EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 2/16/23
PIPELINE NEWS
WIBW: EPA details Keystone oil spill cleanup efforts
Wisconsin Public Radio: Modeling from Enbridge consultant finds 'extremely remote' risk of Line 5 spill reaching Lake Superior
Politico: Iowa regulators won't require safety data for CO2 pipeline
AgWeek: Faced with Summit carbon pipeline, North Dakota county expands setback ordinance
DTN Progressive Farmer: Carbon Pipeline Debate
KMCH: Landowners Concerned about Proposed Pipeline Meet with Delaware County Supervisors
KCHA: Floyd County Makes First Payment for Carbon Pipeline Legal Representation
Fort Dodge Messenger: Summit gives Board of Supervisors pipeline update
KCRG: Summit Carbon Solutions shows counties where it has secured land for pipeline
WAND: Heartland Greenway hopes to install major CO2 pipeline in central Illinois
WJAG: Summit Carbon Solutions proposed pipeline
Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines: Farmer to Farmer - On CO2 Pipelines [VIDEO]
KPNX: Coolidge gas pipeline restarts operations after fiery explosion that killed 2 people
Law360: DC Circ. Questions Timeliness Of Pipeline Rule Challenge
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Bloomberg: Energy Permitting ‘Ripe’ For Bipartisan Overhaul, Lawmakers Say
E&E News: Why Permitting Debate May Go Nuclear
E&E News: Red states bet on 5th Circuit to take down Biden agenda
Associated Press: Alaska Native leaders, US senators back major oil project
InsideClimate News: Environmental Groups and Native Leaders Say Proposed Venting and Flaring Rule Falls Short
STATE UPDATES
Washington Post: Drink bottled water, officials tell Ohio town hit by toxic train crash
EXTRACTION
Washington Post: Rising seas risk climate migration on ‘biblical scale,’ says U.N. chief
Reuters: Canada's Suncor mulling options to replace supply from key oil sands mine
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Groups, lobbyists line up to influence the ESG debate
OPINION
Colorado Sun: Opinion: To regulate methane emissions, Colorado needs clear data
Columbus Dispatch: 'Orphan wells,' methane major pollution concern for Ohio's water, people and animals
Appalachian Voices: Five reasons why the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans for a major gas buildout must be stopped
PIPELINE NEWS
WIBW: EPA details Keystone oil spill cleanup efforts
Sarah Motter, 2/15/23
“Cleanup and recovery efforts for oil spilled into Washington Co.’s Mill Creek from the Keystone pipeline have been detailed by the EPA,” WIBW reports. “...Recovery efforts continue well into February following the release of the cause of the spill. The EPA indicates that oil covered about 1.5 miles of Mill Creek on Dec. 15 and could be found up to 10 inches beneath the surface of the water in parts. As of January, oil covered about 500 feet of the creek with a depth of less than 1 inch. Recovery efforts have now been refocused to identify effective tactics to address the remaining oil. The EPA noted that previous recovery tactics included breaking ice to access oil underneath or collecting ice that oil frozen within it. Crews also used low-pressure flushing and a boom to herd oil to collection points. The recovered oil is then staged in frac tanks where it is separated from the water. According to the Agency, a large water treatment system is under construction which will remove contaminants from the recovered surface water. Meanwhile, the EPA said contaminated soil and debris near the rupture are being excavated, stockpiled, and disposed of.”
