EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/18/21
PIPELINE NEWS
The Narwhal: In photos: inside the Gidimt’en eviction of Coastal GasLink
Grist: Canada sides with a pipeline, violating Wet’suwet’en laws — and its own
Facebook: Gidimt'en Checkpoint: RCMP Are Blocking Food And Medical Supplies From Wet'suwet'en Homes
The Detroit News: Protesters call for shutdown of Enbridge's Line 5 as Biden tours GM plant
Facebook: Oil & Water Don't Mix: Demonstrators will greet President Biden at the GM Factory Zero assembly plant in Detroit, urging Biden to support shutting down Enbridge's dangerous twin Line 5 oil pipelines
The Detroit News: Judge: Michigan's Line 5 shutdown case must stay in federal court
FOX2NOW: Bush, Hawley weigh in on Spire pipeline and impact shutdown could have on customers
Facebook: Indigenous Environmental Network: Governor Walz and AG Keith Ellison must drop the charges against all water protectors immediately
Richmond Times-Dispatch: 'We want you to want this project,' Pipeline company acknowledges poor communication, vows to hold public meetings for Hanover, other residents
Bismarck Tribune: North Dakota leaders to make plan for $150M pipeline grant fund
Reuters: Pipeline firms scramble to restore service after British Columbia floods, gas prices spike
U.S. Energy Information Administration: New natural gas pipeline capacity expands access to export and Northeast markets
KTVH: Wyoming pipeline owner agrees to $2M settlement for 2015 oil spill into Yellowstone River near Glendive
WAMC: Cost, benefits of natural gas pipeline project questioned
Press release: Summit Midstream Partners, LP Announces Commencement of Service on Double E Pipeline
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: GAS PRICE CAMPAIGN SEASON
Houston Chronicle: Falling crude production costs has Biden, environmental groups asking questions
Politico: PHILLIPS TO FERC
Navajo National Council: Navajo Nation Opposes Withdrawal for Development at Chaco Canyon, Tribal Consultation Ignored
Politico: FOR SALE!
S&P Global: Top Interior official sees need to 'flip the script' on public lands use, leasing
STATE UPDATES
Colorado Sun: Colorado activists want gas-fired electrical plants to stop spewing pollution over Denver
EXTRACTION
Inforum: Close to 20,000 gallons of oilfield contaminants spill in Bowman County
Grist: Less methane coming down the pipe
RESEARCH & SCIENCE
E&E News: Enviro groups slowly diversify; funding gaps remain
CLIMATE FINANCE
Bloomberg: Shell Ditches ‘Dutch’ From Name and Makes Britain Its HQ
OPINION
The Hill: Biden's crude export ban could cause more pain at the pump
Globe and Mail: Trudeau’s emissions cap reminds oil-producing provinces of his father’s hated National Energy Program
PIPELINE NEWS
The Narwhal: In photos: inside the Gidimt’en eviction of Coastal GasLink
Amber Bracken, 11/17/21
“On Sunday, Nov. 14, pipeline company Coastal GasLink was given eight hours to immediately evacuate Gidimt’en clan territory near Houston, B.C. Hereditary chiefs served the mandatory order for all company workers and sub-contractors,” The Narwhal reports. “Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Dinï ze’ (Chief) Woos, Frank Alec, granted a two hour extension to the evacuation timeline, but of the estimated 500 individuals housed at Coastal GasLink’s two remote work camps, only a handful left. Since then, land defenders seized a Coastal GasLink excavator and bulldozer and used them to dismantle parts of the Morice Forest Service Road, the main point of access to project sites and work camps. The Gidimt’en clan and supporters have occupied a Coastal GasLink drill site near the Wedzin Kwa, or Morice River, to prevent drilling under the glacial river, since Sept. 25, 2021. Gidimt’en camp spokesperson Sleydo’ Molly Wickham told the Narwhal inaction from B.C. and the federal government and failure to resolve address Right and Title claims forced land defenders to take matters into their own hands and enforce an eviction order originally issued on Jan. 4, 2020, by Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, who oppose construction of the 670-kilometre pipeline. “We were sending a clear message to the province, to Canada, and they weren’t acting on it — they weren’t hearing what we were saying — so we had to get a little bit louder,” Wickham told The Narwhal in an interview. “They’re destroying absolutely everything that is important to us in our territory. And they have been continuing to do work, despite the eviction order last year.”
