EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/2/25

PIPELINE NEWS

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How could Enbridge's oil spill in Jefferson County go from 2 to nearly 70,000 gallons?

• Wisconsin Public Radio: Enbridge, state regulators face scrutiny over Jefferson County oil spill

• Great Lakes Now: Wisconsin reacts to oil spill as pipeline fight continues

• South Dakota Searchlight: Regulator stays on new carbon pipeline case after prior recusal, with no explanation this time

• The Dakota Scout: After fierce debate, Lincoln County Commission punts on carbon pipeline regulations

• Mitchell Republic: Lincoln County residents firmly reject 4 proposed carbon pipeline ordinances

• South Dakota Searchlight: Lincoln County commissioners push back decision on carbon pipeline rules

• North Dakota Monitor: Pipeline owner joins lawsuit over Dakota Access Pipeline

• WDRB: LG&E can condemn Bernheim Forest land for pipeline after Kentucky Supreme Court declines review

• Reuters: BP says Whiting, Indiana refinery operations normal following leak

• Morgan Messenger: Embattled gas pipeline project is now a go

• Midland Reporter-Telegram: New pipeline's approval raises overbuilding concerns

• WFDD: Residents and nonprofits resist massive pipeline expansion in the Piedmont

• WVIR: Environmental group warns of rushed pipeline construction as demand for energy to fuel data centers grows

• Business North Carolina: Proposed new gas pipeline stirs fight across Piedmont

• KFYR: Company gauging interest in developing a west-east natural gas pipeline in North Dakota

• Virginia Mercury: Natural gas projects accelerate as Virginia’s energy needs soar

• Southern Alliance for Clean Energy: FERC Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement for Ridgeline Expansion Pipeline

• RBN Energy: Gray Oak Stands Out as the Only Permian Crude Pipeline to Greenlight an Expansion

• E&E News: DC Circuit rejects pipeline challenge

• NOLA.com: Pipeline company fined after helicopter survey in Louisiana finds leaking storage tank

• Minnesota Lawyer: Justices weigh limits of media privilege in pipeline protests

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Reuters: Trump wants EU to buy more US oil and gas or face tariffs

• E&E News: Why the permitting talks collapsed

• E&E News: DOE tries to unload $1.8B for carbon removal as Trump looms

• E&E News: Trump will transform climate court battles in 2025

• New York Times: Will Trump Cut Short the Biden Clean-Energy Boom? Investors Are Nervous.

STATE UPDATES

• Gothamist: 'Climate superfund’ could make NY more resilient, but industry groups may try to block it

• Press release: Legislators, Environmental & Health Leaders Applaud Gov. Hochul for Signing the CO2 Fracking Ban Bill

• Environmental Protection: EPA Issues Permits for Carbon Storage Wells in California

• E&E News: Major Texas LNG plant comes online

• Sacramento Bee: Environmental groups challenge update to California’s low-carbon transportation rules

• DeSmog: Developers Eye Louisiana, Texas Coasts for Offshore Carbon Storage

• KALB: Carbon Capture in Louisiana [VIDEO]

• KXNET: Statewide poll shows confidence in coal and carbon capture

• WDIV: Chemical company president charged in 2022 Flint River oil spill

• New York Times: The E.P.A. Promotes Toxic Fertilizer. 3M Told It of Risks Years Ago.

• Washington Post: “Erin Brockovich” made their town famous. They still don’t have clean water.

EXTRACTION

• Calgary Herald: 'Fish or cut bait' — Critical year ahead for Pathways Alliance's $16.5B carbon capture network

• New York Times: The New Climate Gold Rush: Scrubbing Carbon From the Sky

• Carbon Herald: Public Support For Carbon Capture And Storage Depends On Prior Knowledge, Study Finds

• Guardian: UK gambling with climate targets over carbon capture, say campaigners

• S&P Global: USGC eyes CCS expansion in heavy industry, but faces hurdles with permits, delays

• Marketplace: How a $7 billion investment in clean hydrogen could cut the refining industry’s “carbon intensity”

• NewScientist: Direct CO2 capture from the atmosphere will scale up massively in 2025

• New York Times: Ukraine Forces a Halt to Flow of Natural Gas From Russia to Europe

• Energynews: Russia collects 30,000 tons of contaminated soil after an oil spill

• Reuters: Russia declares federal emergency over Black Sea oil spill

• Reuters: Volunteers battle to clear spilled oil on Russia's Black Sea coast

• Agence France-Presse: Oil leak in Peru tourist zone triggers 'environmental emergency'

• Press release: Energy Transfer Signs Agreement to Supply Chevron 2.0 Million Tonnes of LNG Per Annum From Its Lake Charles LNG Export Facility

CLIMATE FINANCE

• Bloomberg: Plan to Ban Foreign Fossil Fuel Finance Collapses at OECD

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Chatham Voice: Enbridge donates to Goodfellows

OPINION

• Clinton Herald: Fighting for the people and places we love

• The Iowa Standard: The New Battle for Rural America – Standing Up to Summit’s Bullying and Betrayal

• Storm Lake Times Pilot: Pipeline is not for the ‘public good’

• Inforum: Pipeline opponents ignore benefits for ag and energy sector

• Tampa Bay Times: Carbon-capture promises require an unrealistic land grab

• NOLA.com: Don't rush to embrace carbon capture at the expense of our environment

• World Oil: Can carbon capture, use and storage fail?

• State Journal: Carbon capture hearing critical for West Virginia's industrial progress

• New York Times: I Won’t Feel Good About Flying Until the Airlines Solve This

• Sheboygan Press: Biden must prioritize Dakota Access Pipeline shutdown

• Norfolk Daily News: Defense of Dakota Access Pipeline is a good thing for Nebraska

• Wisconsin State Journal: Enbridge pipeline is a mistake for Wisconsin

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Line 5 pipeline permit approval violates treaty rights of Bad River Band

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Line 5 approval betrayal of environment and Indigenous rights

• Santa Barbara Independent: County: Stand Up for Your Rights
  

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… “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. "When it comes to Enbridge, the DNR should simply make the public aware every time there's an oil spill, because the track record of history shows that it's almost always worse than initially reported," he told the Journal Sentinel… 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.”

Wisconsin Public Radio: Enbridge, state regulators face scrutiny over Jefferson County oil spill
Danielle Kaeding, 12/20/24

“State regulators say nearby wells and waterways have so far not been impacted by around 70,000 gallons of oil that spilled from Enbridge’s system in Jefferson County as the company and regulators face scrutiny over their response.” Wisconsin Public Radio reports. “The spill is the company’s largest in Wisconsin since roughly 50,000 gallons spilled from Enbridge’s Line 14 pipeline in Adams County in 2012… “The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said early information indicates damage is confined to Enbridge’s property, noting four perimeter wells at the site have not been impacted at this time. Trevor Nobile, deputy director of the agency’s remediation and redevelopment program, told WPR sampling also shows a nearby wetland area, unnamed creek and Lake Ripley have not been impacted… “The DNR met with Enbridge Thursday and will meet with the company on a regular basis to monitor the spill. The agency is also conducting regular site visits. Nobile told WPR the company has so far removed 2,912 tons of soil, and it’s installed 29 temporary monitoring wells to monitor impacts to groundwater. Nobile told WPR it’s possible the spill amount could be revised again as Enbridge continues its investigation… “We do receive hundreds of spill notifications a year. It is not uncommon to revise estimated spill volumes, either increasing or they can also decrease,” Nobile told WPR. Environmental groups like Midwest Environmental Advocates and Sierra Club have criticized the DNR for not being more transparent about the spill and issuing state permits for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 reroute just days later. They have noted a leak detection system on Line 6 failed to detect the spill. Nobile told WPR state laws don’t require polluters to notify the public of spills. “DNR and Enbridge need to be much more transparent, offer many more updates, to make sure that the people in the area who are impacted can safely drink water and do what they need to do,” Elizabeth Ward, director of Sierra Club Wisconsin, told WPR.”

Great Lakes Now: Wisconsin reacts to oil spill as pipeline fight continues
Nicole Pollack, 12/23/24

“The company planning a controversial pipeline reroute in northern Wisconsin recently told officials that it spilled approximately 69,300 gallons of crude oil in the southern part of the state, making this Wisconsin’s largest oil spill since at least 2012,” Great Lakes Now reports. “Enbridge first reported the spill, which was caused by an underground equipment failure on its Line 6 pipeline, on Nov. 11, then increased the estimated volume by tens of thousands of gallons about a month later… “The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has fought to have the pipeline removed from its reservation — but the tribe also opposes the reroute amid concerns that a leak from the new stretch of pipeline could devastate the local watershed. The tribe and several other groups filed a lawsuit on Dec. 12 seeking to reverse the permits. “This is our whole reasoning for trying to get this out of our backyard,” Robert Blanchard, chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, told Inside Climate News as word spread about the spill from a different Enbridge pipeline.”

South Dakota Searchlight: Regulator stays on new carbon pipeline case after prior recusal, with no explanation this time
Joshua Haiar, 12/30/24

“A trust controlled by a South Dakota regulator’s relatives still owns land along a proposed pipeline route, but the regulator has not recused herself from the project’s second permit application after recusing herself from the first one,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “Two years ago, Public Utilities Commissioner Kristie Fiegen disqualified herself from Summit Carbon Solutions’ first carbon dioxide pipeline application. She cited state law prohibiting commissioners from participating in hearings or proceedings when they have a conflict of interest. Fiegen wrote a recusal letter in February 2022 that said the pipeline “would cross land owned by my sister-in-law (my husband’s sister) and her husband.” “...Fiegen has not filed a recusal letter in the new application docket, and she participated in a procedural hearing about the application on Dec. 17. Fiegen did not respond to questions from South Dakota Searchlight about her participation in the new docket. Public Utilities Commission spokesperson Leah Mohr told Searchlight “ex parte” rules bar Fiegen from discussing the matter. Those rules prohibit direct communication with commissioners about dockets they’re considering. Mohr also declined to discuss the matter, and declined to discuss how conflicts of interest are defined for commissioners. The Attorney General’s Office declined to tell Searchlight whether Fiegen’s participation complies with state law, or whether she sought the office’s legal advice.”

The Dakota Scout: After fierce debate, Lincoln County Commission punts on carbon pipeline regulations
Jonathan Ellis, 12/24/24

“A bitterly divided Lincoln County Commission on Tuesday declined to vote on four potential ordinances that regulate carbon pipelines, kicking them back to the county’s planning staff,” The Dakota Scout reports. “Each of the four ordinances contained different requirements for carbon pipelines. One of them would have allowed the pipelines to be permissive uses – meaning they would be administratively allowed if they met legal requirements defined by the commission, which included a 330-foot setback from the property lines of residences, schools and other structures, and a two-mile setback from a municipality. A decision under that version, Planning Director Toby Brown told the commission, would not be appealable by the public. Another version would have required a carbon pipeline company to seek rezoning to light industrial throughout the path of the pipeline. Had it passed, the public would have had the ability to refer a rezoning to a public vote. Only one of the four could be passed, Brown said. Passing more than one would have created conflicts.”

