EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 11/28/22
PIPELINE NEWS
CBC: 'Stonewalled': Trans Mountain hides dealings with private security and spy firms
Daily Nonpareil: Area residents urge Page County to create pipeline ordinance
Site Selection: The Carbon Capture Race Is Heating Up In Nebraska
San Diego Union Tribune: San Diego homes and a school were built over a strategic Navy fuel pipeline. Now the service wants to move it
WASHINGTON UPDATES
The Hill: Manchin’s side deal on brink as GOP seeks his 2024 ouster
Bloomberg: Grijalva Doubles Down on Opposition to Manchin Permitting Bill
Bloomberg: Agencies Can Expedite Permitting Without Overhaul, Lawyers Say
E&E News: Manchin Spat With FERC Chair Glick Splits Energy Industry Groups
The Hill: Climate activists set to pressure Biden with Congress divided
E&E News: Biden Admin Mulls New Oil Leasing, Enacts Stiffer Rules
Axios: White House releases enviro justice funding tool
STATE UPDATES
Portland Mercury: Dozens of Community Groups Call on Portland to Rescind Zenith Permit
Colorado Sun: Xcel’s $32M plan for Sloan Lake area ignites debate over Colorado’s energy future
EXTRACTION
Guardian: Just Stop Oil expected to begin two weeks of action in London from Monday
The Hill: Climate protesters at Berlin airport briefly halt traffic after gluing themselves to runway
Canadian Press: Oil and Gas Contractors Demand Federal Cash to Decarbonize
Press release: Prairie Provident Resources Announces Decision in NAFTA Case
OPINION
Sioux City Journal: LETTER: Speak out about proposed CO2 pipeline setbacks in Woodbury County
The Hill: Manchin’s permitting deal is a major setback for environmental justice
The Hill: Don’t make Indigenous people pay Willow’s price
UFCW Local 401: IT WILL BE A COLD DAY IN HELL BEFORE CIVEO BOSSES AND BIG OIL WALK ALL OVER LOCAL 401 MEMBERS
WyoFile: Drillers, not taxpayers, should clean up well sites
PIPELINE NEWS
CBC: 'Stonewalled': Trans Mountain hides dealings with private security and spy firms
Brett Forester, 11/28/22
“A federally owned pipeline company is withholding records that would expose its dealings with private security and intelligence firms by citing blanket exemptions under access-to-information law,” the CBC reports. “Calgary-based Trans Mountain responded to a request to see its contracts with these agencies, along with reports delivered under those deals, by refusing to release a single piece of paper, prompting CBC News to lodge an official complaint… “While Canada's intelligence, defence and police agencies regularly use these sections to withhold files, they also routinely release secret papers in declassified form despite them. The company's bid to withhold records comes as little surprise to people who obtained what they call alarming and frightening glimpses into its intelligence holdings. "The reason they claim that exemption is: without any evidence, and this is a Canadian tradition, they continue to pathologize any form of Indigenous resistance as being criminal or terroristic," Joe Killoran, a criminal defence lawyer in Kamloops, B.C., told CBC. "There's no evidence to support that." Killoran filed access-to-information requests during his court defence of the Tiny House Warriors, a Secwépemc-led activist collective blocking development of the Trans Mountain expansion near Blue River in the B.C. interior… “Members of the Tiny House Warriors were tried and convicted of mischief for storming 2018 meetings in Kamloops led by former Supreme Court judge Frank Iacobucci, which the courts ordered after Canada failed to perform its constitutionally mandated duty to consult with First Nations… “The files, which CBC News reviewed and reported on in 2019, indicate Trans Mountain employs retired Mounties and unknown security operatives who conduct physical and open-source surveillance, track activist movements, analyze their motives, and work with members of the RCMP's Community-Industry Response Group, or C-IRG. The force established the C-IRG to deal with protests against major industrial resource extraction projects, namely the Trans Mountain expansion and Coastal GasLink pipelines, according to its founding documents. The files label activists as "persons of interest" (POIs), and Killoran points to sections that seem to question their sincerity and seek ways to politically discredit them, citing them as evidence of what he considers paramilitary tactics… “Lynn Perrin is one of those people. The Abbotsford-based director of anti-pipeline advocacy and activist group Pipe Up has opposed Trans Mountain for about a decade… “The pictures confirmed her suspicions. Perrin is named in emailed reports, dubbed "collection plans," outlining the company's weekly surveillance operations… “The collection plan for July 29-Aug. 4, 2019 singles out Perrin, saying, "We are watching the locals and the small media outlets to track awareness and reaction" to her activity. The collection plan for Sept. 2-8, 2019, targets Perrin's group for what it calls baseline monitoring. The entire document is censored, including the author of the report and its recipients, except one line. "Fraser Valley seems active online with efforts from Lynn PERRIN and Pipe Up network. We will be increasing monitoring on these groups and POIs," it says… “The activist told CBC she's never been accused, charged or convicted of a crime related to pipeline opposition and was left feeling concerned by the spying. "It's frightening," she told CBC.