Grist: Canada sides with a pipeline, violating Wet’suwet’en laws — and its own
Mark Armao, 11/18/21
“When Chief Dsta’hyl arrived on a Saturday morning in October, the big construction vehicles rumbled back and forth over the cold mud. He watched an excavator dig into the soil, its yellow, hydraulic arm moving against the green backdrop of forests that he has called home all his life,” Grist 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.”
Facebook: Gidimt'en Checkpoint: UPDATE - RCMP Are Blocking Food And Medical Supplies From Wet'suwet'en Homes
11/16/21
“The RCMP are openly violating the human rights of the Wet'suwet'en people again. Today, the driver of a vehicle carrying food and medical supplies was blocked by an arbitrary illegal police exclusion zone and threatened with arrest. There are multiple Wet'suwet'en home sites beyond the police road block and many permanent full time Wet'suwet'en residents on the territory, including elders, children, and chiefs. Despite human rights complaints filed against previous RCMP exclusion zones and recent BC court decisions condemning the use of unlawful exclusion zones, the RCMP is again using this illegal tactic. There is clearly no accountability or capacity for learning. It is a human rights violation and a war crime against Wet'suwet'en people. This is just mind blowing. Let your representatives know how you feel about the treatment of Indigenous peoples.”
The Detroit News: Protesters call for shutdown of Enbridge's Line 5 as Biden tours GM plant
Hani Barghouthi, 11/17/21
“Protesters lined the street where President Joe Biden would pass on his way to tour the GM assembly plant, hoping he would hear their calls to shut down the controversial Enbridge oil pipelines,” The Detroit News reports. “With slogans like "Enbridge kills" and "Let's not trash our home," dozens of organizers with the Oil & Water Don’t Mix coalition gathered on Edsel Ford Service Drive, across from the newly renamed General Motors Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, an electric vehicle plant that straddles both cities. Demonstrators were protesting Line 5, Enbridge Energy's 68-year-old pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. Biden toured the plant Wednesday, touting his $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure bill and the importance of more spending to accelerate EV adoption. Protesters said they feared the damage a rupture in the decades-old pipelines would cause to residents' health, polllute drinking and swimming water, and damage the Great Lakes. "They put the pipe in in the '50s and it's been falling apart ever since then," Wendy Case, 58, of West Bloomfield, told the News. "A line break ... would be devastating to both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan, and just an environmental travesty." “...Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet Thursday at the White House, where the pipeline is expected to be discussed.”
Facebook: Oil & Water Don't Mix: Demonstrators will greet President Biden at the GM Factory Zero assembly plant in Detroit, urging Biden to support shutting down Enbridge's dangerous twin Line 5 oil pipelines
11/17/21
“At 2:30 p.m. today, demonstrators will greet President Biden at the GM Factory Zero assembly plant in Detroit, urging Biden to support shutting down Enbridge's dangerous twin Line 5 oil pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac. The move comes just one day after a federal judge declared that the federal government has jurisdiction over choices regarding the future of the 68-year-old oil pipelines that imperil the Great Lakes and our climate. Want to join them? Meet at 2:30 PM TODAY (Wednesday) at the entrance to GM Factory Zero 2500 E. Grand Boulevard Avenue, Detroit. Bring your Shut Down Line 5 yard sign or any handmade sign to send a message to President Biden.”
The Detroit News: Judge: Michigan's Line 5 shutdown case must stay in federal court
Beth LeBlanc, 11/16/21
“A federal judge has denied Michigan's request to move its lawsuit seeking the closure of Enbridge Energy's Line 5 pipeline back to state court, where it might have had better chances with a county judge,” The Detroit News reports. “...Enbridge said in a Tuesday statement Tuesday it was pleased with the decision and noted it had "asserted all along" the issue belonged before a federal judge… “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office told the News it was still committed "to getting the Line 5 dual pipelines out of the water as quickly as possible." "We have made our views here clear — Michigan’s sovereign rights and duties regarding the use of our own lands and the protection of our Great Lakes are matters that belong before the state courts of Michigan," Whitmer spokesman Bobby Leddy told the News. "We are still reviewing today’s ruling and order as we consider next steps." The National Wildlife Federation in a Tuesday statement said the ruling puts the Biden administration "squarely in the middle of the Line 5 debate." "Now it’s time for President Biden to stand with Gov. Whitmer to uphold state and Tribal sovereignty in this case," said Beth Wallace, the Great Lakes freshwater campaigns manager for the federation. "The protection of the Great Lakes, along with the communities that depend on their clean freshwater, needs to come before the interests of a foreign oil corporation that has proven time and time again they are not safely operating this pipeline."
