EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/20/24
(Note to readers: The next edition of “Extracted” will be published on Thursday, Jan. 2.)
PIPELINE NEWS
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How could Enbridge's oil spill in Jefferson County go from 2 to nearly 70,000 gallons?
PBS Wisconsin: Environmentalists cite Enbridge Line 6 leak in Line 5 debate
WKOW: 'Into the new year': Oil company continues cleanup of Jefferson County spill
Courthouse News Service: Controversial pipeline re-opening set to move forward with California waiver
Reuters: Kinder Morgan's unit to go ahead with $1.4 bln Mississippi Crossing Project
Southern Environmental Law Center: Southern rivers threatened by pipeline plans
RBN Energy: Enbridge Begins Open Season to Recontract 100 Mb/d of Capacity on Express Pipeline
NW Observer: Proposed new gas pipeline stirs fight
Hydrogen Insight: 28 environmental groups warn of 'dangers' of H2Med hydrogen pipeline project
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Associated Press: Tariff threats cast a shadow over US reliance on Canada for the majority of its oil imports
E&E News: Whitehouse, Warren urge Biden to reconsider data center plans
E&E News: Year-round ethanol a victim of spending bill tussle
The Hill: States, cities gear up to take lead on climate as Trump returns
Capital and Main: As States Line Up to Battle Trump Over Climate, Pennsylvania Could Be on the Sidelines
Carbon Herald: DOE Launches Application Process For Its $1.8 Billion DAC Funding
E&E News: GOP alleges conflict of interest with Stone-Manning jump to green group
STATE UPDATES
NOLA.com: Big crowds turn out for hearing on controversial Louisiana plant. A first attempt had to be called off.
The Hill: Attacking Newsom’s climate agenda, environmental activists launch ad campaign in battleground states
E&E News: Gas bans gain steam despite industry wins
Tennessee Lookout: Conservation group accuses state of illegally issuing permits for TVA Kingston gas plant
Bloomberg: California Subsidizes Some of the Dirtiest Oil in the US
Texas Observer: Brownsville Elected Officials Are Doing PR for Embattled LNG Megaproject
DeSmog: New Orleans Residents Face Surge in Energy Costs from Sale of Gas Utility
Utah News Dispatch: Environmentalists Sue To Block Utah’s ‘Stand For Our Land’ Challenge
Grand Junction Sentinel: Laramie proposes 48-well drilling project outside Collbran
EXTRACTION
CTV: Cold Lake First Nations chief ready to defend federal Impact Assessment Act in court
Reuters: Chevron, Woodside Agree to Western Australia LNG Asset Swap
CNN.com: Russia’s Black Sea beaches flooded with oil from wreck of tankers
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
OK Energy Today: Midship Pipeline donates to Oklahoma American Legion
OPINION
Greenfield Recorder: Tom Neilson: Biden must permanently shut down Dakota Access Pipeline
The Detroit News: State needs more CCUS oversight
Journal Courier: Big Oil cronies poised to prop up fossil fuels
Standard-Exmainer: Utah – The next frontier for direct air capture
Edmonton Journal: Why Alberta should take the lead on carbon capture, utilization and storage
Globe and Mail: Recycling won’t solve our planet-killing plastic-pollution problem
CleanTechnica: It’s Against The Law In Canada To Call Hydrogen Buses Zero Emissions
Daily Montanan: ‘Clean and healthful environment’ is the Supreme Court’s gift to ‘present and future generations’
PIPELINE NEWS
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How could Enbridge's oil spill in Jefferson County go from 2 to nearly 70,000 gallons?
Caitlin Looby, 12/20/24
“More details have emerged about Enbridge's Line 6 oil spill, as well as drone footage captured earlier this week by an activist who works to protect waterways,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “...Enbridge first issued a report to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Nov. 11, stating that two gallons of crude oil spilled at its Cambridge Station due to a faulty connection. On Nov. 14, Enbridge revised the estimated spill to 126 gallons. A month later, on Dec. 13, that number was revised again, to 69,300. According to Trevor Nobile, a field operations director with the DNR's Remediation and Redevelopment program, an investigation is still unfolding, and the size of the spill may change yet again as Enbridge continues to take samples. The Line 6 spill has raised questions about the amount of time it took for the public to be notified, and the accuracy of the initial reporting. In Wisconsin, neither the responsible party nor the DNR are required to inform the public of an oil spill, Nobile told the Journal Sentinel, unless there is imminent risk to the public. Rob Lee, a staff attorney at Midwest Environmental Advocates, told the Journal Sentinel that while the DNR isn't required to notify the public, but it "makes common sense" to do so… “DNR officials visited the site on Nov. 11 and 12, after the company reported the two gallon spill, but issued no public statement on the figure. The agency's next visit to investigate the site was on Dec. 6, weeks after Enbridge revised its number to 126 gallons. Again, it said nothing. Instead, it was another week before what is believed to be the company's largest Wisconsin spill was made public… “When it comes to the increase from the initial estimate of two to 70,000 gallons, Lee told the Journal Sentinel, "There's a trend there." In 2019, Enbridge failed to report a spill for more than a year even though the company was aware that a large amount of an oil substance had been released near Fort Atkinson, also in Jefferson County. Lee also questioned how the company could not know that close to 70,000 gallons of it's product were missing… “The Line 6 oil spill has heightened concerns about Enbridge's controversial Line 5 reroute project in northern Wisconsin near the shores of Lake Superior.”
PBS Wisconsin: Environmentalists cite Enbridge Line 6 leak in Line 5 debate
Aditi Debnath, Frederica Freyberg, 12/19/24
“In environmental news, nearly 70,000 gallons of oil spilled from a pipeline in Jefferson County,” PBS Wisconsin reports. “It started leaking more than a month ago. Canadian company Enbridge operates the pipeline and says the spill, "involved a faulty connection on a pump transfer pipe within the Enbridge Cambridge Station, which has been repaired… “This spill was discovered the same week the Wisconsin DNR issued initial permits for the controversial Line 5… “Environmental advocate Tony Wilkin Gibart told PBS Wisconsin the DNR'S reasoning for approving Line 5 defies common sense. “In Jefferson County, the spill happened for an extended period of time without the spill being detected, and that happened at Enbridge's own facility. So the idea that Enbridge will with any reliability be able to detect a leak across a 40-mile segment through pristine wilderness in northern Wisconsin is highly, highly questionable.”
