EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/12/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Radio Iowa: Representative drafting law to apply to Iowa carbon pipeline projects
Summit-Tribune: Pipeline company officials address Hancock County supervisors' concerns
Des Moines Register: ADM proposes an Iowa carbon-capture pipeline, bringing state's total to three
Reuters: ADM signs CO2 pipeline deal to capture, store ethanol plant emissions
Mlive.com: Kalamazoo brewery founder Larry Bell tapped as Sierra Club of Michigan’s environmentalist of the year
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Biden administration to scrap Trump plan for wider Alaska oil drilling
E&E News: ‘Wicked hard’: Biden, Congress struggle to curb U.S. emissions
STATE UPDATES
MPR: Longtime MPCA employee alleges retaliation over petroleum complaints
EXTRACTION
The National: Global oil and gas investments to surge to $628bn in 2022, Rystad says
Reuters: U.S. oil producers ramp up fracking in sign of stronger output gains
Space.com: Satellites reveal record high methane concentrations despite reduction pledges
Financial Post: Last blend standing? Canadian oilsands' prospects surge as competitors fall apart
Yale Climate Connections: Why a Colorado engineer switched from oil industry to geothermal
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Fed chair points to ‘narrow’ but important climate role
Financial Post: Canadian oil stocks: Primed for growth
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Press release: Energy Transfer and the Arbor Day Foundation Partner to Plant 25,000 Trees
OPINION
Toledo Blade: Editorial: The other pipeline
Truthout: We Need the Fossil Free Finance Act Now to Combat Wall Street’s Greenwashing
CBC: O'Toole says Canada-U.S. relations have never been worse
PIPELINE NEWS
Radio Iowa: Representative drafting law to apply to Iowa carbon pipeline projects
O. KAY HENDERSON, 1/11/22
“A key lawmaker is drafting a plan to require that a large percentage of landowners agree to a carbon pipeline project before state regulators could approve seizure of the remaining property through eminent domain,” Radio Iowa reports. “I’m pro-landowner,” Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton who is chairman of the House State Government Committee, told Radio Iowa. “I’m pro you deciding what to do with your farm or your business or your home unless you’re doing something stupid like commuting a crime or not paying your taxes and the process has worked so far, but someday it’s not.” In 2006, the Iowa legislature overrode Governor Vilsack’s veto of a law that has limited the authority of local governments to seize private property for economic development projects. Kaufmann told Radio Iowa current state law requires transmission lines and pipelines that ship electricity or products through the state to sign up a majority of landowners before the Iowa Utilities Board can grant eminent domain to seize the rest. “The current code does not make you reach a certain agreeable percentage before you could ask for it, so feasibly you could do a pipeline with 10% landowner approval and ask for eminent domain,” Kaufmann told Radio Iowa. “Now I’m not insinuating that the current Utilities Board would grant it, but the fact that it’s permissible to ask is a problem for me.” Kaufmann told Radio Iowa he’s currently aiming to force pipelines to have contracts with 70-75% of landowners before state regulators could grant permission to get the rest of the property through eminent domain.”
Summit-Tribune: Pipeline company officials address Hancock County supervisors' concerns
Rob Hillesland, 1/11/22
“Hancock County Supervisors have again voiced concerns about a proposed carbon pipeline through the county to Summit Carbon Solutions Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Powell and Vice President of Government and Public Affairs Jake Ketzner,” the Summit-Tribune reports. “On Jan 10, supervisor Sis Greiman stated concerns about the amount of responsibilities being placed upon county officials and, specifically, county supervisors for ensuring that construction does not adversely impact county drainage districts and roads. “I’m a little disappointed that we were not contacted before the informational meeting,” Greiman said. “Neither was our (county) engineer.” Greiman noted that the county has to hire a licensed professional to ensure compliance, participate in the civil penalty process, file complaint(s) with the Iowa Utilities Board if there are issues, involve the county engineer and county attorney, and determine when the work in the county is complete. Following completion of the pipeline in the county, county officials would also be responsible for receiving petitions seeking a county compensation commission review of damage claims arising from construction. “This is a heavy burden for us,” said Greiman twice during her remarks. Powell and Ketzner both explained that SCS has not yet filed its application for a pipeline permit with the IUB, which is anticipated as soon as this month. They said that the permit application process typically takes about a year, so they are hoping to be able to start pipeline construction in early 2023, to be completed in 2024.” “...Marcia Frye of rural Corwith asked if there could be health ramifications if there was a pipeline leak near her residence. Powell said the company has studied “catastrophic breach” such as could occur in an earthquake.”