Wisconsin Public Radio: Modeling from Enbridge consultant finds 'extremely remote' risk of Line 5 spill reaching Lake Superior
Danielle Kaeding, 2/15/23
“A Canadian energy firm said Wednesday there’s no "credible scenario" where a significant rupture on a proposed reroute of its oil and gas pipeline would reach Lake Superior,” Wisconsin Public Radio reports. “Enbridge said those are the findings of updated oil modeling conducted by its consultant RPS Group, a global professional services firm based in the United Kingdom. The report shared with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Monday examined more than 13,000 spill scenarios on its proposed route and other alternatives. It states the odds of Enbridge’s proposed route experiencing a significant or full-bore rupture represents a 1 in 15.7 million chance for any given year. "In the one in 15 million chance there is a full-bore rupture on this segment, crude oil would not reach Lake Superior even after 48 hours with no emergency response at all," Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner told WPRt. "In reality, the pipeline would be shut down and valves closed in 13 minutes or less and crews would be dispatched immediately to contain and clean up any spill." “...In response to the findings, Bad River Tribal Chairman Mike Wiggins, Jr. told WPR he doesn’t trust data or science coming from Enbridge or its consultant. He told WPR the findings highlight the need for review by federal regulatory agencies. "It's absolutely imperative this is driven by an environmental impact statement at a federal level so that the reserved water rights realm — the treaty-based notions of this forever home that we share as tribal people and with all of our non-tribal relatives — that the considerations for life here are taken into account with true science, not oil company propaganda," Wiggins told WPR… “Paul DeMain, chairman of the board of directors for the Indigenous group Honor the Earth, told WPR the question for him is not if the pipeline leaks, but when. "I don't care to look at the probabilities," DeMain told WPR. "What I see is pipelines leaking here and pipelines bursting there and creating environmental hazards and polluting treaty resources and polluting public water resources and other things."
Politico: Iowa regulators won't require safety data for CO2 pipeline
Jeffrey Tomich, 2/15/23
“In a reversal, Iowa regulators will not require the developer of a 2,000-mile-long carbon dioxide pipeline to submit key safety information in its project application,” Politico reports. “...However, it is not clear where the line between [federal] safety standards and other statutory requirements under federal law and in [state code] is to be drawn," the board wrote in the order. The board said it will later address questions about the gray area between federal jurisdiction over safety standards and state jurisdiction over pipeline siting. But it also noted that Summit Carbon bears the burden of proving the pipeline is in the public interest and determining what evidence it must bring to meet that threshold.”
AgWeek: Faced with Summit carbon pipeline, North Dakota county expands setback ordinance
Jeff Beach, 2/15/23
“A North Dakota county has voted to increase the limitations on where liquid carbon dioxide and other hazardous pipelines can go,” AgWeek reports. “Emmons County, which is on the main trunk of the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions carbon capture pipeline, voted Feb. 7 to increase the setbacks to 2 miles from city limits of towns in the county, and 1 ½ miles from any established residence. It also approved a setback of 500 feet from other buildings. The county’s previous pipeline ordinance had only been a 200 foot setback, which was less than the state requirement of 500 feet. During the meeting, Emmons County Commission Chairman Erin Magrum said the commission needed to have zoning changes completed at least 10 days before a May 9 North Dakota Public Service Commission hearing in Linton on the Summit pipeline… “The people have spoken on it that, overwhelmingly, they want a greater setback, they want a safe distance from this pipeline, specifically,” Magrum said. Emmons County had previously increased fees for conditional use permits that Summit will need to pay 3% of the total project cost, which could amount to $135 million for the $4.5 billion project, and set a requirement for 100% voluntary easements within the county… “But some landowners and local officials have voiced opposition to the pipeline with concerns about safety, lost property values and damage to cropland. “I don’t want to stop development but this is a different monster than an oil pipeline,” Commissioner Dan Materi told AgWeek.