Mitchell Republic: Lincoln County residents firmly reject 4 proposed carbon pipeline ordinances
Hunter Dunteman, 12/24/24

“It’s been three years since officials in Lincoln County first began discussing a carbon dioxide pipeline that aims to cross through the county, and still no regulatory ordinance has been approved,” the Mitchell Republic reports. “After more than an hour of discussion and spirited debate on Christmas Eve, the Lincoln County Commission voted to send four proposed ordinances that could regulate carbon dioxide pipelines back down to the county’s planning commission… “It seems to me that we have two new commissioners who are coming on who are going to have to live with what we pass for the next four years,” said Commissioner Jim Schmidt. “ To deny them the ability to have their input and their take on this, it seems to be very short-sighted on our part.” “...Across plenty of meetings past, dozens of constituents have made their thoughts known about the pipeline. While most share their displeasure, others more firmly object. Some have even called for an outright ban… “Arends explained that an outright ban of carbon dioxide pipelines could lead to pre-emption by state or federal regulators, and that any setback established on the local level is likely preferable to setbacks established by other entities… “Thirteen residents took advantage of yet another opportunity to share their thoughts, most of whom made clear they firmly rejected all four choices… “Now, more than three years after the first discussions about carbon dioxide pipelines were heard in Canton, the county remains without a regulation. It’s unclear when the planning commission will take up the question, but county policy typically reserves any public hearings for the board’s third meeting of the month. Unless an exception is made to the policy, it is possible the Lincoln County Commission won’t take up the topic again until the third meeting of February.”

South Dakota Searchlight: Lincoln County commissioners push back decision on carbon pipeline rules
John Hult, 12/24/24

“Commissioners in South Dakota’s fastest-growing county punted on four carbon dioxide pipeline ordinances on Christmas Eve, opting to let their planning staff and two new commissioners start from scratch in the new year,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “The Lincoln County Commission has wrestled with its approach to carbon pipelines for about two years. Several counties in South Dakota have passed ordinances restricting underground carbon pipelines so strictly that the company proposing a carbon capture pipeline through South Dakota, Summit Carbon Solutions, says it would be impossible to fully comply with all the local requirements and still build the project… “Two commissioners, Jim Jibben and Mike Poppens, lost their primary elections to anti-pipeline candidates, one of whom appeared in the commission chambers Tuesday to voice her concerns about the four ordinances up for possible passage. “I’m opposed to all of them,” said incoming commissioner Betty Otten, who also accused the current commission of being too cozy with Summit to be trusted to make decisions on the matter… “The first and second options would have put planners in charge of deciding if a carbon pipeline project would qualify as a permitted land use. The planning commission did not recommend commissioners pass those. The third would have required carbon pipeline companies to seek conditional use permits, which would open up a public hearing and the chance for opponents to challenge the county commission in court if its members voted to give Summit a permit. The fourth would have barred pipelines in agricultural areas, but allowed them in areas zoned as industrial. With that option, the company could ask the commission to rezone the entire narrow strip of land under which the pipeline would run as industrial land. Voters would be able to refer the commission’s decision on the rezone to a public vote… “This is too important, it’s been too long, and I just think it’s prudent that we have the new commission in there,” said Scott Montgomery of Fairview, echoing the words of half a dozen others in the commission chambers.”

North Dakota Monitor: Pipeline owner joins lawsuit over Dakota Access Pipeline
Mary Steurer, 12/23/24

“The owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline last week became the latest party to join the defense in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s new lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “The lawsuit, filed in October, accuses the Army Corps of illegally allowing the Dakota Access Pipeline to operate without an easement, an environmental impact study or robust emergency spill response plans. The tribe wants a federal court to order that the pipeline be shut down. Dakota Access LLC asked to join the lawsuit to protect its private business interests in the pipeline’s operation. Dakota Access spent billions developing the pipeline and has standing contracts requiring DAPL to continue transporting oil, the company wrote in a brief filed in court… “U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg approved Dakota Access’ request to join the suit. In the brief, the company also accuses the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s legal challenge of “rehashing old ground.” The tribe previously sued the Army Corps over the pipeline in 2016, seeking to stop DAPL before it finished construction… “In its latest suit, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeks to present new evidence raising questions about the pipeline’s construction under Lake Oahe… “North Dakota and 13 other states have also intervened in the case on the side of the Army Corps of Engineers.”

WDRB: LG&E can condemn Bernheim Forest land for pipeline after Kentucky Supreme Court declines review
Marcus Green, 12/26/24

“In a blow to Bernheim Forest, the Kentucky Supreme Court won't review an appeals court ruling in a yearslong legal fight over a natural gas pipeline planned for Bullitt County,” WDRB reports. “The high court's decision last week not to take up the case means a local court decision in 2023 will stand, allowing Louisville Gas & Electric Co. to condemn forest-owned land in a conservation area for the pipeline… “But Bernheim officials argue there is one more proceeding that first must play out: a Supreme Court ruling in a lawsuit challenging the pipeline's status as a "public use" under Kentucky law and the state constitution. "At this point, Bernheim has been condemned, and we've run out options for that," Andrew Berry, conservation director at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum, told WDRB. "But now there is still a case that is going to be heard by the Kentucky Supreme Court." The court postponed arguments set for October and has not yet rescheduled them. Bernheim isn't part of that lawsuit. But it has filed a brief supporting landowners who contend that LG&E's reason for using eminent domain runs afoul of Kentucky law because the "primary purpose of the proposed pipeline was to benefit the entirely private interests of Jim Beam" instead of a broader public use.”

Reuters: BP says Whiting, Indiana refinery operations normal following leak
Nicole Jao, 12/27/24

“BP’s 435,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Whiting, Indiana, refinery was operating normally following a leak from a pipeline that transports liquid material, the company said,” Reuters reports. “On Thursday, the refinery experienced a leak from a pipeline within the tank field, a company spokesperson said. A liquid was released and may have resulted in odors in the area, the spokesperson added. “BP is monitoring air emissions for elevated levels of contaminants that could pose a risk to public health,” the company said in a statement.”

Morgan Messenger: Embattled gas pipeline project is now a go
Kate Shunney, 12/30/24

“Plans to connect a natural gas pipeline in Fulton County, Pa. to a regional supply line in Berkeley Springs are now taking shape on both sides of the Potomac River after years of legal wrangling,” the Morgan Messenger reports. “Horizontal drilling under the Potomac to run the 8-inch gas pipeline could begin as soon as next week, according to online federal project documents. The Eastern Panhandle Expansion Project, to be built by Columbia Gas Transmission, will involve construction of 3.4 miles of 8-inch diameter gas pipeline from the Pennsylvania/Maryland border to a gas line north of Berkeley Springs… “TC Energy Columbia Gas has begun clearing the pipeline path in the Hancock area, with crews working along Creek Road near I-68 this week… “This interconnection project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in July of 2018 after environmental and historical assessments of the area and multiple public hearings. It then halted when the final right-of-way needed for the pipeline was denied by the State of Maryland… “Opposition to the project came from both West Virginia and Maryland residents and environmental groups. It focused largely on the risks of horizontal drilling under the Potomac River in an area known for karst geology. Opponents cited the possibility that leaked drilling fluids or gas leaks from the pipeline could permeate into nearby groundwater supplies or the river itself. Others opposed the project because of its ties to hydraulic fracturing and fossil fuel energy.”

Midland Reporter-Telegram: New pipeline's approval raises overbuilding concerns
Mella McEwen, 12/21/24

“Permian Basin natural gas producers got both an early Christmas gift and a lump of coal in their stockings with Energy Transfer’s final investment decision on the $2.7 billion Hugh Brinson Pipeline,” according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “...The move shows the long-hoped for market demand for natural gas could finally be materializing, according to Ajay Bakshani, director of analytics for East Daley Analytics. While the decision may be a gift to producers, it raises the risk of overbuilding from the Permian, according to East Daley’s basin model. “The only path to FID is if this is a demand pull pipeline driven by new gas turbine projects and data center demand in the DFW/broader TX region,” Bakshani wrote… “Bakshani added, “We will not need another pipeline until 2028, and that assumes ONEOK also does not move forward with the Saguaro pipeline, which would connect to Mexico Pacific LNG on the west coast of Mexico. Including Saguaro, we do not need more pipe until 2030.” “...The shift from pipeline constraints to abundance is great news for producers and will support future Permian supply growth. However, price spreads to the Waha hub will compress as more capacity is added from the basin, cutting into a source of profits for marketers and midstream companies, according to Bakshani.”

WFDD: Residents and nonprofits resist massive pipeline expansion in the Piedmont
Santiago Ochoa, 12/26/24

“Lisa Schehr sits inside a dimly lit den in the westernmost corner of her family home in Wallburg. She’s surrounded by the remnants of her late grandfather’s antique collection and sun-worn family portraits,” WFDD reports. “...From that heightened vantage point, a 10-year-old Schehr watched her grandfather, Seldon Holiday, enter into an agreement to buy the land and by default, share it with the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation or Transco, whose pipeline sat inches below his feet… “Now, Williams is looking to continue the expansion of its pipeline network through its latest project, the Transcontinental Pipeline Southeast Supply Enhancement Project… “It was December of last year when Schehr’s mom, Barbara, opened a letter from Williams. The company offered $500 to cooperating landowners as they began the surveying process. The letter used words like “expansion” and “potential new facilities” to describe the reason for the survey. But Schehr told WFDD it didn’t make clear Williams would be installing a new pipeline through their property. The letter also said landowners would be notified before anyone entered their property or survey work started. "They’ve totally ignored all of that," Schehr told WFDD. "We were here one day in the kitchen cooking and my sister said who are these two guys behind the bushes here and they were right here near the house and they had already been served papers that they were not allowed to come on the property. I would say they’ve broken that numerous times, at least five or six times." “...7 Directions of Service is a nonprofit with a history of fighting pipeline construction in the Piedmont. It reached out to businesses, churches, schools and residents who would be impacted by the pipeline through mailers and calls. The organization also hosted community meetings for those who wanted to know more. "So even if you do already have an easement on your land, it's worth talking to someone to renegotiate just to really have them look at the details of what that means just to see the advantages and the power that you do have," said Claire Spear while speaking to a room full of landowners during an informational meeting in Lexington last August. Spear, an environmental justice organizer for 7 Directions, told WFDD she’s often the first person to inform people there could be a new pipeline running through their home. "In calling these people, a lot of them have no idea about it or maybe they heard something but not enough and it's been years and they completely forgot so it feels new," she told WFDD… “Hailey Duncan is a policy advisor for the Trust. She told WFDD Williams doesn’t have a good history with methane pipeline-related incidents. "For the analysis that we did, we found that Williams does have some of the highest number of direct failures and then on top of that they had some of the highest fatalities by incident and fatalities caused by incident as well," Duncan told WFDD.

WVIR: Environmental group warns of rushed pipeline construction as demand for energy to fuel data centers grows
Kate Nuechterlein, 12/26/24

“The rapid proliferation of data center campuses in Virginia is driving an effort to expand the energy infrastructure to power them,” WVIR reports. “Virginia is home to more data centers than any other place in the world, but the state simply does not have enough energy or transportation capacity to support their growth. “People just don’t have any sense of how big this is in Northern Virginia or Virginia as a whole, but it’s in the order of a tripling of the system we have today,” Christopher Miller, President of the Piedmont Environmental Council, told WVIR… “One way to help meet the demand is by expanding pipelines, which carry natural gas from one point to another and are a critical part of modern energy infrastructure. “The environmental community has worked very hard to try to reduce the demand for natural gas,” Miller told WVIR. “To see it being presented as an immediate priority for expansion is really a concern.” “...Williams has now filed to expand the Transco pipeline under the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project… “But Miller told WVIR that these pipelines can damage stream quality and accelerate the use of methane gas. Even worse, he added, is what can happen if they are built too quickly… “There’s nothing worse than a pipeline exploding.” When it comes to data centers and pipelines, Miller says we need to slow down and consider those who will be affected most. “These are real places,” Miller told WVIR. “People live there. They have meaning for people.”

