EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 4/27/22
PIPELINE NEWS
Press release: AG Healey Urges FERC to Scrutinize Impacts of New Pipeline Projects on Environmental Justice, Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Law360: Unions Say Shuttering Wis. Pipeline Would Devastate Region
Bloomberg: Local Pipeline Protections Stymied by Bill Passed in Tennessee
Missouri Independent: Documents show Spire scrambling for survival of St. Louis pipeline after court ruling
Bismarck Tribune: Proposed CO2 pipeline prompts big turnout, many questions at Farm Bureau event
KPVI: Hundreds of South Dakota residents concerned about proposed carbon pipeline
WHO: Webster Co Supervisors speak up against eminent domain for carbon pipeline
Moody County Enterprise: Proposed C02 pipeline team meets with County Commissioners
Aberdeen News: Jail building purchase, carbon dioxide pipeline among topics at Brown Co. Commission forum
KELO: Carbon sequestration pipeline could bring $90M in tax revenue to South Dakota
Bismarck Tribune: Oil pipeline project moving forward after pandemic slowed plans; North Dakota regulators set hearing
Press release: Enterprise and Oxy Low Carbon Ventures Sign Letter of Intent for Gulf Coast CO2 Transportation and Sequestration Project
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: GREENS GROUPS' CLIMATE HAIL MARY
E&E News: 'We need gas.' Kerry pivots after putting industry on notice
Reuters: U.S. energy secretary says oil, gas output will continue to increase
Politico: ADD ANOTHER LAWSUIT TO THE PILE
Politico: FERC GETS MORE FEEDBACK ON GHG POLICY
Politico: NO LNG PASS FOR FERC
E&E News: DOE unveils $500M loan for massive ‘clean hydrogen’ project
STATE UPDATES
Texas Tribune: In Texas, thousands in fines paid by oil and gas polluters benefit the fossil fuel industry
DeSmog: ‘This Needs to Be Fixed’: Nuclear Expert Calls Radioactivity Levels Found Outside Ohio Oilfield Waste Facility ‘Excessive’
EXTRACTION
Yahoo News: Poll: Public split between clean energy, oil drilling in response to high gas prices
New York Times: Why U.S. Oil Companies Aren’t Riding to Europe’s Rescue
Bloomberg: Canada’s Oil Sands Need C$65 Billion to Hit 2030 Climate Goals
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Investors at 3 major banks defeat climate resolutions
Press release: Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition Members Respond to Climate Votes at Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo Shareholder Meetings
Reuters: Environment group warns Shell board on liability for emission targets
OPINION
Galesburg Register-Mail: LETTER: Transporting CO2 through proposed pipeline dangerous
Rolling Stone: Banks Must Divest From the Coastal GasLink Pipeline — or Hollywood Might Divest From Them
Financial Post: Ukraine crisis reveals hard truth that the world isn't ready for the energy transition
WyoFile: Wyo officials think customers should pay $1B to ‘save’ coal
PIPELINE NEWS
Press release: AG Healey Urges FERC to Scrutinize Impacts of New Pipeline Projects on Environmental Justice, Greenhouse Gas Emissions
4/26/22
“Attorney General Maura Healey led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing comments calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to thoroughly consider the impacts of proposed natural gas projects on communities that are already overburdened with environmental harm and on greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. In comments filed yesterday on two new proposed policies relating to FERC’s review of natural gas infrastructure projects, the coalition commended the development of a framework to analyze greenhouse gas emissions and update its pipeline certification policy to respond to significant changes that have occurred since the commission last promulgated such a policy in 1999. The coalition’s comments also urged FERC to go further to acknowledge the need to drastically reduce investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure and to protect the rights and interests of landowners and communities, especially those with environmental justice concerns. “For far too long, federal policies have unjustly forced our historically marginalized communities to disproportionately suffer from the impacts of climate change and other environmental harms,” AG Healey said. “FERC must now follow through on its commitment to take a harder look at proposals for new gas pipelines, and we urge it to go further to ensure we are not burdening our communities with new projects that will pollute our air and make it harder for states to meet our climate goals.” “...Today’s comments were led by AG Healey and joined by the attorneys general of Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia.”