Des Moines Register: ADM proposes an Iowa carbon-capture pipeline, bringing state's total to three
Donnelle Eller, 1/11/22
“Archer Daniel Midlands Co. said Tuesday it had reached an agreement for construction of a pipeline that would be used to capture and sequester carbon emissions from its eastern Iowa ethanol plants. It is the third carbon-capture pipeline proposed in Iowa,” the Des Moines Register reports. “The Chicago-based agricultural products company said it signed a letter of intent with Denver-based Wolf Carbon Solutions, which would build the 350-mile pipeline serving ADM's ethanol plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton. ADM said Wolf would develop, own and operate the pipeline. It would transport liquefied carbon dioxide to an underground sequestration site in Decatur, Illinois… “The companies said the pipeline would have "significant spare capacity to serve other third-party customers looking to decarbonize across the Midwest and Ohio River Valley." “...But the projects have been controversial in Iowa, garnering opposition from state and county officials, residents, farmers and landowners, who are concerned about damage to drainage tiles beneath farm, fields, reduced crop yields and the possible use of eminent domain to force rights-of-way purchases and access. “Carbon capture and storage is an unproven and unsound technology that will do nothing to mitigate the climate crisis," Emma Schmit, a Food & Water Watch organizer in Iowa, told the Register.
Reuters: ADM signs CO2 pipeline deal to capture, store ethanol plant emissions
1/11/22
“Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM.N) said Tuesday it had signed a letter of intent with Wolf Carbon Solutions to build a pipeline that would capture and transport carbon dioxide produced at ADM's ethanol facilities at Clinton and Cedar Rapids, Iowa,” Reuters reports. “The pipeline is the latest move by agriculture and energy companies to reduce emissions of planet-warming carbon and would test carbon capture technology, a potentially powerful tool to fight climate change that is relatively new and unproven… “The pipeline would also have spare capacity to serve ADM customers looking to decarbonize. "This is an exciting opportunity for ADM to connect some of our largest processing facilities with our carbon capture capabilities," Chris Cuddy, president, Carbohydrate Solutions for ADM, said in a statement… “Underground geological formations in the United States have the potential to store 2.6 trillion tons of planet-warming CO2, enough to cover all of America's historical emissions and those to come for centuries, according to the Department of Energy.”
Mlive.com: Kalamazoo brewery founder Larry Bell tapped as Sierra Club of Michigan’s environmentalist of the year
Ryan Boldrey, 1/10/22
“Larry Bell may have stepped into retirement, but he is yet to step out of the spotlight. On Monday, the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter announced that Bell was being named as its environmentalist of the year for 2021 for his decade-long work fighting against the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline,” Mlive.com reports. “...Larry’s someone who really helped galvanize the business community to join together to fight against Line 5 and we’ve been involved with him heavily with the Line 5 work that he’s done. And on and off over the years, he’s just been someone on our radar as being environmentally conscious,” Gail Philbin, state director for the Sierra Club told MLive.” Bell has been a vocal and active opponent of Line 5 since the massive 843,000 gallon oil spill in the Kalamazoo River in 2010 that occurred just 30 miles from his Comstock brewing facility. Three years after the spill, the Canadian company attempted to take toxic dredge from its cleanup efforts and dump it in Comstock Township, but Bell, in the first of many stands against the company, filed suit, forcing Enbridge to cease dumping in the township.:
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Reuters: Biden administration to scrap Trump plan for wider Alaska oil drilling
By Yereth Rosen, 1/10/22
“The Biden administration announced on Monday that it will reverse a Trump-era policy that opened up vast swathes of Arctic Alaska land to new oil development,” Reuters reports. “The U.S. Department of the Interior said it will scrap the Trump administration's decision that authorized expanded leasing and development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, or NPR-A. Even though Trump took several steps to try to boost oil-and-gas development in Alaska, production in the state fell to a 43-year low in 2020, as drillers focus their attention in Texas and other lower 48 states… "This decision reflects the Biden-Harris administration's priority of reviewing existing oil and gas programs to ensure balance on America's public lands and waters to benefit current and future generations," it said. The Trump administration in its waning days approved a plan to allow oil leasing and development in more than 80% percent of the 23-million-acre (9.3-million-hectare) reserve. That replaced a 2013 Obama administration plan issued that protected about half of the reserve. One of the most controversial elements of the Trump administration's Cplan was the approval of future oil development in Teshekpuk Lake, the largest lake on the North Slope and the site of important habitat for migratory birds, caribou and other Arctic wildlife. Plans and policies dating back to the Reagan administration had kept Teshekpuk Lake off-limits to development. The Obama-era plan expanded protections in the wetlands near the lake.”