Business North Carolina: Proposed new gas pipeline stirs fight across Piedmont
Chris Burritt, 12/24/24

“More than 60 years ago, lifelong Guilford County resident Ron Ray watched workers bury gas pipelines across his family’s land in the then-unincorporated community of Oak Ridge. Then he basically forgot about it until last year. Since then, Ray, 72, and a growing number of other Piedmont North Carolina property owners have learned about plans by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Cos. to expand its Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. (Transco),” Business North Carolina reports. “...Transco is proposing to add a gas pipeline across piedmont North Carolina, including here in Guilford County where some members of Oak Ridge First Baptist Church are opposed to the expansion due to potential safety risks… “For decades, three pipelines have passed through Oak Ridge, one of the communities where environmental advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices 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 residents who expressed safety and environmental concerns about Williams’ Southeast Supply Enhancement project. Austin Goldman, a member of Oak Ridge First Baptist Church, said the possible “blast zone” for the existing pipelines encompasses his church and the nearby St. James AME and Oak Ridge Methodist churches… “Opponents are seeking to draw out the fight and, ideally, convince FERC to reject Transco’s application for a permit to proceed with the project. In coming months, the commission will commence its environmental assessment of the project. It will gather feedback from parties by visiting areas where the expansion is proposed and by talking to and taking feedback from stakeholders, including property owners. 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.”

KFYR: Company gauging interest in developing a west-east natural gas pipeline in North Dakota
Michael Anthony, 12/31/24

“WBI Energy is looking at developing a new pipeline that would take natural gas from the Bakken out east,” KFYR reports. “The proposed Bakken East pipeline would run 375 miles between Watford City and Fargo. It would be near other areas, including Beulah, Hazen, Valley City and Casselton. North Dakota Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad told KFYR projects like this are needed to help oil producers deal with excess amounts of natural gas being produced… “WBI is reaching out to potential shippers about their interest through the end of January. The project is expected to be online in two phases: the western half by the end of 2028 and the eastern half by the end of 2029.”

Virginia Mercury: Natural gas projects accelerate as Virginia’s energy needs soar
Charlie Paullin, 12/23/24

“Virginia’s booming data center industry is driving unprecedented energy demands, straining the state’s natural gas infrastructure and prompting calls for new pipelines,” the Virginia Mercury reports. “A Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report warns that expanding pipeline capacity may be necessary to meet the surge, bringing with it additional logistical and environmental challenges. Some efforts to expand pipeline capacity are already underway. In October, Williams Companies filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP), which would add about 55 miles of pipeline — mostly in Southwest Virginia — to the existing 10,000-mile Transco Pipeline stretching from Texas to New York. This follows the company’s approval last year for its Commonwealth Energy Connector Project in Southside, designed to link in Greensville County with the Columbia Gas Virginia Reliability Project… “The Southgate extension project, an effort to extend the Mountain Valley Pipeline from Pittsylvania County into North Carolina, began consultations with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality this year for permit reviews. In October, Balico, the Herndon-based developer previously associated with the canceled Atlantic Coast Pipeline, proposed a massive data center campus with 84 buildings and an on-site natural gas plant for power. However, strong community opposition forced the company to scale back its plans… “The recent pipeline developments have drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups, who warn about the potential impact on waterways the projects may need to cross and the continued reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels… “Basically, we’re looking at two co-located projects,” Jessica Sims, a field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, told the Mercury.”

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy: FERC Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement for Ridgeline Expansion Pipeline
Shelley Robbins, 12/20/24

“SACE has conducted a high level review of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the 122-mile Ridgeline Expansion pipeline project in Tennessee. The need for the project is based on TVA’s compromised and flawed Record of Decision for the 1,450 MW Kingston fossil gas plant, and it would be constructed and operated by East Tennessee Natural Gas Company, LLC (ETNG) which is a subsidiary of Enbridge. We are disappointed that FERC did not take our concerns about both the need for the project and its significant environmental risks seriously. SACE filed comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and then followed up with additional concerns about the lack of safety regulations that address the increasing likelihood of landslides. We are disappointed especially in light of the clear demonstration of the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change on our lands and our communities. Hurricane Helene caused more than 2,000 landslides in September, and similar climate change-fueled rain events could happen anywhere in the Tennessee Valley and anywhere along the pipeline route through Trousdale, Smith, Jackson, Putnam, Overton, Fentress, Morgan, and Roane Counties. FERC’s finding that safety and environmental risks can be mitigated by ETNG is concerning in light of the fact that a similar pipeline project in our mountainous region, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, has been fraught with construction and runoff violations in West Virginia and Virginia… “FERC has not yet formally approved this project by issuing a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, and it is SACE’s recommendation that they deny approval.”

RBN Energy: Gray Oak Stands Out as the Only Permian Crude Pipeline to Greenlight an Expansion
Taylor Noland, 12/27/24

“As crude oil production in the Permian continues to grow and pipelines from West Texas to the Gulf Coast edge closer to full utilization, it’s becoming a challenge for producers and shippers alike. Amid this capacity crunch, one pipeline stands out as the only one with a detailed expansion plan: the 850-mile, 900-Mb/d Gray Oak Pipeline from West Texas to Corpus Christi and Sweeny, TX, which started up in late 2019 and became fully operational in early 2020,” RBN Energy reports. “...Despite these challenges, Gray Oak’s outflows quickly ramped up throughout 2020. As shown in Figure 1 below, Gray Oak has operated near its 900-Mb/d capacity (dotted horizontal black line) for some time now. Earlier this year, Gray Oak Pipeline LLC sanctioned a 120-Mb/d expansion following a successful open season. Contracted volume commitments of 80 Mb/d start in April 2025 and one year later another 40 Mb/d is committed to the pipe. Gray Oak could offer early service for new or existing shippers if capacity is desired sooner.”

E&E News: DC Circuit rejects pipeline challenge
Pamela King, 12/23/24

“A federal appeals court has struck down a challenge against energy regulators’ requirement for a pipeline company to restore service on its project before abandoning it,” E&E News reports. “In a decision issued Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did not act beyond its power when it ordered developers of the Stingray pipeline to either bring the project back into service after it was damaged by a hurricane or reach an agreement with its sole shipper before selling the line to an entity outside FERC’s jurisdiction. Judge Robert Wilkins, who led the court’s unanimous opinion, wrote that the commission has a responsibility to ensure that natural gas promised to the interstate market continues to be delivered, so long as there is demand from the public for the fuel.”

NOLA.com: Pipeline company fined after helicopter survey in Louisiana finds leaking storage tank
Mark Schleifstein, 12/27/24

“A natural gas pipeline company has agreed to pay a $62,500 fine to the federal Environmental Protection Agency nearly three years after a helicopter inspection found hydrocarbon emissions venting from a storage tank at the company’s Patterson natural gas processing facility,” NOLA.com reports. “The Kinetica Deepwater Express LLC gas separation and dehydration facility was one of nine oil and gas businesses in Louisiana sent violation notices by EPA in early 2023 as a result of an unusual 40-day-and-night helicopter survey between August 14 and Sept. 24, 2021… “The inspections targeted more than 5,000 tanks, 226 flares and 62 other potential emission sources, according to an EPA spokesperson. The tank at the Kinetica facility is one of two used to hold natural gas liquids, made up of a variety of hydrocarbon substances removed from natural gas arriving from more than 20 Gulf of Mexico offshore wells, and a nearby natural gas gathering facility, to make it “dry” for shipping by pipeline, and, eventually, for burning or other energy uses. The liquids that are removed are sold to petrochemical plants and other users. The material stays in liquid form at lower temperatures, and is shipped under pressure by pipeline or tank. Some is moved to flares in gas form and burned off. The facility was cited for emissions of volatile organic compounds, which can include both toxic chemicals and emissions that contribute to creating ozone, a key part of smog, settlement documents show.”

Minnesota Lawyer: Justices weigh limits of media privilege in pipeline protests
Laura Brown, 12/23/24

“The Minnesota Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in an appeal of a ruling favoring Unicorn Riot, a news organization covering the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests of 2016-2017,” Minnesota Lawyer reports. “Pipeline developer Energy Transfer, which sought materials from Unicorn Riot via subpoena, is contesting the Minnesota Court of Appeals’ finding that Minnesota Free Flow of Information Act (MFFIA) protected Unicorn Riot’s newsgathering, even if accompanied by unlawful conduct. Unicorn Riot is a Minnesota organization that identities as a “nonprofit media organization of journalists.” It provided coverage of the pipeline protests from 2016 to 2017. Some protesters demonstrated by setting up roadblocks, locking themselves to construction equipment, and burning vehicles. Some members of Unicorn Riot were arrested during these protests; however, any criminal charges were ultimately dropped… “Energy Transfer served Unicorn Riot with subpoenas duces tecum that contained requests for 16 categories of documents, including video and audio recordings concerning actual or planned direct action relating to Energy Transfer, Dakota Access, and/or DAPL that concerned the use of or trespass onto the DAPL construction site or Dakota Access land. The subpoenas also sought information to identify the organizational structure of Unicorn Riot. Unicorn Riot responded by asserting MFFIA privilege. Under the MFFIA, news media are not required to reveal sources of information or to disclose unpublished information. However, there are two exceptions. One exception, which is laid out in section 595.024, is that the protection does not pertain if the information is sought in connection with certain criminal offenses. The statute as written does not have an exception for unlawful conduct. Energy Transfer argued that the MFFIA should not apply to protect information that was acquired due to or related to a newsgatherer’s unlawful conduct. The district court determined that the information gathered by Unicorn Riot during the coverage of the DAPL protests was privileged under the MFFIA. In May 2024, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed. The question is whether the MFFIA applies to newsgatherers receiving a third-party subpoena from a plaintiff in a civil case when the plaintiff later alleges that the newsgatherer allegedly engaged in unlawful activity.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Reuters: Trump wants EU to buy more US oil and gas or face tariffs
12/20/24

“U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that the European Union may face tariffs if the bloc does not cut its growing deficit with the United States by making large oil and gas trades with the world’s largest economy,” Reuters reports. “The EU is already buying the lion’s share of U.S. oil and gas exports, according to U.S. government data, and no additional volumes are currently available unless the United States increases output or volumes are re-routed from Asia – another big consumer of U.S. energy. “I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!,” he added… “Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has already pledged hefty tariffs on three of the United States’ largest trading partners – Canada, Mexico and China.”

E&E News: Why the permitting talks collapsed
Kelsey Brugger, 12/23/24

“Lawmakers have spent days lamenting the collapse of a package to improve the electric grid and accelerate the development of all type of energy projects. They’ve been playing a blame game,” E&E News reports. “But people familiar with the talks told E&E a deal was never even close, despite negotiators insisting they were making progress a week ago. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) has been behind the “permitting reform” push for years, particularly since passage of the Democrats’ climate law in 2022. He had powerful allies on both sides of the aisle, and lobbyists from fossil fuel and renewable energy interests. In the end, lawmakers got bogged down by the same problems that have plagued the effort for years. And there wasn’t enough time to resolve those issues for a permitting accord to ride on another must-pass vehicle.”