WKOW: 'Into the new year': Oil company continues cleanup of Jefferson County spill
JT Cestkowsk, 12/18/24
“Enbridge, the Canadian company operating a pipeline that leaked nearly 70,000 gallons of oil into the ground in rural Jefferson County, is unsure when its cleanup efforts will be done,” WKOW reports. “The leak went undetected at the Line 6 pump station on the side of U.S. Highway 18 in the town of Oakland for an unknown amount of time until Enbridge employees noticed it on Nov. 11. “The remediation will be ongoing over time,” Enbridge’s Midwest operations director, Paul Eberth, told WKOW. “We've excavated out the major impacted areas and removed the crude oil that was on site.” Eberth could not yet say when the remediation would end, citing the need to address contaminated soil that might be under the foundation of buildings at the property. “There may be some more excavation that continues into the new year,” he told WKOW, “and there may be other remediation techniques used to remediate the oil that stays on, that's still on site.”
Courthouse News Service: Controversial pipeline re-opening set to move forward with California waiver
Matt Simons, 12/19/24
“A Texas-based oil company announced Thursday it had received a waiver from the California fire marshal, exempting it from certain corrosion safety requirements for a controversial Santa Barbara pipeline system it aims to re-open,” Courthouse News Service reports. “The move sparked outcry from environmental organizations, which claim that the relaxed safety standards could lead to a repeat of the destructive 2015 oil spill caused by the same pipeline only ten years earlier. “Restarting these decades-old defective pipelines is a recipe for disaster,” Julie Teel Simmonds, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement. “Shame on California’s fire marshal for waiving important federal safety rules and doing it all behind closed doors without any environmental review.” The 124-mile-long Las Flores Pipeline system has been shut down since a 2015 oil spill, where a corroded pipeline ruptured and released about 450,000 gallons of oil near Refugio State Beach, disrupting one of the most biologically diverse areas on the West Coast. Now known as the Refugio Oil Spill, the event caused significant damage and thick, black oil blobs washed up along the Southern California coast for weeks afterward… “The oil company called the waiver a “milestone achievement,” and plans to restart oil production from the pipeline’s offshore platforms as early as the first quarter of 2025… “In terms of legal strategy, Teel Simmonds told CNS the center is now banking on a decision from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which has 60 days to object to the waiver under federal law. "We will be encouraging them to reject. We think this is an unsafe proposal," she told CNS.”
Reuters: Kinder Morgan's unit to go ahead with $1.4 bln Mississippi Crossing Project
12/19/24
“Kinder Morgan said on Thursday its unit Tennessee Gas Pipeline will proceed with the nearly $1.4 billion Mississippi Crossing Project (MSX Project), strengthening the pipeline operator's position in the Southeast U.S. markets,” Reuters reports. “...The project is designed to transport up to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas and involves the construction of nearly 206 miles of pipeline, the company said. The project will originate near Greenville, Mississippi, and end near Butler, Alabama, with connections to the existing Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) system and third-party pipelines, the company added. "KMI has sanctioned about $3.1 billion (KMI shares) in expansion capital between the SNG South System 4 Expansion and TGP's Mississippi Crossing Project...expect to announce additional projects in the coming months." said Kinder Morgan CEO Kim Dang. The project is expected to be operational in November 2028.”
Southern Environmental Law Center: Southern rivers threatened by pipeline plans
12/19/24
“...The water is what brought Keith and Sue Havens to this part of Tennessee nearly 30 years ago,” the Southern Environmental Law Center reports. “...While wading through the chilly water, the Havenses stop to point out what Sue calls “an ugly gash in the scenery.” “...The clearcut marks the path of an existing methane gas pipeline—and it’s next to the planned route of another, bigger pipeline: the Tennessee Valley Authority’s proposed Ridgeline Pipeline. The project would be built, owned, and operated by East Tennessee Natural Gas, a subsidiary of fossil fuel giant Enbridge, and would carry methane gas to TVA’s proposed Kingston Gas Plant. The high-pressure gas pipeline’s route crosses White Creek just downstream from the Havens’ home. “This place is just amazing. But if you have a gas line cutting across, that changes everything,” Sue told SELC… “Each crossing poses a significant risk of long-term damage to the waterway, as well as the people and wildlife that depend on it. Building pipelines through rivers and streams risks huge amounts of dirt and sediment being released downstream, devastating ecosystems and choking out wildlife. Construction also includes clearcutting strips of forested land where the pipeline will be placed or buried. At some crossings Enbridge could use explosives to blast waterways before building the pipeline, an approach that does long-lasting harm to the health of the waterway… “Enbridge has a history of making mistakes. The company has racked up hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for environmental and pipeline safety violations. Enbridge even faced a criminal charge after damaging waterways during construction of a pipeline in Minnesota. Just five years ago, an Enbridge pipeline exploded in Danville, Kentucky—about 100 miles north of the Havens’ home—killing one person and injuring six others. “I don’t know that Enbridge, in my mind, has a very good reputation for safety,” Sue told SELC.”.
RBN Energy: Enbridge Begins Open Season to Recontract 100 Mb/d of Capacity on Express Pipeline
Sheela Tobben, 12/19/24
“Enbridge is holding an open season for its Express Pipeline to recontract about 100 Mb/d of transportation service originating at Hardisty, Alberta,” RBN Energy reports. “The open season began on December 18 and will conclude February 21, 2025, the company said, adding that the new contracts begin in April 2025. The capacity is becoming available due to the expiration of existing transportation contracts and won’t result in a capacity increase on Express, which is also known as Line 40. Back in April, Enbridge held a similar open season to contract about 50 Mb/d of capacity on Express after term commitments ended.”