Daily Nonpareil: Area residents urge Page County to create pipeline ordinance
Kent Dinnebier Clarinda, 11/27/22
“A pair of southwest Iowa residents encouraged the Page County Board of Supervisors Nov. 22 to create an ordinance regulating the proposed development of a liquid carbon dioxide pipeline in the county,” the Daily Nonpareil reports. “Jan Norris of Montgomery County and Marty Maher of rural Imogene addressed the board during the public comments portion of its meeting Tuesday at the Page County Courthouse. Both residents voiced their opposition to the pipeline and urged the Supervisors to proceed with adopting an ordinance to control the local development of the pipeline… “Norris said the pipeline is proposed to be installed behind her home between two farms owned by Norris and her husband. The farms are located in southwest Montgomery County near Highway 59… “Other pipelines have shown that construction permanently damages the land. Landowners can never build a building or even plant a tree along the route. Communities cannot expand. Fields are cut in half. Timbers and habitats are forever removed and our federal tax dollars will pay for it all,” Norris said. Maher agreed the construction of the pipeline would have a detrimental effect on the top soil in Page County. He said the pipeline would run diagonally through his farm and would compact the soil. “When you compact the soil platelets, it removes the ability of the soil to absorb water. With the machines they’re using, they will compact the bejeebers out of it,” Maher said. “It won’t grow anything. You’re going to be, basically, a whole year without having any cover crop on that land. So, it’s detrimental to the soil and detrimental to the long-term use of that soil.” “...Gentlemen, you need a county ordinance to protect the citizens of our county,” Maher said.
Site Selection: The Carbon Capture Race Is Heating Up In Nebraska
Ron Starner, 11/28/22
“A company that’s building infrastructure for a carbon-neutral future is betting billions on a business based in Nebraska and the Corn Belt,” Site Selection reports. “...A new home base from which to oversee development of a $2.5 billion pipeline named the Heartland Greenway was the goal all along for Navigator CO2. Now the company will be able to do just that from its new digs in west Omaha… “Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, vice president of government and public affairs for Navigator, calls it a logical move for the company. “We wanted to be contiguous to the project footprint,” she told SS. “Stage one is in the Corn Belt. And our leadership has an affinity for Omaha. Our CEO Matt Vining is based there. It was important to bring the business home.” “...She adds that “our field teams have gone out and started negotiations. We filed applications for permits in Illinois, South Dakota, and next will be the Iowa Utilities Board, followed by Minnesota and Nebraska. A lot of different regulatory and permitting trains are leaving the station at any given time. A number of layers of oversight are part of this. There are also federal permits that we will be working on too, while we are working with landowners directly on negotiation and compensation.” Heartland Greenway is just one of several carbon sequestration projects taking place in Nebraska. Tallgrass Energy and Summit Carbon Solutions are two others. Tallgrass plans to convert 392 miles of the Trailblazer Pipeline between Fillmore County and its western terminus south of Cheyenne, Wyoming, from natural gas to carbon dioxide. Summit, meanwhile, has announced its own Midwest Carbon Express, a $4.5 billion, 2,000-mile network of pipelines connecting to more than 30 ethanol plants, including six in Nebraska, that will capture carbon and sequester it in North Dakota.”