E&E News: DOE tries to unload $1.8B for carbon removal as Trump looms
Corbin Hiar, 12/20/24

“The Department of Energy began accepting applications Thursday for $1.8 billion in climate spending that could be halted, trimmed or trashed by President-elect Donald Trump, a skeptic of mainstream climate science,” E&E News reports. “The competitive funding would come from DOE’s $3.5 billion regional direct air capture hub program. Created by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, the commercial initiative aims to help develop at least four massive installations capable of sucking 1 million metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. DOE has already committed — but not fully distributed — $1.4 billion in matching funds in a previous competition that selected two DAC hubs now under development on the Gulf Coast. The Trump transition team didn’t directly respond to questions about its plans for the DAC hub program.”

E&E News: Trump will transform climate court battles in 2025
Lesley Clark, Niina H. Farah, 1/2/25

“Climate lawyers are gearing up for a spike in climate litigation this year — even as President-elect Donald Trump takes office after campaigning on a promise to block many of the cases,” E&E News reports. “Youth climate activists are coming off major victories in the states, and local governments are ramping up their legal battles alleging that the oil and gas industry has misled the public about the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions for decades. The climate liability fight waged by local governments is advancing in state courts across the country and could soon come before the nation’s highest bench. “Courts are emerging as critical players in climate action, especially as a lack of political will and obstruction by fossil fuel interests continues to impede bold outcomes and accountability,” Delta Merner, lead scientist for the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote in a recent blog post. Globally, the International Court of Justice is expected to release an advisory opinion next year on states’ obligations to combat climate change… “Federal judges from the District Court level all the way up the nation’s highest bench will grapple in the new year with challenges seeking to constrain how agencies take a “hard look” at the environmental and climate effects of major projects such as pipelines and railways… “Some legal observers have predicted the justices, who heard oral arguments in the case in December, may not overly constrain agencies from studying environmental harms. Meanwhile, a surprise 2-1 appellate court decision invalidating the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s power to issue NEPA regulations is facing pushback… “The Supreme Court has two requests before it from oil companies and Republican-led states to dismiss lawsuits from local governments that want the fossil fuel industry to pay for the costs of climate change… “The return of Trump’s first-term “energy dominance” agenda is expected to tee up a new round of legal fights over how federal energy projects are approved… “New oil, gas and coal leasing on public lands is also likely to spark legal challenges, just as it did during Trump’s first term.”

New York Times: Will Trump Cut Short the Biden Clean-Energy Boom? Investors Are Nervous.
Lydia DePillis, 12/25/24

“Money is the mother’s milk of politics, but the outcome of elections also determines where it flows — and last month’s was especially crucial for the energy industry,” the New York Times reports. “...Subsidies aren’t the only policy with the potential to affect the flow of money, however. Mr. Trump and his team have made it clear they wish to ease the path of fossil fuel projects in ways that could make them more attractive to investors. His candidate for interior secretary, Doug Burgum, has promised to open up more federal lands to oil and gas drilling. Chris Wright, the fracking company chief executive whom Mr. Trump picked to lead the Energy Department, could redirect the agency’s vast research agenda and loan programs away from low-carbon electricity. At the Environmental Protection Agency, the president-elect intends to nominate Lee Zeldin, who has discussed rolling back rules on power plant emissions, which would weaken incentives for utilities to shift to cleaner sources of electricity. All of those actions would increase the return on fossil fuel investments relative to renewable ones. “The fundamental thing that changes is just the economics,” Ben King, an associate director of the climate and energy practice at the Rhodium Group, who has counted $435 billion in renewable energy projects that have been announced but not yet started, told the Times. “Even today, wind, solar and batteries are competing with natural gas, on the margins. A slowdown in deployment of those technologies just leaves more room for gas on the grid.”

STATE UPDATES

Gothamist: 'Climate superfund’ could make NY more resilient, but industry groups may try to block it
Andrew Giambrone, 12/26/24

“Major fossil fuel companies will be required to pay into a “climate superfund” that will support resiliency projects across New York under a bill Gov. Kathy Hochul signed on Thursday — as long as the fund isn’t tanked by potential legal challenges,” Gothamist reports. “Environmental advocates and Democratic lawmakers hailed Hochul’s move, as the governor continues to approve various pieces of legislation before the end of the year. The law is meant to raise up to $75 billion over 25 years that can be put toward infrastructure designed to mitigate the effects of climate change, including more frequent flooding and extreme heat… “Still, industry groups have signaled they might challenge the law in court, which could hold up any implementation. “This type of legislation represents nothing more than a punitive new fee on American energy, and we are evaluating our options moving forward,” a spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute said in a statement on Thursday. The Business Council of New York State and over 30 business groups earlier this month called on Hochul to veto the bill, arguing that it “targets sellers of fossil fuels while ignoring users as a contributor to emissions.”

Press release: Legislators, Environmental & Health Leaders Applaud Gov. Hochul for Signing the CO2 Fracking Ban Bill
12/22/24

“Environmental, public health, and community leaders from across New York are thrilled that Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the bill (A8866/ S8357) that bans drilling and fracking for natural gas and oil using carbon dioxide (CO2). The simple bill, which passed the legislature in March with bipartisan support, closes a loophole in the state’s existing water-based fracking ban to include a prohibition on the fossil fuel industry using carbon dioxide, which poses the same harms to public health and the environment, along with other dangers. The bill’s signing is a crucial victory in New York’s leadership protecting the environment and public health and addressing climate change by moving away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner, healthier energy. “This is a significant win for our region and state, protecting our environment, our water, and the health of our communities from the harmful and uncertain impacts of CO2 fracking,” said Senator Lea Webb. “I want to thank the advocates who have fought hard for this measure, Assemblymember Kelles, my Assembly and Senate partners, Senate Majority Leader Stewart Cousins and Governor Hochul for signing this into law, continuing our leadership in advancing New York’s sustainable and environmentally conscious policies.” “In 2020, the legislature and the governor came together to codify New York’s historic fracking ban and close loopholes that the oil and gas industry sought to exploit. We are thrilled that Governor Huchul and the legislature have answered the call again to protect all New Yorkers from this latest fracking threat that will most certainly drain limited DEC resources and divert us from our nation leading climate goals,” said Roger Downs, Conservation Director for the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter. “The ill-conceived process of CO2 fracking was not anticipated with the original fracking ban, but shares many of the same disastrous environmental impacts and now will be banned as well.”

Environmental Protection: EPA Issues Permits for Carbon Storage Wells in California
Robert Yaniz Jr., 1/1/25

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its first Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI well permits in California, authorizing the construction of four carbon sequestration wells in Kern County,” Environmental Protection reports. “According to a recent release, the permits—granted to Carbon TerraVault JV Storage Company Sub 1, LLC (CTV)—allow for the long-term underground storage of carbon dioxide as part of a broader effort to combat climate change. The wells, located in the Elk Hills Oil Field near Bakersfield, will inject carbon dioxide into the Monterey Formation, more than a mile below the surface. Over the 26-year project lifespan, the wells are expected to store approximately 38 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Initial injections will use carbon dioxide sourced from pre-combustion gas treatment at the oil field, with potential for additional sources pending EPA approval. EPA has mandated that CTV plug 200 existing wells in the area before starting injections to prevent potential leaks into underground drinking water sources. The agency has also required continuous monitoring of well integrity, groundwater quality and carbon dioxide movement. Monitoring data will be publicly accessible… “The EPA’s decision follows an extensive review of seismic activity, geologic conditions and public comments. The permits will remain in effect until the project’s closure and completion of post-injection site care.”

E&E News: Major Texas LNG plant comes online
Carlos Anchondo, 1/2/25

“Cheniere has produced liquefied natural gas for the first time at an expansion project in Texas, marking the second new U.S. plant to start making the supercooled fuel in 2024,” E&E News reports. “The Houston-based company said it produced LNG from the first liquefaction unit, or “train,” at its Corpus Christi Stage 3 project located in San Patricio County on the state’s southeastern coast, according to a news release Monday. The move is a key milestone for the export project, which is made up of seven trains and is now more than 75 percent finished. The production at the Corpus Christi terminal comes as the United States remains the world’s top exporter of the gas — shipping roughly 376.2 billion cubic feet (bcf) of LNG in October, the Department of Energy said in a December assessment. If LNG export projects currently under construction start operations as planned, North America’s export capacity of the fuel is slated to more than double between 2024 and 2028 – from 11.4 bcf per day in 2023 to 24.4 bcf a day in 2028, the Energy Information Administration said in a post on Monday.”

Sacramento Bee: Environmental groups challenge update to California’s low-carbon transportation rules
Ari Plachta, 12/19/24

“Environmental groups challenged California’s leading climate regulator Wednesday, alleging in new lawsuits that a recent update to a leading climate program will create additional pollution in the state’s San Joaquin Valley,” the Sacramento Bee reports. “Two separate complaints allege the California Air Resources Board did not assess or alleviate environmental harms the new transportation pollution rules under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), related to biofuels made with crop and animal waste, will cause. “CARB must acknowledge the environmental and public health harms caused by its prioritization of pollution-heavy practices over sustainable solutions,” María Arévalo, a spokesperson for environmental justice group Defensores del Valle Central para el Aire y Agua Limpio, told the Bee. “Our concerns have been ignored.” One lawsuit was filed by the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability on behalf of Food & Water Watch, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Defensores del Valle Central para el Aire y Agua. The other was filed by Earth justice on behalf of Communities for a Better Environment… “The petition by Leadership Counsel found that the Air Board violated the California Environmental Quality Act by failing to assess and respond to comments regarding environmental impacts of fuel derived from farm factory manure in Central Valley dairies. They allege that the agency offers overly generous subsidies for farmers who install expensive industrial manure management systems to capture methane for use as fuel. These systems effect disproportionately Latino communities in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley… “The LCFS amendments reward polluters and foul our air,” Nina Robertson, senior attorney at Earthjustice, told the Bee.

DeSmog: Developers Eye Louisiana, Texas Coasts for Offshore Carbon Storage
Pam Radtke / Floodlight, 12/30/24

“The fishers in Gulf of Mexico waters off Cameron Parish, Louisiana, estimate their catch has fallen catastrophically from 1 million tons a season to 150,000 tons since the first liquefied natural gas terminal in the parish began operating eight years ago. Now, a new industry is being developed in the waters that were once the most productive grounds in the nation for fish, shrimp and oysters,” DeSmog reports. “A company called OnStream CO2 is developing the GeoDura hub, which it says could hold millions of tons of carbon dioxide captured from fossil fuel industries, including LNG terminals, a mile or more below the waters off Cameron Parish’s shores. It would be among the first of its kind in the United States. Currently there are just a handful of offshore CCS projects in the world. “These people are book smart, but when it comes to common sense, they have nothing,” Travis Dardar told DeSmog about the project. Dardar is a Cameron-based fisher and founder of the group, Fishermen Involved in Sustaining our Heritage (FISH). According to a report from the Center for International Environmental Law, in the best-case scenario, the injection of captured carbon may temporarily disrupt fisheries because of drilling and seismic testing. In the worst-case scenario, underwater carbon sequestration wells could fail and release the stored carbon, killing off the plants, fish and even the people in boats in the waters above. Storing carbon also has potential global implications, if, as opponents claim, carbon capture and sequestration will allow the fossil fuel industry to maintain the status quo as one of the world’s top emitters of greenhouse gasses… “Worries and claims on both sides of the offshore carbon capture debate are mostly hypothetical, based on modeling and just a few existing offshore storage sites… “Draft regulations, requested by November 2022, have yet to be issued. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management told Floodlight it will issue its first draft of a proposed rule next year.”