NW Observer: Proposed new gas pipeline stirs fight
Chris Burritt, 12/19/24
“More than 60 years ago, Ron Ray watched workers bury gas pipelines across his family’s land on Stafford Mill Road. Then he basically forgot about it until last year,” the NW Observer reports. “Since then, Ray, 72, and other Oak Ridge property owners have learned about plans by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Cos. to expand Transco, an artery of nearly 10,000 miles of pipelines from south Texas to New York City. For decades, three pipelines have passed through Oak Ridge, one of the communities where environmental groups such as the Sierra Club are mobilizing opposition and encouraging local governments to oppose the expansion by Williams. “The pipeline installation would disrupt the daily lives of many people, and the pipelines would forever create a much more dangerous and unsafe community,” Ray told the Oak Ridge Town Council earlier this month. He was one of six townsfolk who expressed safety and environmental concerns about Williams’ Southeast Supply Enhancement project… “At the end of the meeting, councilman Mike Stone replied to homeowners’ opposition to the pipeline expansion. “I know they don’t want to hear this, but the reality is that we don’t have any authority in a federal infrastructure project,” he said. Mayor Jim Kinneman said he and Town Manager Bill Bruce received an informational briefing from Williams earlier this year. “At the time, it didn’t raise concerns with me as I was left with the impression there wasn’t much to do if you did want to object,” Kinneman told the Observer. “At this time, I am in listening mode from both sides.” “...Early next year, the Sierra Club plans to seek resolutions of opposition from towns such as Oak Ridge, legislators and other parties interested in the pipeline’s expansion. The process “will be years long,” said Caroline Hansley, a campaign organizing strategist for the Sierra Club who met with Oak Ridge property owners last week. “A lot has to happen before any pipe can be put in the ground. It’s going to be many years down the road, if this ever gets built.”
Hydrogen Insight: 28 environmental groups warn of 'dangers' of H2Med hydrogen pipeline project
Leigh Collins, 12/20/24
“A coalition of 28 Iberian environmental groups have banded together to “voice their grave concerns” over the planned H2Med pipeline project, which would transport green hydrogen Portugal to France via Spain and, ultimately, onwards to Germany,” Hydrogen Insight reports. “H2Med consists of two main sections: the €350m ($363.4m), 248km CelZa pipeline from Celorico da Beira in northern Portugal to Zamora in northwest Spain (which will connect to the planned Spanish hydrogen backbone); and the €2.1bn, 450km BarMar project, which will transport H2 from Barcelona in northeast France to Marseille in southern France under the Mediterranean Sea. The campaigners — led by Zero - Sustainable Earth System Association and Gas No Es Solución (Gas is Not a Solution) — outline five reasons why they believe H2Med should be abandoned.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Associated Press: Tariff threats cast a shadow over US reliance on Canada for the majority of its oil imports
Damian J. Troise, 12/18/24
“The U.S. increasingly relies on Canadian crude oil to meet domestic demand and that relationship faces potential strain amid the threat of tariffs from President-elect Donald Trump,” the Associated Press reports. “More than 50% of crude oil imported to the U.S. comes from Canada, up from 33% in 2013. The increase follows a jump in production from Canada’s western provinces and growing pipeline capacity to its southern neighbor. Another roughly 10% of imports come from Mexico. Trump has threatened blanket tariffs of up to 25% on products from both Canada and Mexico. That has raised concerns about higher energy costs trickling through the entire U.S. economy, making gasoline and other petroleum products more expensive and reigniting inflation… “Canadian officials told AP they’re studying how they would respond if Trump follows through on his threat. The leader of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, has suggested barring imports of American-made alcohol and restricting energy exports. But the head of oil-rich Alberta has ruled out cutting off oil exports and hopes to find a solution.”
E&E News: Whitehouse, Warren urge Biden to reconsider data center plans
Jordan Wolman, 12/20/24
“Five Democratic senators including Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts wrote to President Joe Biden asking him to reconsider potential executive action that would fast-track data center construction by loosening environmental rules, according to a letter seen first by Politico,” E&E News reports. “The lawmakers wrote in the letter sent late Tuesday that data centers are “dramatically increasing” energy demand, leading to higher costs and higher emissions. Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Peter Welch of Vermont also signed the missive. “Some of the world’s largest companies are leading the buildout of data centers and have demonstrated their ability to bring new clean energy onto the grid,” the lawmakers wrote. “We should not relieve them of that responsibility while passing higher energy costs on to working families who are already struggling to make ends meet.”
E&E News: Year-round ethanol a victim of spending bill tussle
Marc Heller, 12/20/24
“A big win for the biofuels industry slipped away Thursday when House Republicans abandoned a proposal to make higher-ethanol fuel available all year,” E&E News reports. “And behind the loss — at least for the moment — was President-elect Donald Trump, who’d tried to make the policy reality when he was in the White House. In their scramble to appease Trump by rewriting a bill to prevent a partial government shutdown Friday, Republicans removed a provision to lift seasonal restrictions on 15 percent ethanol fuel. The bill failed, opening the possibility the ethanol provision could resurface in another revision. Biofuel isn’t at the heart of the fight, but the E15 provision raised objections from some conservative lawmakers and became one of many casualties as Trump called on Republicans to rewrite the measure. The ethanol industry was left reeling.”
The Hill: States, cities gear up to take lead on climate as Trump returns
Zack Budryk, 12/19/24
“States and municipalities are preparing to take the lead on climate action in a second Trump term as they brace for an administration likely to be less climate-focused and sometimes antagonistic to their efforts,” The Hill reports. “...The change in leadership in Washington will likely leave climate policy largely in the hands of state and city governments that have already taken ambitious steps to combat climate change during both the Biden and first Trump administrations. Elijah Hutchinson, executive director at New York’s Mayor’s Office Of Climate And Environmental Justice, told The Hill that his office will likely be able to maintain some continuity in its operations as the White House changes hands. “We’re expecting some level of disruption, but … so much of what we do is under local, city and state control, that a lot of the focuses of our office can continue,” he told The Hill… “On the opposite end of the country, California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) told The Hill his office expects Trump to attempt to rescind the federal waiver that allows the state to impose more stringent tailpipe emission standards than those of the federal government. The first Trump administration rescinded the waiver before it was restored under Biden… “When Donald Trump seeks to pursue a fossil fuel agenda and he breaks the law, whether by not following the administrative procedures law or otherwise not following the law, we can take him to court,” Bonta told The Hill.”