Law360: Unions Say Shuttering Wis. Pipeline Would Devastate Region
Caleb Symons, 4/26/22
“More than a dozen trade unions told a Wisconsin federal court Monday that shutting down a controversial Enbridge Energy Co. pipeline could cost thousands of workers their jobs and devastate communities across the Midwest and Canada, Law360 reports. In an amicus brief, North America’s Building Trades Unions joined with United Steelworkers in urging the court not to close a nine-mile section of Line 5 that belongs to the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians.”
Bloomberg: Local Pipeline Protections Stymied by Bill Passed in Tennessee
4/26/22
“A Tennessee bill that would cut the ability of cities and towns to stop oil and gas pipelines is headed to the desk of Gov. Bill Lee (R), who is expected to sign it,” Bloomberg reports. “The bill, S.B. 2077/H.B. 2246, would make local governments surrender considerable authority to the state over pipelines. Environmental advocates and some local officials said they fear the legislation could permit fossil fuel companies to build in disregard of certain regional rules. The state House voted 68-25 Monday evening, following an earlier Senate vote of 22-7.”
Missouri Independent: Documents show Spire scrambling for survival of St. Louis pipeline after court ruling
MARIO ALEJANDRO ARIZA, 4/27/22
“Deep into Missouri’s feverish summer, a St. Louis hardware store owner found his customers clamoring for something surprising: Electric space heaters,” the Missouri Independent reports. “...The reason? The local gas utility company was warning people that, come winter, they might not have heat. Spire Inc — an investor-owned gas conglomerate — issued the warnings last year after a court ordered it to shut down its new 65-mile STL Pipeline. The court ruled that the company hadn’t proved to federal regulators that the customer-funded $287 million project was even needed. Spire’s only buyer for the gas from the pipeline was the utility it owns, Spire Missouri Inc. Critics said Spire was self dealing, at the expense of captive gas customers… “At the same time, records show Spire was working on another strategic interest — undercutting its biggest threat, the transition to renewable energy. Spire has worked closely with other gas utilities that are waging a national campaign against climate action, records show. “...But the temporary permit hasn’t quelled Spire’s issues with at least a half dozen property owners whose land it seized for its pipeline. Jacob Gettings is one of them. A scar of disturbed dirt extends across the green acres of his soybean farm — once some of the most productive cropland in the Midwest. The pipeline, he tells the Independent, has messed up the drainage of his fields. “Before I retired I had the second highest yield on soybeans in the state,” Gettings told the Independent. He argued in FERC filings that the company owed him millions in damages, but Spire disagrees. “Do I feel like the system is broken? Absolutely,” Gettings told the Independent. “If FERC would have done their proper footwork this pipeline would never have been put in and my property would never have been damaged.”
Bismarck Tribune: Proposed CO2 pipeline prompts big turnout, many questions at Farm Bureau event
AMY R. SISK, 4/26/22
“So many central North Dakota landowners packed into a hotel event room in Bismarck this week that some had to peer in from the hallway to hear discussion over a carbon dioxide pipeline slated to pick up emissions from ethanol plants across the Upper Midwest,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “The crowded room was a sign of growing interest, confusion and concern over Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed Midwest Carbon Express… “North Dakota Farm Bureau hosted the event Monday night, inviting several attorneys who have represented landowners on other energy issues to answer questions from those in attendance. “I have had the opportunity to lead the organization for 6 ½ years now,” Farm Bureau President Daryl Lies said. “In that 6 ½ years, I have not had another single issue that I have received more messages, more phone calls, more emails about than this issue. That’s saying a lot.” “...Summit Executive Vice President Wade Boeshans told the Tribune on Tuesday that the company anticipates filing an application with the PSC within the next couple months. The company is taking steps first to pin down the pipeline’s route, such as securing rights-of-way and completing environmental studies, he said. Questions from meeting attendees included where the pipeline will go, what work the company might do to restore land, and what amount of compensation will be offered. One woman asked if there was any chance of stopping the pipeline altogether… “A petition circulated during Monday's meeting, and some attendees signed it to indicate their opposition to the use of eminent domain for the project. Landowners have presented similar petitions to local leaders elsewhere in the state and say that county commissions in Richland, Sargent and Dickey counties have adopted resolutions opposing the use of eminent domain to seize land for the pipeline. Some plan to present the petition to Burleigh County next week.”