KALB: Carbon Capture in Louisiana [VIDEO]
12/30/24

“KALB Investigates is looking into an ongoing effort by state lawmakers to bring a new kind of oil and gas tech, known as CCS to parishes across Louisiana,” KALB reports.

KXNET: Statewide poll shows confidence in coal and carbon capture
Brendan Rodenberg, 12/21/24

“Many places in the world rely on non-renewable resources such as coal and oil to power day-to-day life, but the constant development of alternative sources has led some to pursue alternative solutions. Luckily for workers in North Dakota, a recent survey suggests that the Peace Garden State is just as supportive of our fuel industry as ever,” KXNET reports. “According to a press release from the Lignite Energy Council, the poll — which was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies — surveyed 500 residents of North Dakota regarding how confident they were in recent federal energy policies, the continued use of coal, and their opinions on using carbon capture technologies to help support it in the Peace Garden State. The results, the Council states, show tremendous support for the processes that already exist in our industrial sector. Throughout the survey, 71% of the sample population expressed an interest in continued coal mining in North Dakota, with a monumental 79% noting that it plays a major part in electricity production. This same interest is also seen in similar resources, and 67% of voters continue to say they would rather prioritize using resources like coal, oil, and gas than begin investing in most renewable options. The use of carbon capture technology is also a particularly notable idea that stands out to many residents of North Dakota. 81% of all survey respondents were widely in favor of in-state carbon emission, capture, and storage projects, with 67% declaring them to be safe. Another 59% were also in favor of using pipelines to transport carbon dioxide throughout ND, and believe that the process is a good way to lower emissions without eliminating extremely important fossil fuels.”

WDIV: Chemical company president charged in 2022 Flint River oil spill
Sara Powers, 12/24/24

“The president of a chemical company is facing multiple charges in connection to allegedly neglecting maintenance updates at the facility, which led to an oil spill into the Flint River in 2022, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced,” WDIV reports. “Rajinder Singh Minhas, 60, of Rochester, the director, president and treasurer of Lockhart Chemical Company was arraigned on one count of: falsely altering a public record (14-year felony); uttering and publishing a false or altered public record (14-year felony); substantial endangerment to the public (5-year felony); discharge of injurious substance to waters of the state (2-year felony); false statements and omissions regarding air pollution control (1-year misdemeanor); general violations of air pollution control law, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 for each day violations occur. Minhas was charged with 11 misdemeanor offenses for violating hazardous waste statutes, permits, or rules. According to Nessel, “conviction on these charges would require Minhas to pay for all costs of corrective actions associated with the violations, in addition to a potential 1-year of incarceration and a fine of up to $25,000.” He is also charged with nine misdemeanor violations of Michigan’s industrial waste law… “This comes after 15,000 gallons of an oil-chemical mixture was released from the Flint-based company and into the Flint River on June 15, 2022.”

New York Times: The E.P.A. Promotes Toxic Fertilizer. 3M Told It of Risks Years Ago.
Hiroko Tabuchi, 12/27/24

“In early 2000, scientists at 3M, the chemicals giant, made a startling discovery: High levels of PFAS, the virtually indestructible “forever chemicals” used in nonstick pans, stain-resistant carpets and many other products were turning up in the nation’s sewage,” the New York Times reports. “...That sewage was being used as fertilizer on farmland nationwide, a practice encouraged by the Environmental Protection Agency. The presence of PFAS in the sewage meant those chemicals were being unwittingly spread on fields across the country. 3M didn’t publish the research, but the company did share its findings with the E.P.A. at a 2003 meeting, according to 3M documents reviewed by the The New York Times. The research and the E.P.A.’s knowledge of it has not been previously reported. Today, the E.P.A. continues to promote sewage sludge as fertilizer and doesn’t require testing for PFAS, despite the fact that whistle-blowers, academics, state officials and the agency’s internal studies over the years have also raised contamination concerns. “These are highly complex mixtures of chemicals,” David Lewis, a former E.P.A. microbiologist who in the late 1990s issued early warnings of the risks in spreading sludge on farmland, told the Times. The soil “becomes essentially permanently contaminated,” he said in a recent interview from his home in Georgia… “Only one state, Maine, has started to systematically test its farms for PFAS. Maine has also banned the use of sludge on its fields… ”Farmland contamination has become a contentious environmental issue in both red and blue states. In Oklahoma, Republican voters ousted a longtime incumbent in a state house primary in August after the lawmaker drew criticism for the use of sewage sludge fertilizer on his fields. The victor, Jim Shaw, said he planned to introduce legislation to ban sludge fertilizer across the state. “There are other ways to dispose of excess waste from the cities,” Mr. Shaw told the Times. “Contaminating our farmland, livestock, food and water sources is not an option and has to stop.”

Washington Post: “Erin Brockovich” made their town famous. They still don’t have clean water.
Emma Talkoff, 12/27/24

“In 2000, the movie “Erin Brockovich” helped put the small town of Hinkley, California, on the map. The movie stars Julia Roberts as a determined law clerk who takes on the massive utility company Pacific Gas & Electric, which had been dumping chromium-6, the dangerous chemical, in Hinkley's groundwater,” the Washington Post reports. “Brockovich is depicted gathering evidence and building a legal case against the utility. And she prevails: The movie concludes with a landmark settlement awarded to residents. But that Hollywood ending isn’t the whole story. Many residents say the settlement didn’t go far to cover mounting medical bills and moving costs. And the chromium-6 cleanup proved to be slow. It was stymied by the difficulty of containing widespread contamination and a small local water board lacking the power to enforce stricter standards. Today, Hinkley is a ghost town, and the water there is still contaminated with chromium-6. On the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, investigative reporter Silvia Foster-Frau has traveled the country reporting on where America has fallen short in its promise of providing clean drinking water. In the final installment in this series, she returns to Hinkley to learn why, even with a massive spotlight, it can be so hard to clean up toxic tap water.”

EXTRACTION

Calgary Herald: 'Fish or cut bait' — Critical year ahead for Pathways Alliance's $16.5B carbon capture network
Chris Varcoe, 12/31/24

“More than three years after the Pathways Alliance oilsands group first announced plans for a proposed $16.5-billion carbon capture network in northern Alberta, the consortium still hasn’t given it the final green light — and 2025 will be a critical moment for its future,” the Calgary Herald reports. “It’s a pretty important year,” federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told the Herald. “We need to stop pushing this out . . . We need to fish or cut bait soon.” “...Talks between the two levels of government and the Pathways Alliance — made up of major oilsands producers such as Suncor Energy, Imperial Oil, Canadian Natural Resources and Cenovus Energy — about government assistance have plodded along throughout 2024. The group has consistently said government incentives aren’t sufficient to make a positive final investment decision (FID) for the massive project… “One of the holdups is Pathways has been clear that they’re probably looking for something more from the government of Alberta,” Wilkinson told the Herald… “During a call this month with analysts to discuss Imperial Oil’s capital spending for 2025, company CEO Brad Corson indicated the group hasn’t seen enough incentives from the two levels of government. “The next big-ticket item for Pathways would be the CO2 trunk line project . . . We’re still in discussions with the governments about the required fiscal support that would be necessary,” Corson said. “Today, we have a 50 per cent investment tax credit from the federal government. We have an additional 12 per cent capital support from the provincial government. So, there’s 62 per cent. We’ve said we need 75 per cent.” “...The Pembina Institute believes the amount of aid from both levels of government is already sufficient for the CCUS project, Matt Dreis, a senior analyst with the group’s oil and gas program, told the Herald… “I don’t think you’re going to be getting more support in the future for this project, so I would say that, yeah, if they really are serious about it, it’s probably in their best interest to move it through FID as fast as possible.”

New York Times: The New Climate Gold Rush: Scrubbing Carbon From the Sky
David Gelles and Christopher Flavelle, 12/22/24

“This summer, Bill Gates huddled in London with representatives of some of the world’s wealthiest people, including the Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, the SoftBank founder, Masayoshi Son, and Prince al-Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia,” the New York Times reports. “They were evaluating their joint investments in companies that could help the world combat climate change. Among the businesses in their portfolio, four stood out as having a particularly audacious goal: They were working to strip carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, for a profit. As countries around the world continue to pump planet-warming pollution into the skies, driving global temperatures to record levels, the financial world is racing to fund the emerging field of carbon dioxide removal, seeking both an environmental miracle and a financial windfall. The technology, which did not exist until a few years ago, is still unproven at scale… “Companies working on ways to pull carbon dioxide from the air have raised more than $5 billion since 2018, according to the investment bank Jefferies. Before that, there were almost no such investments. “It’s the single greatest opportunity I’ve seen in 20 years of doing venture capital,” Damien Steel, the chief executive of Canada-based Deep Sky, which has raised more than $50 million to develop carbon dioxide removal projects, told the Times. “The tailwinds behind the industry are greater than most industries I’ve ever looked at.” “...Even if hundreds more such plants were built, they would not come close to counteracting even 1 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions. “Let’s not pretend that it’s going to become available within the time frame we need to reduce emissions,” former Vice President Al Gore, a co-founder of Climate Trace, which maps global greenhouse gas emissions, told the Times… “Instead, many scientists and activists say the most effective way to combat global warming is to rapidly phase out oil, gas and coal, the burning of which is heating the planet… “Critics argue that carbon dioxide removal is a dangerous distraction that will perpetuate the behavior that is causing the climate crisis. “Carbon capture will increase fossil fuel production, there’s no doubt about it,” Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, told the Times. “It does not help climate one bit.”

Carbon Herald: Public Support For Carbon Capture And Storage Depends On Prior Knowledge, Study Finds
Violet George, 12/267/24

“A study published in Nature has found that public support for carbon capture is largely influenced by “information, development magnitude and prior familiarity,” the Carbon Herald reports. “...However, research on public willingness to pay (WTP) for CCS remains relatively limited. This study, co-authored by Jiwon Kim and Jacob Ladenburg, aimed to address this gap by examining the impact of information provision, project scale, and prior familiarity with carbon capture on public support and WTP. Employing the contingent valuation method, a nationwide online survey of the Danish public was conducted from June to August 2022. The findings demonstrate that increasing public familiarity with CCS can significantly influence public support, regardless of specific CO2 reduction targets.”

Guardian: UK gambling with climate targets over carbon capture, say campaigners
Jillian Ambrose, 12/26/24

“The UK government is gambling with its own climate targets on claims that the Drax power plant will create “negative emissions” because new rules could hand the carbon savings to the US, campaigners say,” the Guardian reports. “The owners of the North Yorkshire power plant have promised ministers that a key project to capture the carbon emissions created from burning biomass wood pellets imported from US forests will count as negative emissions in Britain’s carbon accounts… “Campaigners at Biofuelwatch, a green group, have warned that there is “a strong argument” that the so-called negative emissions from bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, known as Beccs, should be “attributed to the country where the wood comes from” rather than where it is burned to generate electricity… “In the past Drax has claimed its biomass generation is “carbon neutral” because the emissions produced from its chimney stacks are offset by the emissions absorbed by the trees grown in North America to produce the pellets. It has quietly dropped the use of this wording since its own independent advisory board last year cautioned against repeating the claims. The company still insists that it will be a carbon-negative power plant once it fits carbon capture technology to its flues in the 2030s because it is a “widely accepted scientific view”, according to a company spokesperson. This view has been disputed in recent years by a rising number of scientific studies from European academics. They fear the lag between when the emissions escape from power plant chimneys and when new trees are able to absorb carbon will create a “carbon debt” which could accelerate the climate crisis in the near term.”