FOX2NOW: Bush, Hawley weigh in on Spire pipeline and impact shutdown could have on customers
Gregg Palermo, 11/17/21
“Federal energy regulators are scheduled to discuss issues related to Spire’s St. Louis pipeline tomorrow in Washington, as the clock ticks on an emergency certificate the company is using to keep the pipeline open until December 13,” FOX2NOW reports. “Wednesday, U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to also address Spire’s communication with customers earlier this month, when it warned of the potential for “natural gas disruptions–and outages–this winter if the pipeline is not kept in service.” Spire says it has “been focused on keeping customers and other stakeholders up to date on the facts about the critical importance of Spire STL pipeline to delivering reliable, affordable energy to the St. Louis region and how Spire is advocating on their behalf.” “...In a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Wednesday, Bush said she was concerned Spire may be “weaponizing the fears of our community members”, and that the “people of St. Louis must be protected from interruptions in service.” U.S. Senator Josh Hawley told FOX2 he was also monitoring the situation. “What I don’t want to see is a situation were they can’t heat their homes. That’s the circumstance that has to be avoided and has to be provided for so that’s what I’m focused on,” Hawley told FOX2. “I’m watching this closely and I want to make sure that we do not end up in a situation like we saw in the state of Texas.”
Facebook: Indigenous Environmental Network: Governor Walz and AG Keith Ellison must drop the charges against all water protectors immediately
11/17/21
“Line 3 endangers critical natural resources, violating the rights of the Anishinaabeg in the 1854, 1855, and 1867 treaties. Indigenous Water protectors have been arrested on charges of trespass on lands where they are entitled to hunt, fish, gather, and travel, as guaranteed by these treaties signed by the US government and affirmed by the US Supreme Court. Treaties are the supreme law of the land, and water protectors who put their bodies on the line to uphold these treaties are facing escalated charges and police repression. This is unconstitutional and Governor Walz and AG Keith Ellison must drop the charges against all water protectors immediately. Take action now by sending them a letter! https://DropL3charges.com”
Richmond Times-Dispatch: 'We want you to want this project,' Pipeline company acknowledges poor communication, vows to hold public meetings for Hanover, other residents
Holly Prestidge, 11/17/21
“Chickahominy Pipeline LLC, the company trying to build an 83-mile pipeline through Hanover County and its neighboring counties, notified landowners last week that it’ll hold virtual public meetings and in-person open houses in December and January, admitting that the “lack of credible information about the project” has been the public’s top concern,” the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. “In a letter dated Nov. 10 and signed by Timothy Seibert, a Chickahominy Project consultant, the company said “we acknowledge that we could have done a better job communicating with stakeholders ahead of launching our initiative,” and that “going forward, we intend to keep you informed.” “...Some landowners say they’re skeptical of the recent letter. “It’s obvious they’re trying a different approach in terms of their PR campaign,” Hanover resident Michael Miles, who owns about 15 acres off Scotchtown Road, west of U.S. 1, told the Dispatch. He told the Dispatch anyone who’s familiar with the issue — and the potential damage to their land — likely won’t be swayed by the company’s attempts to win them over now… “Miles also told the Dispatch he and others are skeptical of Chickahominy’s claim about the number of landowners who have agreed to have their land surveyed. “No one we’ve talked to ... has agreed with this company to let them survey their land,” he said… “Henrico resident Glenn Cox told the Dispatch he talked to a field agent who showed up at his 30-acre Sandston property last month about dinnertime. “He didn’t offer me anything,” Cox told the Dispatch about that conversation, but “he was trying to talk me into signing something.” Cox said he did not sign the paper, and he made it clear that he was not interested in having his property surveyed. “They act like they’re my friend,” he said, adding that he’s still not quite sure where the pipeline would cross his property because the maps he’s seen are hard to read. He also told the Dispatch he doesn’t know a single person who’s agreed to having their land surveyed.”
Bismarck Tribune: North Dakota leaders to make plan for $150M pipeline grant fund
AMY R. SISK, 11/17/21
“Pipeline developers are eyeing the $150 million pot of grant money North Dakota lawmakers set aside last week for expanding natural gas service, but it will be a few weeks before it’s clear how state leaders plan to proceed with distributing the funds,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “There’s a tremendous amount of interest,” North Dakota Pipeline Director Justin Kringstad told the Tribune. “We will have to come up with an appropriate method at the Industrial Commission to get that process ironed out.” “...It’s anticipated $10 million will go toward building a short pipeline that taps into a larger line running through western Minnesota to bring gas to an industrial site in Grand Forks. The remaining $140 million could go toward a pipeline transporting gas from western North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields to the eastern part of the state, a project that could cost an estimated $1 billion. The grant money stems from the allocation awarded to North Dakota under the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal stimulus program designed to help states emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. State leaders tell the Tribune the project will be important to keep the wasteful flaring of excess gas in the oil fields at bay, especially as gas production in the Bakken increases at a higher rate than oil, a trend expected to continue into the future.”