KPVI: Hundreds of South Dakota residents concerned about proposed carbon pipeline
Kim Jarrett, 4/26/22
“The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has received hundreds of applications for party status as it decides whether a carbon capture pipeline should wind through the state,” KPVI reports. “...The PUC will discuss whether or not to grant party status to the applicants when they meet on Thursday, according to the agenda… “Some of the governments said in their applications that local utility lines are in the path. In its application, the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems said that "it appears that as many as eleven of SDARWS Member Companies could be directly impacted by this proposed pipeline." Others say they want party status because they are concerned about the environmental impact the pipeline would have. One organization said carbon dioxide pipelines are not worth the risk. The Pipeline Safety Trust issued a report last month outlining its concerns. "Carbon dioxide has different physical properties from products typically moved in hazardous hydrocarbon liquid or natural gas transmission pipelines," the organization said. 'Those differences pose unique safety hazards and greatly increase the possible affected area or potential impact radius upon a pipeline release that would endanger the public. CO2 pipeline ruptures can impact areas measured in miles, not feet. The way regulations currently consider and mitigate for the risks posed by hydrocarbon pipelines in communities are neither appropriate nor sufficient for CO2 pipelines."
WHO: Webster Co Supervisors speak up against eminent domain for carbon pipeline
Roger Riley, 4/26/22
“The Webster County Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to ask the Iowa Utilities Board to no allow the use of Public Domain for a carbon pipeline,” WHO reports. “At the last Board of Supervisors meeting we had some people come express their interest in us signing a letter asking the Iowa Utility Board not to give eminent domain to a private company,” said Mark Campbell, Chair of the Webster County Board of Supervisors, “We support any growth and Iowa and Webster County when it comes to industries and other companies, however when a private pipeline wants to use eminent domain to go across somebody’s property they should work with that property owner to figure out a way to make it work for everybody.” Webster County joins more than 20 counties which have already made a request to the Iowa Utilities Board. “I’ve no tilled my farm for over 10 years I said it takes a long time to build up that soil structure,” said Allen Hayek, who has farmed with his family in the area over 60 years, “They’re they’re just going to literally tear it up in one year and it’ll take me another 10 years to build it back up again.”
Moody County Enterprise: Proposed C02 pipeline team meets with County Commissioners
Carleen Wild, 4/26/22
“As plans continue to be made by Heartland Greenway and Navigator C02 Ventures on a proposed carbon capture pipeline that would originate just to the north of Moody County, and run south through the county, company officials this past week paid a visit to Moody County Commissioners,” the Moody County Enterprise reports. “...The group, besides the initial information presented, also offered what were considered brand new numbers as to the economic impact of the pipeline. Heartland Greenway and Navigator C02 expect to file an application for the pipeline with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission sometime this summer or early fall… “The pipelines remain a source of controversy both in terms of whether or not they work as intended and because the work to build them relies on eminent domain if property owners along the route do not agree voluntarily to the lines running through their properties. Clayton Rentschler contacted the Moody County Enterprise and asked that landowners with concerns join the South Dakota Easement Team’s efforts to be a unified voice for Moody County and other state landowners potentially affected by the pipeline. “The more that sign on and the sooner they do it, the better our voice will be heard with the PUC,” he said. There is also an email that goes out to landowners and others who want to learn more. To learn more, log onto https://forms.gle/8oAcBKY3FDR4XEw28.”
Aberdeen News: Jail building purchase, carbon dioxide pipeline among topics at Brown Co. Commission forum
Elisa Sand, 4/27/22
“The recent purchase of a $4.5 million building to be used as the future site of a regional jail in Brown County was one of several topics up for discussion at Tuesday's county commission candidate forum,” the Aberdeen News reports. “...Candidates were also asked how they feel about a possible carbon dioxide sequestration pipeline… “Of the many concerns expressed at recent public meetings, one is whether a private, for-profit company should be able to use eminent domain to secure the land if easements aren't signed by the property owners. It's something the candidates agree is a bad idea. Gage said if easements are secured for the project, that's fine, but he's not in favor of Summit Carbon Solutions having eminent domain authority. Dennert, who continues to have safety and environmental concerns about the project, said he doesn't believe a pipeline rises to the level of using eminent domain. While he agrees eminent domain has its place for public infrastructure like power lines, Fjeldheim said it shouldn't be available to a private, for-profit company. Russell is also opposes eminent domain and said something else will come along that doesn't require a pipeline… “Fischbach, who opposes the pipeline and is concerned what would happen if a crack in the line were to occur, said he also opposes the use of eminent domain. Aside from eminent domain, Wiese said he's concerned about training in case there's an incident with the pipeline and about the overall necessity of the project.”
