EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 1/31/22
PIPELINE NEWS
The Gazette: Witnesses describe Mississippi CO2 pipeline explosion
The Gazette: Pipeline plans raise fears, but blasts and leaks rare in E. Iowa
Canadian Press: Alberta’s Kenney to talk supply chain issues, pipelines at U.S. governors meeting
Wicked Local: Weymouth compressor foes, ‘can’t give up this fight.’
Guardian: Beach in Thailand declared disaster area after oil pipeline leak
NBC News: Oil spill sprays crude into Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest
Cleveland.com: Pipeline sues federal regulators in fight over fine for demolition of dilapidated Ohio home
WorldPipelines.com: FERC establishes hearing in proceeding on proposed Rover pipeline penalty
GlobalNews.ca: Energy projects help bring big economic boost to town of Edson
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: U.S. Urges Countries To Adopt Individual Methane Goals
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Calif. weighs help for oil workers in green future
NM Political Report: Hydrogen Hub Development Act tabled in first committee
Capital and Main: New Mexico’s Hydrogen Plan: Environmental Legislation That Environmentalists Hate
EXTRACTION
E&E News: CCS in the Gulf: Climate solution or green washing?
CBC: Indigenous coalition goes head-to-head against oil giants to build Alberta carbon capture complex
Bloomberg: Chevron CEO Says $100 Oil May Be Coming Within Months
Politico: Big Polluters Chart Climate Path Amid Rocky Energy Picture
Insurance Business: Canada's orphan wells' liability to hit $1 billion in 2025 – report
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: This Fed pick is a climate hero. It might sink her nomination
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
MyStratfordNow: West Perth Fire Department receives donation from Enbridge Gas
OPINION
The Daily Yonder: Commentary: For a Rural Community at the Crossroads of Crude Oil, the Politics of Energy Are Complicated
PIPELINE NEWS
The Gazette: Witnesses describe Mississippi CO2 pipeline explosion
Erin Jordan, 1/31/22
“When Fire Chief Jerry Briggs was called to respond to an explosion last February in Yazoo County, Miss., he didn’t know what caused the blast,” The Gazette reports. “...“We continued down the gravel road and our UTV started sputtering and dying,” Briggs said in a webinar last week hosted by the Sierra Club’s Iowa chapter, which opposes plans for three CO2 pipelines proposed in Iowa. Briggs and his team found another car, this one with three people inside. All were passed out, but the car windows were rolled up and the doors were locked. “We started breaking glass. The car was still in drive, so we had to secure the vehicle. We stacked all three of them in the back and headed back out. We got them back to the ambulances. We went back and met up with some other guys and pulled 14 to 15 other people out who were conscious, but still in the plume.” Emergency responders later learned a carbon dioxide pipeline had burst, causing the gas to seep out into a valley. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, which causes it to stay close to the ground where it can asphyxiate people and cause car engines to stop because there’s not enough oxygen. More than 300 people were evacuated from their homes and 45 were sent to two area hospitals, the Clarion-Ledger reported. DeEmmeris Burns was one of the men Briggs rescued that night. He’d been driving home from fishing with some friends when they heard a boom, he said during the webinar. “My cousin said, ‘My car cut out!’,” Burns said. “Immediately after that, we cut out. And we stayed under from 7 until 11.” Burns, a lumber worker, said he’s suffered from memory loss and other trauma from the incident. He and the other men in the car have filed a lawsuit in Texas, where Denbury Resources, the pipeline operator, is located, journalist Dan Zegart said in the webinar.”
The Gazette: Pipeline plans raise fears, but blasts and leaks rare in E. Iowa
Erin Jordan, 1/31/22
“Pipelines explosions can injure, sicken or even kill people and leaks can pollute the environment,” The Gazette reports. “But most of the time, pipelines transport gas and hazardous liquids quickly, efficiently and with so few mishaps people forget the steel tubes are there… “At informational meetings for the projects, some Iowans have expressed fear about pipeline explosions, particularly on routes that run close to homes and schools. A CO2 pipeline explosion in February 2020 in western Mississippi, for instance, caused the evacuation of 300 people and sent 45 to the hospital… “Linn and Johnson counties have more than 250 miles of underground gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. There haven't been any major incidents in recent years, which makes many people forget the pipelines are there, but when a pipeline explodes or has a major spill, it can be very dangerous… “One of those pipeline owners, Buckeye Partners, has had 120 incidents since 2014, but none have been in Iowa, records show. There have been no enforcement actions against the Houston-based company… “Magellan has had 132 incidents since 2014, including 11 in Iowa… “ONEOK, based in Tulsa, Okla., pipes natural gas liquids east-west across rural Johnson County. The company has had 89 incidents since 2014, with four in Iowa… “The Northern Border Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline that runs through Lone Tree, has had three incidents since 2014, but none have been in Iowa… “Enterprise Products, with about 22 miles of petroleum pipeline in the southeastern corner of Johnson County, has had three incidents. But none have been in Iowa.