Capital and Main: As States Line Up to Battle Trump Over Climate, Pennsylvania Could Be on the Sidelines
Audrey Carleton, 12/18/24
“As President-elect Donald Trump takes direct aim at federal climate policy, states and their attorneys general are preparing to fight back,” Capital and Main reports. “In California, the governor has asked legislators for $25 million to fight off any effort by Trump to upend the state’s climate friendly initiatives. In Washington, voters doubled down on the state’s landmark climate policy and Jay Inslee — the outgoing governor — said his successor is set to work hard to protect the state from a fossil fuel-friendly president. But in Pennsylvania, one of the largest energy producers in the country where voters narrowly voted for Trump, it’s unclear just how stiff that resistance will be if the incoming president follows through with his vows to shred President Biden’s environmental agenda and cancel funds for clean energy projects. One clue might be found in the person voters elected as the state’s new attorney general — Dave Sunday, a Republican who was largely silent on environmental issues during the run-up to the election but drew on a large infusion of money tied to the fossil fuel industry to propel his campaign… “State campaign finance records and Internal Revenue Service filings show that Sunday accepted direct contributions from a tax-exempt association tied to the fossil fuel industry called the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA)... “Sunday also received a handful of direct contributions from oil and gas-related entities, including $10,000 from the Koch Industries PAC; $1,500 from the Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil Coalition; $1,000 from midstream oil and gas firm Energy Transfer; and $1,000 from the Pennsylvania Coal PAC… “From California to Pennsylvania, the role of the state’s top law enforcement official could be critical for states that intend to fight Trump’s promises to strip away regulations and initiatives designed to speed the transition away from fossil fuels. “When people who care about the environment and climate lose the presidency to someone who obviously is about as radically against action on environment and climate as you could possibly be, then we turn to states,” Joseph Romm, senior research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, told Capital and Main.
Carbon Herald: DOE Launches Application Process For Its $1.8 Billion DAC Funding
Sasha Ranevska, 12/20/24
“On December 19, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) launched the application process for its $1.8 billion funding earmarked for supporting projects that catalyze the commercial scale-up of direct air capture (DAC) technology,” the Carbon Herald reports. “This financial support will serve to back projects in different stages of development as part of a larger plan to create four regional DAC hubs across the United States. The announcement issued by the DOE states that the funding amount of $1.8 billion might not be completely awarded during the first round of applications. As funds remain available, the DOE plans to issue additional reopenings, keeping in line with the program’s strategy. The program is open to applications from industry stakeholders that operate independently or in partnerships with National Laboratories, multi-institutional collaborations, institutions of higher education, non-profit and for-profit entities, tribes, local and state governmental entities, and both incorporated and unincorporated consortia… “The DOE will award funding with up to 50% federal cost share to projects classified in three different topic areas (TAs)... “The call will be accepting complete applications by the end of July 2025, with plans to announce the approved award recipients in December 2025, followed by an award negotiations period in the spring of 2026.”
E&E News: GOP alleges conflict of interest with Stone-Manning jump to green group
Scott Streater, 12/19/24
“Western congressional Republicans want Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning to recuse herself from policy decisions over the next month, citing potential conflicts of interest after her recent announcement that she plans to join the Wilderness Society in February,” E&E News reports. “The 25 Republicans from both chambers of Congress, in a letter sent this week to Heather Gottry, director of Interior’s Departmental Ethics Office, wrote that they are “strongly concerned about the conflict of interest that has arisen” by Stone-Manning’s announcement last month that she has agreed to become president of the national conservation group after she leaves BLM early next year. They asked Gottry to “immediately identify conflicts of interest like this throughout the Department and advise the BLM Director and others to recuse themselves from any pending business the agency is set to approve” before President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.”
STATE UPDATES
NOLA.com: Big crowds turn out for hearing on controversial Louisiana plant. A first attempt had to be called off.
David J. Mitchell, 12/18/24
“A second attempt at a hearing for a controversial $4.5 billion ammonia plant with carbon capture capability proposed for St. Rose drew large crowds and occasional catcalls, illustrating the dilemma Louisiana faces as it moves ahead with a new wave of industrial development,” NOLA.com reports. “More than two months ago, state regulators and a local fire chief called a quick end to a critical air permit hearing for the plant because of overcrowding inside a St. Charles Parish library. Local advocates warned in advance of the big crowd expected for the hearing on St. Charles Clean Fuels, but state Department of Environmental Quality officials ignored the advice, only to be forced to start over when faced with overflow numbers in the 60-person meeting room. On Tuesday night, the follow-up hearing occurred, and the big crowds returned again as more than 250 people filled one side of the wall-length bleachers inside the Harry Hurst Middle School Gym in Destrehan and also spilled over into the other side. For more than three hours, 53 speakers offered their thoughts as the crowd cheered the project's fiercest critics and periodically interrupted and booed those supporting it, with occasional catcalls such as "liar" and "sell-out." “...With towers over 100-feet tall, opponents countered, the plan would also place more harmful emissions and potentially explosive chemicals next to a predominantly Black community that contains the historic Freetown Elkinsville, which is already along the fence line of a chemical tank farm that has been the source of air pollution concerns for years. They also doubted it would deliver the promised jobs for St. Rose residents… “Anorna Johnson, a St. Rose resident who is part of the Elkinsville Historical Restoration Association, said the community's ancestors provided them a safe place for their families, churches and cemeteries. This plant would be a mile from a local school and near a cemetery, she said. "This clean blue ammonia plant will take all of our resources. Everything will be gone. One leak from this company, this plant will destroy our livelihood," she said in the gym at the foot of the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge.
The Hill: Attacking Newsom’s climate agenda, environmental activists launch ad campaign in battleground states
Sharon Udasin, 12/16/24
“Environmental activists have launched a six-figure campaign attacking California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) climate record, through an advertisement airing in four battleground states, The Hill reports. “Food & Water Action, the lobbying arm of the national group Food & Water Watch, is behind a 30-second ad slamming Newsom for failing to make good on promises to shut down the contentious Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility. “Americans are looking for leadership to resist Trump’s assault on our climate. Someone who follows through and won’t back down,” the ad states. “But his public utilities commission is considering keeping it open indefinitely — just like the oil and gas industry wants.” Aliso Canyon, located just northwest of Los Angeles, was home to the country’s biggest-ever methane leak, which forced families to flee the area in 2015… “Asked to respond to the new campaign, Daniel Villaseñor, a spokesperson for the governor, told The Hilll that Newsom’s “energy policy is ambitious, not reckless.” “We are committed to safely closing Aliso Canyon without harming working families with skyrocketing utility bills,” Villaseñor told The Hill. While noting the governor’s successes in accelerating the clean energy transition, the spokesperson told The Hill that shuttering Aliso Canyon before natural gas demand dwindles would be “irresponsible.”