San Diego Union Tribune: San Diego homes and a school were built over a strategic Navy fuel pipeline. Now the service wants to move it
ANDREW DYER, 11/27/22
“Parts of a Clairemont neighborhood were built atop a key strategic Navy fuel pipeline, and now the service is planning to move it from underneath homes, a school and a church, according to Navy records,” the San Diego Union Tribune reports. “...The 17-mile long, 8-inch pipeline was built in 1954 just as Clairemont was being developed as part of the post-World War II suburban housing boom. The Navy was granted easements by the city to build the pipeline. However, over the decades residential development has encroached on the those easements, the service said… “This is a problem, the Navy says, because it can’t access the pipeline to conduct inspections or make repairs… “The Navy wants to build new sections of pipeline cutting off the sections between Cannington and Mount Abernathy and under High Tech High School, according to an environmental assessment released Monday… “The pipeline doesn’t present a hazard to the neighborhood currently, the Navy said in its report, but a 2018 internal pipeline inspection found several “anomalies” in the vicinity of the High Tech High School and Cannington Drive encroachments. However, none of them exceed acceptable limits, according to the report.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
The Hill: Manchin’s side deal on brink as GOP seeks his 2024 ouster
ALEXANDER BOLTON, 11/27/22
“Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) side deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to enact permitting reform before the end of the year is on life support as Republicans look to deprive the lawmaker of a major victory that could aid his potential 2024 reelection,” The Hill reports. “Manchin is in discussions with GOP colleagues about striking a deal on permitting reform in the lame-duck session, but Republicans say it faces an uphill path as they view his West Virginia Senate seat as a top pickup opportunity in the next election. “It’s a heavy lift but we’re still exchanging ideas,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), one of the lead Republican negotiators on permitting reform, told The Hill. Passing permitting reform legislation before January, or even next year, may depend on whether Manchin runs for a fourth term… “Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist, told The Hill getting the Mountain Valley Pipeline authorized, a key piece of Manchin’s permitting reform bill, would be a big win in West Virginia, where fossil fuel is the “life’s blood” of the state economy… “This is an opportunity to actually win his seat in 2024,” O’Connell told The Hill, adding that “it would be political malpractice” to give Manchin a victory on permitting reform… “Manchin suffered a setback last week when Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the top-ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, said there was “zero chance” of adding permitting reform to the annual defense authorization bill… “A Senate Republican aide told The Hill it would take a “miracle” for Manchin’s bill to pass before January. “I think it’s kind of a fool’s errand,” the source told The Hill, adding that Manchin hasn’t included enough Republican input into the legislation. “I would be shocked if something actually comes out on permitting.” “...That deal has now been further complicated by Pelosi’s decision to step down as House Democratic leader. There’s no guarantee her expected successor, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), will uphold the bargain.”
Bloomberg: Grijalva Doubles Down on Opposition to Manchin Permitting Bill
11/21/22
“Dozens of House Democrats are urging party leaders not to include changes to energy projects’ federal permitting in must-pass legislation before the end of the year,” Bloomberg reports. “House Natural Resources Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) on Monday re-sent a September letter signed by 77 Democrats with new language from him specifically asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) to exclude “harmful permitting provisions” from the National Defense Authorization Act and from government funding legislation. Lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on the annual defense policy bill.”
Bloomberg: Agencies Can Expedite Permitting Without Overhaul, Lawyers Say
11/22/22
“Renewable energy infrastructure and other projects could be more easily permitted under existing federal laws and regulations if federal agencies would more boldly use the authority they already have, natural resources lawyers say as Congress grapples with permitting changes,” Bloomberg reports. “Federal agencies, especially the Interior Department, control 27% of all land nationwide and roughly half of the land in the West and Alaska, giving them the discretion to push through major infrastructure projects if they choose to use it, Kyle Parker, a partner at Holland & Hart LLP in Anchorage representing oil, gas and mining industry clients, told Bloomberg. “It could be done under existing laws,” he stold Bloomberg. “We don’t need to go through a statutory change.” “....Agencies—especially Interior—aren’t affirmatively implementing their agendas and pushing projects through the permitting process, Parker told Bloomberg. “If the agencies and policymakers at the agencies actually articulated a policy direction, it could be done under the existing laws,” he told Bloomberg. “Until the political leadership is issuing some clear direction, and driving those policy decisions, we’re going to be caught up in the protracted proceedings.” “...The clean energy transition should be done without weakening environmental laws, cutting regulations and limiting public involvement, Raul Garcia, a legislative director for the environmental law firm Earthjustice, told Bloomberg. Manchin’s proposal would expedite fossil fuels permitting at the expense of community involvement, he told Bloomberg… “Agencies often get side-tracked on analyzing issues that aren’t truly significant to a project, amassing needless detail, Ann Navaro, a partner at Bracewell LLP in Washington, told Bloomberg… “The process can be made more efficient by more intensive process management by professionals with project management skills, a reduction of internal layers of review required for categories of actions,” and more resources to process permit applications, Navaro told Bloomberg.