DTN Progressive Farmer: Carbon Pipeline Debate
Chris Clayton, 2/14/23
“Iowa, the state with the world's largest ethanol production, could lose as much as 75% of its ethanol production to neighboring states if lawmakers or other state officials block carbon pipelines from crossing the state. A new study released by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association details financial losses of more than $10 billion a year if the state's ethanol plants do not have a means to sequester carbon and reap the rewards from new federal tax credits,” DTN Progressive Farmer reports. “The study, conducted by Des Moines-based Decision Innovation Solutions, forecasts that Iowa ethanol plants would relocate out-of-state if they cannot take advantage of new tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act such as the Clean Fuel Production Credit, or 45Z, that would generate, on average, roughly 48 cents a gallon tax credit for ethanol by using carbon sequestration. For some ethanol plants, the tax credit could be much higher… “Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, reiterated a point he made last week at his group's annual meeting that the ability to collect those 45Z tax credits will mean "life or death" for ethanol plants in the next five years… “Visiting the Iowa Capitol last week were more than 30 landowners and county officials from northwest Iowa counties of Clay, Dickinson, Emmet and Sioux. The residents were lobbying their lawmakers to get a hearing on at least four bills in the Iowa Senate related to carbon pipelines. At least one bill would ban the use of eminent domain for "hazardous liquid pipelines." A separate bill would set a threshold requiring at least 90% of landowners to sign easements before a company could use eminent domain. So far, the bills haven't received committee hearings. "We're just getting a lot of feeling that this is coming from the top down to squelch it and telling the committee chairs not to bring these bills forward," Dan Wahl of Spirit Lake told DTN. "We are all here on our own dime and had to get up early and pay for gas to come down here. We're being advised to work from the bottom up and do a lot of talking to people that are willing to listen." “...A landowner and pipeline opponent also provided DTN with a letter from a State Farm agent about liability coverage. The letter stated liability insurance doesn't cover damage from discharges or exposure to contaminants and noted landowners would have "significant personal liability exposure" from having a CO2 pipeline run through their property. The State Farm agent added, "As time passes, nearby landowners may change hands, the pipeline owners and operators may change, future technology may render the pipeline useless or ineffective. All of these factors, among others, increase the potential that you may be held personally liable in the future for cleanup, removal and other activities that could cause damage as a result of this pipeline being installed."
KMCH: Landowners Concerned about Proposed Pipeline Meet with Delaware County Supervisors
Janelle Tucker, 2/15/23
“Landowners concerned about the proposed pipeline coming through Delaware County met with the County Board of Supervisors on Friday morning,” KMCH reports. “...Landowners expected to be impacted by the pipeline project were contacted last year by the company, with a hearing held in Manchester last August. Since then, residents have been sharing their concerns with elected officials in hopes to stop the pipeline from coming through. Supervisor Shirley Helmrichs says around twenty people showed up for a respectful discussion with the County on Friday, with safety still the landowners’ main concern. The Delaware County Board of Supervisors publicly announced last August they are opposed to the pipeline. And Helmrichs says six months later, the County is continuing to look into what they can do to prevent the pipeline from coming.”
KCHA: Floyd County Makes First Payment for Carbon Pipeline Legal Representation
Mark Pitz, 2/15/23
“Last month, Floyd County Supervisors voted to hire a Des Moines law firm to help them establish more local control over the possible construction of underground carbon capture pipelines in the County,” KCHA reports. “With both Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 Ventures wanting to build pipelines in Floyd County, the County contracted with Ahlers and Cooney, PC, to provide a strong voice during the permitting process through the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). At their regular meeting Monday (02.13), the Board approved the first payments for their legal counsel totalling about $7000, which Supervisor Chair Mark Kuhn noted would be paid with County ARPA funds.”
Fort Dodge Messenger: Summit gives Board of Supervisors pipeline update
KELBY WINGERT, 2/15/23
“Summit Carbon Solutions, developer of one of the two carbon capture pipelines proposed to cross through Webster County, told the Webster County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that it has obtained nearly three-quarters of the needed voluntary easements from property owners along the pipeline’s path in the county,” the Fort Dodge Messenger reports. “...Riley Gibson, a spokesperson for Summit from Turnkey Logistics, presented the update to the board on Tuesday. According to Gibson, as of Feb. 8, Summit has acquired voluntary easements from property owners along 22.46 miles of the route through Webster County, which is 73.27 percent of the current 27.94-mile route… “Many landowners over the last two years have opposed the project and the possibility that the Iowa Utilities Board could grant Summit eminent domain on the pieces of property that the company is not able to acquire voluntary easements for. During its April 26, 2022, meeting, the Board of Supervisors signed a letter to the Iowa Utilities Board to record its objection to the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipeline projects… “We’re very optimistic that we’re going to be able to continue to work with landowners,” Gibson told the Board. “Our goal has been 100% voluntary [easements] from the very beginning, so we’re going to keep working for that.”