KELO: Carbon sequestration pipeline could bring $90M in tax revenue to South Dakota
Todd Epp, 4/27/22
“A new study shows that Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed carbon capture, transportation, and storage project could mean almost $90 million in state and local tax income for South Dakota,” KELO reports. “...The projected new property tax dollars generated for those five counties ranges from over $370,000 in Hyde County to more than $1.1 million in McPherson County. During the construction phase, Summit Carbon Solutions estimates a $795 million investment in South Dakota, with another $37 million in expenditures and $15 million in state and local taxes coming in during the operations phase… “The data– compiled by accounting and professional services company Ernst & Young– shows the pipeline project will create jobs, generate new tax revenue for communities, support local suppliers and strengthen the Midwest regional economy.”
Bismarck Tribune: Oil pipeline project moving forward after pandemic slowed plans; North Dakota regulators set hearing
AMY R. SISK, 4/25/22
“Plans for a $122 million pipeline slated to carry Bakken oil toward a Wyoming hub are moving forward after the coronavirus pandemic stalled the project,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “Bridger Pipeline is building the 145-mile South Bend Pipeline from Johnsons Corner in McKenzie County to one of the company’s pipeline facilities in eastern Montana. The pipeline is expected to transport up to 105,000 barrels per day, with the potential to expand up to 250,000 barrels per day in the future. The North Dakota Public Service Commission is tasked with permitting pipelines and is slated to hold a hearing for the project on May 5 in Watford City. Bridger estimates construction will take at least six months, and the company aims to begin operating the pipeline by the end of the year, according to an application it filed with the PSC. South Bend would be the first major oil export pipeline built in North Dakota since Dakota Access began operating in 2017, Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority, told the Tribune… “Oil carried through South Bend is expected to eventually arrive in Guernsey before moving elsewhere. “This pipeline will be part of the only direct route for Bakken oil to the trading hub in Cushing, Oklahoma,” Bridger said in its application.”
Press release: Enterprise and Oxy Low Carbon Ventures Sign Letter of Intent for Gulf Coast CO2 Transportation and Sequestration Project
4/25/22
“Enterprise Products Operating LLC ("Enterprise"), a subsidiary of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD), and Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, LLC ("OLCV"), a subsidiary of Occidental (NYSE: OXY), today announced they have executed a letter of intent to work toward a potential carbon dioxide ("CO2") transportation and sequestration solution for the Texas Gulf Coast. The joint project would initially be focused on providing services to emitters in the industrial corridors from the greater Houston to Beaumont/Port Arthur areas… “Enterprise would develop the CO2 aggregation and transportation network utilizing a combination of new and existing pipelines along its expansive Gulf Coast footprint. OLCV, through its 1PointFive business unit, is developing sequestration hubs on the Gulf Coast and across the U.S., some of which are expected to be anchored by direct air capture ("DAC") facilities. The hubs will provide access to high quality pore space and efficient transportation infrastructure, bringing more options to emitters looking to explore viable carbon management strategies. Enterprise and OLCV have begun exploring the commercialization of the potential joint service offering with customers.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico: GREENS GROUPS' CLIMATE HAIL MARY
Kelsey Tamborrino, 4/26/22
“Green groups are blitzing Capitol Hill this week to press Democrats on salvaging the core clean energy components of the Build Back Better legislation that Sen. Joe Manchin halted last year, as the West Virginia senator is sending out feelers on bipartisan support for climate action,” Politico reports. “The effort comes as the White House acknowledged the domestic policy package remains a "big priority" for the president, with two senior White House aides telling House Democratic chiefs of staff this week that the administration is having ongoing conversations about the path to resuscitating at least some parts of the climate and social spending bill, as our Congress team reported. While environmental groups last year saw Biden's agenda as consistent with the “Green New Deal” strategy to link environmental action with related investments in education, health care and affordable housing, many now tell Politico it's time to toss in the towel on some of the progressives' social policies in order to secure a narrower deal on Manchin’s terms. “We have no doubt this is the last chance to get reconciliation done,” Christy Goldfuss, senior vice president for energy and environment policy with the Center for American Progress, told Politico. “We are talking years if not another decade before we get another opportunity. It’s either going to come together now around that framework that Sen. Manchin has said he has agreed to, or it’s over. We feel the finality of this across the climate movement.” “...There may be a price to be paid on the [oil and gas] supply side, and it might hurt,” Melinda Pierce, legislative director of the Sierra Club, told Politico.”