Reuters: Pipeline firms scramble to restore service after British Columbia floods, gas prices spike
By Nia Williams, 11/17/21
“Energy infrastructure companies were scrambling on Wednesday to restore pipelines in British Columbia that were shut down by catastrophic flooding, as natural gas prices in the region spiked higher and fears of gasoline shortages grew,” Reuters reports. “...Natural gas customers in the lower mainland of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest are facing reduced supplies after Enbridge Inc (ENB.TO) shut a segment of its Westcoast pipeline on Tuesday as a precaution, reducing flows to 1.4 billion cubic feet a day (bcf/d) from up to 1.8 bcf/day normally. The Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which ships 300,000 barrel per day of crude and refined products from Alberta to Burnaby, near Vancouver, also shut down entirely on Sunday… “The Westcoast pipeline is the main conduit for deliveries to the area from northern British Columbia's gas-producing region… “However, about 1,200 customers in Princeton are without gas because of damage to infrastructure and repairs could take a couple of days, spokeswoman Diana Sorace told Reuters… “Multiple crews are working to assess the pipeline segments affected by the flooding but it may take several days, Enbridge said in a notice posted to the Westcoast website on Wednesday. Trans Mountain, which is owned by the Canadian government, is also working on plans to restart its pipeline and completed an initial assessment by air, the operator told Reuters.”
U.S. Energy Information Administration: New natural gas pipeline capacity expands access to export and Northeast markets
11/17/21
“In our recently updated Natural Gas Pipeline Projects Tracker, we estimate over 4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of new natural gas pipeline capacity entered service in the third quarter of 2021, primarily supplying Gulf Coast and Northeast demand markets. In the Gulf Coast, three projects either entered service in the third quarter or were partially completed, totaling 3.6 Bcf/d of additional pipeline capacity. These projects connect U.S. natural gas production to growing U.S. export markets. They include: The Whistler pipeline, completed on July 1, 2021. The new 2.0 Bcf/d pipeline, operated by WhiteWater, connects Permian Basin production at the Waha Hub in West Texas to the Agua Dulce Hub in Southeast Texas… “The Acadiana Expansion Project, partly completed as of August 6, 2021. This 894 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) expansion on the Kinder Morgan Louisiana intrastate pipeline increases takeaway capacity out of the Haynesville Basin, connecting it to the Sabine Pass LNG terminal… “The Cameron Extension Project, partly completed as of August 12, 2021. This 750 MMcf/d expansion on the Texas Eastern Transmission (TETCO) interstate pipeline delivers feedgas to the Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal, which is currently preparing to start commissioning activities… “Several other projects have also entered service, increasing supplies to constrained demand markets in the Northeast. In New England, two projects will improve the region’s access to winter supplies of natural gas by over 100 MMcf/d.. “The pipeline project tracker update also includes the cancellation of the 1.3 Bcf/d PennEast Pipeline, which was announced in late September… “In total, the Natural Gas Pipeline Projects Tracker includes updates to 25 interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline projects, including announcements of new projects and estimated dates of completion.”
KTVH: Wyoming pipeline owner agrees to $2M settlement for 2015 oil spill into Yellowstone River near Glendive
11/17/21
“A Wyoming-based pipeline owner has agreed to a $2 million settlement with the U.S. and Montana governments over a 2015 oil spill into the Yellowstone River near Glendive, acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said Wednesday,” KTVH reports. “According to the agreement, Bridger Pipeline will pay $1.7 million into a natural resources damages fund managed by the state, which will manage restoration projects aimed at repairing harm done to wildlife, water and the environment related to the spill, Johnson said in a news release. The remaining $260,205 will be placed in a U.S. Department of Interior fund aimed at recovering costs of damage to natural resources. On Jan. 17, 2015, the Poplar Pipeline, owned by Bridger Pipeline, spilled about 31,000 gallons of Bakken crude oil into the Yellowstone River, just over six miles upstream of Glendive. The river was covered in ice, but oil sheens were spotted on ice-free patches of the river as far away as Crane, around 35 miles away.”
