EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 12/6/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Common Dreams: Groups Warn Pelosi, Schumer Against Allowing Manchin 'Dirty Deal' in Pentagon Spending Bill
Roanoke Times: As methane levels increase globally, two Southwest Virginia companies respond
The New Lede: Amid energy policy debates, a battle over a natural gas pipeline in Appalachia
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Linn supervisor says ‘hands tied’ with pipeline setbacks
KGAN: Linn County residents learn more about Wolf's CO2 pipeline proposal Monday night
KCRG: Wolf Carbon Solutions hosts more meetings for proposed CO2 pipeline
Law360: High Court Passes On Challenge To DC Circ. Agency Reviews
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Progressives ready to block defense bill over permitting
E&E News: Lawmakers await revamped permitting bill
NPR: The U.S. wants to slash carbon emissions from power plants. Natural gas is in the way
E&E News: Climate foes push Great Reset conspiracy theory
STATE UPDATES
Los Angeles Times: Newsom, accusing oil industry of price gouging, unveils plan to cap refinery profits
Utility Dive: California requires permits for large natural gas projects to enable environmental and cost scrutiny
Wyoming Public Radio: Gordon restates vision of a carbon-negative Wyoming, but sets no timeline
Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico teams with three western states in applying for $1.25B in funds for hydrogen power
Associated Press: US orders chemicals removed at Virgin Islands oil refinery
EXTRACTION
National Academies: Industry and Government Should Begin Planning Carbon Dioxide Utilization in Circular Economy, Says New Report
OPINION
Bleeding Heartland: Corporations exploit CO2 pipeline regulatory gaps in tax credit gold rush
PIPELINE NEWS
Common Dreams: Groups Warn Pelosi, Schumer Against Allowing Manchin 'Dirty Deal' in Pentagon Spending Bill
JON QUEALLY, 12/5/22
“A broad coalition of environmentalists, public health campaigners, and progressive advocacy organizations on Monday issued a stern warning to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi not to include the so-called "dirty deal" on energy project permitting reforms in the mammoth military spending bill set to roll through Congress this month,” Common Dreams reports. "Every lawmaker who is accountable to their constituents, especially those facing the most severe environmental injustices, must do all in their power to block this bill and all future attempts to risk our lives for a profit.” In a letter signed by more than 750 groups collectively representing millions of American constituents, the coalition calls on Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Pelosi (D-Calif.) to "unequivocally reject any effort to promote fossil fuels, advance unproven technologies, and weaken our core environmental laws" as it urges the two Democratic leaders to "stand with the communities who continue to bear the brunt of harm from fossil fuels" and act in ways "to prevent wholesale climate disaster." “...While Manchin's push for permitting reforms was previously defeated, its possible inclusion in the massive military spending bill, also seen as must-pass legislation, has outraged environmentalists and climate campaigners who argue that the nation must end investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure—including the Mountain Valley Pipeline which would run through West Virginia—in order to make way for the renewable energy transition necessary to stave off the worst impacts of rising global temperatures… “Under no circumstances should Democratic lawmakers feel compelled to honor a deal brokered with Manchin behind closed doors, say campaigners, especially as it represents such a blatant giveaway to the fossil fuel industry and other powerful corporate interests who have bankrolled the senator's political career… "We're sick of having to fight to defend the basic bedrock environmental laws that allow our voices to be heard, while the climate crisis proliferates," said Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, co-founder of 7 Directions of Service, which also signed the letter. "Every lawmaker who is accountable to their constituents, especially those facing the most severe environmental injustices, must do all in their power to block this bill and all future attempts to risk our lives for a profit."