S&P Global: USGC eyes CCS expansion in heavy industry, but faces hurdles with permits, delays
Santiago Canel Soria and Hope Pagan-Ramos, 12/23/24

“The US Gulf Coast heavy industry views carbon capture and storage technology as crucial for decarbonization while facing hurdles such as high costs, class IV permits and construction delays, and unclear business models,” S&P Global reports, “The Gulf Coast region has vast forms of carbon capture technologies being proposed and built such as direct air capture and integrated capture technologies across various hard-to-abate industrial sectors like ammonia, hydrogen, BECCS, power plants, methanol, to name a few, totaling over 200 million mt/year of CO2 capacity, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights data. Drivers for CCS technology in the USGC include competitive CO2 capture costs, government support for CCUS from the Inflation Reduction Act 45Q corporate tax credits, transportation and storage infrastructure, a voluntary carbon market and the emergence of offtake CO2 agreements, according to Commodity Insights. "The lack of a clear business model is the main challenge for CCS in the region since 45Q is only enough for a very limited set of industries including ethanol, natural gas processing, ammonia, and some hydrogen projects," Paola Perez Pena, Clean Energy Technology, Principal Analyst at Commodity Insights, told S&P. "Thus, projects in other sectors need to find additional revenue streams making it a challenge to finance." "...The USGC is well positioned with existing infrastructure to transport CO2 yet the timeline on some of the class VI wells is still a little bit uncertain despite the fact that Louisiana is a primacy state," Perez Pena told S&P… "Delay in these approvals is causing a hold-up in major CCS-based 'blue' ammonia projects," a low-carbon ammonia producer in the USGC, who is awaiting approval on their sequestration well, adding that the delay is impacting finalizing offtakes destined to Asia, and challenging to meet delivery by 2029-2030, told S&P. CO2 pipelines are expanding in the Gulf Coast, with over 500 miles currently active, including the Green Pipeline, formerly Denbury and now ExxonMobil, from Texas to Louisiana and the 180-mile NEJD pipeline from New Orleans to Mississippi. Additionally, there are over 200 miles of proposed pipelines either connecting to major lines or leading directly to storage sites. A CO2 pipeline operator in the USGC with CO2 agreements from heavy industry is seen charging $50-$60/mt all in sequestration to end-users, the USGC developer added. "Our strategy has been to secure land with access to barging, docking, rail, and CCS infrastructure from a nearby smaller-scale service provider to avoid the high costs charged by larger CO2 pipeline service providers in the USGC," a second USGC developer told S&P.”

Marketplace: How a $7 billion investment in clean hydrogen could cut the refining industry’s “carbon intensity”
Elizabeth Trovall, 12/24/24

“The Air Liquide hydrogen production facility in La Porte, Texas, looks like a giant outdoor industrial jungle gym because of all the metal tubes and cylinders. New hydrogen molecules are made there from steamed natural gas. The hydrogen will make its way to customers concentrated along the Gulf Coast through the company’s pipeline,” Marketplace reports. “The plant is part of the hydrogen ecosystem that has been developing for decades along the Gulf Coast — one that the federal government hopes to transform through its $7 billion investment in seven regional clean hydrogen hubs. Based in Texas and Louisiana, the Gulf Coast hydrogen hub launched in November and is poised to be the nation’s largest, with much of the associated industry already concentrated there… “Of the roughly 10 million to 12 million metric tons of hydrogen produced and consumed in the United States each year, around a third is concentrated in Texas and southwest Louisiana along the Gulf Coast, according to Brian Weeks, senior director of business development at GTI Energy, a research and development firm administering the Gulf Coast hydrogen hub. “And that’s conventional hydrogen, which is used in petrochemical plants. It’s used in ammonia production. It’s used in methanol production,” Weeks told Marketplace. “About 70% goes into refining and chemicals, and it’s used to take impurities out of crude oil, so sulfur or nitrogen out of that crude oil, so it doesn’t end up in the gasoline you burn in your car,” Brian Murphy, an analyst with S&P Global Commodity Insights, told Marketplace. “And then we use about 30% of it to make ammonia, which is the main component of chemical fertilizers.” That’s right — hydrogen is essential to feed and fuel Americans.”

NewScientist: Direct CO2 capture from the atmosphere will scale up massively in 2025
Madeleine Cuff, 12/23/24

“The world’s largest facility for removing carbon dioxide from the air is set to open in Texas in 2025, increasing the sector’s worldwide capacity by a factor of 13,” NewScientist reports. “Currently the largest direct air capture (DAC) plant in the world is in Iceland – the Mammoth site, built and operated by Swiss firm Climeworks. It opened in May 2024 and can extract up to 36,000 tonnes of CO2 each year from Earth’s atmosphere.”

New York Times: Ukraine Forces a Halt to Flow of Natural Gas From Russia to Europe
Marc Santora, Andrew Higgins and Mike Ives, 1/1/25

“The flow of natural gas through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe was cut off early Wednesday after Ukraine refused to renew an agreement that allowed for the transit of Russian gas through its territory, according to officials in both countries,” the New York Times reports. “The move to suspend the flow of gas through a pipeline that had carried Soviet and then Russian gas to Europe for decades is part of a broader campaign by Ukraine and its Western allies to undermine Moscow’s ability to fund its war effort and to limit the Kremlin’s ability to use energy as leverage in Europe… “The pipeline through Ukraine, built in the Soviet era to carry Siberian gas to European markets, is Russia’s last major gas corridor to Europe following the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany, possibly by Ukraine, and the closure of a route through Belarus to Poland. While the move could substantially reduce Russia’s revenue from gas sales, it also carries risks for Ukraine. Military analysts told the Times that Moscow could decide to bomb Ukraine’s vast network of pipelines, which it has largely spared from attack over the past three years, now that it has little incentive to leave them unharmed… “Ukraine has been working to decrease its own dependence on Russia to meet its energy needs and recently announced that it had imported liquefied natural gas from the United States, via Greece, for the first time. “Cargoes like this are not only providing the region with a flexible and secure source of power, but are further eroding Russia’s influence over our energy system,” Maxim Timchenko, the head of Ukraine’s largest private utility, DTEK, said in a statement.”

Energynews: Russia collects 30,000 tons of contaminated soil after an oil spill
12/30/24

“The sinking of two Russian oil tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, on December 15 during a storm in the Kerch Strait, caused a massive oil spill. This strategic area, located between Russia and Crimea annexed in 2014, saw nearly 40% of the 9,200 tons of fuel oil transported by the vessels spill into the sea,” Energynews reports. “Russian authorities claim to have already collected 30,000 tons of contaminated soil. However, experts and scientists believe these efforts are insufficient. Viktor Danilov-Danilian, a hydrologist from the Russian Academy of Sciences, highlighted at a press conference the lack of proper equipment on-site. He criticized the use of shovels and useless plastic bags, deemed inadequate for the scale of the pollution. This management has raised questions about the local and national authorities’ ability to effectively respond to ecological crises of this magnitude. According to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, up to 200,000 tons of soil could be affected. This oil spill could have significant economic repercussions in the region, particularly for the tourism sector. The beaches of Krasnodar, popular with holidaymakers, are now stained with fuel oil, which could affect the upcoming summer season.”

Reuters: Russia declares federal emergency over Black Sea oil spill
12/26/24

“Russia declared a federal emergency on Thursday over an oil spill caused by two Russian tankers in the Black Sea, the Emergencies Ministry said,” Reuters reports. “The tankers were hit by a storm on Dec. 15. One split in half and the other ran aground.The resulting spill has coated sandy beaches at and around Anapa, a popular resort, and caused serious problems for wildlife including seabirds, dolphins and porpoises. More than 10,000 people have been trying to clear it up.”

Reuters: Volunteers battle to clear spilled oil on Russia's Black Sea coast
Sergei Pivovarov, 12/20/24

“Volunteers struggled on Friday to shovel up tons of sticky oil from Russia's Black Sea coastline following what President Vladimir Putin has called an ecological disaster,” Reuters reports. “The oil spilled from two ageing Russian oil tankers that were severely damaged by a weekend storm in the Kerch Strait that separates southern Russia from Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014… “At the sea's edge, volunteers shovelled oil and blackened sand into white sacks to be taken away in trucks, as more viscous black tar drifted in on the waves. "I've never seen anything like this. I can't even really imagine it. It seems to me that nature will be affected for many decades to come," one of the volunteers, a woman who gave her first name as Tatiana, told Reuters. “Even when you remove the top layer of sand, then you step on it and fall through, because there is still fuel oil under the sand." Volunteers have set up a rescue centre for stricken sea birds such as cormorants, which flapped their wings in distress as oil was wiped from their plumage and syringes were used to feed them.”

Agence France-Presse: Oil leak in Peru tourist zone triggers 'environmental emergency'
12/26/24

“Peru has declared an "environmental emergency" after an oil spill that triggered a clean-up operation on a stretch of northern coastline popular with tourists,” Agence France-Presse reports. “According to state-owned energy company Petroperu, the cleaning of half a dozen beaches in Talara province has almost finished and work was planned to mitigate the impact on birds, fauna and commerce in the area, whose population relies on fishing and tourism. The emergency measure will be in effect for 90 days, during which time the authorities must carry out recovery and remediation work, according to an environment ministry resolution cited late Wednesday by state news agency Andina. The leak was detected last Friday on Las Capullanas beach when the crude oil was about to be loaded onto a tanker, the company said at the weekend without specifying the cause or amount of oil spilled.”

Press release: Energy Transfer Signs Agreement to Supply Chevron 2.0 Million Tonnes of LNG Per Annum From Its Lake Charles LNG Export Facility
12/19/24

“Energy Transfer LP today announced its subsidiary, Energy Transfer LNG Export, LLC (Energy Transfer LNG), has entered into a 20-year LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Chevron) related to its Lake Charles LNG project. Under the SPA, Energy Transfer LNG will supply 2.0 million tonnes of LNG per annum (mtpa) to Chevron… “Chevron believes LNG plays an important role in meeting the world’s need for energy while helping advance lower carbon ambitions,” said Freeman Shaheen, President, Chevron Global Gas. “This new long-term agreement demonstrates our focus on increasing access to affordable, reliable, ever-cleaner energy supplies to meet growing global demand.” The Lake Charles LNG export facility would be constructed on the existing brownfield regasification facility site and will capitalize on four existing LNG storage tanks, two deep water berths and other LNG infrastructure. Lake Charles LNG would also benefit from its direct connection to Energy Transfer’s existing Trunkline pipeline system that in turn provides connections to multiple intrastate and interstate pipelines. These pipelines allow access to multiple natural gas producing basins, including the Haynesville, the Permian and the Marcellus Shale.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Bloomberg: Plan to Ban Foreign Fossil Fuel Finance Collapses at OECD
Jennifer A Dlouhy, 12/22/24

“Talks on a plan by wealthy nations to throttle tens of billions of dollars in public support for oil and gas projects have broken down without agreement, weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office,” Bloomberg reports. “The EU, UK, US and other countries had sought the deal to limit export-credit agency finance for global fossil-fuel projects under the umbrella of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a group of market-based economies. While improving transparency in export financing remains a target, the likelihood of a broader deal to curb support for hydrocarbon projects is now remote, senior US officials, who asked to speak anonymously as the deliberations are private, told Bloomberg. The failure is a blow for climate activists, who saw the proposed finance curbs as a critical way to free up funding for emission-free energy projects around the globe… “Transparency measures are not good enough,” Adam McGibbon, a campaign strategist at the Oil Change International advocacy group, told Bloomberg. “We cannot afford another penny for fossil fuel expansion if we want to preserve a liveable planet.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Chatham Voice: Enbridge donates to Goodfellows
12/30/24

“The Enbridge Chatham Goodfellows fundraising team announced a record-breaking fundraising total of $48,420 for the 2024 No Child Without a Christmas campaign,” the Chatham Voice reports. “...Enbridge employees and the fueling futures program supported 10 volunteer projects, including events such as food packing and delivery, Porchlight, and toy packing and delivery.”