E&E News: Manchin Spat With FERC Chair Glick Splits Energy Industry Groups
11/28/22
“The energy sector is treading carefully in publicly choosing sides in Sen. Joe Manchin’s refusal to advance the renomination of Richard Glick, chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, torn between two powerful figures with sway over electric and natural gas projects,” E&E News reports. “The lack of intensive and public lobbying on Glick’s behalf—particularly from oil and gas trade groups—dims hopes from his supporters that Manchin will change his mind. That risks leaving the commission split 2-2 between Democrats and Republicans, a situation that energy lobbyists say would tie up approvals for many natural gas pipelines, transmission lines, and other vital projects… “There’s not consensus among my membership” about supporting Glick, Charlie Riedl, executive director for the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas, a trade association advocating for the LNG industry, told E&E. “I’ve got a number of members who feel strongly that a 2-2 split is going to further slow projects and a number of other members who sort of think, well, maybe a 2-2 split isn’t the end of the world,” Riedl told E&E. “We were trying to figure out if we were going to make a push to support his renomination, and we ultimately have not taken any position on that.” “...Many clean energy trade groups that support Glick’s push to overhaul electric transmission planning and lower barriers for renewable energy to connect to the grid declined to publicly comment. Some fear choosing sides and running afoul of Manchin, who is pushing for permitting legislation that also aims to make it easier to build transmission lines. Other clean energy groups said they are still searching for fossil fuel groups that will partner on advocating for Glick… “Glick said this month the reasons Manchin opposed his hearing were “beyond my control” and he remains focused on his job as chair. FERC didn’t respond to a request for comment. The silence on Glick stands in stark contrast to the lobbying campaign one year ago for Democrat Willie Phillips. In November 2021, a coalition of 25 groups—including fossil energy groups and renewable advocates—pressed Senate leaders to confirm Phillips. When unanimously confirmed one month later, Phillips gave the commission a full complement of five members and Democrats a 3-2 majority. “FERC works best when it acts based on the experiences and perspectives of five commissioners to provide the regulatory certainty necessary for investment in America’s energy infrastructure,” the groups wrote. Many of those groups, when contacted by Bloomberg Law in recent days, declined to comment on the record on Glick’s renomination.”
The Hill: Climate activists set to pressure Biden with Congress divided
RACHEL FRAZIN, 11/27/22
“The limited at best prospects for major climate legislation under a divided Congress has left many environmental advocacy groups hoping to amp up pressure on the Biden administration to advance regulations that are more protective of the environment,” The Hill reports. “While there are some legislative climate issues to watch with a GOP House and Democratic Senate, activists say the best chance at progress has shifted to steps that might be taken administratively. “We do not see Congress as the avenue for major progress in the next 12 months and we think there’s a lot more ground we can cover in implementation, executive action and states,” Holly Burke, a spokesperson for the environmental group Evergreen Action, told The Hill… “I don’t want to take our foot off the gas on Congress in terms of making sure we continue to make the modest progress that’s possible again through appropriations [and] through the farm bill, but in terms of the main focus of what the Sierra Club is looking to advance the climate agenda, it’s absolutely [Inflation Reduction Act] implementation, which goes hand-in-hand with executive action,” Melinda Pierce, the Sierra Club’s legislative director, told The Hill.”
E&E News: Biden Admin Mulls New Oil Leasing, Enacts Stiffer Rules
Heather Richards, 11/22/22
“The Interior Department is weighing oil auctions in Utah and Nevada that would sell drilling rights to tap federal minerals, possibly adding to a short list of upcoming lease sales from the climate-focused Biden administration,” E&E News reports. “The agency, which oversees federal onshore oil development, also released guidance on Monday for a string of changes to the oil program on public lands prompted by a recent federal law, such as refusing anonymous nominations for land to be sold at auction, prioritizing new leasing near existing drilling — and away from protected lands — and tightening the rules that govern drilling permit extensions.”
