from indirect investments, typically held through pooled and commingled investment vehicles, by no later than 2030, and sooner if possible. UTAM will also allocate 10 per cent of its endowment portfolio to sustainable and low-carbon investments by 2025, representing an initial commitment of $400 million, and is committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions associated with U of T’s endowment by no later than 2050. U of T also became the first university in the world to join, via UTAM, the UN-Convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, a group of institutional investors committed to achieving increasingly demanding targets every five years en route to net-zero emissions. “The growing severity of the climate crisis now demands bold actions that have both substantive and symbolic impact,” President Gertler said in a letter to the U of T community.
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Windsor Star: New natural playground unveiled at Holiday Beach
Julie Kotsis, 10/27/21
“Children can now romp and explore in a play area surrounded by nature thanks to a $30,000 commitment from Enbridge Inc.,” the Windsor Star reports. “The new “natural playground” officially opened Wednesday at Holiday Beach Conservation Area in Amherstburg, with a ceremony attended by students from Natural Pathways Forest and Nature School, in addition to local politicians and dignitaries… “Enbridge, an energy infrastructure company that owns and operates the Amherstburg Solar project, provided the funding for the project through its commit to leadership and corporate social responsibility. In 2016, Enbridge was also instrumental in helping to create the Holiday Beach demonstration wetland, a controlled wetland habitat that improves water quality by reducing phosphorus, and an adjacent parking area. “We are so very grateful to Enbridge for its ongoing partnership in support of environmental education and stewardship in the Windsor-Essex region,” Wales added.
OPINION
The Hill: There's no climate change exception to free speech
Donald J. Kochan is professor of law and deputy executive director of the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, 10/28/21
“Congress should craft sound climate change policy by encouraging robust debate. But climate change cannot be an excuse for subverting the Constitution,” Donald J. Kochan writes for The Hill. “Yet, in a climate change hearing today, energy companies will be interrogated and required to justify their entitlement to First Amendment rights. This is a dangerous path, and not one that will advance any meaningful climate change solutions. A Sept. 16, 2021 letter, issued by the chairs of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and Environment Subcommittee, has demanded that various energy sector executives appear before Congress. They’ve been asked to testify and plead for their right to exercise free speech with regard to the industry’s business practices. The letter effectively maligned these businesses and requested business documents and private communications. The House committee leadership’s objective is to investigate the motivations and sincerity of the free speech these companies conduct in the public square. It is as if individuals now must earn the favor of those in power in order to have the privilege of exercising this constitutional right. These companies are being summoned because they are not the right kind of speakers with the right kind of words about climate change, according to the committee leadership. The hearing and heavy-handed requests preceding it are designed to squelch the speech of some citizens. The executives called to testify have opinions that do not align with the pre-determined conclusions and policy preferences of powerful government leaders. Such speech favoritism is precisely what the First Amendment was crafted to protect against.”
The Hill: Pricing methane and carbon emissions will help US meet the climate moment
Dan Lashof is the director of World Resources Institute, United States, 10/26/21
“The United States Congress is embroiled in a policy debate that will determine how the country addresses the climate crisis and the massive toll it is taking on economic stability and human prosperity,” Dan Lashof writes for The Hill. “...Adopting pollution fees that complement federal investments and tax credits would be a powerful way to drive additional emissions reductions while helping to pay for the package as a whole… “Congress can play a critical role in contributing to this global target by including a methane fee on the oil and gas industry in the reconciliation legislation they are negotiating right now. The Office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) found that placing a fee on methane emissions would make the third-largest contribution to the 45 percent overall emissions reductions in 2030 resulting from the infrastructure package (consisting of both the bipartisan infrastructure deal and the reconciliation bill), delivering 9.1 percent of the total… “While curbing methane emissions is key to reduce climate change in the short term, the impact of carbon dioxide emissions are cumulative, and achieving net-zero emissions is essential to achieving our long-term climate goals. To that end, Congress should also establish a carbon price through the reconciliation bill.”
Iron Mountain Daily News: Enbridge remains vigilant, focused on safe operations
Mike Moeller, Director of operations, Great Lakes Region, Enbridge Inc., 10/28/21
“We respect the recent editorial from the Detroit News for highlighting the importance of energy security related to our infrastructure,” Mike Moeller writes for the Iron Mountain Daily News. “To be clear, Enbridge’s response to the recent criminal attack on a Line 5 valve site was immediate and appropriate, with operators safely securing the pipeline before trespassers could do damage or put at risk those involved in the attack, the community or the environment. While Enbridge responded swiftly and as trained, any situation provides opportunity to learn. We will continue to evaluate security and safety across our system. Going forward we will redouble our work with local first response and law enforcement agencies to prevent dangerous destruction of our infrastructure.”