KCRG: Summit Carbon Solutions shows counties where it has secured land for pipeline
Ethan Stein, 2/15/23
“Summit Carbon Solutions, which is one of the three different companies trying to create a carbon capture pipeline in Iowa, released data on their ability to gain access to land by county in an email to lawmakers Wednesday morning,” KCRG reports. “The company said enough landowners have voluntarily signed easement agreements, which will allow it to build two-thirds of the proposed route in Iowa earlier this month… “A variety of people, including farmers, have criticized the plans to build carbon capture pipelines from a variety of companies across the United States… “Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is a senior policy advisor for Summit Carbon Solutions. Jess Vilsack, who is the son of United States Secretary of Agriculture and Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsac, is the company’s general counsel.”
WAND: Heartland Greenway hopes to install major CO2 pipeline in central Illinois
Alyssa Patrick, 2/15/23
“A carbon capture company is hoping to install a 1,300 mile pipeline across the Midwest, with injection points in Central Illinois,” WAND reports. The Heartland Greenway Project, created by the company Navigator CO2, hopes to stop 15 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. "Which is equivalent of removing the greenhouse gas emissions of 3.2 million vehicles driven annually," Danielle Anderson, Public Affairs Manager for Navigator CO2, said during a virtual town hall Wednesday night… “Heartland Greenway representatives said the pipeline will create 1,900 permanent jobs and pay more than $30-million in property taxes each year. But they'll need approval from hundreds of landowners to install the pipe through their properties. "They're leaving in the line to Christian County, so this is in addition more farm land damaged, more people's lives at risk," Kathleen Campbell, an organizer with the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines, told WAND. Environmental advocates are asking landowners and farmers to deny the company access, worried about long term damage to farms and safety risks. "Its actually quite frightening and they're going so close to housing- not recognizing the safety risk to the homeowners. If that ruptures, these people could die," Campbell told WAND.
WJAG: Summit Carbon Solutions proposed pipeline
Trevor Dempster, 2/16/23
“Summit Carbon Solutions is looking to the future of agriculture by making more opportunities ethanol producers and making the market stronger for Midwest farmers,” WJAG reports. “Jesse Harris, the Director of Public Affairs at SCS, told NewsTalk WJAG what the pipeline is all about. "Our project would allow the capture of the carbon dioxide currently being emitted in our atmosphere and transport it in a pipeline system and store it safely underground in North Dakota." Harris goes on to say that the pipeline would allow ethanol producers to be able to sell their product in a premium in low carbon fuel markets. Those markets include Canada, California, Oregon, and Washington State.”
Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines: Farmer to Farmer - On CO2 Pipelines [VIDEO]
2/13/23
“The construction of CO2 pipelines across Illinois' prime farmland has devastating consequences for farmers,” according to the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines. “They include soil erosion and loss of valuable topsoil; mixing of soils; soil compaction from working in wet fields; and severed drain tiles. Studies from Iowa State and Ohio University show that these activities result in reduced crop yield and fields that may never fully recover. Steve Hess, landowner and farmer in McDonough County Illinois, gives a detailed look at the impacts of pipeline construction on farmland and why he is opposed to Navigator's Heartland Greenway CO2 Pipeline and Wolf Carbon Solutions / ADM's Mt. Simon Hub.”
KPNX: Coolidge gas pipeline restarts operations after fiery explosion that killed 2 people
Kevin Reagan, 2/15/23
“The gas pipeline near Coolidge that ruptured and caused an explosion that killed two people in 2021 has restarted operations, officials said,” KPNX reports. “On Aug. 15, 2021, residents from throughout Pinal County reported hearing and feeling an explosion from the area of Randolph and Vail roads. The fiery blast destroyed a nearby farmhouse occupied by a local family. A 14-year-old girl and her father were killed in the explosion. Nearby farm animals sustained burn injuries, including a cow that died not long after the explosion, public records show. The pipeline's operator, Kinder Morgan, restricted production after the incident and the National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation into the explosion. Now 18 months later, the pipeline has resumed operations again for commercial service.”