E&E News: 'We need gas.' Kerry pivots after putting industry on notice
CARLOS ANCHONDO, 4/26/22
“U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said yesterday that natural gas companies will be part of a clean energy transition and can help cut methane emissions, days after raising concerns about the fossil fuel,” E&E News reports. “We need gas, which is automatically a reduction from the level of emissions of either coal or oil,” Kerry said at the start of a weeklong forum hosted by the Edison Electric Institute, which represents U.S. investor-owned electric utility companies. Last week, Kerry told Bloomberg Television that no one should be making it easy for the gas industry to “be building out 30- or 40-year infrastructure, which you’re then stuck with” (Energywire, April 22). That drew pushback from the gas sector. But yesterday the former secretary of State made a point of saying the nation’s gas is much cleaner than Russian gas. He stressed that the private sector, particularly gas companies, will be part of an energy transition.”
Reuters: U.S. energy secretary says oil, gas output will continue to increase
4/25/22
“The U.S. Energy Secretary said on Monday U.S. oil and gas production is rising and will continue to rise to make up for the 1 to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day that has been pulled off the market in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine,” Reuters reports. “Jennifer Granholm told CNBC the boost in U.S. oil to market will be about 1 million barrels per day, first coming from President Joe Biden's record release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve starting in May and lasting six months. The administration expects domestic oil production will increase as well in coming months and help stabilize prices for crude and gasoline. "That's one of the reasons why perhaps you're seeing some leveling off of prices," Granholm said about the supply release's effect on oil prices which also slumped on Monday as COVID-19 lockdowns in China and potential increases in the U.S. interest rate raise concerns about global growth… “U.S. consumers are willing to absorb some of those costs, as a sacrifice as the world toughens its stance on Russia, Granholm said, but the Biden administration wants to ensure that it can lessen any impact, "particularly for middle class lower income people who really feel this pinch more than anybody."
Politico: ADD ANOTHER LAWSUIT TO THE PILE
Kelsey Tamborrino, 4/26/22
“Friends of the Earth becomes the latest environmental group to file a freedom of information lawsuit stemming from the Interior Department’s oil leasing program report,” Politico reports. “FOE’s suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia targets the White House’s Council of Environmental Quality, saying the agency hasn’t responded to requests for “information concerning potential political interference” in Interior’s November 2021 report. The lawsuit joins the one that Center for Biological Diversity and other groups filed in March seeking a first draft of the report that Interior sent to the White House. Environmental groups have criticized Interior’s final report, saying that it did not go far enough to stop oil and gas drilling on public land.”
Politico: FERC GETS MORE FEEDBACK ON GHG POLICY
Kelsey Tamborrino, 4/26/22
“Comments trickled in Monday afternoon as various groups — again — gave FERC their thoughts on its proposed pipeline policy statements that would update how the agency permits fossil fuel infrastructure,” Politico reports. “Industry groups maintained that FERC’s proposed rule changes discourage investment in gas infrastructure and inject uncertainty into the natural gas market at a time when the U.S. needs to strengthen domestic energy production. EPA, meanwhile, expressed support for the proposals, arguing the new guidance “better aligns” the independent agency with its statutory authorities. States were also split on the proposal, with utility regulators in Ohio and Louisiana largely echoing the concerns of industry, and New York and New Jersey environmental and ratepayer offices supporting stronger standards.”
Politico: NO LNG PASS FOR FERC
Kelsey Tamborrino, 4/26/22
“Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen is challenging a FERC decision to not exercise regulatory authority over a small liquefied natural gas terminal in Florida, arguing the commission erred in finding the facility is not subject to federal oversight,” Politico reports. “FERC in March agreed with the project’s argument that it did not fall under the agency’s jurisdiction because it’s located about a quarter mile from the point of LNG export, and doesn’t directly transport the fuel for export. Instead, its fuel is loaded onto a truck which then transports the LNG to the cargo ships that would export the resource. But Public Citizen argues FERC has no discretion on when it can exercise its authority over LNG export terminals. “Congress has defined LNG terminals subject to the Commission’s exclusive authority so expansively the Commission has no choice but to regulate any onshore facility (that is, one on land) engaged in the export of natural gas, regardless of whether it is liquefied, processed, or transported in boxes of Cracker Jack,” the group wrote in its request for rehearing on the order.”