E&E News: Gas bans gain steam despite industry wins
Mika Travis, 12/20/24
“Efforts to ban natural gas are still simmering in pockets of the country, despite a recent spate of political and legal wins for the fossil fuel industry,” E&E News reports. “From Colorado to New York, local officials and climate activists continue to pursue various policies to phase out natural gas hookups and appliances like stoves. Those range from requiring new buildings to use only electric heating to establishing grants that enable neighborhoods to get rid of aging gas pipelines. “I think the initial state of discouragement has evolved into an increased sense of motivation to find ways that work, to find policies that are both acceptable and effective,” Christine Brinker, senior buildings policy manager for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, told E&E… “Republican lawmakers in 26 states have passed laws prohibiting gas bans. The nation’s first ban on natural gas hookups in new buildings — in Berkeley, California — was also repealed earlier this year, after a federal appeals court ruled it violated federal law… “But Sage Welch, founder of consulting firm Sunstone Strategies, told E&E that the wins for natural gas in Washington state and Berkeley don’t necessarily reflect the public’s stance on the fossil fuel nationally… “In the Southwest, she told E&E, advocates are pushing for building codes that allow gas furnaces in new buildings — but only if those buildings use other means to increase their energy efficiency and combat their emissions. The movement is also shifting its focus to more “practical” solutions such as neighborhood-scale electrification projects, Welch told E&E. This year, California, Colorado and Washington state passed legislation to advance such projects.”
Tennessee Lookout: Conservation group accuses state of illegally issuing permits for TVA Kingston gas plant
Anita Wadhwani, 12/19/24
“A conservation group has accused Tennessee environmental regulators of failing to follow the law by approving an air emission permit for a new Tennessee Valley Authority methane-fired plant in Kingston, Tenn.,” the Tennessee Lookout reports. “In an appeal filed Monday with the Tennessee Air Pollution Control Board, the nonprofit conservation group Appalachian Voices claimed state regulators are allowing TVA to “avoid installing commonsense pollution controls” needed to protect air quality and public health. The group is seeking an immediate halt to approval of any more permits needed for the project by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, or TDEC — a request, if granted, that would effectively halt construction on the project. The appeal is administrative, meaning it will be heard outside a state courtroom… “The appeal marks the latest in a series of legal disputes that have surrounded TVA’s multi-billion dollar makeover plans to convert a fleet of aging coal-fired power plants into natural, or methane gas, plants. The plans have drawn pushback from environmental and community groups, who have criticized TVA for ignoring cleaner energy alternatives. The groups have also raised concerns about the impact on surrounding communities of the gas-generating plants and miles of new pipelines needed to supply them.”
Bloomberg: California Subsidizes Some of the Dirtiest Oil in the US
Robert Tuttle, 12/19/24
“In California’s San Joaquin Valley, old-fashioned pump jacks eke out a trickle of crude that’s among the dirtiest in America. Powering the oil field equipment are solar panels that generate state carbon credits potentially worth nearly $2 million,” Bloomberg reports. “E&B Natural Resources Management Corp., the local oil producer that built the solar plant, is among a handful of little-known companies that produce the most emissions-intensive crude in the US, according to an analysis by Bloomberg News. Yet the solar array offers an incentive to keep pumping at a time when California is aggressively trying to phase out fossil-fuel use. The situation exposes a paradox in the state’s carbon-trading system: By offering oil producers credits for their renewable energy use, California effectively is subsidizing drillers who produce as few as five barrels of oil and gas for every metric ton of greenhouse gases they emit, according to Bloomberg’s analysis. That compares to a US average of about 165 barrels of oil per metric ton. It’s an irony with implications beyond the Golden State. California, with its ambitious climate goals, has long been a model for slashing emissions. But it’s also a state disconnected from the main oil-refining and -producing regions of the US, largely reliant on imports by tankers and local production to keep gas tanks running. That’s given drillers a foothold in a state that is, at times, openly hostile to the oil industry. And it underscores a challenge the rest of the US is facing: How to combat global warming when rising oil demand continues to keep even the dirtiest crude flowing from the ground.”
Texas Observer: Brownsville Elected Officials Are Doing PR for Embattled LNG Megaproject
Gaige Davila, 12/19/24
“Local elected officials in the border city of Brownsville are receiving talking points and media strategy from the company developing Rio Grande LNG—the Central Park-sized liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant project being built in wetlands outside nearby Port Isabel—as the company attempts to stymie a recent court order to halt its project, emails obtained by the Texas Observer show. The company, the publicly traded Houston firm NextDecade, has helped Brownsville and Cameron County officials draft op-eds, testimonials, and media statements by writing them outright or furnishing talking points or data to use when responding to media requests. NextDecade has also coordinated with the City of Brownsville and Cameron County in their filing of amicus briefs in support of the LNG project… “FERC has already started the SEIS and is expected to finish in November 2025. In response, NextDecade has made a website and deployed a new slogan, “Stand with Rio Grande LNG,” saying the court’s order was “overreaching,” among other disputed claims about how the ruling would impact Cameron County’s economy… “In the days after the court’s decision in August, NextDecade executives requested meetings with Cameron County’s highest elected official, County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., at least two county commissioners, the City of Brownsville’s mayor, John Cowen, and Brownsville city manager, Helen Ramirez… “Some of those emails show the company asking the City of Brownsville and Cameron County to file an amicus brief on behalf of the Rio Grande LNG project… “There are also multiple emails from NextDecade to Treviño about a private Jimmy Eat World and DJ Spider concert in Houston hosted by the company. The Observer could not confirm whether Treviño attended the concert. Most notably, multiple emails outline a communications strategy involving the company and local elected officials in tandem with the “Stand with Rio Grande LNG” website. Treviño, Cowen, and at least three of the county’s commissioners received individual emails from NextDecade asking for “testimonials,” which would be used for the company’s website and social media.”
DeSmog: New Orleans Residents Face Surge in Energy Costs from Sale of Gas Utility
Delaney Nolan, 12/19/24
“Earlier today, New Orleans City Council unanimously approved the sale of the city’s natural gas distribution system to a private equity firm,” DeSmog reports. “Delta State Utilities (DSU), a new subsidiary of Bernhard Capital Partners, will pay $484 million to take over gas distribution systems of Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana. Bernhard also plans to purchase systems in other states: CenterPoint Energy in Mississippi, and Emera in New Mexico. Jack Reno Sweeney of the New Orleans Democrat Socialists of America spoke in opposition to the sale at today’s meeting, decrying the City Council’s “shameful capitulation to private equity,” and calling council members’ claims that the sale will allow investment in cleaner energy an “egregious lie.” Other commenters called the sale a “disaster,” a “charade,” a “tragic parody of governance,” and a terrible Christmas gift, noting that the vote came near the holidays with little opportunity for public engagement. As the motion was approved, cries of “shame” rang out in the chambers. The sale is a blow to New Orleans ratepayers, as bills are expected to rise on average $31 next year as a result. But it also points to a broader concern: As private equity firms snap up utilities and oil and gas assets, they are largely shielded from local regulation and public pressure to decarbonize.”