Law360: DC Circ. Questions Timeliness Of Pipeline Rule Challenge
Katie Buehler, 2/15/23
“A D.C. Circuit panel is questioning whether two oil and gas trade groups timely filed their appeal of a federal law requiring rupture-mitigation valves on certain gas gathering lines, and have asked the groups and federal regulators to submit briefs on the appropriate appeal deadline,” Law360 reports.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Bloomberg: Energy Permitting ‘Ripe’ For Bipartisan Overhaul, Lawmakers Say
Kellie Lunney and Stephen Lee, 2/15/23
“The House is poised to move first on a revamp of federal permitting rules for energy projects, with a bill that could come as soon as this spring, according to lawmakers involved in the effort,” Bloomberg reports. “House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) told Bloomberg Republicans will use the BUILDER Act, a measure introduced in the last Congress by Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), as the “starting point” for permitting legislation in the House. That bill sought to update the National Environmental Policy Act by expediting timeframes associated with reviews. Graves, a member of both the Natural Resources and Transportation and Infrastructure panels, told reporters last week that a similar measure to the BUILDER Act could be reintroduced “in the next few weeks.” “...About 25 Senate offices and 65 House offices are discussing tailored changes to multiple laws in addition to NEPA, including the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, and Antiquities Act, Alex Herrgott, former head of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council and a key adviser during the White House and congressional negotiations over Manchin’s bill, told Bloomberg. Herrgott, who is coordinating talks among congressional offices, told Bloomberg a draft that is still in the works would take a more targeted approach to speeding up permitting decisions than Manchin’s earlier bill. Some specific issues under discussion include managing sage grouse and right whale populations while also developing solar and offshore wind energy, finding ways to expand ports for liquefied natural gas and hydrogen exports, and encouraging the development of geothermal energy—a sector that is “currently experiencing so many obstacles that it’s not worth people putting capital at risk,” Herrgott, now president of the Permitting Institute, a pro-development organization, told Bloomberg.
E&E News: Why Permitting Debate May Go Nuclear
Nico Portuondo, 2/15/23
“Looking for bipartisan permitting reform this year? Nuclear energy could be your best bet,” E&E News reports. “Members of both parties are finding rare common ground on nuclear energy between traditional Republican nuclear boosters and climate-minded Democrats who are increasingly convinced that the zero-carbon energy is pivotal for the transition to a clean energy future. The bipartisan consensus has already produced results. Hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and tax credits for existing and new nuclear projects were included in the Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. Now lawmakers are beginning to coalesce around a new, more controversial target for this year: burdensome safety and environmental regulations on new and existing nuclear plants.”
E&E News: Red states bet on 5th Circuit to take down Biden agenda
Pamela King, Niina H. Farah, Lesley Clark, 2/15/23
“When Republican-led states seek to block President Joe Biden’s environmental policies, there is one court they turn to more often than any other,” E&E News reports. “Nearly half of all multistate lawsuits against the Biden administration have been filed in federal district courts that feed cases to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — a bench where three-quarters of the active judges were tapped by Republican presidents, and half of those GOP nominees arrived at the court under former President Donald Trump. “Republican attorneys general, when they can, have tried to get into the 5th Circuit for two reasons,” Paul Nolette, associate professor and chair in the political science department at Marquette University, who tracks multistate challenges, told E&E. “There’s a lot of Republican judges, and the judges are much more — for a lack of a better term — activist.” According to data compiled by Nolette, 43 percent of multistate lawsuits from Republican attorneys general against the Biden administration have originated in federal district courts under the purview of the 5th Circuit, which covers just three states: Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi… “But the fact that an outsized number of GOP lawsuits against Biden are landing in the 5th Circuit is notable because some judges on the court have been receptive to burgeoning legal theories — such as the “major questions” doctrine — that are helping conservatives wage war against federal regulations, Nolette told E&E. “It’s not all about the law here,” he told E&E. “Part of it is legitimizing arguments that might have once been considered an off-the-wall argument.” “...The 5th Circuit has also been a favored venue for challenges to the Biden administration’s Covid-19 mandates, some of which helped build legal precedent later used to dismantle environmental rules. If red states or industry groups are able to secure an injunction against a Biden regulation in district court that is then upheld by the 5th Circuit, the rule freeze could only be tossed out by the Supreme Court — which declines to hear most cases and is currently dominated by six Republican-appointed justices.”