OPINION

Clinton Herald: Fighting for the people and places we love
Barb Kalbach is a 4th generation family farmer, retired registered nurse, and board member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, 12/28/24

“As 2024 wraps up, I’m reflecting on the past 12 months. What memories did our family make, how did things go on the farm, and how are things going in my community and across the state? One of my biggest memories is about Summit Carbon Solutions and its controversial CO2 pipeline. Two days before Thanksgiving, fellow Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement member Tom Mohan and I were served “cease-and-desist” letters by Summit for writing opinion pieces opposing its project,” Barb Kalbach writes for the Clinton Herald. “When I first heard about the pipeline, as a nurse in rural Iowa I was worried about public health and safety threats. CO2 is a potentially deadly asphyxiant, and a rupture would be dangerous for nearby people, livestock and wildlife. I read about the February 2020 rupture in Satartia, Mississippi, that sent 45 people to the hospital and created serious stress on the region’s health care system. The next thing that bothered me was Summit wanting to use eminent domain authority – granted by the Iowa Utilities Commission – to force its pipeline through landowners’ property. Eminent domain is intended for public benefit. Summit is a privately-owned, for-profit corporation. This is not a situation where Summit’s alleged “public good” outweighs the property rights of Iowa landowners. But what worries me most now is the pipeline’s potential drain on our aquifers… “These cease-and-desist letters are part of a bigger story. They’re a challenge to our democracy. Nationally, politicians and the wealthy elite are increasingly trying to bully journalists, advocates and everyday people with legal tactics like this. That seems to be the next “go-to strategy” of the rich and powerful who want to limit our free speech… “This is a story about corporate ag’s control over Iowa politicians. Big-time political donors like Summit’s Bruce Rastetter use their connections to get what they want. It’s about a governor and statehouse that works for them – not us… “We won’t be intimidated by legal maneuvers. We won’t let agribusiness fat cats silence us. We will keep speaking out for Iowa’s water and land, and fighting for the people and places we love.”

The Iowa Standard: The New Battle for Rural America – Standing Up to Summit’s Bullying and Betrayal
Bryan Frye, 12/26/24

“The quiet heartland of America has always been a place of strength, resilience, and pride. Small towns, family farms, and generational land—these are not just property lines or dusty roads; they are the backbone of this nation. But now, that backbone is under attack. Not from foreign enemies or outside forces, but from the very corporations and governments who claim to stand for freedom. Summit Carbon Solutions, with its dangerous CO2 pipeline and its deep-pocketed backers, is the face of this modern betrayal,” Bryan Frye writes for The Iowa Standard. “For three years, Summit has waged war on rural America, trampling over everything we hold sacred… “But this isn’t just a rural issue. The destruction of private property rights in Iowa sets a dangerous precedent that will ripple far beyond the cornfields… “If this can happen to Iowa’s farmers today, it can happen to urban homeowners tomorrow. Your backyard, your small business, your community park—it’s all fair game when corporate greed and government power combine… “We have been denied answers, denied truth, and denied transparency about the very real dangers of this CO2 pipeline. Central to the concern is the plume—a deadly, invisible cloud of concentrated CO2 that would spread rapidly if a pipeline ruptures… “Yet Summit refuses to release detailed plume studies. Why? Because the truth would terrify the public. If this pipeline is so safe, what are they hiding? The refusal to share essential safety data isn’t oversight—it’s deception. It’s an admission that this pipeline puts lives in real danger. Summit’s disregard for property rights and safety is shameful enough, but now they have sunk even lower. Facing growing opposition from Iowa landowners, farmers, and activists, Summit has resorted to targeting and threatening private citizens… “Citizens who dared to voice their opposition at public meetings—ordinary Iowans with no political power, no corporate backing, and limited resources—are being silenced and intimidated. Summit’s cease-and-desist letters are designed to scare people into submission, threatening legal action against those who question their pipeline. Think about how grotesque this is: A multi-billion-dollar corporation, backed by international investors and government tax credits, is bullying Iowa farmers and small-town families who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights. Summit claims to champion progress, but their progress is built on threats, lawsuits, and silencing dissent… “Summit and its allies are counting on one thing: that we will back down. That ordinary Iowans, farmers, and small-town families will surrender because we don’t have their deep pockets or their political power. But they are wrong. We are not collateral damage. We are not expendable. We are the heartbeat of this nation. We are the farmers who feed America. We are the small towns that hold it together. And we will not bow to corporate bullies and government betrayal. To Summit: You will not silence us with your threats.”

Storm Lake Times Pilot: Pipeline is not for the ‘public good’
Gordon Garrison, Estherville, 12/24/24

“If you go to your doctor for an annual checkup and the doctor says your cholesterol is high, is that the end of discussion? That is the way Summit Carbon Solutions addresses the need for its dangerous, wasteful and unnecessary pipeline. They sell this project on the need to remove CO2, without acknowledging there are two types of CO2,” Gordon Garrison writes for the Storm Lake Times Pilot. “Good” CO2 that is necessary for plant food production and “bad” CO2 generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Your doctor will work with you to promote “good” cholesterol and reduce “bad” cholesterol. Summit’s pipeline project removes "good" CO2 and increases the production of "bad" CO2. This is the opposite of the intended outcome of a project claimed to be for “public good.” Summit has bought and paid for Iowa's politicians that are supporting this pipeline project. It’s time to elect people who are public servants.”

Inforum: Pipeline opponents ignore benefits for ag and energy sector
Scott Hennen hosts the statewide radio program “What’s On Your Mind?” heard on AM 1100 “The Flag" in Fargo and on AM 1090 KTGO “The Flag” in Watford City/Williston, 12/28/24

“North Dakota has been joined by 13 other states and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in opposing another frivolous lawsuit attempting to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline,” Scott Hennen writes for Inforum. “The pipeline has been operating flawlessly since June of 2017, so it’s nothing short of ridiculous that opponents continue to claim that it is a threat to the environment. Lawsuits are an unfortunate but common weapon in attempting to stop energy infrastructure… “So why would Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia join the lawsuit? They obviously agree with North Dakota that closing DAPL would cost the state millions of dollars in tax revenue, put thousands of jobs at risk, hamper regional supply chains and harm the environment… “It’s refreshing to see these important facts highlighted by the DAPL lawsuit opponents. It would be even better if the opponents of the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline would also acknowledge the safety of pipelines, the benefits for agriculture (and our oil and gas industry) as well as the environmental benefits… “Developing CO2 pipelines for carbon capture and sequestration will create new markets for agricultural products like corn and soybeans, improving profitability for farmers. Furthermore, North Dakota's oil industry is in search of a reliable and abundant supply of CO2… “The question we need to ask is: why oppose the future prosperity of North Dakota’s agricultural and energy industries? The answer likely lies in ideological opposition peddling scare tactics to a small group of landowners. It’s time to focus on the facts — these projects strengthen our economy and lead the way in cleaner, more efficient energy production. North Dakota’s energy and agriculture future depends on it.”

Tampa Bay Times: Carbon-capture promises require an unrealistic land grab
Mark Gongloff is a Bloomberg Opinion editor and columnist covering climate change, 12/27/24

“Because it’s apparently too hard to cut the carbon emissions heating up the planet, many countries plan to sweep much of their pollution under the rug instead. This might be fine, except the rug will have to be comically, unrealistically large — the size of the entire U.S., according to a new study,” Mark Gongloff writes for the Tampa Bay Times. “The net-zero promises made by 140 countries will require turning 990 million hectares of land, or about 3.8 million square miles, into a giant carbon-dioxide sponge, according to a new study in the journal Nature Communications. That’s almost exactly the size of all the land and water within U.S. borders. It’s about two-thirds of all the cropland on the planet. And 44% of that land, or about 435 million hectares — roughly the area of Alaska, Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado combined — would have to be repurposed, the study estimates… “While we will probably need to capture and store carbon in the future to reach net-zero emissions, we clearly need to stop relying so heavily on tree planting and bioenergy crops,” study co-author Wim Carton, a senior lecturer at Lund University in Sweden, said in a release. The even bigger practical problem with these schemes is the ludicrous amount of land involved. Earth simply isn’t going to cough up another half a continent to serve as a global arboretum. That means vast amounts of land would have to be quickly converted to meet net-zero goals; the study estimates 13 million hectares a year between now and 2060. And this is a conservative estimate, the authors suggest, because the space requirement will likely grow as more countries make net-zero promises… “In contrast, renewable energy’s physical footprint is relatively tiny. Solar panels can be placed on existing buildings, while land dedicated to solar and wind farms can serve other purposes at the same time, including agriculture. The renewable energy sources and transmission lines necessary to decarbonize U.S. electricity by 2035 would take up just 19,700 square miles, or a little bit more than all the land currently dedicated to railroads, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Clean power is not only cheaper than fossil-fuel power, it’s a way to help countries meet their decarbonization goals without crowding out their people.”

NOLA.com: Don't rush to embrace carbon capture at the expense of our environment
Travis London, Baton Rouge, 1/2/25

“...Louisiana’s ability to regulate carbon capture injection wells went before the court of public opinion Wednesday as proponents and critics of the burgeoning industry sparred at the first day of a three-day public comment marathon on the state’s bid to wrest control of the wells from the federal government,” Travis London writes for NOLA.com. “I think carbon capture projects are dangerous for Louisiana. Why not talk about the carbon pipeline that erupted in Mississippi? Why not talk about the orphan wells, which had breaches, near another proposed project in Louisiana? Google farmers of Iowa or private landowners in South Dakota, who are fighting against projects like others across the United States right now… “The presence of chloride in carbon capture processes is a risk because it can lead to corrosion of the equipment, pipelines, etc. For an example about the impact of carbon capture exposure, many military veterans from Camp Lejeune are seeking compensation and justice for exposure to carbon tetrachloride and other chemicals. Acute carbon tetrachloride toxicity is a life-threatening condition that may involve multiple organ dysfunction such as the liver, lungs and kidneys according to the National Institutes of Health. Please, lawmakers and governmental regulators, help us protect our real, organic food and our drinking water.”