Utah News Dispatch: Environmentalists Sue To Block Utah’s ‘Stand For Our Land’ Challenge
Alixel Cabrera, 12/18/24
“Environmental advocates filed a lawsuit against Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and outgoing Attorney General Sean Reyes over what they described as ‘unlawful land grab litigation’ that Utah leaders hope will be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court,” the Utah News Dispatch reports, “Utah’s lawsuit — which has been largely advertised across the state with a million-dollar bill for legal fees and marketing that has placed billboards, television and newspaper ads declaring ‘Stand for Our Land’ — is an ambitious request to claim 18.5 million acres of ‘unappropriated’ land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. In its presentation, Cox said this may solve questions Utah and other Western states have had for decades about the domain of 34% of the state’s land. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), a nonprofit that advocates for red rock wilderness in the country, however, argues that the state’s legal challenge violates the Utah Constitution.”
Grand Junction Sentinel: Laramie proposes 48-well drilling project outside Collbran
Dennis Webb, 12/18/24
“Laramie Energy is proposing a project involving drilling 48 oil and gas wells about nine miles east of Collbran, possibly in 2026,” the Grand Junction Sentinel reports. “The company has filed an application for the drilling plan with the state Energy and Carbon Management Commission… “Both well pads would be on private land. Forty of the wells would target privately owned oil and gas, and eight would target federally owned minerals… “The project could generate as many as 2,800 vehicle trips associated with drilling and 5,000 associated with well completions, which involves hydraulic fracturing… “Most of the state’s drilling activity continues to occur in Weld County, which had 419 well starts this year as of the start of this month. The county is home to rich oil deposits, whereas drilling in western Colorado’s Piceance Basin primarily targets natural gas, and local drilling has been depressed for years due to low natural gas prices.”
EXTRACTION
CTV: Cold Lake First Nations chief ready to defend federal Impact Assessment Act in court
12/19/24
“The chief of Cold Lake First Nations says he plans to intervene in the provincial government’s court challenge of the federal Impact Assessment Act on the feds’ side,” CTV reports. “This comes after a group of Treaty 6 First Nations in northern Alberta wrote to federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault requesting a federal impact assessment for a proposed multi-billion-dollar carbon storage network on their territory. "We are federal people," Chief Kelsey Jacko of Cold Lake First Nations told Alberta Native News. "We did not sign a Treaty with Alberta." “...On Nov. 28, the same day Smith announced her latest court challenge, the leaders of Cold Lake First Nations, Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Frog Lake First Nations, Heart Lake First Nation, Kehewin Cree Nation, Onion Lake First Nation and Whitefish (Goodfish) Lake First Nation wrote a letter to Guilbeault asking for an impact assessment for the "massive and unprecedented project" proposed by the Pathways Alliance. Pathways, which consists of the six largest producers in Alberta’s oil sands, is attempting to build a $16.5-billion 400-kilometre pipeline network that will transfer carbon dioxide captured from oil production to an underground storage hub outside Cold Lake, Alta… “In September, Chief Jacko told Alberta Native News he was concerned the project was "getting rubber stamped," and that the alliance wasn’t consulting with impacted First Nations in any meaningful capacity… "Our nations have been giving statements of concern for many years, and it just seems like they’re getting ignored," he said.”
Reuters: Chevron, Woodside Agree to Western Australia LNG Asset Swap
Adwitiya Srivastava, 12/18/24
“Woodside and Chevron said on Thursday they would streamline oil and gas operations in Western Australia through a stake swap deal, a move resulting in the Australian energy giant exiting the $34 billion Wheatstone LNG project,” Reuters reports. “Under the asset swap deal, Chevron would sell its interest in North West Shelf venture and take over all of Woodside's interest in Wheatstone and an affiliate gas project. The deal would also see the U.S. energy major paying up to $400 million to Woodside… “The deal signifies the end to Chevron's four-decade-old participation in the North West Shelf venture, which is till date Australia's largest LNG exporter. The development comes as Chevron ramps up efforts to consolidate its focus on key Australian assets, including the Gorgon LNG venture.”
CNN.com: Russia’s Black Sea beaches flooded with oil from wreck of tankers
Gianluca Mezzofiore, 12/18/24
“Long stretches of Russia’s Black Sea coastline are covered in oil spilled by the wreck of two Russian tankers over the weekend, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warning of an “environmental disaster,” CNN.com reports. ‘Videos geolocated by CNN show blackened waves washing the low-quality heavy fuel oil – known as mazut – onto shores in Russia’s Krasnodar region, near the Kerch Strait between mainland Russian and occupied Crimea. In one video, a bird – its wings thick with oil – is seen squawking in distress as it sits in the sand and is buffeted by waves, unable to lift its wings to fly away. The oil spill has impacted at least 60 kilometers of coastline, Greenpeace Ukraine said Tuesday. “Several towns have declared an emergency situation. The death of birds contaminated with mazut has been recorded.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
OK Energy Today: Midship Pipeline donates to Oklahoma American Legion
12/19/24
“Midship Pipeline announced an $80,000 donation to the American Legion Department of Oklahoma,” OK Energy Today reports. “Local American Legion posts in the eight counties where the pipeline operates will each receive $10,000 to meet critical needs as the American Legion lives out its mission and advocates for every generation of veterans, service members and their families… “A gift like this from Midship will go a long way in empowering and enabling these eight posts to deliver on the mission of the Legion as they support their communities and Oklahoma’s valued service members and veterans,” said Commissioner Brett Martin, American Legion’s representative and chairman of the Oklahoma Veterans Commission. The Midship Pipeline is a 200-mile natural gas pipeline that connects gas production from the South Central Oklahoma Oil Province (SCOOP) and Sooner Trend, Anadarko Basin, Canadian and Kingfisher Counties (STACK) plays in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma to growing Gulf Coast and Southeast markets via deliveries to existing pipelines… “Midship has now donated nearly $900,000 to community organizations and programs across the eight counties it traverses, supporting first responders; agriculture education; science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives; rural hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic and community beautification and restoration projects…. “Rep. Dick Lowe expressed his gratitude in this season of giving.”