Associated Press: Alaska Native leaders, US senators back major oil project
BECKY BOHRER, 2/16/23
“Alaska’s Republican U.S. senators and several Alaska Native leaders on Tuesday urged the federal government to approve a major oil project on the petroleum-rich North Slope, casting the project as economically critical for Indigenous communities in the region and important for the nation’s energy security,” the Associated Press reports. “The Biden administration “damn well better not kill the project, period,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski told reporters on a video conference. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management earlier this month released an environmental review for ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Willow project that listed as a preferred alternative an option calling for up to three drill sites initially, compared to the five that had been favored by the company. It is an option project proponents, including Alaska’s bipartisan congressional delegation, have expressed support for. But Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan told AP any further limiting of the project could kill it… “Leaders in Nuiqsut, about 36 miles (58 kilometers) from the Willow project, have expressed concerns. So have environmentalists, who say approval would lead to further development and be inconsistent with President Joe Biden’s climate goals… “City of Nuiqsut Mayor Rosemary Ahtuangaruak told AP there are “many who would like to say everybody in Alaska supports oil and gas development. Well, for our village, this development is in the wrong area.” “Our concerns are real. It’s about our way of life, the life, health and safety of our village,” she told AP.
InsideClimate News: Environmental Groups and Native Leaders Say Proposed Venting and Flaring Rule Falls Short
Autumn Jones, 2/15/23
“Oil companies collect crude in tanks by their pumps but often vent the methane gas that also comes up out of the ground into the air, unwilling to invest in the infrastructure to capture it,” InsideClimate News reports. “ While the companies pay royalties to landowners for the liquid petroleum they take, no payments are made for the vented methane, a wasted resource that is more than 80 times more effective at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide… “A new rule advancing at the Bureau of Land Management proposes to charge oil producers for the gas they release or burn on federal and Indigenous land. But the proposal falls short of the Biden administration’s commitment to eliminate regular venting and flaring by the oil and gas industries by 2030 through investments in innovations to create more environmentally friendly infrastructure for fossil fuel extraction. Instead, the rule would require oil and gas operators to submit waste minimization proposals to the BLM and would charge royalties on gas when it is flared or vented in certain circumstances. It would also encourage operators to adopt technologies for capturing the gas… “In the proposal for the rule, the BLM states it chose not to require gas released by oil wells to be captured because that process would be too difficult to regulate and not necessarily better at controlling waste or drawing royalty payments. Opponents say it is irresponsible not to adopt capturing technologies that are currently available… “There is a disconnect between the federal government and tribal communities, Mario Entencio, a board member of Diné Citizens Against Destroying our Environment (CARE) based in New Mexico, told ICN… “They aren’t embracing science,” he told ICN. “There is still deep environmental racism.” With oil and gas facilities disproportionately located in and near their communities, Native Americans face greater risks from pollution generated by the extraction of the fossil fuels than other populations, resulting in dramatic health disparities and the dismantling of tribal culture. “The United States has deeply dishonored itself,” Entencio told ICN.
STATE UPDATES
Washington Post: Drink bottled water, officials tell Ohio town hit by toxic train crash
Nick Keppler, Justine McDaniel and Anna Phillips, 2/15/23
“Eleven days after a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling toxic chemicals and causing a massive fire, officials told residents to drink bottled water, heightening concerns about the environmental and public health effects of the accident,” the Washington Post reports. “As a large plume of contamination flows down the Ohio River, killing about 3,500 fish in local waterways, Ohio Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said at a news conference Tuesday that “bottled water’s the right answer.” In addition to wondering about their drinking water, residents have worried about a strong odor of toxic chemicals hanging over the town… “Vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate were the primary chemicals that were released, Ohio EPA spokesman James Lee told The Post on Tuesday. The others included ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate. “I wouldn’t want to be exposed to any of them in significant amounts,” Erik D. Olson, a senior strategic director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, told the Post. “They all pose hazards if inhaled.”