E&E News: ‘Wicked hard’: Biden, Congress struggle to curb U.S. emissions
By Adam Aton, 1/12/22
“President Biden took office by declaring he would answer the “cry for survival [that] comes from the planet itself,” E&E News reports. “After delivering that line during his inauguration, Biden unleashed a blizzard of climate-focused executive orders. He rejoined the Paris climate agreement with the goal of cutting U.S. emissions in half by 2030. And he embedded climate teams across federal agencies, promising to marshal the entire government against a threat he called “existential.” But Biden — and Congress — still are struggling to bend the trajectory of U.S. climate pollution. Greenhouse gas emissions ticked upward during Biden’s first year in the White House… “And with the biggest parts of Biden’s agenda stuck in Congress, the president is ending his first year much as he began it: churning out numerous, narrower climate policies — and hoping most of them stick… “If Biden passes his climate legislation in the coming months, experts said, his first year of painstaking congressional negotiations and legislative maneuvering will look much better in hindsight. If not, then Biden’s 2030 climate goal probably falls out of reach, and prospects for his 2050 goal of economywide decarbonization start looking worse, too. The White House also could face second-guessing about whether congressional negotiations preempted more aggressive unilateral action. “The administration accomplished a lot in its first year. I also think it fell short of its ambitions,” Robbie Orvis, senior director of energy policy design at Energy Innovation, told E&E. “The administration knows Build Back Better is transformative. But they also know more needs to be done. And I think that’s why you’re seeing [them announce] all these other non-legislative things.”
STATE UPDATES
MPR: Longtime MPCA employee alleges retaliation over petroleum complaints
Kirsti Marohn, 1/11/22
“A longtime employee of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has filed a whistleblower lawsuit, claiming he faced retaliation for raising concerns about how the agency handles petroleum leak sites,” MPR reports. “Mark Toso resigned in June after nearly 30 years at the MPCA, the last decade as a hydrologist in the petroleum remediation program. The program is responsible for investigating, evaluating and removing risks from petroleum releases from storage tanks. Those leaks can contaminate soil and groundwater, create dangerous vapors and affect drinking water supplies. In November, Toso sued the MPCA in Ramsey County District Court, alleging that the agency penalized him for voicing concerns that the program was failing to protect groundwater and endangering the public. "I'm hoping this lawsuit brings changes to the agency because they're sorely needed,” Toso told MPR… “The problem is that they told everybody that they were cleaning up these sites and closing them,” he told MPR. “But in reality, they weren’t.” Toso told MPR about 5,000 closed sites involve leaded gasoline, banned in the U.S. in 1996. It contains toxic additives known as lead scavengers, which are designed to prevent lead deposits in engines and don’t break down easily… “Toso claims that around 2000, the MPCA shifted away from cleaning up contamination at petroleum leak sites. Instead, he told MPR the agency focused on eliminating pathways between the source of contamination and drinking water supplies — often by replacing affected wells — but leaving the contaminants to biodegrade.”