OPINION
Greenfield Recorder: Tom Neilson: Biden must permanently shut down Dakota Access Pipeline
Tom Neilson, Greenfield, 12/19/24
“With just one month left before Donald Trump returns to the White House, we are running out of time to lock in protections for our climate and communities. One critical action President Joe Biden can take right now is to permanently shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline,” Tom Neilson writes for the Greenfield Recorder. “The pipeline is currently operating illegally, even as the ongoing legal battles surrounding it are reaching a critical point. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe continues to fight against corporate and state interference to protect their sacred land and the safety of surrounding communities. In 2020, concerned citizens urged President Biden to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, and he listened. Now, we must continue to press him to take immediate action on the Dakota Access Pipeline before Trump takes office. The risk of further environmental harm and disruption to Indigenous land is too great to ignore.”
The Detroit News: State needs more CCUS oversight
Gwen Klenke, Midwest Program Coordinator, FracTracker Alliance, 12/19/24
“A recently published opinion piece (” State should oversee carbon capture projects,” Dec. 11) misrepresented what Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) would mean for Michigan and its environment,” Gwen Klenke writes for The Detroit News. “Rather than being a viable solution to reduce carbon emissions, CCUS is a way for industrial actors to continue their fossil fuel extraction. Similarly, rather than being an innovation that will boost the state’s overall economy, CCUS is a way for corporations to earn tax credits… “This flurry of activity in the Midwest has primarily been spurred by the Biden Administration’s 45Q tax credit, which, while touted as a climate win for the administration, has been a sticking point in environmental and health organizations who worry that the lack of safeguards will increase the likelihood of accidents and leaks… “Leaks have already occurred in other state’s CCUS projects. Not to mention, the bill package in the Michigan Legislature (Senate Bills 1131-1133) encourages future carbon utilization where facilities that participate can sell their carbon for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), where carbon is injected underground to force out fossil fuels that will later be burned and release carbon, further harming the environment. Rather than create long-lasting clean energy jobs, CCUS will continue to follow the trend of its parent oil and gas industries which continuously over-promise the number of jobs it will create. In addition, this bill package promises to transfer CCUS projects to the state once sequestration has been completed. This means that if wells start to leak after sequestration, they will need to be plugged and remediated by the state, adding to taxpayer costs… “It is necessary that the legislature rejects the bill package to preserve the health of Michigan’s residents and its environment.”
Journal Courier: Big Oil cronies poised to prop up fossil fuels
Robert Weissman is president of Public Citizen, 12/19/24
“The environmental cost is equally staggering. Subsidizing fossil fuels accelerates global warming and undermines our ability to meet climate goals. Increased drilling and exports mean more pipelines, more methane leaks, and more emissions — locking in decades of climate harm at a time when the world cannot afford further delay in transitioning to clean energy, Robert Weissman writes for the Journal Courier. “Taxpayers are subsidizing fossil fuels at a moment when the cheapest forms of energy are renewable. The cost of solar energy systems has plummeted by 88% between 2010 and 2021, making solar one of the most affordable energy sources in almost every geographic market in the United States. In the same period, onshore wind energy costs dropped by 68%... “Policymakers need to redirect our taxpayer money to accelerate the deployment of renewables, invest in energy storage and grid modernization, and support workers and communities transitioning away from fossil fuels. For the sake of our economy, our environment, and future generations, it’s time to leave fossil fuel subsidies in the past.”
Standard-Exmainer: Utah – The next frontier for direct air capture
Kajsa Hendrickson leads technology-based carbon removal policy at Carbon180, 12/19/24
“Utah stands at a crossroads of two very different futures. In one future, we pursue policies that allow increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, deregulate air pollution and support further industrial development like the proposed inland port and Parley’s Canyon quarry,” Kajsa Hendrickson writes for the Standard-Exmainer. “Not only would Salt Lake Valley and many areas of the state become uninhabitable, but this future does little to change the state’s fortunes. In the other future, the valley and all of Utah could become a hub for an innovative, clean industry rebuilding towns abandoned by the energy transition and creating high-paying jobs… “As a director of policy at Carbon180, a nonprofit committed to removing two centuries of CO2, I focus on advancing federal policies that support carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies like direct air capture (DAC), a technology that pulls carbon from air and stores it underground (cue the “Spaceballs” planet air vacuum scene)... “It is in CDR that I see so much opportunity for Utah, its economy, its environment and the millions of people who call it home. This year, the Western Governors Association (WGA) held several conferences on decarbonization efforts, including the deployment of CDR in our region through its “Decarbonizing the West” initiative… “The WGA directly said that it wants to use CCS and CDR to allow extractive industries in the West to continue expanding. This perspective is problematic and moves us closer to that doom and gloom future. CDR should not be used to continue emitting CO2. Instead, it needs to be paired with decarbonization efforts, removing planet-warming CO2 and bringing local benefits like a stronger, cleaner economy and workforce to this region… “First and foremost, if done right, DAC should be built with communities from the start. Wherever a DAC facility might be built, it needs to be planned with community input, ownership, benefits sharing and a plan to create jobs locally.”
Edmonton Journal: Why Alberta should take the lead on carbon capture, utilization and storage
Peter Cooper is a geoscientist and business leader in Calgary, currently at the Haskayne School of Business, 12/19/24
“Alberta is at a crossroads. As global priorities shift towards emissions reduction and environmental responsibility, Alberta faces an urgent choice: adapt and lead or risk being sidelined by international markets. With mounting pressure to cut emissions, the Alberta government has a limited-time opportunity to pioneer large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) infrastructure. This isn’t just a commitment to sustainability — it’s a strategy to secure Alberta’s place as a leader in a carbon-conscious world,” Peter Cooper writes for the Edmonton Journal. “...Whether Albertans agree on the human role in climate change or not, global markets demand low-carbon solutions… “Our province’s fortunate geological situation once again gives Alberta a natural advantage, this time in CCUS… “By expanding CCUS infrastructure, Alberta could offer carbon storage to industries across the continent, transforming this advantage into a competitive service. But this window won’t stay open forever. Other jurisdictions, such as parts of the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast, also have suitable geology and could become major players. Alberta needs to act now to secure a leadership role… “Critics argue that CCUS technology is costly, especially in its early stages. But the costs of inaction are higher… “Some Albertans may question the value of CCUS spending, especially if they are skeptical of human-driven climate change. Yet the world’s largest economies are moving forward with carbon reduction policies regardless of Alberta’s stance… “While some argue that CCUS could extend Alberta’s reliance on fossil fuels, it’s crucial to see CCUS as one part of a comprehensive energy strategy… “CCUS isn’t just an environmental solution — it’s an economic lifeline for Alberta’s future.”