EXTRACTION
Washington Post: Rising seas risk climate migration on ‘biblical scale,’ says U.N. chief
Rachel Pannett, 2/15/23
“The head of the United Nations has warned that rising sea levels caused by global warming could spur a mass migration of entire populations from low-lying areas on a “biblical scale,” the Washington Post reports. “Speaking to the Security Council in New York about the impact of sea level rises on global peace and security, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said that some 900 million people live in low-lying coastal areas. “Under any scenario, countries like Bangladesh, China, India and the Netherlands are all at risk,” Guterres said Tuesday, adding that such migration could lead to disputes over land and maritime territory. “Megacities on every continent will face serious impacts including Lagos, Maputo, Bangkok, Dhaka, Jakarta, Mumbai, Shanghai, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, New York, Buenos Aires and Santiago.” Guterres cited data compiled by the World Meteorological Organization that shows global sea levels have risen faster, on average, since the year 1900 than in any century in the past 3,000 years. Oceans have warmed at a faster rate over the past century than at any time in the preceding 11,000 years, the WMO says. “Our world is hurtling past the 1.5C warming limit that a liveable future requires, and with present policies, is careening towards 2.8C,” Guterres said Tuesday, according to a transcript of his speech. He described a temperature change of that level as a “death sentence for vulnerable countries.”
Reuters: Canada's Suncor mulling options to replace supply from key oil sands mine
Nia Williams, 2/15/23
“Canada's Suncor Energy (SU.TO) on Wednesday said it is weighing options for replacing around 200,000 barrels per day of raw bitumen supply from its largest oil sands mine, which is set to run out by the mid-2030s,” Reuters reports. “Base Mine, situated just north of the oil sands hub of Fort McMurray, feeds two upgraders at Suncor's Base Plant in northern Alberta that produce roughly 350,000 barrels per day of high-value synthetic crude. Suncor's plans to replace the depleting reserves ran into political hurdles last year, when the federal government warned the company that its initial proposal to extend Base Mine would not pass an environmental review because projected carbon emissions were too high… “These include developing thermal oil sands projects just east of Base Plant, increasing production from its Firebag project nearby and boosting supply from its Fort Hills mine, which is linked to Base Plant via a 40,000 barrel-per-day pipeline… “If Suncor can acquire fresh reserves to feed the upgraders from existing projects, like Fort Hills or Firebag, it could avoid an impact assessment, Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist at Greenpeace Canada, told Reuters.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Groups, lobbyists line up to influence the ESG debate
Timothy Cama, 2/16/23
“Congressional Republicans’ crusade to stymie the Biden administration’s sustainable investing policies has kicked lobbyists and other advocates into high gear,” E&E News reports. “Efforts to encourage or punish so-called environment, social and governance (ESG) investing has in recent years focused heavily on state governments, some of which have banned certain financial institutions from pushing companies to clean up their operations… “Organizations affiliated with conservative causes and industry are lining up to oppose ESG policies. While they support investors doing whatever they want with their money, ESG critics tell E&E the left simply wants to bully fund managers and institutions to quash fossil fuels. “I think that’s a breach of fiduciary duty,” Will Hild, executive director of the group Consumers’ Research, told E&E News, referring to the obligation some asset managers have to maximize financial returns above all. “It’s an improper use of public funds to push a political agenda.” Consumers’ Research, which has championed other conservative causes like fighting corporate diversity initiatives, has focused heavily on ESG in recent years. It counts Leonard Leo, the former executive vice president of the Federalist Society, as a prominent adviser… “Groups like the National Association of Manufacturers argue that while their member companies are making advances on sustainability and similar priorities, regulatory actions like the DOL rule amount to unworkable mandates… “ESG supporters, meanwhile, have been mobilizing in support of the rule and opposition to the legislation to repeal it, with a particular focus on shoring up support among Senate Democrats. The coalition includes mainstream environmental groups that until recently had not been heavily involved on finance issues in this way.”