Roanoke Times: As methane levels increase globally, two Southwest Virginia companies respond
Laurence Hammack, 12/4/22
“As methane emissions increase globally, two natural gas companies in Southwest Virginia are taking steps to curb the problem — at least to some degree — locally,” the Roanoke Times reports. “Roanoke Gas Co. has joined a national coalition of providers that seeks to reduce the amount of methane they release into the atmosphere to 1% or less of the natural gas that is produced and delivered in the United States. And Mountain Valley Pipeline, which is building a transmission line that runs through the New River and Roanoke valleys, plans to offset leakage from the underground pipe by funding a methane abatement system at a coal mine in far Southwest Virginia’s Buchanan County… “Roanoke Gas plans to expand its supply with natural gas from the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which is also taking steps that it says will reduce its carbon emissions. In July 2021, Mountain Valley announced a plan to spend at least $150 million over the next 10 years on carbon offsets, which would be used to construct a methane abatement system at a coal mine in far Southwest Virginia. At the time, the name and exact location of the mine was not disclosed because of contract obligations, Mountain Valley said. Last month, the company that installed the abatement equipment issued a news release that identified the operation as the Buchanan Mine, which is near the West Virginia line in Buchanan County… “Once the pipeline is in operation, three compressor stations along its route will emit carbon dioxide, and methane is likely to leak along some portions of the buried, 42-inch diameter pipe. Those emissions will be offset by the methane abatement project in Buchanan County, the company says… “Critics describe the plan much differently, saying it will do little to curb the pipeline’s environmental damage. “By purchasing so-called carbon offsets from a coal company, MVP is, in fact, subsidizing the mining and combustion of coal,” Jessica Sims, Virginia field coordinator of Appalachian Voices, one of the groups that is fighting the pipeline, told the Times. “Not only does this scheme do nothing to lower methane emissions associated with MVP,” she said, “it further props up harmful fossil fuel extraction.” “...Efforts to roll back government oversight would “ring the death knell for communities long sacrificed by lack of enforcement of environmental and safety protections,” Roberta Bondurant of Preserve Bent Mountain told the Times. “MVPs permits were suspended for no reason other than its inability or refusal to follow law and regulation,” she told the Times. “Elected leaders must do their job — they must honor democracy and the rule of law. “
The New Lede: Amid energy policy debates, a battle over a natural gas pipeline in Appalachia
SHANNON KELLEHER, 12/5/22
“When developers first approached West Virginia farmer Maury Johnson in 2015 seeking to bury part of a 303-mile-long natural gas pipeline on his property, Johnson was not eager to comply. But with eminent domain laws giving Johnson few options to oppose the move, developers began construction a few hundred feet from his house in 2018,” The New Lede reports. “It didn’t take long for Johnson to determine that the project was going to be a problem. Developers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project did not appear to be taking into consideration the nature of the area terrain, blasting the fragile landscape without regard for the underground caves, sinkholes, and natural springs that characterize the region. Soon he realized the well water he relied on for household needs had become strangely murky. He started washing his clothes at a laundromat 25 miles away and catching rainwater to use for bathing. He remains without “usable” water even now, he said in a recent interview. Johnson is among a contingent of critics who have come to view the MVP as a dire threat to the health of their Appalachian communities. They have a range of fears, including the potential contamination of air, water and soil with toxic chemicals used in the project. One particular concern is the fact that some scientists see the pipeline as uniquely dangerous: Because it snakes through highly unstable soils in landslide-prone mountain terrain, the pipeline could break and potentially explode, the critics warn… “During the first year of MVP construction on his property, Johnson filed roughly 200 complaints with state regulators, he said. And by August 2021, he was so frustrated with the situation that he filed a complaint with FERC. No one from the commission or any other regulatory agency has responded to his complaints, he said.”