World Oil: Can carbon capture, use and storage fail?
Nathan Meehan, PhD, P.E., Professor, Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas A&M University, 12/27/24

“Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) remains a critical topic in the petroleum industry but contentious outside the industry. After a long, slow start, we have many projects under development, with billions of dollars’ worth of projects approaching FID. Although vital for achieving climate goals, significant challenges and risks provide obstacles for success,” Nathan Meehan writes for World Oil. “...Technological challenges in CCUS include energy consumption; capture efficiency; storage integrity; transportation; and infrastructure development… “Additionally, the transportation of captured CO2 to storage sites necessitates extensive infrastructure, often in remote locations… “Uncertain revenue streams pose another challenge. The absence of a global carbon pricing mechanism and the insufficiency of incentives like the US 45Q tax credits mean that financial returns on CCUS projects are often uncertain.. “Long-term operational costs, including maintenance, monitoring, and site remediation, further impact the economic viability of CCUS projects. Operators may seek to transfer these long-term liabilities to state or federal bodies, introducing additional financial and regulatory complexities… “Injecting dense-phase CO2 into these reservoirs increases pore pressure and stress, potentially triggering seismic activity and CO2 migration along faults or fractures. Unlike oil and gas reservoirs, saline aquifers are often less well-characterized, leading to uncertainties in reservoir behavior… “Skepticism about the motives behind CCUS, particularly the perception that it serves to extend the commercial life of fossil fuels, can hinder social acceptance. Addressing concerns about safety, environmental impacts, and reliance on fossil fuels is crucial for gaining public support… “Social equity concerns must be addressed to ensure that CCUS projects do not disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.”

State Journal: Carbon capture hearing critical for West Virginia's industrial progress
Charlie Burd is President of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia, 12/26/24

“West Virginia’s natural gas and oil abundance, combined with our manufacturing and industrial heritage, makes us a prime candidate to become a leader in the next generation energy opportunity of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS),” Charlie Burd writes for the State Journal. “Fortunately, we have an opportunity to do just that with an upcoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing on December 30th that could grant the state primacy over Class VI – or carbon storage – wells. This would be good news for our state and for a cleaner energy future… “But CCS would give us the opportunity to do even more. It’s a pioneering technology that captures carbon dioxide emissions, and rather than being released into the air, emissions are instead stored safely underground. There’s a robust body of evidence showing CCS is safe and effective. And aside from the environmental benefits, a burgeoning CCS industry would also be a boon to our region, creating new economic investments and high-paying jobs for workers. CCS is also crucial to ensuring we maximize potential for the proposed ARCH2 hydrogen hub… “The Biden administration has long supported CCS, making it a bipartisan win-win. However, backlog and inaction within its own EPA has held back important progress for too long… “However, state primacy is needed for this to happen. Through the upcoming EPA hearing, the Biden administration has one last opportunity to fulfill their promises to advance carbon capture and leave a positive impact on the Mountain State. They should do so without further delay.”

New York Times: I Won’t Feel Good About Flying Until the Airlines Solve This
Dr. Mark Miodownik is a professor of materials and society at University College London and the author, most recently, of “It’s a Gas: The Sublime and Elusive Elements That Expand Our World,” 12/28/24

“The airlines are magicians. They’ve positioned flying as a minor part of the environmental crisis, using distraction, manipulation and psychology. And we want to believe in their fantasy of air travel that doesn’t roast the planet,” Mark Midownik writes for the New York Times. “The industry is responsible for about 4 percent of human-made climate change, an enormous amount, given that only about 10 percent of the global population flies regularly. New technology and efficiency gains, the airlines say, will allow them to expand their number of frequent fliers and reach the seven billion people who don’t fly, without additional harm to the environment. My Ph.D. dissertation was on jet engines, and I don’t see a credible path for the aviation industry to make flying sustainable in the near term. Once I realized this 13 years ago, I stopped flying for leisure… “American Airlines, Delta and even Bill Gates think sustainable aviation fuel, produced from crops and organic waste, will help make flying green, but these fuels face a different problem. Analysis shows that to manufacture enough of this fuel to decarbonize aviation would require 30 percent of global farmland by 2050. We need that land to feed people. There are other ways to produce these fuels more sustainably, by reacting hydrogen and carbon dioxide. However, these can’t compete on cost with fossil fuels, given the low price of oil and the pressures to keep it affordable for industry and citizens… “The only scenario that might save the aviation industry, and persuade my family to fly, is for airlines to stick with the current jet engine technology and pay to capture the carbon planes emit… “So we need other ways to take the carbon dioxide out of the air. Technologies to do this exist: The most proven ones involve removing carbon dioxide from power stations where it is emitted in a concentrated form from the burning of fossil fuels… “The value of these carbon capture and storage schemes is debated… “Some airlines have begun investing in carbon capture, but the aviation industry has the power to get serious about these investments to eliminate emissions from flying. That would mean ditching the magic show and being honest with passengers about the harms of flying today.”

Sheboygan Press: Biden must prioritize Dakota Access Pipeline shutdown
Geralyn Leannah, Sheboygan, 12/22/24

“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 Biden can take right now is to permanently shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline,” Geralyn Leannah writes for the Sheboygan Press. “The pipeline is currently operating illegally, even as the ongoing legal battles surrounding it are reaching a critical point… “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 DAPL before Trump takes office. The risk of further environmental harm and disruption to Indigenous land is too great to ignore. President Biden must prioritize the permanent shutdown of DAPL in his final days in office. The fight for a cleaner, safer future is in our hands, and we cannot afford to miss this opportunity.”

Norfolk Daily News: Defense of Dakota Access Pipeline is a good thing for Nebraska
Editorial Board, 12/26/24

“Keeping Nebraska strong means ensuring that agricultural business is thriving in our state. And something that plays a key role in strengthening ag is the ability of Nebraskans to transport goods across the country. But that task would be far more difficult if a lawsuit aiming to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline succeeds. The pipeline for the last seven years has safely run through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois,” the Norfolk Daily News Editorial Board writes. “The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, however, alleges in its complaint that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has violated federal statutes and treaties by allowing Dakota Access to operate the pipeline without an easement to cross the Missouri River at Lake Oahe in North Dakota. Among other requests, the tribe seeks immediate and permanent injunctive relief to shut the pipeline down. Fortunately, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is doing his part to defend the Dakota Access Pipeline and has joined a 13-state coalition opposing its shutdown. Before the pipeline’s existence, competition between oil flowing from the Bakken fields and agricultural products needed to feed and fuel the country had reached a crisis point, as stated in a court filing. Rail rates reached highs that were not sustainable for crop production, and there were few trucks available to move products… “The pipeline relieved that pricing pressure by ensuring that the oil from North Dakota could travel safely from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to Illinois, and then on throughout the country and the Gulf Coast… “The Dakota Access Pipeline saves Nebraskan farmers millions of dollars transporting agricultural products,” Hilgers said. “Not to mention the pipeline protects Nebraska’s communities from the risk of oil spills on highways and railways. The Dakota Access Pipeline is key to Nebraska’s — and our nation’s — economy, safety and energy security.” We agree. Shutting down the Dakota Access Pipeline would cause significant harm by hurting farmers and costing states hundreds of millions of dollars in property tax revenue.”

Wisconsin State Journal: Enbridge pipeline is a mistake for Wisconsin | Benjamin Bishop
Benjamin Bishop, Madison, 12/29/24

“The state Department of Natural Resources gave permission to Enbridge to do a 41-mile reroute of a pipeline around Bad River tribal land. This is partly because the DNR thought the risk of a pipeline spill would be low. Organizations are challenging the authorization of the permits by the DNR,” Benjamin Bishop writes for the Wisconsin State Journal. “Midwest Environmental Advocates is helping with this. MEA is a nonprofit that provides legal expertise to those with environmental injustices and supports clean air and water. MEA Executive Director Tony Wilkin Gibart was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel saying that it "defies common sense" for the DNR to authorize the permits… “Wisconsin can be a leader to divert away from fossil fuels and head in a direction that supports stopping climate change and supports clean renewable energy. Granting permission to Enbridge for the pipeline project was a mistake for the flora and fauna and needs to be reconsidered.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Line 5 pipeline permit approval violates treaty rights of Bad River Band
Yvonne Besyk, Salem, 12/23/24

“I was shocked when the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Gov. Tony Evers approved permits for the Line 5 reroute in November,” Yvonne Besyk writes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “This 71-year old pipeline has been trespassing on the Bad River Reservation for over a decade. When a federal judge finally ordered its removal, Enbridge proposed a new 41-mile section just outside the reservation but still within their watershed… “There is no way a project of this size and potential for harm should be allowed. The DNR approval ignores Tribal sovereignty, the voices of 150,000 people who wrote comments opposing the project, and experts who disproved Enbridge’s exaggerated economic impact of a shutdown PLG report. The DNR has prioritized retaining Enbridge's profits over Wisconsin's irreplaceable natural resources. No Canadian company should be allowed to threaten the Great Lakes as Enbridge has for decades. It’s time to end their grip on the peoples of Wisconsin, scaring them into thinking their fuel supply is threatened. Today lawsuits were announced challenging these inadequate permits. I, for one, hope they prevail.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Line 5 approval betrayal of environment and Indigenous rights
Tom Hildebrandt, West Bend, 12/23/24

“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ decision to approve permits for the Line 5 pipeline expansion is a reckless betrayal of our environment and Indigenous rights. Adding 41 miles of new pipeline to a crumbling 70-year-old system is pure folly,” Tom Hildebrandt writes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “This pipeline’s proposed route threatens the Bad River Band reservation, the Kakagon Slough — home to wild rice beds — Lake Superior, and the Bad River watershed… “Construction plans involving trenching, blasting, and drilling across 186 waterways and wetlands will leave lasting scars on our state’s natural heritage. Beyond environmental devastation, this project violates the treaty rights of the Bad River Band. Where is our governor in all of this? His silence is deafening in the face of a project that endangers Indigenous sovereignty, Wisconsin’s ecosystems, and one of the world’s largest freshwater resources. At a time when we must move toward sustainable energy, approving outdated and dangerous fossil fuel infrastructure is unacceptable. Wisconsin deserves bold leadership that protects our future—not quiet acquiescence to corporate interests.”

Santa Barbara Independent: County: Stand Up for Your Rights
Robert Almy, 12/31/24

“I served as deputy director of the County Planning Department, managing the Energy Division in the mid-1980s. Though I no longer live in Santa Barbara, and generally stay out of the politics of another area, I urge the county to aggressively insert itself in the technical review and approval process for the inoperable crude oil pipeline now owned by Sable,” Robert Almy writes for the Santa Barbara Independent. “...As the review moved forward, the county was not given data showing whether the steel to be used was an acceptable grade for transportation of corrosive crude oil. In addition, the county system safety team was not allowed to review welding records, cathodic protection, shutoff valve design, and other key engineering elements of the project because AAPL insisted the project was only subject to authority of the State Fire Marshal. Litigation ensued; the county lost. As a result, the county was only allowed to evaluate and condition aspects of pipeline construction that affected surface restoration (such as soil stability), essentially from the top of the pipe to ground surface. The county was assured that the State Fire Marshal Office would require AAPL to use industry standard design, appropriate materials, and implement industry standard monitoring and maintenance… “First and second: the steel wasn’t good enough and neither was the maintenance. Third and fourth: ExxonMobil valued the remaining crude oil reserves and existing production facilities good enough to propose restarting its existing production platforms but proposed replacing the pipeline. And now Sable owns the system and proposes to “repair” the pipeline, with no county oversight. Same crude, same steel, same resources at risk, substantially different factual basis… “The people of Santa Barbara County and their representatives are told that they cannot review the critical engineering data that justifies start-up of a “common carrier” pipeline with a demonstrated record of failure. That is wrong… “By shutting the county out of the review and decision process on potential future use of a failed pipeline, the state is denying Santa Barbara the California constitution’s right to exercise its police power to protect its citizens through land use actions. Also shut out of the discussion are the many landowners that the Planning Commission and county staff worked with to route the pipeline in the least damaging way across their land.”