EXTRACTION
The National: Global oil and gas investments to surge to $628bn in 2022, Rystad says
Alkesh Sharma, 1/11/22
“Global oil and gas investments will increase more than 4.3 per cent annually to reach $628 billion this year as the industry recovers from the pandemic and from the hurdles posed by the Omicron variant, according to a report by consultancy Rystad Energy,” The National reports. “The increase in investment will largely be driven by a 14 per cent year-on-year rise in upstream gas and liquefied natural gas investments in 2022, the independent energy research and data analytics company said. Upstream gas and liquefied natural gas will be the fastest-growing segment this year, with investments rising to nearly $149bn, from $131bn in 2021. This falls short of the pre-pandemic total but investment in the sector is expected to surpass the 2019 levels of $168bn in two years, reaching $171bn in 2024, Rystad said. Upstream oil investments are projected to rise 7 per cent yearly to $307bn in 2022. However, the midstream and downstream investments will fall 6.7 per cent on annual basis to $172bn this year… “Global shale investments are predicted to surge 18 per cent to reach $102bn this year, almost $16bn more than last year, Rystad said. The offshore investments are set to reach $155bn, up 7 per cent annually, while conventional onshore will jump 8 per cent to $290bn this year, it said.”
Reuters: U.S. oil producers ramp up fracking in sign of stronger output gains
By Arathy Somasekhar, 1/12/22
“As oil prices have surged past $80 a barrel, U.S oil and gas producers are paving the way for faster production by expanding new well completions in the Permian Basin of west Texas and New Mexico, the country's top shale oil field, according to research data,” Reuters reports. “The number of pressure pumping units at work in the Permian rose 5% in December, over the previous month, analysts at Tudor, Pickering, Holt and Co said. Pressure pumping is one of the last steps required to complete a well. The Permian will account for vast majority of this year's projected boost in U.S. output of up to 900,000 barrels per day. Output fell last year to about 11.18 million bpd on storm-related cutbacks and as demand collapsed during the pandemic, according to government data… “Bank of America analysts this week forecast global spending on drilling and completion will rise 22%, the strongest year-over-year gain since 2006.”
Space.com: Satellites reveal record high methane concentrations despite reduction pledges
By Tereza Pultarova, 1/11/22
“Concentrations of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere continued to rise in 2021 in spite of climate pledges and the economic slowdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, satellite data reveal,” Space.com reports. “Methane concentrations in particular showed a worrying trend, rising to a new maximum of nearly 1,900 parts per billion (ppb), according to the European Earth observation program Copernicus… “The annual increase in methane concentrations also set a new record, reaching 16.3 ppb, slightly more than in 2020 but more than double the average annual increase between 2005 and 2015. Scientists don't know yet what drives the trend, Vincent-Henri Peuch, the director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), said in a news conference held virtually on Monday (Jan. 10)... “Peuch said that in addition to an increase in both natural and anthropogenic methane emissions, the rise in methane concentration may reflect a decrease in the atmosphere's ability to break down the gas… “The rapid increase in methane concentrations shows that the world is nowhere near on track to slowing down the projected course of climate change.”
Financial Post: Last blend standing? Canadian oilsands' prospects surge as competitors fall apart
Yadullah Hussain, 1/12/22
“Just over a year ago, Canadian oilsands companies were struggling to keep their heads above water as pipeline cancellations and delays, environmental pressures and low crude-oil prices sent stock prices plunging and investors heading for the exits. While some of the challenges remain, especially on the environmental front, the oilsands appeared to have come out stronger from the ordeal even as some of its competitors face their own set of challenges and production declines,” the Financial Post reports. “Now, the decimation of crude exports from rival heavy oil producers has made the Canadian oilsands the last exporting blend standing in the Americas. The latest tailwind for the Canadian energy sector could emerge from Mexico’s decision to curtail crude oil exports… “Looking ahead, Canadian crude exports out of the U.S. Gulf should continue to show strength — particularly if we start to see Mexican crude exports starting to slip,” Matt Smith, lead oil analyst for the Americas with Kpler, a research consultancy, told the Post… “Heavy Canadian oil competes with crudes of similar density from Mexico and Venezuela, and are prized by Gulf Coast refineries and many Asian refineries that are configured to process the heavier grade. Over the past few years, Venezuelan oil exports to the U.S. have fallen to zero from 634,000 bpd as recently as 2019, creating yet another opening for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, Suncor Energy Inc., Cenovus Energy Inc. and Imperial Oil Ltd., among others.”