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Linn supervisor says ‘hands tied’ with pipeline setbacks
Erin Jordan, 12/5/22
“Linn County Supervisor Louie Zumbach missed a vote Monday on proposed setbacks for hazardous materials, but came to a meeting on a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline to say he’s worried setbacks would be challenged in court,” the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports. “What I’ve read through the lines is if we write an ordinance that prevents this from happening, it will get thrown out,” Zumbach said at the informational meeting Monday night for Wolf Carbon Solutions, which has proposed a 280-mile CO2 pipeline that includes 20 miles in Linn County. Summit Carbon Solutions, one of three companies proposing CO2 pipelines in Iowa, has filed federal lawsuit against Iowa counties that have passed setbacks, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. The company says these counties are trying to circumvent the authority of the Iowa Utilities Board, which decides on siting in Iowa, and the federal government, which patrols safety of hazardous materials pipelines. “Our hands our quite firmly tied by several other jurisdictions that fall above us,” Zumbach said. “We’re not really scared of that (a lawsuit). I’m fearful whatever we do in the end, won’t be in our best interest.” “...Linn County Supervisors were poised Monday to do the first reading of an ordinance that would mandate setbacks between pipelines and schools, hospitals and parks. Zumbach, one of three board members, was absent, so the meeting was postponed to Dec. 12. Several hundred people attended Monday night’s meeting, with nearly a third of the crowd wearing red T-shirts that said “No CO2 pipeline.” No one spoke in favor of the pipelines during the nearly three-hour meeting. Those who oppose the project said they worried about explosions, wanted to know what happens after the pipelines’ anticipated 20-year life span and suggested ongoing, rather than one-time, compensation.”
KGAN: Linn County residents learn more about Wolf's CO2 pipeline proposal Monday night
Valeree Dunn, 12/5/22
“ A public hearing on a new pipeline proposal for Linn County was held at the Hawkeye Downs Race Track Monday,” KGAN reports. “Wolf Carbon Solutions hosted an informational meeting over their pipeline proposal that would go through Linn County if the plan is approved… "There are CO2 pipelines in the U.S. there’s almost 5000 miles of CO2 pipelines across the U.S. as this is not new territory, but it is for the state of Iowa and for the people of Iowa and so we’re just doing our best to educate people. We do have our own CO2 system up north in Alberta, which allows us to actually speak from experience," Nick Noppinger with Wolf Carbon Solutions said. However, like many projects of this nature, some residents are skeptical about the proposal. "So as we know that concentrations of CO2 at 15% or greater cause convulsions and death within one minute," Jessica Wiskus said. "So now you tell me that where their hazardous pipeline goes isn’t important, because the closer to a rupture, the higher, the concentration of CO2 in the air."
KCRG: Wolf Carbon Solutions hosts more meetings for proposed CO2 pipeline
Emily Schrad, 12/5/22
“Landowners and the public had the chance to have their questions answered about a possible carbon capture pipeline on Monday night,” KCRG reports. “...Five meetings like this were held back in August and September of this year. But the Iowa Utilities board raised questions about landowners not being informed of those initial meetings per Iowa law… “Many landowners at Monday’s meeting weren’t happy about the possibility of the pipeline becoming a reality. ”We figured out what’s really at stake. We see what we love. We see our communities on the line. Our freedom. Our land. Our future and our lives. That’s why I believe we are strong enough to stand against this,” said one speaker… “What we’re trying to do is portray our story and alleviate concerns so we can go out there next year and negotiate right away through voluntary easements,” said Nick Noppinger, Senior VP of Cooperate Development at Wolf Carbon Solutions. Noppinger said the next step after these meetings is speaking with and starting negotiations with individual landowners.”