Canadian Press: Alberta’s Kenney to talk supply chain issues, pipelines at U.S. governors meeting
1/27/22
“Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will travel to Washington to discuss issues including COVID-19 and pipelines with American leaders,” the Canadian Press reports. “Kenney told CP he wants to talk about cross-border supply chain issues, including a ban by both countries on entry by truckers not vaccinated against COVID-19. Kenney told CP the ban further aggravates supply bottlenecks and leads to higher prices for consumers. He told CP he will also lobby to increase access to the U.S. for Canadian oil through transborder pipelines.”
Wicked Local: Weymouth compressor foes, ‘can’t give up this fight.’
Ed Baker, 1/31/22
“Alice Arena, leader of Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent decision not to shut down a controversial compressor station in North Weymouth wouldn't deter FRRACS from trying to close the facility,” Wicked Local reports. “We look at this compressor station as an example of what FERC needs to do in terms of climate change and environmental justice," she told WL. "We can't give up this fight. Regulations need to change. Laws need to change, and attitudes need to change." “...FERC Commission Chairman Richard Glick said regulators "should have never approved' construction of the facility in January 2017 by Algonquin Gas Transmission, a subsidiary of Spectra Energy, which Enbridge, Inc, later acquired… “However, Glick said a FERC review of several accidental releases of natural gas from the station doesn't "justify revoking approval for the station.” “...Arena told WL FRRACS would develop strategies to change laws and regulations that govern compressor stations because of residents' health concerns… “Rep. Stephen Lynch, D- MA, is urging FERC to revoke its permit for the compressor station. “This 7,700-horsepower compressor station sits within a half-mile of nearly 1,000 households in the densely populated neighborhood of North Weymouth, and in close proximity to several schools, parks, and other high-traffic areas in the City of Quincy, the Town of Braintree, and the Town of Abington,” he wrote in a letter to FERC. “ I urge you to invoke the Commission's administrative and statutory authority to rescind the Jan. 25, 2017, order approving the issuance of a certificate of public convenience and necessity for this dangerous and ill-advised project."
Guardian: Beach in Thailand declared disaster area after oil pipeline leak
1/29/22
“A beach in eastern Thailand has been declared a disaster area as oil leaking from an underwater pipeline in the Gulf of Thailand continues to wash ashore and blacken the sand,” the Guardian reports. “The leak, from a pipeline owned by Star Petroleum Refining, started late on Tuesday and was brought under control a day later after spilling an estimated 50,000 litres (11,000 gallons) of oil into the ocean about 12 miles (20km) from the country’s industrialised eastern seaboard. Some of the oil reached the shoreline at Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong province late on Friday after spreading over 18 sq miles (47 sq km) of sea in the gulf. The Thai navy is working with the company to contain the leak and said the main oil mass was still offshore, with only a small amount washing up on at least two spots along the seven-mile beach. About 150 Star Petroleum Refining workers and 200 navy personnel have been deployed to clean up the beach, and oil boom barriers have been set up, the navy said.”
NBC News: Oil spill sprays crude into Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest
Christine Romo, 1/30/22
“The private company that runs an oil pipeline in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest stopped pumping oil Saturday after a rupture in the pipeline, according to a statement from the company,” NBC News reports. “Footage obtained and posted on Twitter by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), an advocacy group, shows oil spraying out of the pipeline. The rupture happened Friday, and was caused by a rock fall, said OCP Ecuador, the company that operates the pipeline… “The company said it had contained spilled oil so “it cannot contaminate any bodies of water” and had stopped pumping crude until “conditions are right.” “...This is the exact reason why we oppose oil extraction,” Andres Tapia of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, the parent organization of CONAIE, told NBC. “Spills have become a part of our daily life, and we live with the contamination for decades. The oil industry has only brought us death and destruction. … We are calling on the government to halt oil expansion plans and properly clean up this spill and all the others that continue to contaminate our territories and violate our rights.”