OPINION
Colorado Sun: Opinion: To regulate methane emissions, Colorado needs clear data
Jennifer Miskimins, of Golden, is professor and head of the Petroleum Engineering Department at Colorado School of Mines; Jim Crompton, of Colorado Springs, is a professor of practice of petroleum engineering at Colorado School of Mines, 2/15/23
“Greenhouse gas reporting from upstream oil and gas production isn’t new; it’s been required in the United States and Canada since 2010. The long-accepted method of understanding these emissions from industrial sources is a well-established process based on estimates, Jennifer Miskimins and Jim Crompton write for the Colorado Sun. “But recent academic studies have cast doubt on the accuracy of this approach. Now, regulatory agencies are moving towards measuring and moving away from estimating emissions… “The Colorado Air Pollution Control Division is currently developing a rule to ensure a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas upstream operations. The new rulemaking is due out in April 2023 and would define how operators calculate their greenhouse gas intensity, monitor operations to ensure compliance, and account for all emissions from their operations. But this is still just an annual reporting requirement. Many activists want facilities to provide direct, verified measurements on a real-time basis. While states are creating more stringent regulations for methane emissions and are starting to limit gas flaring and venting, those efforts are hampered by a lack of robust, clear emissions data… “When you measure matters… “How you measure matters… “How you report the measurements matter… “Until methane emissions are fully measured, monitored, controlled, and reduced, the position of natural gas as a leading transition fuel and partner with renewable energy will remain open to debate.”
Columbus Dispatch: 'Orphan wells,' methane major pollution concern for Ohio's water, people and animals
Molly Jo Stanley is Southeast Ohio regional director at the Ohio Environmental Council, 2/15/23
“Methane set a record for the second year in a row, scientists reported, just as the United Nations' panel on climate change warned the world is running out of time to rein in fossil fuel emissions,” Molly Jo Stanley writes for the Columbus Dispatch. “...The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released new draft rules on methane emissions in November 2022, aimed at cutting methane and other harmful pollutants from oil and gas operations across the nation. While a critical step forward, more must be done to finalize the strongest protections possible. Leaks from oil and gas wells are common sources of methane pollution… “When left unplugged, they are prone to leaking oil and other toxic chemicals, threatening water sources and emitting methane. A 2022 analysis showed Ohio had 20,349 orphan wells — the highest of any state nationwide… “Not only do strong methane protections reduce pollution and protect public health, they also create new opportunities for goodpaying jobs in methane mitigation and reduction… “There is still time to make your voice heard and tell the U.S. EPA to finalize the strongest rule possible to keep communities like ours safe and healthy.”
Appalachian Voices: Five reasons why the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans for a major gas buildout must be stopped
Brianna Knisley, 2/15/23
“The Tennessee Valley Authority is the country’s largest federal utility, but most people outside of its seven-state service area are probably not aware of how they will be affected by this unregulated utility’s bad actions,” Brianna Knisley writes for Appalachian Voices. “TVA is currently ignoring federal climate goals for a 100% carbon-free energy sector by 2035 to push forward a plan for the second-largest fossil fuel buildout of any utility in the country. These plans will line the pockets of two mega gas corporations, fuel climate change and devastate southeastern habitat and public health… “Reason #1: TVA’s gas plans are bad for local ecology… “Reason #2: It’s bad for the local economy… “Reason #3: It’s devastating for the climate… Reason #4: It’s bad for health and environmental justice… “Reason #5: There are better options! There are many reasons why renewable options are a better choice for replacing TVA’s retiring coal plants. Studies have shown that renewable alternatives, when compared to gas, would offer billions in cost savings over the next two decades, reduce pollution dramatically, and provide significantly more temporary and permanent jobs… “Increasing these renewable and energy efficiency resources will help reduce the strain on TVA’s power grid and improve reliability by diversifying TVA’s energy mix with more abundant, renewable resources.”