E&E News: DOE unveils $500M loan for massive ‘clean hydrogen’ project
David Iaconangelo, 4/27/22
“The Energy Department’s loan office announced yesterday that it intends to issue a half-billion-dollar guarantee to what it called a “first-of-its-kind” hydrogen project,” E&E News reports. “The $504 million for a Utah project is the third loan guarantee from the Biden administration, which has struggled to get its climate priorities through Congress but has tens of billions in loan authority to back innovative clean energy projects at the Department of Energy. It is also the second award for a “clean hydrogen” project, underscoring the technology’s centrality to the administration’s climate plans and renewing questions about local emissions tied to renewable hydrogen. The loan guarantee was described by DOE as a conditional commitment, meaning final sign-off would hinge on unspecified conditions. If finalized, it would support development of the Advanced Clean Energy Storage (ACES) project in Delta, Utah, where a team of developers plan to produce hydrogen using excess renewable electricity and store it in two new underground salt caverns. The hydrogen would then be sold for use in transportation, heavy industry and refineries, as well as at an Intermountain Power Agency power plant in Utah which plans to ditch coal by 2025 in favor of a 70 percent-30 percent mix of natural gas and hydrogen. By 2045, the plant would transition to 100 percent hydrogen, under the plan.”
STATE UPDATES
Texas Tribune: In Texas, thousands in fines paid by oil and gas polluters benefit the fossil fuel industry
AMAL AHMED, 4/25/22
“After a Taiwanese plastics and petrochemical company leaked harmful gasses from its chemical plant in the Gulf Coast town of Point Comfort in 2021, Texas’ environmental agency fined it nearly $267,000. Instead of paying the entire fine to the state, Formosa — which uses fossil fuels to create plastics — sent half the money to the Texas Natural Gas Foundation, a nonprofit entity that promotes natural gas to the public,” the Texas Tribune reports. “Texas state law allows polluters to divert some of their fines that normally go to the state’s general revenue fund to “supplemental environmental projects,” or SEPs. The Texas Natural Gas Foundation has qualified as an SEP since 2016. In theory, SEPs are meant to remediate industrial pollution and environmental harm by funding programs like cleanups at illegal dump sites, habitat restoration or household hazardous waste pickups in communities. Public documents obtained by Floodlight show that SEPs like the one with the Texas Natural Gas Foundation can directly benefit the companies that are being penalized — by paying to staff and run industry programs… “You get back to this policy question [of] is [TCEQ] putting SEP dollars into the hands of a marketing organization that is using those dollars to create further demand for natural gas?” James Bradbury, an environmental lawyer and professor at Texas A&M University School of Law, told the Tribune.”
DeSmog: ‘This Needs to Be Fixed’: Nuclear Expert Calls Radioactivity Levels Found Outside Ohio Oilfield Waste Facility ‘Excessive’
Justin Nobelon, 4/25/22
“Activists and scientists have found alarming levels of radioactivity in samples collected along the road and soils outside Austin Master Services, an oilfield waste processing facility with a history of sloppy practices in eastern Ohio,” DeSmog reports. “The facility is located just down the street from a high school football stadium and less than 1,000 feet from a set of city drinking water wells, raising public health concerns from a nuclear forensics scientist about the extent of possible radioactive contamination. Last November, members of two advocacy groups, Concerned Ohio River Residents and Mountain Watershed Association, collected soil samples from outside the Martins Ferry, Ohio facility of Austin Master Services, a Pottstown, Pennsylvania-based company that operates in 10 states. Both groups are concerned about the handling of radioactive oilfield waste in their region, which has seen over a decade of intensive fracking development in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations. All of that oil and gas drilling produces huge volumes of liquid and solid waste that need treatment and disposal. Oilfield waste service companies pick it up directly at the wellhead, and sometimes perform an initial processing, before bringing some of it to facilities like Austin Master’s for additional treatment. But how well-prepared such companies are to handle the industry’s radioactive waste is being increasingly called into question. For instance, a DeSmog investigation has revealed that railcars carrying radioactive oilfield waste from Austin Master in Martins Ferry have arrived leaking at a final disposal facility in Utah on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2020. Over the years, conditions at Austin Master have raised concerns from inspectors and advocacy groups alike.”