Axios: White House releases enviro justice funding tool
11/22/22
“The White House unveiled an interactive map to assist federal agencies in directing funds to disadvantaged communities that have historically faced the brunt of environmental pollution,” Axios reports. “The big picture: The White House Council on Environmental Quality prepared the map to help implement Justice40, a program President Biden launched to address long-standing social inequalities in environmental protection. It aims to steer 40% of all climate-related investments to vulnerable communities… “Communities that qualify are designated as “disadvantaged” based on a range of factors, from air quality and legacy water pollution to the projected risk of climate hazards like wildfires and floods… “The tool factors in tribal nations, which were left out of a beta version released in February… “The White House tool does not mention race as a demographic factor — a choice made amid conservative legal challenges against race-based environmental programs. However, it does consider historic redlining — a form of housing discrimination that contributed to generations of segregation.”
STATE UPDATES
Portland Mercury: Dozens of Community Groups Call on Portland to Rescind Zenith Permit
ISABELLA GARCIA, 11/21/22
“Twenty community and environmental groups are calling on Portland leaders to rescind the land use permit granted to oil transporter Zenith Energy in October, due to the city neglecting to collect public feedback on the decision,” the Portland Mercury reports. “The city contends that public engagement was not necessary when evaluating Zenith's permit application. “For years, thousands of community members have expressed their opposition to Zenith’s harmful oil operations and have worked closely with the City of Portland to protect us from this threat,” Kate Murphy, an organizer with environmental group Columbia Riverkeeper, in a press release following the permit approval, told the Mercury. “For the City to suddenly make a decision without public input that gives a green light to five more years of dangerous oil trains plowing through our towns is a slap in the face to communities impacted by Zenith’s operations.” Zenith Energy transports hundreds of millions of gallons of oil per year at its facility in Northwest Portland. In 2021, as part of a standard air permit renewal process, Portland city leaders denied the company a Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS)—a land permit required for the company to legally operate. The denial of the permit came after months of community pressure, including thousands of community calls and letters, as well as comments from over 20 regional politicians urging the city to deny the LUCS to protect Portlanders from potentially explosive oil trains and move away from fossil fuel reliance. In its denial, the city said that Zenith’s crude oil operations were not compatible with Portland’s land use and planning goals, particularly when it comes to climate goals… “Dozens of community groups and activist organizations, including Columbia Riverkeeper, Breach Collective, Portland Audubon, and Neighbors for Clean Air, are now calling on Ryan and the city to exercise its ability to rescind Zenith’s LUCS. Portland leaders can choose to rescind the land permit any time before the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approves Zenith’s air permit.”
Colorado Sun: Xcel’s $32M plan for Sloan Lake area ignites debate over Colorado’s energy future
Mark Jaffe, 11/22/22
“A relatively small Xcel Energy natural gas project to serve homes in the Sloan Lake area set off a major debate at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission over the state’s energy future and its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” the Colorado Sun reports. “Environmentalists, consumer advocates and commission staff opposed the $32 million plan, arguing it was “at odds” with Denver and state policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move to cleaner energy. Xcel Energy’s Colorado subsidiary, Public Service Company of Colorado, and suburban officials said, in filings, the upgrades to the natural gas delivery system were necessary to ensure reliability and accommodate growth. The commission on Wednesday approved the West Metro Gas Project, but not without some frustration and soul-searching. “We find ourselves walking a tightrope moving full speed ahead on an energy transition,” Commissioner Megan Gilman said, at an earlier hearing on the project. “Transitioning this energy system that people depend on every day is tough.” The project will serve a projected 6,800 customers in the Sloan Lake area of Denver, Edgewater and Lakewood, by adding a new regulator station and 18,000 feet of new pipes… “Opponents, however, argued that Xcel Energy did not adequately look at alternatives, such as injecting compressed natural gas into the system when demand was high or using demand-side management programs to help customers limit peak demand. The Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate, the commission staff and the nonprofit Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, known as SWEEP, sought to block the project… “The risk is that the useful life of the investment is cut short — just as coal-fired power plants are being retired early — leaving a “stranded asset” for which someone must pay, Brant told the Sun..