Cleveland.com: Pipeline sues federal regulators in fight over fine for demolition of dilapidated Ohio home
John Caniglia, 1/28/22
“The owners of a major, multistate pipeline project that spans northern Ohio went to court Friday in a fight with regulators that stems from a dilapidated house,” Cleveland.com reports. “Energy Transfer and its subsidiary, Rover Pipeline LLC, filed a lawsuit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in U.S. District Court in Akron. The companies allege they face a fine of more than $20 million from the commission for failing to disclose their intentions to remove the home in Carroll County in 2016. The regulatory commission ordered the companies to appear before an administrative law judge for a hearing in September. The companies, however, said the issue belongs in federal court, where it can litigate its claims and receive an impartial review, “rather than in an in-house enforcement proceeding.” The case centers around the pipeline’s application process. Regulators contend the companies made misrepresentations and omitted information about the home during the application process to build Rover’s $4.2 billion pipeline. But in the lawsuit, the companies claim that the information about the home was immaterial to the project and, therefore, didn’t need to be passed along.”
WorldPipelines.com: FERC establishes hearing in proceeding on proposed Rover pipeline penalty
Sara Simper, 1/31/22
“On 20 January, FERC established a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge to address whether Rover Pipeline, LLC and parent company Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. violated the Commission’s regulations and to make factual findings on certain issues relevant to a civil penalty assessment,” WorldPipelines.com reports. “The order responds to briefs filed by Rover and FERC’s Office of Enforcement (OE) staff, as required by the Commission’s 18 March 2021 Order to Show Cause and Notice of Proposed Penalty, which concerned Rover’s purchase and destruction of a historic property in Dennison, Ohio, known as the Stoneman House… “Specifically, OE staff alleges that during the application process for its certificate to build the US$4.2 billion, 711 mile long pipeline, Rover made misrepresentations and omitted material information concerning the status and intended treatment of the Stoneman House. The Commission finds no basis for terminating the proceeding and rejects Rover’s procedural arguments seeking termination.”
GlobalNews.ca: Energy projects help bring big economic boost to town of Edson
Chris Chacon, 1/30/22
“It may be a small town with only about 8,000 people, but Edson is experiencing a big boost in visitors,” GlobalNews.ca reports. “Our rentals are at zero per cent vacancy, our hotels are full, the workers are actually supporting our restaurants, our stores, our service businesses,” Edson and District Chamber of Commerce President Karen Spencer-Miller told GlobalNews… “Roughly 2,000 people have moved to the community because of three large energy projects underway in the region. “We have a lot of natural gas producers so that’s one of the reasons why Cascade is being built — that’s a $1.5 billion dollar power plant project — and of of course we have the Trans Mountain pipelines coming through to B.C., and TC Energy also has some pipeline projects going on in our area,” Zahara told GlobalNews… “Spencer-Miller told GlobalNews while this boom is temporary, she hopes Edson’s prime geographic location and economic opportunities will draw in more people and businesses to want to stay long-term.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: U.S. Urges Countries To Adopt Individual Methane Goals
1/28/22
“U.S. officials floated the idea of getting countries to devise national action plans to reduce methane emissions in a meeting yesterday with some of the world’s biggest climate polluters,” E&E News reports. “The idea differs from an agreement signed by dozens of countries at the Glasgow, Scotland, climate talks that aims to reduce global methane emissions 30 percent by 2030. That deal is based on a collective goal and does not require individual countries to set domestic methane-cutting targets. The discussion yesterday took place during a virtual gathering of the U.S.-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate. That group comprises nearly 20 countries that account for around 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Chaired by climate envoy John Kerry, the forum included the U.S., China, the European Commission, Russia, India and Indonesia and was aimed at building on the commitments countries made at last year’s COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow. A senior official from the Biden administration told E&E the U.S. is trying to determine how countries involved in the pledge will commit to it so their collective contributions amount to a 30 percent methane reduction.”