Globe and Mail: Recycling won’t solve our planet-killing plastic-pollution problem
Adnan R. Khan, 12/20/24
“If you’re at all concerned about the alarming growth of plastic waste clogging our oceans and leaching toxins into our earth, this has not been a good year,” Adnan R. Khan writes for the Globe and Mail. “Back in April, environment ministers, experts and activists from more than 200 countries gathered for the fourth time in Ottawa as part of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee sessions, convened by the United Nations Environment Program. Their goal: to try to find a solution to the world’s plastic pollution problem, which finally got the attention it deserves in 2018, after China stopped accepting the mushrooming pile of plastic trash coming from rich countries, including Canada. That prompted a mad scramble to find an alternative destination, fuelling a boom in plastic waste exports to the Global South. Attempts to regulate the trade were failing. Plastic waste was turning up in oceans and rivers, and piling up in giant smouldering mountains in some of the world’s poorest places. The series of meetings were supposed to develop a “legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.” Canada had tabled an ambitious plan in Ottawa to reduce the production of primary plastic polymers by 40 per cent by 2040. In the most recent meetings in the South Korean city of Busan, which ended on Dec. 1, Panama made its own proposal to cap production, signed by more than 100 countries, including Canada. The vast majority of participating countries agreed that solving the plastic waste crisis requires curbing fossil fuel-based plastic production. But a small coterie of the world’s major plastic-producing countries, led by China, formed a coalition of resistance with the big oil producers, led by Saudi Arabia. The solution, they said – an argument echoed by the army of lobbyists that Big Plastic and Big Oil sent to the weeklong negotiations – was not a production cap but better recycling. What they didn’t talk about, though, was just how big a mess the recycling industry has made in the world. For years, plastic producers have poured millions of dollars into creating the fiction that plastic recycling is a viable way to combat plastic pollution, when in fact it’s not. In the process, the industry has turned plastic waste – a potentially hazardous material – into a commodity that is bought and sold on the international market… “The solution needs to be multipronged, including placing caps on production. Experts say another important step, something Canadian officials pushed for in Ottawa, would be banning dangerous chemicals used in plastic production, and making biodegradable alternatives more economically viable. Those changes would require shifts in how we live. Plastics have insinuated themselves into almost every aspect of our daily routines, and it’s not by accident. We’ve been duped by Big Oil and Big Plastic into believing their products are a miracle material that we simply can’t do without. That’s a lie. And it’s time we called them on it.”
CleanTechnica: It’s Against The Law In Canada To Call Hydrogen Buses Zero Emissions
Michael Barnard, 12/18/24
“In the middle of 2024, I documented the remarkable disappearance of claims of environmental virtue from the websites and social media of Canadian oil and gas companies and the lobbying groups they employed. Overnight, the degree of factual accuracy on their public sites went up by a remarkable amount. Why? Because Bill C-59, titled the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, received Royal Assent on June 20, 2024, officially becoming law in Canada,” Michael Barnard writes for CleanTechnica. “That seems like an odd reaction. Why would companies rip their greenwashing from public view over an economic implementation act? Well, Bill C-59 grants the Competition Bureau new powers to scrutinize and take enforcement action against companies that make false or misleading environmental claims about their products, services, or business practices. Businesses are now required to substantiate their environmental claims with “adequate and proper testing” or “adequate and proper substantiation in accordance with internationally recognized methodology.” “...As a result, right-wing media, fossil fuel companies, and fossil fuel PR groups put out press releases with words like “draconian” and “censorship.” They also ditched all the BS they had online for years claiming the virtues of carbon capture, the wonders of how much they’d already cleaned up their oil and gas extraction and processing, and quite a lot of the nonsense they promoted about their homeopathic investments in wind turbines and solar farms. But a different group of firms should be considering the implications of this, the people promoting fuel cells and hydrogen electric vehicles in Canada. It’s clear that their claims of hydrogen vehicles being low emissions are not supported by “adequate and proper testing” or “adequate and proper substantiation in accordance with internationally recognized methodology.” Quite the opposite.”
Daily Montanan: ‘Clean and healthful environment’ is the Supreme Court’s gift to ‘present and future generations’
George Ochenski, 12/20/24
“In the darkest days of the year, the Montana Supreme Court shines brightly with an enlightened ruling upholding the Montana Constitution’s “inalienable right to a clean and healthful environment” in Montana for “present and future generations,” George Ochenski writes for the Daily Montanan. “...Significantly, it validates the concerns of the group of young people who brought the lawsuit in their attempt to preserve a livable future climate in the face of the rapidly and increasingly damaging changes afflicting the state, nation, and planet. The Held vs. Montana case made national and worldwide news when Judge Seeley’s extensive ruling was issued. Why? Because it was the first victory in the nation on a case challenging a state’s disregard for a constitutional mandate to provide its citizens with a clean and healthful environment. And no, you don’t have that when the state winks and nods at polluters and the legislature does everything it can to try and change the laws to allow more pollution, less citizen review and absolutely ignores the consequences of that pollution on our climate. The court’s 70-page ruling lays out many, many reasons why the State of Montana, Gov. Greg Gianforte, Attorney General Austin Knudsen, the Montana Departments of Environmental Quality, Natural Resources and Conservation, and Transportation have failed to uphold the constitutional mandate… “Both the executive and legislative branches are also attempting to paint the court’s ruling as somehow legislating from the bench. But nothing could be further from the truth given the very, very plain language of the Montana Constitution, which has been widely lauded and copied by states and nations worldwide… “The delegates’ foresight and the court’s landmark decision means all Montanans — including those yet to be born — will benefit from our inalienable right to a clean and healthful environment.”