Law360: High Court Passes On Challenge To DC Circ. Agency Reviews
Keith Goldberg, 12/5/22
“The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday chose not to review a decades-old D.C. Circuit precedent for reviewing federal agency actions, rejecting a petition challenging a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order in a pipeline access dispute,” Law360 reports.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Progressives ready to block defense bill over permitting
Emma Dumain, 12/5/22
“A top House Democrat will vote to block consideration of a must-pass defense spending bill if it includes permitting language that could undermine environmental protections,” E&E News reports. “The warning shot from Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, comes as congressional Democratic leaders are seriously weighing inclusion of a permitting provision in the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. His threat also illustrates the intensity of the continued left-wing opposition to the provision, which party leaders first sought to tack onto a stopgap spending bill in September at the behest of Grijalva’s counterpart, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). “It’s gotten to the point where it has become craven, where ‘we’re just going to get it done regardless,’” Grijalva told E&E News on Monday of leadership’s insistence on finding a home for Manchin’s overhaul effort. “I understand, and I’ve tried to give to senators the reassurance that the transmission and grid issues — the promotion of renewable and alternative energies — have to be dealt with, but not like this,” he continued. “Taking a hatchet to [the National Environmental Policy Act] is not the way to go.” Grijalva’s plan would be to vote against the “rule” for the bill. That’s a resolution that governs parameters for floor debate. Members of the majority rarely oppose rules for bills backed by party leaders. And if enough Democrats band together to oppose the rule for the NDAA, it could thwart the underlying bill. Grijalva told E&E he wasn’t launching a coordinated effort to sink the rule at this time, but the Arizona Democrat has enormous influence among House progressives and environmentalists, and he led the opposition to the permitting language earlier this year. His plans could compel others to follow suit. Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are already surveying their members to see if there’s an appetite to vote against the NDAA rule in case permitting reform text is included, a House Democratic aide confirmed to E&E News. At least one progressive House Democrat, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, told E&E Monday he planned to vote against the rule “if it includes giveaways to the fossil fuel industry.”
E&E News: Lawmakers await revamped permitting bill
Nick Sobczyk, Kelsey Brugger, 12/6/22
“Lawmakers are bracing for a revamped version of Sen. Joe Manchin’s permitting overhaul while congressional leaders continue to negotiate a deal with the West Virginia Democrat,” E&E News reports. “Manchin confirmed Monday to E&E that he has been working on changes to the draft permitting reform legislation he first circulated in September… “There’s been a lot of input from both sides,” Manchin told reporters, adding that there have been “some adjustments” to the draft legislation. “It’s pretty much up in the air. We’ll see what happens.” “...The White House on Monday threw its support behind the effort. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden was in favor of tacking Manchin’s permitting reform legislation onto the NDAA, honoring the agreement that got the administration’s marquee legislative achievement across the finish line. It’s not clear exactly how Manchin’s language might change from the September draft… “Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) told E&E it would be up to leadership to determine the “last-minute items that pop up every year.” Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) told reporters Monday, “Our Republican colleagues would like to include some provisions in permitting reform that I’ve not been comfortable at all in accepting, and there’s been an ongoing discussion. It’s now above my pay grade, so we’ll see where a conversation, negotiation between the administration, our leader’s office, the Manchin office, where it leads.” It’s not clear at this point whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) would be able to rally the votes for a defense bill that includes permitting reform. The situation has already set off a firestorm among congressional progressives and environmental justice advocates after Democratic leaders began maneuvering over the weekend to include permitting in the NDAA. Final text of the defense bill is expected out as soon as Tuesday. Manchin’s bill has also engendered fierce opposition from Virginia lawmakers who oppose Mountain Valley, which would carry natural gas between West Virginia and the Old Dominion. “I was OK with the first 85 pages, but I’m completely opposed to taking the Mountain Valley pipeline outside of normal permitting rules and just greenlighting it and eliminating all the judicial review processes,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told E&E Monday of Manchin’s original draft permitting proposal.”