EXTRACTION
Guardian: Just Stop Oil expected to begin two weeks of action in London from Monday
Nadeem Badshah, 11/27/22
“Just Stop Oil is expected to begin two weeks of action from Monday and has accused the government and police of “groundhog day” rhetoric over crackdowns on protesters,” the Guardian reports. “Scotland Yard said on Sunday that it believes the environmental activist group will launch two weeks of “disruption” in London in the run-up to Christmas. It comes amid reports that the home secretary, Suella Braverman, is to summon police chiefs to Downing Street for a meeting about cracking down on the group’s protests… “Just Stop Oil has responded to reports about Rishi Sunak clamping down on demonstrators. In a statement on Sunday, the group said: “Does it feel like groundhog day? Haven’t we been here before with the last two prime ministers and their home secretaries?.. But we already know that the government is deluded and out of touch. To blindly pursue new fossil fuel extraction when the IEA [International Energy Agency], the UN and 99% of the world’s scientists have said that to do so will lead to the collapse of human civilisation is, in the words of the UN secretary general António Guterres, ‘moral and economic madness’.” The Met Police said 755 Just Stop Oil activists were arrested during October and November, with 182 charged. Commander Karen Findlay said: “Activists are affecting people’s businesses, their lives, whether they are on their way to a doctor, a long-awaited hospital appointment, on their way to work, to interviews, or to collect children. “Therefore, I again urge Just Stop Oil organisers to engage with us to minimise disruption to Londoners.”
The Hill: Climate protesters at Berlin airport briefly halt traffic after gluing themselves to runway
JULIA SHAPERO, 11/24/22
“Climate protesters briefly halted air traffic at a Berlin airport on Thursday after some of them glued themselves to the runway,” The Hill reports. “The activists, from a group called Letzte Generation, brought air traffic at Berlin Brandenburg Airport to a standstill in protest of flight-related emissions. “The plane is not a means of transport for ordinary people,” Letzte Generation said in a statement. “Most people — about 80 percent of the world’s population — have never flown in their lives. One affluent percent of the population is responsible for around half of flight-related greenhouse gas emissions.” Letzte Generation said its protesters informed police of their plans shortly before entering the airport… “Letzte Generation has previously engaged in similar stunts. Two of the group’s protesters last month threw mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting at the Museum Barberini in Germany in an effort to call attention to the climate crisis.”
Canadian Press: Oil and Gas Contractors Demand Federal Cash to Decarbonize
Amanda Stephenson, 11/27/22
“The organization representing Canada’s oil and gas drilling sector is asking the federal government to create a new tax credit it says it needs to help the industry decarbonize, with one member saying the industry is “finally fun again,” the Canadian Press reports. “The Canadian Association of Energy Contractors (CAOEC)—which represents drilling rig and service rig companies across Western Canada, as well as offshore drilling rigs in Atlantic Canada—is lobbying the government for a 50% refundable tax credit for drillers seeking to develop and deploy new carbon abatement technologies. “Our members have technology they could deploy in a very short amount of time,” CAOEC President Mark Scholz told reporters in Calgary last Wednesday, following the organization’s annual state of the industry event. “The challenge for our industry is there’s a lack of capital interest in the energy services space,” he added. “We’re excited about the future, but we need support to get there.” “...However, he said his industry is only just now recovering from a brutal seven years of oil price downturn and layoffs. While that streak finally snapped in 2022, with a return to soaring oil prices and steady drilling activity, the industry is just starting to see significant levels of capital investment again. “I wouldn’t describe our industry as profitable or sustainable yet. We will get there. The challenge is we have a 2030 target of reducing emissions,” Scholz told CP. “We’re going to need government collaboration to get there.” The federal government has already unveiled an investment tax credit for carbon capture and storage projects, and Scholz told CP he was encouraged by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s fall economic statement, which proposed a refundable tax credit for investments in clean technology.”
Press release: Prairie Provident Resources Announces Decision in NAFTA Case
11/22/22
“Prairie Provident Resources Inc. announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lone Pine Resources Inc., did not receive a favourable decision in its arbitration claim under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), arising from actions taken by the Government of Quebec in 2011 to cancel, without compensation, certain oil and gas rights that had been held by Prairie Provident Resources Canada Ltd. LPRI considered that the actions in question were a violation of NAFTA, and sought compensation for sunk costs and lost development opportunity. In a majority decision, two of the three members of the arbitral tribunal for the case determined that Quebec's actions did not violate NAFTA. In a dissenting decision, the third tribunal member determined that Quebec's actions did constitute a violation of NAFTA… “Costs of the NAFTA proceeding were borne by the respective parties. Prairie Provident has expensed in prior periods the majority of legal and other related fees incurred to date, and expects that any further costs will not be material.