STATE UPDATES
E&E News: Calif. weighs help for oil workers in green future
Anne C. Mulkern, 1/31/22
“California officials are brainstorming how to help oil industry workers as the state moves to phase out fossil fuels and replace gasoline-powered vehicles with electric cars,” E&E News reports. “Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office and legislators are talking to unions representing industry workers, and a new state Assembly document outlines potential solutions. But it’s a complex quandary, raising questions about whether to guarantee workers their current salaries and benefits as their jobs disappear. “One of the major hurdles in transitioning existing fossil fuels activities to clean energy ones has been the potentially negative economic consequences to workers and communities,” according to a document from the Assembly Office of Policy and Research obtained by E&E News. “As the state implements its ambitious climate goals, there is an opportunity to assist workers impacted by the transition to a green economy.” “...California typically takes the lead in a lot of these types of things, and we become an example for other states across the nation,” Catherine Houston, legislative, political and rapid response coordinator with United Steelworkers District 12, told E&E. “So whatever we do can potentially serve as a federal model.”
NM Political Report: Hydrogen Hub Development Act tabled in first committee
By Hannah Grover, 1/28/22
“The Hydrogen Hub Development Act was tabled on Thursday by a 6-4 vote during its first committee hearing after about six hours of discussion,” according to NM Political Report. “The bill, which is backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, would create tax incentives for hydrogen projects in New Mexico as well as laying the groundwork for state-authorized hydrogen hubs. About three quarters of the hundreds of members of the public who spoke at the committee meeting opposed the bill. Opponents called it a hand out to the oil and gas industry and described the bill as “greenwashing” and a “false solution.” They said the state should focus on renewable energy development and expansion. Many of them were concerned about the emissions related to hydrogen produced from fossil fuels as well as the use of water to produce hydrogen through electrolysis.”
Capital and Main: New Mexico’s Hydrogen Plan: Environmental Legislation That Environmentalists Hate
Jerry Redfern, 1/27/22
“After months of hints, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham unveiled her Hydrogen Hub Development Act for consideration before the New Mexico Legislature on Monday. Her office touts it as a cornerstone to a “clean energy economy” and a key piece of environmental legislation — but it has precious little support among environmental groups,” Capital and Main reports. “In fact, the bill stands as an almost inexplicable anomaly against the backdrop of the environmental work she’s promoted over the past three years as governor. The anomaly might be explained by the authors of a 39-page policy report accompanying the bill that points directly to the natural gas industry… “The two nongovernmental groups noted on the cover are Zen Energy Solutions, a hydrogen industry consulting firm based in Canada, and New Mexico Energy Prosperity, a company formed in September 2021 by Jason Sandel, a notable acquaintance of the governor and the executive VP of Aztec Well Service, an oil and gas well servicing company near Farmington… “The provenience of the report set off alarm bells for environmental groups already skeptical of the governor’s plans… “The Western Environmental Law Center, San Juan Citizens Alliance, the Sierra Club and others — all have said that they will not support a hydrogen bill based on fossil fuel production. But Shannon Perez, senior manager of state legislative and regulatory affairs at EarthWorks, told Capital and Main trying to diversify away from fossil fuels while using them to create hydrogen “cognitive dissonance.” She added, “It’s to believe in magic.”
EXTRACTION
E&E News: CCS in the Gulf: Climate solution or green washing?
By Heather Richards, Carlos Anchondo, 1/31/22
“The Gulf of Mexico may be the largest potential sink for storing carbon dioxide emissions in the world — but getting the greenhouse gas under the seafloor would take a massive effort and cost,” E&E News reports. “Enter Exxon Mobil Corp. The oil supermajor, along with other companies, is eyeing the Gulf as a prime spot to deploy carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, considering the region’s massive potential capacity, its existing oil and gas infrastructure, and its proximity to industrial facilities where the greenhouse gas could be captured, piped and stored underneath the seafloor… “But momentum for carbon capture in the Gulf hit a potential roadblock last week when a federal judge invalidated the Biden administration’s November oil and gas lease sale over faulty climate reviews, consequently striking a bundle of Exxon leases that observers say were primed for the company’s first Gulf carbon storage efforts… “However, critics are making accusations of green washing and warning of potential environmental risks, like carbon dioxide leaking into the ocean. “CCS is the plan of the oil industry to keep business as usual, while claiming some kind of net-zero alignment or climate action,” Steven Feit, an attorney with the climate and energy program at the Center for International Environmental Law, which uses law to “protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society,” told E&E… “When things go wrong, it’s hard to fix,” Feit told E&E. He cited a study released last year from the Government Accountability Office that found weaknesses in pipeline integrity and oversight offshore, noting the potential irony of CO2 pipelines meant to carry captured carbon leaking it instead.” “...Asked how Exxon would respond to criticism that carbon capture is being used to prolong continued oil development, a spokesperson argued to E&E that meeting climate targets is “virtually impossible without carbon capture and storage.”