NPR: The U.S. wants to slash carbon emissions from power plants. Natural gas is in the way
MICHAEL COPLEY, 12/5/22
“Under President Joe Biden, the United States aims to cut all carbon pollution by 2035 from the power plants that run American homes and businesses. It's a first step toward the broader goal of zeroing out greenhouse gas emissions across the entire economy by midcentury to rein in climate change. But the ambitions of the Biden administration are set to collide with the country's power industry, which looks like it will continue burning fossil fuels for the foreseeable future,” NPR reports. “Over the next few years, the U.S. is expected to build around 17 gigawatts of natural gas plants, enough to power close to 12.8 million homes, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Unless they're closed early, those plants could operate for decades on an electric grid that still gets almost 60% of its power from fossil fuels… “Most remaining oil and gas deposits must remain buried for the world to have a decent shot at keeping global temperatures from rising to more dangerous levels, according to a study last year in the journal Nature. But analysts don't expect the U.S. will end its reliance on natural gas any time soon. To close America's remaining coal plants, which generate around a fifth its electricity, many industry analysts believe the country needs natural gas to ensure reliable energy supplies until cleaner options like battery storage are widely available. "If you're going to kick that 20% of coal off the grid by 2030 or 2035, there is zero chance you can do that without increasing gas," Andy DeVries, an analyst at CreditSights who tracks companies in the U.S. power industry, told NPR. "After the coal's off the grid, how much longer does it take to then kick the gas off? That's at least another 10 years," DeVries told NPR. "And that's aggressive." Scientists say the incremental cuts that countries are making to emissions won't be enough to avoid a future that brings more damaging storms, floods and heat waves. The U.S. has a giant pipeline of renewable energy projects — 45 gigawatts of solar and wind are expected to be built next year alone — but continuing to add emissions from new fossil fuel plants makes it harder to limit global warming. "The consensus is that we need to be at net zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by about 2050 in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change," Ben King, an associate director at the Rhodium Group, a research firm, told NPR. Continuing to build natural gas plants "certainly seems at loggerheads with that commitment," he told NPR. "...Developers are taking a second look at natural gas and saying, 'Is this going to be a prudent, long-term investment, given both expected higher gas prices into the future as well as just how inexpensive it is to deploy technologies like wind and solar and batteries?" King told NPR. But change so far is happening gradually in energy markets, and companies are still making investments that will lead to new emissions. "I think there's a long tail here," Bank of America analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith told NPR, "specifically tied to the use of natural gas."
E&E News: Climate foes push Great Reset conspiracy theory
Scott Waldman, 12/6/22
“People being forced to eat bugs. Confiscated cars. Cities going dark as electric lights are turned off. Climate lockdowns. Welcome to the conspiratorial world of the “Great Reset” theory,” E&E News reports. “Its followers claim that government officials want to impose draconian lockdowns similar to the worst days of Covid-19 in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The conspiracy theory holds that a global elite is planning to shut down society and restrict personal freedoms, such as eating meat and driving gas-powered cars in their zeal to address climate change. The Great Reset has been boosted by climate deniers, right-wing media and conservative think tanks that oppose regulations on fossil fuels. It all began in June 2020 during the depths of Covid-19 lockdowns. Car traffic and industrial activity worldwide fell sharply, leading to lower levels of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Then-Prince Charles described that moment in time as a new beginning for the planet. The world had seen what was possible for the environment, and now renewable energy, clean cars and altered methods of commuting could help make those changes permanent. It was called the Great Reset. Before long it was turned into a rallying cry against Covid-19 lockdowns and, then, as a warning against climate action. Conservative activists used it to claim that environmental laws and regulations were an attack on their personal freedoms, John Cook, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Climate Change Communication Research Hub at Monash University in Australia and an expert on climate disinformation, told E&E… “Now, increasingly, the Great Reset is being introduced to Americans who watch Fox News, or who follow Republicans like Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona or Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who have promoted the conspiracy theory’s shifting claims. The Great Reset could come to the halls of Congress next year, when Republicans take control of the House. Party leaders have threatened to launch a series of investigations, including into President Joe Biden’s energy policies.”