OPINION
Sioux City Journal: LETTER: Speak out about proposed CO2 pipeline setbacks in Woodbury County
Deborah Main, Sioux City, 11/27/22
“Woodbury County, it's time to show up. Our planning and zoning board is offering the opportunity to make your opinion count,” Deborah Main writes for the Sioux City Journal. “Two hazardous CO2 pipelines are proposing to take land and construct a system through our county. These pipelines plan to carry compressed, liquified CO2 at pressures three times greater than gas lines posing risks to humans, livestock, and wildlife in the event of a rupture. CO2 in this form is toxic and asphyxiating. The Woodbury County board's proposal outlines 50 feet from industries (where we all work each day), 330 feet from residences (where we sleep every night), and consulting in future expansion areas (who would want to buy or build on that parcel). Can we do more? By contrast, Shelby County passed the following setbacks: 2 miles from city limits, half mile from schools, hospitals, and nursing homes, quarter mile from recreational areas, 1,000 feet from occupied structures, water and power supply, wastewater treatment, 1,000 feet from animal feeding operations. There are no federal regulations over these projects as stated by PHMSA after the Satartia, Miss. pipeline rupture. We need the best possible ordinances in place protecting we who live and work in Woodbury County. The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 28 at the courthouse. Comments may be mailed or emailed to the board. Better yet--be there, voice your opinion.”
The Hill: Manchin’s permitting deal is a major setback for environmental justice
Donna Chavis currently serves as Climate & Energy Justice Program manager with Friends of the Earth U.S. and a recognized leader in social and environmental justice change and practice, 11/23/22
“In September, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan held a press conference in Warren County, N.C. to announce the creation of a new national office charged with advancing environmental justice and civil rights. That same month, the county commemorated 40 years since its predominantly Black residents marched to a nearby landfill to protest the dumping of toxic waste into their communities. Although their efforts failed at that moment in 1982, this resistance shined a light on how polluters — backed by politicians across the political spectrum — unjustly target low-income communities and communities of color with dirty energy infrastructure that harms people and the planet,” Donna Chavis writes for The Hill. “The Biden administration has since taken some notable steps to prioritize environmental justice. But members of Congress — including some self-described “climate champions” — are now threatening to undo this progress and further inflame our country’s legacy of environmental racism by backing Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) dirty deal masquerading as “permitting reform.” “...If Manchin gets his way, this scheme could gut bedrock environmental laws, silence crucial community input during the permitting process and expedite dirty energy projects that our planet simply cannot afford… “The deal also targets one of our country’s most important bedrock conservation laws: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)... “Apparently, Manchin wants you to think that NEPA is the culprit for delayed infrastructure. In reality, NEPA improves our government by ensuring that public officials look before they leap… “Manchin, the darling of Big Oil, is not interested in speeding up justly sourced renewable energy projects or moving us toward a healthier future. It’s both disingenuous and ridiculous for any Democrats or proponents of environmental justice to pretend otherwise. Although work to reform clean energy transmission may be needed, it should not and will not be led by Manchin, and it cannot come through a rushed process that throws low-income and communities of color under the bus… “Every person has the right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and live on uncontaminated land. Our lawmakers must do what is morally right for people and the planet and reject Manchin’s ill-fated ploy.”