EXTRACTION
Yahoo News: Poll: Public split between clean energy, oil drilling in response to high gas prices
Ben Adler, 4/26/22
“Americans are more likely to agree than to disagree with Democratic calls for renewable energy investment and Republican calls for oil and gas drilling in response to high oil and gas prices, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. But when forced to choose between the two approaches, they are evenly split,” Yahoo News reports. “The survey of 1,605 U.S. adults, conducted from April 19-22, found that pluralities of respondents agree with both responses to inflation. When half of the survey takers were asked whether they agree or disagree with the claim that “the United States should invest in speeding up the transition from fossil fuels to electric vehicles and clean sources of energy,” 43% agreed and 34% disagreed, with 23% unsure. The other half were asked the same question, but were told that Democrats are making that argument. That changed the result only slightly: 45% agreed, 35% disagreed and 20% were unsure. The GOP stance provoked a similar response, albeit with slightly stronger support: 52% of respondents agreed that “the United States should make it easier to drill for oil and gas offshore and on land owned by the federal government, and approve more oil and gas pipelines.” Twenty-five percent disagreed, with the remainder unsure. When told that Republicans are promoting the approval of more oil and gas drilling leases and pipelines, support was slightly diminished: 49% were in support, versus 30% opposed. The results may indicate that an “all of the above” energy strategy that combined renewable energy investment and increased fossil fuel extraction would win majority support. However, when asked which approach they prefer, the public was evenly divided: 31% favored drilling, 29% favored renewables and just 20% said both.”
New York Times: Why U.S. Oil Companies Aren’t Riding to Europe’s Rescue
Clifford Krauss, 4/26/22
“Oil and gasoline prices are climbing. Energy company profits are surging. President Biden, who came into office promising to reduce the use of fossil fuels, has effectively joined the “drill, baby, drill” chorus. Europe would love to end its dependence on Russia. Yet most U.S. oil businesses are not eager to capitalize on this moment by pumping more oil,” the New York Times reports. “Production of oil by U.S. energy companies is essentially flat and unlikely to increase substantially for at least another year or two… “The biggest reason oil production isn’t increasing is that U.S. energy companies and Wall Street investors are not sure that prices will stay high long enough for them to make a profit from drilling lots of new wells. Many remember how abruptly and sharply oil prices crashed two years ago, forcing companies to lay off thousands of employees, shut down wells and even seek bankruptcy protection. Executives at 141 oil companies surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in mid-March offered several reasons that they weren’t pumping more oil. They said they were short of workers and sand, which is used to fracture shale fields to coax oil out of rock. But the most salient reason — the one offered by 60 percent of respondents — was that investors don’t want companies to produce a lot more oil, fearing that it will hasten the end of high oil prices. The Dallas Fed survey found that U.S. companies need oil prices to average just $56 a barrel to break even, a little more than half the current price. But some are worried that the price could fall to as little as $50 by the end of the year.”