STATE UPDATES
Los Angeles Times: Newsom, accusing oil industry of price gouging, unveils plan to cap refinery profits
TARYN LUNA, 12/5/22
“Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday unveiled an outline of his plan to place a cap on oil refinery profits in California, a proposal he’s asking lawmakers to approve in hopes of reducing future spikes on gasoline prices,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “After convening a special legislative session, the governor publicly shared a first look at his plan more than two months after he said he would ask the Legislature to penalize what he called excessive profits by the oil industry, accusing companies of price gouging by intentionally elevating the cost of gas for California drivers… “The industry contends recent high prices are a result of the state’s policies to phase out the use of oil and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The companies argue Newsom has politicized the issue and a penalty on them will only exacerbate the problem in a state that already levies heavy taxes on the industry… “According to Newsom’s plan, the governor is asking the Legislature to enact a yet-to-be-determined “maximum gross gasoline refining margin” — or profit cap — based on a monthly calculation of the average profit per barrel that an oil refiner earns for wholesale gasoline. The proposal would allow the California Energy Commission to impose an administrative civil penalty for violations of the profit cap, which would vary based on the percentage by which profit margins earned by a refiner exceeds the limit. Any penalties would go into a new “Price Gouging Penalty Fund,” which lawmakers could return to residents as a refund through the state budget… “The battle over a penalty comes three months after the governor’s office successfully lobbied lawmakers to pass a series of policies to curb climate change that the industry opposed. One of those laws established a setback distance of 3,200 feet between new oil well and homes, schools, healthcare facilities and any building open to the public. The industry beat back previous versions of the setbacks bill before Newsom engaged in the battle in August. After he signed it, the industry began gathering signatures in an attempt to repeal the law on the 2024 ballot.”
Utility Dive: California requires permits for large natural gas projects to enable environmental and cost scrutiny
Elizabeth McCarthy, 12/5/22
“California utilities must have state permits to build natural gas projects costing more than $75 million or expected to worsen air pollution in communities with serious air quality problems,” Utility Dive reports. “Each big proposed pipeline or compressor station also must include an assessment of its potential environmental impacts in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. The order unanimously approved Dec. 1 seeks to reduce greenhouse gasses and toxic emissions, provide details about projects and reduce the stranding of gas assets as the state strives to decarbonize.”
Wyoming Public Radio: Gordon restates vision of a carbon-negative Wyoming, but sets no timeline
Friday Otuya, 12/5/22
“As nations around the world and the U.S. government take steps to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change, Wyoming, one of the leading net-energy exporting states in the union, is also making efforts,” Wyoming Public Radio reports. “Governor of Wyoming, Mark Gordon, recently restated that the state’s goal is to become carbon-negative by capturing and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. “Our nation needs energy, and right now there is a group of people who are thinking that the way you make sure that we address climate change, is to stop doing what has made us the wealthiest nation in the world”, Gordon said during the 2022 Governor's Business Forum at the University of Wyoming. “Wyoming stepped forward and said we [are] not just trying to figure out a renewable standard for 2030. We are going to be carbon-negative, and we can do it by just improving our technology, carbon sequestration.” But critics worry that these are without a definite timeline or deadline. While Wyoming is home to considerable renewable energy activities, Gordon said these are insufficient to meet the growing demand, and therefore continued development of fossil fuels is necessary. “Wind, solar, and all of these other energy sources have a place and a role to play in an emerging grid. But they can’t do it alone. They can’t do the dispatchable and the reliable energy that is absolutely necessary 24/7.” Gordon said.
Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico teams with three western states in applying for $1.25B in funds for hydrogen power
Adrian Hedden, 12/3/22
“A consortium of western states including New Mexico working to develop hydrogen energy and seeking federal funds filed its plans submitted to the federal government last month, as the state hoped to transition to fuel sourcing less-pollutive than oil and gas,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “The Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub, made up of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming released a concept paper Nov. 15, hoping for up to $1.25 billion in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs signed by President Joe Biden last year. The states contracted with engineering firm Atkins and Rocky Mountain Alliance for the Next Generation of Energy (RANGE). RANGE includes several institutions in New Mexico, including Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University and New Mexico Tech. By grouping together, the states hoped they could be more competitive for the federal funds offered by the DOE to establish multiple “hubs” around the country dedicated to producing hydrogen power. It’s part of a broader effort by the federal government to shift away from fossil fuels to reduce pollution in the impacts of subsequent climate change. Under the plan, the Hub planned to establish eight hydrogen power projects across the four states, while moving the product via pipeline and storing it both underground and at the surface… “Transportation of the produced hydrogen will flow from New Mexico, to Colorado, then Wyoming and into Utah.”