Yale Climate Connections: Why a Colorado engineer switched from oil industry to geothermal
1/22/22
“Jody Robins knew early on he wanted to work in oil and gas. After earning a college degree in petroleum engineering, he worked in the industry for more than 20 years. But over time, his feelings changed,” Yale Climate Connections reports. “I just had increasing concerns about climate change and, you know, living in Denver, local air pollution. And I was just ready to do something different, and that I would feel better about,” he told YCC. A recruiter suggested working in geothermal, which taps heat within the Earth to produce energy. “It seemed like a really good fit,” Robins told YCC… “The Department of Energy predicts that more than 8% of all U.S. electricity generation could come from geothermal by 2050. So as the country transitions to more clean energy, geothermal offers a path for some oil and gas workers in search of new careers.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Fed chair points to ‘narrow’ but important climate role
By Avery Ellfeldt, 1/12/22
“Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell walked a political tightrope yesterday between Democratic demands for faster climate action by the Fed and Republican instructions to do the opposite. As a solution, he nodded to both. Powell during his nomination hearing to lead the central bank under President Biden argued that the Fed has a limited, but important, role in addressing climate change,” E&E News reports. “We have a role to play. It’s a narrow one, but an important one. And that is it relates to our existing mandates. We don’t have a new mandate on climate change,” Powell told the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs… “While Democrats say the central bank has a responsibility to assess and mitigate climate-related risks, Republicans argue that foraying into social or environmental issues is inherently political. They also claim that dedicating time and resources to global warming isn’t appropriate given that the Fed’s main responsibilities are to achieve price stability and maximum employment… “Meanwhile, Democrats including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Jon Tester of Montana and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland argued that the Fed has a responsibility to address rising temperatures more actively. Warren is among the progressive lawmakers who have long viewed Powell as a climate laggard — and even said she won’t support his renomination due to actions that she says “make our banking system less safe.” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who chairs the committee, got even more specific. He asked if the Fed would consider implementing “climate stress testing.” Powell said the Fed is “looking at climate stress tests,” before clarifying that the most likely path forward would actually be "climate stress scenarios" — an exercise that aims to ensure large financial institutions understand the risks they face, but doesn’t pose regulatory consequences.”
Financial Post: Canadian oil stocks: Primed for growth
Larysa Harapyn, 1/11/22
“Rafi Tahmazian, Senior Portfolio Manager at Canoe Financial, talks with Financial Post’s Larysa Harapyn about how Canadian oil stocks are primed for growth,” the Financial Post reports.
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Press release: Energy Transfer and the Arbor Day Foundation Partner to Plant 25,000 Trees
1/11/22
“Dallas-based Energy Transfer is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 25,000 trees this year in three domestic forests. “Restoring our forested ecosystems to their original beauty and function is one of the biggest steps we need to make in repairing local environments,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “It’s exciting to be able to plant trees with groups like Energy Transfer because it allows us to carry out our mission with far more impact and demonstrates to the world that high-quality teamwork is incredibly valuable in solving the world’s most pressing issues.” The projects, located in Indiana, Michigan and Texas, will help improve wildlife habitats and other local environmental issues, including watershed restoration, disease and invasive species control. “We are pleased to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in these three key areas, which overlap with our operating footprint,” said Tom Mason, Energy Transfer General Counsel and head of its Alternative Energy Group. “This program is part of our larger focus on reducing our environmental footprint across the 41 states in which we operate. It will not only benefit the forested ecosystems, but it will help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to provide cleaner air. Our hope is that it will help make a lasting impact on our environment for generations to come.”