WAMC: Cost, benefits of natural gas pipeline project questioned
Paul Tuthill, 11/17/21
“Elected officials continue to question a utility company’s plan to build a natural gas pipeline in western Massachusetts,” WAMC reports. “The project proposed by Eversource to build a five-mile long 16-inch diameter pipeline between Longmeadow and the South End neighborhood of Springfield has raised concerns about safety, traffic disruptions during construction, the impact on ratepayers, and whether it makes sense to build new gas infrastructure when fossil fuels are supposed to be phased out in the coming years. Meeting with Eversource officials last week, Democratic State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez of Springfield told WAMC he raised all those questions. “And as part of the safety concerns can Springfield have a host community agreement to reduce the rates for Springfield residents since we are taking the safety risks in providing services to the suburban community?” Gonzalez told WAMC… “Springfield City Councilor Jesse Lederman is calling for an independent analysis of the costs and benefits of the project. “What will this cost the ratepayers? Who will make money off it? What will the increase to reliability, if any, will there be? What are all the options that can be considered?” Lederman told WAMC. “That is what we’re hearing from folks.” In a statement this week, Lederman also called on the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to refuse any request by Eversource that would allow shareholders to profit from the pipeline project if it is necessary for public safety, as the utility claims. A coalition of environmental and community activists is campaigning against the pipeline project.”
Press release: Summit Midstream Partners, LP Announces Commencement of Service on Double E Pipeline
11/18/21
“Summit Midstream Partners, LP announced today that Double E Pipeline, LLC ("Double E"), a joint venture in which SMLP owns a 70% equity interest and serves as operator, has commenced operations. Double E is a 135 mile FERC-regulated natural gas pipeline that provides natural gas transportation services from southeast New Mexico and west Texas to downstream pipeline interconnections in the Waha Hub region. Heath Deneke, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, commented, "I'm extremely proud of and grateful for our Double E project team members and joint venture partner, who have all dedicated countless hours over the past four years to ensure that Double E was completed safely, on schedule, under budget and in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Double E provides 1.35 billion cubic feet per day of residue gas transportation capacity to producers, processors and other prospective shippers in a capacity constrained region of New Mexico, where 80 rigs are currently operating, up from 45 rigs in 3Q 2020.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: GAS PRICE CAMPAIGN SEASON:
Matthew Choi, 11/17/21
“As millions of Americans set out for turkey at grandma’s, they’re facing particularly high fuel and heating costs that could make this one of the most expensive Thanksgiving seasons to date,” Politico reports. “Global oil, gas and coal costs are going up as economies recover from the pandemic and supply chain challenges drive inflation. Add in a looming midterm election and Democrats’ record-setting spending on climate, and you’ve got yourself some prime fodder for gas-price campaigning. Republicans are pointing to the Biden administration’s energy policy as undermining reliability and energy independence. Senate Energy committee ranking member John Barrasso didn’t mince his words during a hearing on rising energy costs Tuesday , when he pilloried Democrats’ reconciliation bill as making "our country dependent on the OPEC cartel and Russia. Mark my words, this winter we will see photos of Russian oil tankers in the Boston harbor delivering to the United States." Michael Zeh, federal affairs adviser for the industry-backed Consumer Energy Alliance, told Politico that “while it is clear the President cannot control every factor that leads to higher prices, he can control the signals he sends to our domestic energy companies – like the resounding ones we heard on the Keystone XL pipeline and the federal oil and gas leasing pause.” But most market analysts see little the president can do to alter the market fundamentals and drive costs down in the short term. And nearly every president in recent history has been hit with gas prices as a political cudgel. This go around, however, Democrats are flirting with some new ways to alleviate the crunch. Sen. Angus King , a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, questioned whether the U.S. should restrict natural gas exports to ease domestic customers… “Committee Chair Joe Manchin chimed in with, "I wholeheartedly agree.”
Houston Chronicle: Falling crude production costs has Biden, environmental groups asking questions
Paul Takahashi, 11/17/21
“The cost of producing oil has come down significantly this year as recent oil busts forced producers to become more efficient,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The average Brent crude price at which a new oil well breaks even with production costs has dropped to around $47 a barrel, an 8 percent decline during the past year and 40 percent less than the break-even price of $82 a barrel in 2014, according to a new report from Norwegian energy research firm Rystad… “The declining cost of oil production around the world is prompting questions from the Biden administration about why gasoline prices have risen. Biden on Wednesday directed the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether “anti-consumer behavior” by U.S. oil companies is raising gasoline prices across the country, even though the U.S. fuel is made from heavier crude from foreign countries, not the lighter oil produced domestically. U.S. gasoline prices are tied to global crude markets, many of which are still recovering from the economic effects of the pandemic. The Biden administration has been pressing the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to produce more oil, while at the same time implementing policies to stem domestic production to combat climate change. Environmental groups fear that oil’s growing profitability could threaten climate policies and slow the transition toward lower-carbon energy sources, such as wind and solar. Historically, cheap oil has blunted climate efforts by reducing gasoline prices and encouraging Americans to drive bigger, less-fuel efficient vehicles.”