Associated Press: US orders chemicals removed at Virgin Islands oil refinery
12/5/22
“The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday ordered the owners of an oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands to remove thousands of pounds of chemicals from the site, warning that its pipes and valves are severely corroded and in disrepair,” the Associated Press reports. “The EPA estimates that more than 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms) of anhydrous ammonia and more than 37,000 pounds (16,000 kilograms) of liquefied petroleum gas are stored at the refinery in St. Croix. It also ordered the removal of hydrogen sulfide. The order comes after the EPA inspected the refinery in September and found serious deficiencies that could lead to a fire or chemical release, including piping and valves on LPG units that are severely corroded and in disrepair. Last month, the EPA announced the oil refinery could not resume operations without obtaining a clean air permit. The refinery was forced to pause operations in May 2021 following an EPA emergency order, with the agency noting that the facility is located near marginalized communities where people have been sickened and schools forced to close.”
EXTRACTION
National Academies: Industry and Government Should Begin Planning Carbon Dioxide Utilization in Circular Economy, Says New Report
12/1/22
“Industry and government should begin planning for the deployment of carbon dioxide utilization systems — infrastructure and processes to transform CO2 into useful products — enabling a circular economy and in some cases durable removal of CO2 from the atmosphere,” according to the National Academies. “Despite challenges in deploying CO2 utilization processes at present, CO2 utilization can play an important role in the future net-zero emissions economy… “Making carbon-based products from captured CO2 generally requires more energy than if using carbon from fossil fuels. The report finds that these high energy requirements, combined with a lack of incentives to produce net-zero emission products, currently limit the commercialization opportunities for CO2 utilization. There will also be limited opportunities to leverage existing CO2 capture and transport infrastructure for future CO2 utilization, as most of this infrastructure is used primarily in enhanced oil recovery, and therefore connects sources and sinks of CO2 that largely do not align with sustainable CO2 utilization opportunities. Repurposing natural gas pipelines for transporting CO2 is being considered but would require case-by-case analysis and retrofitting costs, the report notes.”
OPINION
Bleeding Heartland: Corporations exploit CO2 pipeline regulatory gaps in tax credit gold rush
Carolyn Raffensperger is the executive director of the Science & Environmental Health Network. Sheri Deal-Tyne is a researcher for the Science & Environmental Health Network, 12/2/22
“A contentious battle wages in the Midwest, Gulf states, and California over Carbon Capture and Storage and siting of CO2 pipelines,” Carolyn Raffensperger and Sheri Deal-Tyne write for Bleeding Heartland. “One key issue in the battle: the federal pipeline regulatory agency, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), does not have regulations in place that can assure the safety of these extraordinarily dangerous pipelines. PHMSA itself acknowledges that CO2 pipelines are underregulated, and the agency currently lacks the technical knowledge required to inform minimum safety standards. The Inflation Reduction Act, which Congress approved and President Joe Biden signed in August, is driving the rush to site these pipelines. That law unleashed a gold rush in 45Q tax credits for carbon capture and storage, and the thousands upon thousands of miles of CO2 pipelines, which would be required to transport the CO2 away from facilities where the CO2 is captured to the disposal or usage sites in distant states. A coalition of organizations just released a letter urging PHMSA to issue an advisory compelling states to declare a moratorium on CO2 pipeline permitting until the scientific research and rulemaking are complete… “Regulatory gaps include no current requirement to add an odorant to transported CO2. Since carbon dioxide is odorless and colorless, spills are harder to observe and therefore avoid. The requirement of an odorant would help alert the public of a CO2 pipeline rupture. Results from the PHMSA funded research will not become available until 2024 at the earliest. The CO2 pipeline knowledge gaps must be resolved before reasonable and thorough rulemaking can begin. In the absence of sufficient knowledge and safety regulations, it is reckless to proceed with state permitting of CO2 pipelines… “Corporations cannot be allowed to force these unwanted, inherently dangerous CO2 pipelines across our landscape, particularly in the absence of any meaningful regulations. It is essential that states wait for PHMSA to complete its work before they consider permitting CO2 pipelines.”