OPINION
Toledo Blade: Editorial: The other pipeline
THE BLADE EDITORIAL BOARD, 1/11/22
“The Enbridge pipeline dubbed Line 5 gets a lot of attention since it’s become a flashpoint for arguments involving the state governments of Michigan and Ohio. Line 5 also represents a potential natural disaster to environmentalists who’d rather shut the line down. For workers in the Toledo region it means good–paying jobs. Line 5, though, isn’t the only pipeline crossing Ohio,” the Toledo Blade Editorial Board writes. "There’s another pair of pipelines that run through Ohio. They’re operated by Energy Transfer Partners through a subsidiary called Rover Pipeline LLC. The story of this pipeline provides a study on why it’s critical to maintain strong environmental regulations and enforcement. The 700-mile natural gas pipeline runs through West Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan. It’s taking natural gas to ultimate destinations in Canada and the Midwest. A $40 million fine against the pipeline was proposed in December by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It’s the second large fine sought by federal regulators. Early in 2021, a $20 million fine was proposed. That penalty remains pending… “In a monumental effort to pass the buck, Energy Transfer Partners and Rover put the blame on an independent subcontractor for using the diesel fuel. That’s not what you would call a stand-up response by the company. That response may not be surprising because regulators said the culture at the company puts getting the job done quickly over fussing about fouling the environment and upholding environmental regulations. Keep in mind that state and federal regulators have been at odds with Rover since court actions in 2018. Pipelines can be run safely, but only when the companies running them care about following the law and regulations protecting natural resources. The Rover experience gives fodder to the arguments of those who would oppose any pipeline.”
Truthout: We Need the Fossil Free Finance Act Now to Combat Wall Street’s Greenwashing
Alec Connon is the coordinator of the Stop the Money Pipeline coalition, a coalition of over 200 organizations working to stop the flow of money from Wall Street to the fossil fuel industry, 1/10/22
“In the lead-up to recent climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, some were calling COP26 the “Finance COP.” This was, in part, because Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, had been working tirelessly to secure new climate commitments from financial institutions across the globe,” Alec Connon writes for Truthout. “...There were, however, two key words missing from the financial sector’s big moment. Not once in the 1,349-word press release proclaiming the financial industry’s new-found dedication to climate action did the words “fossil fuels” appear. To say that this is problematic is an understatement. One study calculated that 71 percent of all of history’s greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 fossil fuel companies. Not only that, but fossil fuel corporations have spent 40 years funding climate denial and waging war against even incremental proposals for climate action. To tackle the climate crisis without confronting fossil fuels is like trying to put out a fire without doing anything to stop the people pouring gasoline on the flames. But that appears to be the approach that the financial sector is taking. Nowhere is this more obvious than on Wall Street… “Of greater hope is the Fossil Free Finance Act. Introduced by Representatives Mondaire Jones, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley last fall, the Fossil Free Finance Act would prohibit the funding of new fossil fuel projects by 2022 and the funding of all fossil fuel projects by 2030. It is legislation that meets the scale and urgency of the climate challenge — which is, of course, exactly what is required. Yet so far, only 22 Members of Congress have signed on to co-sponsor the Fossil Free Finance Act. If our elected officials are at all serious about addressing the climate crisis, that number must grow dramatically in 2022.”
CBC: O'Toole says Canada-U.S. relations have never been worse
John Paul Tasker, 1/11/22
“Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole said today the Canada-U.S. relationship is at its lowest point in decades — a development that threatens to stall Canada's growth and derail some sectors of the economy,” the CBC reports. “Speaking at a virtual event with Nova Scotia chambers of commerce, O'Toole said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has done little to stop the U.S. from pursuing punitive policies. O'Toole pointed to a list of grievances, including recent hikes to softwood lumber tariffs and an ongoing dispute over P.E.I. potatoes… “Those trade losses follow U.S. President Joe Biden's earlier decision to cancel permits for the Keystone XL pipeline — a multi-billion dollar blow to Alberta's oilpatch. The Biden administration also has done little to stop Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, from trying to shut down Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline — a crucial artery that supplies oil products and natural gas to power huge portions of the Canadian economy. "We have never seen, in modern Canadian history, Canada-U.S. relations at such a low point. We just lost a recent trade battle with respect to supply management — we've been losing on agriculture. We're losing on forestry products. There's been steel and aluminum tariffs and Buy America that has us losing on manufacturing," O'Toole said, pointing to a U.S. government policy to shift government procurement to American firms. While lamenting the state of bilateral relations, O'Toole cheered the apparent defeat of Biden's signature piece of domestic legislation, the Build Back Better Act… "Thankfully, the Build Back Better plan was held back by one U.S. senator," O'Toole said, referring to U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia. "Mr. Biden's plan would have unfairly assisted electric vehicle manufacturing in the United States."