Politico: PHILLIPS TO FERC
Matthew Choi, 11/17/21
“And keeping the process around FERC nominee Wllie Phillips drama-free, the Senate approved by voice vote the D.C. Public Service Commission's chairman to fill the vacant FERC seat Tuesday, giving Democrats a majority on the 5-seat commission,” Politico reports. “He had unanimously cleared the Senate Energy Committee earlier this month.”
Navajo National Council: Navajo Nation Opposes Withdrawal for Development at Chaco Canyon, Tribal Consultation Ignored
11/16/21
“The 24th Navajo Nation Council reaffirmed its opposition to the Biden Administration proposal of a 20-year ban on oil and gas drilling within a 10-mile radius of the Chaco Culture Heritage Withdrawal Area in northwestern New Mexico. President Biden announced the plan during the first day of the White House Tribal Nations Summit in Washington, D.C. The Interior Department plans for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to initiate consideration of this 20-year withdrawal of federal lands around the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in the coming weeks. “The Biden Administration bypassed previous requests to Congress for field hearings and for leaders to hear directly from our Navajo families affected in the Chaco Canyon region. The position of the Navajo Nation Council is for the creation of a 5-mile buffer within and around this sacred site. It is important that the federal government consider and work with our Navajo allottees to further advance development. The Administration must respect our tribal sovereignty and what the government to government relationship entails,” said Speaker Seth Damon (Bááhaalí, Chichiltah, Manuelito, Red Rock, Rock Springs, Tséyatoh)... “We must ensure the livelihood of Navajo allotted land owners in the greater Chaco Canyon area are maintained. The Navajo Nation through a resolution has provided a compromise to also protect this sacred area from mineral development. The Biden Administration has to work with us to find a solution that meets our needs and that is this 5-mile buffer zone,” said Resources and Development Committee Chair Rickie Nez (T’iistsoh Sikaad, Nenahnezad, Upper Fruitland, Tsé Daa K’aan, Newcomb, San Juan). According to the Interior Department, the segregation and potential withdrawal would not affect existing valid leases or rights and would not apply to minerals owned by private, State, or Tribal entities.”
Politico: FOR SALE!
Matthew Choi, 11/17/21
“Today kicks off the Biden administration’s first sales for new federal oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico,” Politico reports. ”New sales were put on pause earlier this year as the administration took stock on the entire program. But when a judge in Louisiana deemed the pause unlawful, the Biden administration found itself compelled to switch tack. The Interior Department filed for an appeal in the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday night, arguing the administration was operating fully within its authority. The planned lease sale has gotten some serious flack from environmentalists who insist the administration could have curtailed today’s sale without violating the court order. House Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva painted the new sales as incongruous with the climate leadership rhetoric that the administration presented at the COP26 global stage… “FYI: Democrats’ reconciliation package would increase royalties for onshore leases and permanently bans new leases along the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.”
S&P Global: Top Interior official sees need to 'flip the script' on public lands use, leasing
Maya Weber, 11/15/21
“A top US Interior Department official Nov. 15 reiterated the agency's desire to reform oil and gas leasing programs, espousing a need to "flip the script" on use of public lands away from one dominated by oil and gas interests,” S&P Global reports. “Interior Department Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau comments backing changes come even as Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management plans Nov. 17 to hold the first lease sale since the Biden administration halted federal oil, gas and coal leasing in January… “Beaudreau characterized the administration's approach as an effort to "flip the script on the purpose and use of public lands away from one dominated ... by oil and gas interests, [to] one that instead is oriented as a baseline around the public's interest, including local communities directly impacted by public money and tribes as well." While key parameters of oil and gas leasing terms and royalties are set in statute, Beaudreau pointed to areas where the administration may have latitude to act. For instance, he suggested the 10-year term for onshore leases was problematic because it locked up lands from being available for other uses, alluding for instance to cultural resources, recreation, hunting and fishing. With that in mind, one approach that has to be considered, he said, is "making decisions under the Mineral Leasing Act as to what areas are eligible and available for leasing in the first place," he said… “As for what the administration can do on royalty rates, Beaudreau noted that the requirements around deductions have a large influence on the amount paid. The administration will be "taking another crack" at a rulemaking addressing that issue completed at the end of the Obama administration that was undone under Trump, he said.”