CBC: Indigenous coalition goes head-to-head against oil giants to build Alberta carbon capture complex
Kyle Bakx, 1/31/22
“A group of Indigenous communities in northeast Alberta are competing with big name oil and gas companies to secure the rights to construct and operate the first large-scale, regional carbon capture and storage facility in the province,” the CBC reports. “...Prominent oil and gas companies, including Shell, Suncor, and TC Energy, are among those who have also expressed interest for several months in being chosen by the Alberta government to build and operate such a facility… “Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Frog Lake First Nation, located about 200 km east of Edmonton, describes it as a historic opportunity. "We have to leave Mother Earth in a state where our kids and grandkids can flourish and have fresh water and breathe fresh air. So I think that's the big sales pitch that we need to look at. And secondly, is economic reconciliation with the First Nations," he told the CBC. There is a general feeling by many First Nations and Métis communities in the province that they haven't benefited from oil and gas development nearly as much as they should have, Desjarlais told CBC, and this is an opportunity to begin rectifying the situation. Desjarlais told CBC his group is likely an underdog in the completion, but he's hopeful there could be an advantage in being the only Indigenous-led proposal… “If their bid is unsuccessful, Desjarlais told CBC they are open to working with companies. However, he makes it abundantly clear that his group wants an ownership stake, instead of signing a deal providing benefits to Indigenous communities, like jobs.”
Bloomberg: Chevron CEO Says $100 Oil May Be Coming Within Months
Kevin Crowley, 1/30/22
“Triple-digit oil prices are possible in the next few months as geopolitical risks and “struggling” supply hit global crude markets, said Chevron Corp.’s top executive,” Bloomberg reports. “Demand for petroleum is growing faster than production as the world transitions away from the worst of the pandemic, Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth said Friday on Bloomberg TV. But in contrast to recent years, international politics, such as Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine, are also starting to spook markets, he said. “A few years ago these types of events didn’t seem to really impact commodity markets, and today they seem to be doing so,” he told Bloomberg. Oil priced at “$100 is certainly within the realm of what we could see in the next few months… Longer term we think markets rebalance and prices will moderate.”
Politico: Big Polluters Chart Climate Path Amid Rocky Energy Picture
1/28/22
“The planet's biggest greenhouse gas polluters met Thursday to plan strategies to overcome political, technological and financial hurdles to meet the lofty goals they set in November at the global climate talks in Glasgow,” Politico […] The details: Participants discussed how to account for the contribution from each of the 110 nations that signed a U.S.- and European Union-led pact to curb methane emissions 30 percent globally by 2030, the officials said. The administration officials said some nations might need technical or financial assistance to achieve reductions of the gas, which has more heat-trapping power than carbon dioxide but does not remain in the atmosphere as long. The U.S. raised the prospect of asking nations to write their own domestic plans to reduce methane emissions, which would include countries that did not sign on to the original methane pledge. For example, representatives from China, the world’s top emitter, said it is composing such a strategy in response to a separate bilateral agreement announced with the U.S. in Glasgow. Other ideas that surfaced included quantifying a goal for installing new zero-carbon power and for accelerating electric vehicle deployment.”