The Hill: Don’t make Indigenous people pay Willow’s price
Rosemary Ahtuangaruak is the mayor of Nuiqsut, Alaska, 11/24/22
“For Indigenous people, defending our rights to clean air and water, continuing to live off the land, and protecting the sacredness of Mother Earth is the fight of our lives. Unfortunately, communities like mine continue to be ignored at every turn and are left to fend for ourselves as the devastating effects of our current energy policies destroy our way of life,” Rosemary Ahtuangaruak writes for The Hill. “That’s exactly what’s happening now as President Biden barrels towards approving ConocoPhillips’ Willow project in Alaska, just a stone’s throw away from home. The Biden administration is moving forward with a massive oil and gas project that is a climate disaster waiting to happen while refusing to listen to the voices of my constituents and community, who will bear the burden of this project with our health and our livelihoods… “My hometown, Nuiqsut, is the closest town to the proposed Willow Project, and we have the most to lose. Our people feed their families with traditional subsistence activities like fishing and hunting caribou, moose, birds, and more. The Willow project’s massive infrastructure would bulldoze straight through these crucial habitats, redirecting the animal’s migratory paths, moving them away from nearby villages, and endangering the food security of local people. That’s not to mention the damage from exposure to air and water pollution that we face… “Our communities deserved a say. In Nuiqsut, we urged the Department of the Interior (DOI) to schedule the public input portion of the supplemental environmental review process for the project around our hunting season and subsistence activities, knowing many of those opposed to or concerned about the project would be away at hunting camp. There’s no time to read documents, submit comments, or organize in opposition when our people are at hunting camp. Not hunting for our subsistence is not an option – the food our communities are harvesting now will help get us through the winter. The Secretary of the Interior – who is an Indigenous person herself – knows these things. And for a moment, it seemed like her department did too. Unfortunately, after feigning concern and promising to extend the comment period through September, the department went back on its word and squeezed in the shortest comment period allowed by law during the worst time possible for the region… “It’s time for the Biden administration to wake up and see the Willow Project for what it is: a choice between a transition to a greener future while protecting all communities or extending our unsurvivable addiction to fossil fuels while perpetrating yet another grave injustice to Indigenous communities.”
UFCW Local 401: IT WILL BE A COLD DAY IN HELL BEFORE CIVEO BOSSES AND BIG OIL WALK ALL OVER LOCAL 401 MEMBERS
11/27/22
“Most of us take for granted where the gas we use comes from,” UFCW Local 401 writes. “...However, there are a group of Local 401 members who are integral to that process. These hard-working members ensure the “camps” of the Oil Sands in Northern Alberta are able to operate and that the people who extract our fuel for processing have what they need to do their jobs… “All that our camp union members ask is that they are fairly compensated for their crucial work. But now, after years of loyalty and diligent work, after persevering through a stressful and life-altering pandemic, facing historic economic challenges, these hard-working members are under attack. And the attack comes from the very people who they have made so successful over the years: Civeo and Big Oil… “While our members have worked through the pandemic and feel the mental strain associated with these terrible economic times, Civeo has had the nerve to demand ridiculous wage and benefit concessions and accompany those demands with threats of job loss without any dialogue or discussion. Not only do Civeo’s demands come after the pandemic and historic economic challenges for workers, they also have the heartless nerve to roll their demands out right before the holidays… “Will we need to pursue an aggressive legal strategy at the Labour Board or in the courts? Should we simply prepare for a strike as soon as it is legally viable to organize one?.. “We ask all Local 401 members to be prepared to stand strong with the hard-working folks that keep the Oil Patch operating as we get ready to take on yet another fight – this time against Big Oil!”
WyoFile: Drillers, not taxpayers, should clean up well sites
Bob LeResche is a former Commissioner of Natural Resources of Alaska, energy executive and investment banker, 11/22/22
“The Powder River Basin Resource Council, Taxpayers for Common Sense, Western Organization of Resource Councils and Natural Resources Defense Council petitioned the Bureau of Land Management) to make industry responsible for cleaning up after itself by modernizing bonding requirements to ensure there is funding available for well plugging and reclamation,” Bob LeResche writes for WyoFile. “This is not a frivolous request. Thousands of idle and orphan oil and gas wells are left abandoned — some for decades — on the land. This causes groundwater contamination, methane leaking, air pollution and the spread of noxious weeds. It results in declining property values and interferes with other uses of the land. Federal leases do require operators to plug their wells and remediate well sites, but today’s rules are so outdated that huge liabilities are left to taxpayers. Required federal bonds are ludicrously small and don’t cover the actual costs of plugging and reclamation… “Current requirements also allow “blanket” bonds. Minimum individual lease bonds cover $10,000 in costs regardless of how many wells are drilled on that lease, statewide bonds require $25,000 coverage for all wells drilled in any one state and a nationwide bond covers only $150,000 in cleanup costs — regardless of how many thousands of wells an operator may drill around the country. These amounts are laughably inadequate. The federal Government Accountability Office calculates the typical reclamation cost of a single low-cost well is $20,000, and $145,000 to reclaim a high cost well… “Those who profit from producing public resources should become truly accountable. BLM must make them accountable by requiring bonds that will actually pay for restoring the private and public lands they have used, rather than requiring taxpayers to pay for it.”