STATE UPDATES
Colorado Sun: Colorado activists want gas-fired electrical plants to stop spewing pollution over Denver
Michael Booth, 11/16/21
“Switching to natural gas from coal cut pollution at the Arapahoe and Cherokee electric generating stations nearly in half, but activists are now pushing for their early closure to speed the climate change battle and promote environmental justice,” the Colorado Sun reports. “The Sierra Club issued a report Tuesday in partnership with community groups asking why the massive smokestacks are scheduled to operate for decades even though Xcel Energy has pledged to generate electricity carbon-free by 2050. They also point out Denver has pledged to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030, while some of the turbines at Xcel’s Cherokee plant in Adams County are scheduled to burn gas through 2055. Xcel’s contract to buy electricity from Arapahoe expires in 2023, but there is no indication yet whether Xcel will renew the deal or walk away from the south Denver plant. The Sierra Club report calls on state regulators to seek closure of the two gas-fired plants by at least 2030, helping to fulfill state laws requiring 50% greenhouse gas cuts from 2005 levels by that year… “Despite no longer burning coal, the Denver power plants rank near the top of Colorado polluters in every category.” “Since 1995, through initiatives that were supported by Sierra Club and other key stakeholders, we have reduced emissions from Arapahoe and Cherokee by more than 90%, including emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury,” Xcel’s Michelle Aguayo told the Sun. “Premature retirement of these plants would impose significant costs on our customers, reduce our ability to deliver renewable energy to our customers, and make it harder to maintain reliability.”
EXTRACTION
Inforum: Close to 20,000 gallons of oilfield contaminants spill in Bowman County
Adam Willis, 11/6/21
“A substantial amount of mixed oil and produced water spilled at a wellsite in Bowman County on Monday, Nov. 15, escaping the well pad and flowing about 1,500 feet through a nearby drainage area,” Inforum reports. “...The oil well's operator, Denbury Onshore, has isolated the well and dug berms to stop further spread of the spill. The mixture, known as emulsion, contained about 6,300 gallons of crude oil and 12,600 gallons of produced water, according to the indecent report. The cause of the spill is under investigation. Cleanup is ongoing, and no waterways were impacted by the spill, according to the report.”
Grist: Less methane coming down the pipe
Joseph Winters, 11/16/21
“During the first week of negotiations at COP26, the United Nations climate conference, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a groundbreaking new rule to slash methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. Now, officials are detailing plans to take the rule even further,” Grist reports. “The EPA announced its intention to release a “supplemental proposal” when it released the rule, and now a top official is sharing new details about what the forthcoming proposal might look like. The agency’s acting air chief, Joe Goffman, said last week that the EPA will make the proposed rule “even more ambitious” by early 2022. The updates will be based on input received during a 60-day public comment period, with the objective of achieving a final rule that covers more methane from a greater number of sources. The EPA’s rule would place more stringent requirements on oil companies to monitor and repair methane leaks from new and existing fossil fuel infrastructure… “It remains to be seen exactly what the supplemental proposal will look like, but Goffman said the EPA was considering giving frontline communities more agency to monitor, report, and enforce cleanup at oil and gas facilities that release methane into the atmosphere. The supplement could “create an obligation on the part of operators… to undertake additional repairs or replacement of their equipment,” he said at a roundtable in Glasgow last week.”
RESEARCH & SCIENCE
E&E News: Enviro groups slowly diversify; funding gaps remain
By Jeremy P. Jacobs, 11/17/21
“The environmental movement has made some progress in diversifying its ranks, a watchdog group said today, but much more work needs to be done,” E&E News reports. “Green 2.0, a nonprofit dedicated to equity in the environmental arena, found that major groups increased the percentage of people of color on their full-time staff and boards from 2020 to 2021. (The report often uses "POC" as shorthand for people of color.) But it also emphasized that the percentage of full-time people of color on staff — nearly 30 percent — still trails the U.S. population at large, noting that the next generation — those under 16 years old now — are less than 50 percent white… “They found that the full-time staff of those groups remain predominantly white — 60 percent. Nearly 11 percent of staff is Black, and roughly the same percentage identifies as Hispanic, Latinx or Chicanx… “The limited diversity is more prominent among heads of organizations. Nearly three-quarters — 73 percent — of those leaders are white… “In particular, groups appear to be doing a better job at diversifying their senior staff and boards. In both categories, there were significant gains in the past two years. Green 2.0 found that people of color among senior staff jumped 25 percent last year, and, on boards, 28 percent… “On average, foundations give white-led organizations "nearly 40 percent more annually than POC-led organizations." That finding supports longstanding claims that major foundations give much more money to large, mainstream, predominantly-white environmental groups over front-line environmental justice groups, hamstringing those groups’ efforts… "Put another way," it went on, "White-led organizations received 97% more funding for general operating budget than POC-led organizations."