Insurance Business: Canada's orphan wells' liability to hit $1 billion in 2025 – report
Lyle Adriano, 1/31/22
“A new report by parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux has estimated that the cost to clean up Alberta and Saskatchewan’s oil and gas wells that lack operators – known as “orphan wells” – would hit just over $1 billion by 2025,” Insurance Business reports. “The report had identified that roughly 10,000 wells in the two provinces are considered orphans, without operators to assume environmental liability for the structures. Currently, it would cost $361 million to clean them, but the report has warned that the figure could rise to $1.1 billion by 2025 as the number of orphan wells swells by 35% a year. Giroux’s report also noted that the industry has paid only about $237 million in security deposits. It also noted that the federal government has earmarked $1.7 billion for well cleanup, with half of the amount given to ten energy companies. The Canadian Press reported that Giroux’s paper does not include any mention of cleanup of pipelines or other energy infrastructure, nor does it state anything about oilsands. The report also does not include liability from the approximately 225,000 wells and Alberta and Saskatchewan that are considered inactive or plugged. Additionally, the report also does not account for the cost to remediate ongoing contamination from underground chemicals or leaks. According to Giroux, there is not enough data on such cleanups to make an estimate. Critics have called out the report, saying that it is making a massive underestimate. “It’s a great disappointment,” Alberta Liabilities Disclosure Project co-founder and lead researcher Regan Boychuk told IB, who added that the report’s focus on orphan wells is misleading.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: This Fed pick is a climate hero. It might sink her nomination
Avery Ellfeld, 1/31/22
“When former President Obama tapped Sarah Bloom Raskin to join the Federal Reserve in 2010, the appointment went smoothly; the Senate unanimously confirmed her nomination to the world’s most powerful central bank,” E&E News reports. “But Raskin is unlikely to get the same treatment this time around now that President Biden has nominated her to return to the Fed as its top banking regulator. Senate Democrats and Republicans in recent years have staked out sharply divergent views on the financial threats of climate change — a topic Raskin has unabashedly spoken out on. At the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, she warned the Fed against pouring federal dollars into beleaguered oil and gas companies that faced an uncertain future long before the virus circled the globe. And she consistently has called on regulators to use all of the tools at their disposal to ensure the firms they oversee prepare for the realities of a warming world… “Republicans, for their part, have warned financial officials against addressing climate issues on the grounds that doing so is inherently political and outside the Fed’s authority. Democrats, progressive groups and a growing number of financial regulatory experts argue the opposite. On Raskin specifically, they tell E&E her climate focus is not only appropriate but necessary, given the solidifying global consensus that rising temperatures pose tangible threats to individual firms and financial systems more broadly… “The majority of Raskin’s other climate positions have revolved around the idea of ensuring individual banks and the financial system are resilient in the face of rising temperatures.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
MyStratfordNow: West Perth Fire Department receives donation from Enbridge Gas
Casey Kenny, 1/30/22
“Enbridge Gas is helping the West Perth Fire Department be fully prepared,” MyStratfordNow reports. “Fifty fire departments are sharing in a $250,000 donation from the company with the funds going towards purchasing firefighting training materials. Since the launch of Enbridge’s Safe Community Project Assist in 2012, 244 grants have been provided to Ontario fire departments for additional firefighter training.”
OPINION
The Daily Yonder: Commentary: For a Rural Community at the Crossroads of Crude Oil, the Politics of Energy Are Complicated
Anna Thompson Hajdik, 1/31/22
“Clearbrook, Minnesota, is a small town of just over 500 people in far northern Minnesota. It sits at the edge of the fertile Red River Valley but is decidedly more “northwoodsy.” Hunting is akin to a second religion. Timber is abundant, as is cultivated wild rice,” Anna Thompson Hajdik writes for The Daily Yonder. “...Clearbrook is also home to three intersecting oil pipelines… “Today, Canadian-based Enbridge Energy is the primary owner of the Clearbrook Terminal and the pipelines. The company employs about 15 permanent on-site workers but is estimated to drive at least 30% of the local economy. Nearly 60% of Clearwater County’s tax base comes from utilities with Enbridge, by far the largest contributor to property tax revenue… “Years later and hundreds of miles from Clearbrook, I began to gain a fuller understanding of the economic and environmental tradeoffs on display near my hometown. Oil spills, several of which were significant in the damage they caused to pristine wetlands around the county had in fact routinely occurred… “Then, in 2007, two men lost their lives when a section of the pipeline exploded and spilled 15,000 gallons of crude oil near Clearbrook. Enbridge was fined $2.4 million and ordered to reduce pumping pressure… “For now, the network of pipelines that bring crude oil down from Canada and through Clearbrook will remain in place and Enbridge will reliably replenish the county’s coffers. However, as the climate warms and American consumers grow less reliant on oil in the decades to come, the story of Clearbrook may become a cautionary tale, of a community left behind in spite of a diversifying energy landscape that could potentially reshape its fortunes.”