CLIMATE FINANCE
Bloomberg: Shell Ditches ‘Dutch’ From Name and Makes Britain Its HQ
Laura Hurst and Diederik Baazil, 11/15/21
“Royal Dutch Shell Plc announced a major overhaul of its legal and tax structure that will see the company walk away from the Netherlands amid deteriorating relations with what’s been its home country for a century,” Bloomberg reports. “The changes come as Shell is battling activist investor Dan Loeb, who’s demanding the company split itself into two to attract shareholders leaving the energy sector because of concerns over climate change. Shell said Monday that it planned to eliminate its current dual share structure, drop “Royal Dutch” from its name, relocate its tax residence to the U.K. and move its top executives from The Hague to London. The Dutch government immediately said it was “unpleasantly surprised” by the announcement. Adopting a simplified structure has been on the cards for years, but Shell’s relations in its country of origin have become increasingly fraught of late. Dutch pension fund ABP said last month it would drop the oil major -- and all fossil fuels -- from its portfolio without warning, while in May a court in The Hague ruled the firm must slash its emissions harder and faster than planned.”
OPINION
The Hill: Biden's crude export ban could cause more pain at the pump
Kyle Isakower is senior vice president for regulatory and energy policy at the American Council for Capital Formation, 11/17/21
“The Biden administration is trying to show the American people that they are doing all they can to stem rising gasoline prices, which are at levels not seen since 2014. A few weeks ago, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm even suggested that the administration might reconsider a ban on crude oil exports as a means to lower prices at the pump, writes for The Hill. “While the Department of Energy quickly recanted the idea, it seems the administration is getting desperate, and that’s never a good time for policymaking… “The fact is a ban on crude exports will not provide long-term relief for consumers at the pump… “So, what is likely to happen to global supply of crude if the U.S. reintroduces an export ban? Limiting U.S. crude to the domestic market means fewer potential buyers, and less demand, for that crude. That would likely be followed by a corresponding drop in American production. Since crude oil is traded globally, reduced U.S. production — regardless of where it is ultimately refined into fuels – lowers the global crude supply. Less supply on global markets puts upward pressure on price — not downward. Therefore, banning crude exports is more likely to raise prices than to lower them… “It is understandable for the administration to look for a way to demonstrate that it is fighting for the American people, but populist ideas like reinstating a crude export ban only sound like good ideas. The reality is that it would hurt the American economy and could even raise prices at the pump.”
Globe and Mail: Trudeau’s emissions cap reminds oil-producing provinces of his father’s hated National Energy Program
Lydia Miljan is a professor of political science at the University of Windsor and senior fellow of the Fraser Institute, 11/17/21
“Earlier this month in Glasgow, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cap on oil and gas producers in Canada. In the eyes of many in the resource sector, this placed a disproportionate burden on provinces that produce oil and gas (mainly Alberta) to achieve Ottawa’s pledge of net-zero emissions by 2050,” Lydia Miljan writes for the Globe and Mail. “Notably missing was a clear commitment to reduce emissions from other sectors of the economy, including transportation, which account for almost as much of Canada’s GHG emissions as the oil-and-gas sector. Although he acknowledged the potential harm, Mr. Trudeau provided little comfort in his speech, saying it’s “no small task for a major oil and gas producing country. It’s a big step that’s absolutely necessary.” It’s tempting to compare our current Prime Minister’s emissions pledge with Pierre Trudeau’s despised National Energy Program (NEP)... “Today’s Trudeau government has also done little to reduce emissions from other sectors. Indeed, there’s scant evidence that the carbon tax has helped reduce GHG emissions, as any reductions were achieved by the provinces, specifically in the electricity sector and in heavy industry, by phasing out coal. Demand for oil and gas will continue. We live in a large, cold and sparsely populated country that relies on natural gas and heating oil to keep us warm and gasoline and diesel to keep us moving. Putting caps on domestic emissions will not change our demand for oil or gas.”