Bloomberg: Canada’s Oil Sands Need C$65 Billion to Hit 2030 Climate Goals
Robert Tuttle, 4/16/22
“Canada’s oil sands companies will need a massive amount of capital spending over several years to simultaneously meet domestic emissions targets while continuing to supply oil to a world looking for alternatives to Russian crude, according to Royal Bank of Canada economists,” Bloomberg reports. “Oil sands producers will have to invest between C$45 billion ($35.1 billion) and C$65 billion between 2024 and 2030 to deploy a sufficient amount of carbon capture technology to meet climate goals, RBC economists Colin Guldimann and Yadullah Hussain wrote in a report on Tuesday. That technology is necessary to reduce emissions by the 22-million-ton target established by the Oil Sands Pathways Initiative, an alliance of the largest oil sands producers that seeks to zero out emissions from operations by 2050, the bank said.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
E&E News: Investors at 3 major banks defeat climate resolutions
Avery Ellfeldt, 4/27/22
“Climate-concerned investors were drubbed yesterday in their first bid to push Wall Street banks to end financial support for new fossil fuel development,” E&E News reports. “But proponents say they’re just getting started. Activist shareholder groups filed climate resolutions this year at six of the largest U.S. investment banks. The resolutions call on the firms to back their long-term climate commitments with policies that would ensure they do not contribute to the expansion of the fossil fuel industry. Three of the banks — Wells Fargo & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc. — held their annual shareholder meetings yesterday, giving investors the chance to weigh in. Just under 13 percent of shareholders backed the fossil fuel-related resolution at Citigroup, while 11 percent supported the proposal at both Wells Fargo and Bank of America. The results aren’t a big surprise — and likely won’t be enough to push the financial institutions to crack down on their clients’ new fossil fuel development in the near term. But proponents said they are still pleased with the outcome. That’s the case because despite the fact that the investors filed the proposal for the first time this year, it still garnered enough support to be filed again in 2023, when it could become more popular. Further, proponents say, the resolutions attracted enough votes to communicate to Wall Street that the issue is of rising interest to investors. “Today’s votes put the question of fossil fuel expansion firmly and irrevocably on the table for three of the world’s top four banks,” Jason Disterhoft, a senior campaigner at Rainforest Action Network, told E&E. “Ending fossil expansion is a matter of when, not if. Citi, Wells Fargo and Bank of America must recognize this direction of travel and make ending fossil expansion a precondition for financing for all clients.”
Press release: Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition Members Respond to Climate Votes at Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo Shareholder Meetings
4/26/22
“This morning, shareholders at Citi, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo voted 12.8%, 11%, and 11%, respectively, in support of groundbreaking resolutions pushing the banks to end their support for new fossil fuel development. Any resolution that receives at least 5 percent of the vote is eligible to be refiled next year, and anything that receives 10 percent or more is considered difficult for a company to ignore. In addition, 34% of shareholders at Citi and 26% at Wells Fargo voted in favor of resolutions urging the banks to improve their policies relating to Indigenous Peoples rights, including the internationally recognized right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). In recent years, banks have been complicit in high-profile violations of Indigenous Peoples rights to FPIC by funding numerous new fossil fuel projects, such as the Line 3, Dakota Access and Trans Mountain pipelines. “Today’s results not only show that a growing body of investors at top-level global institutions are listening to the voices of Indigenous peoples, it also reinforces the critical nature of frontlines land defenders & impacted communities having a seat at the table. I intervened this morning as a soon-to-be mother facing numerous criminal charges for trying to protect my people’s treaty lands from Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline. We must keep fighting for the water, for our children to be heard.” said Tara Houska, Giniw Collective.” In recent years, shareholder resolutions filed at the top US banks have called for firms to disclose the scale of their financed emissions and to set long-term climate targets. This year’s first-of-their-kind resolutions went further by calling on the banks to put credible plans in place to achieve those long-term targets. Specifically, the resolutions call for banks to adopt policies by the end of 2022 committing to proactive measures to ensure that their lending and underwriting do not contribute to new fossil fuel development.”
Reuters: Environment group warns Shell board on liability for emission targets
Toby Sterling, 4/25/22
“A group that won a victory over energy major Shell (SHEL.L) last year with a Dutch court order to deepen greenhouse gas cuts has warned the company's board of possible personal responsibility if it fails to implement the verdict,” Reuters reports. “The Hague District Court last year ordered Shell to reduce carbon emissions produced by it, its suppliers and customers by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels, a landmark decision that could have implications for energy companies around the world. Shell is appealing against the ruling. The group Friends of the Earth/Milieudefensie said it sent a letter to the company's boards and individual representatives on Sunday, including CEO Ben van Beurden, saying it was not acting to implement the verdict. "Shell has appealed, but the court declared the judgment provisionally enforceable, which means the necessary climate action cannot be suspended pending the appeal," the group said in its letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. "Milieudefensie believes that Shell's directors risk future personal liability by failing to take action in line with the ... goal of almost halving worldwide CO2 emissions by 2030." Shell has not said it will follow the court's ruling. However it told Reuters on Monday that its current climate strategy and actions "position us well toward meeting the court's obligations" and that it is reviewing the Mileudefensie letter.
OPINION
Galesburg Register-Mail: LETTER: Transporting CO2 through proposed pipeline dangerous
Nick Dodson, Springfield, Sangamon Valley Sierra Club, 4/26/22
“A Texas-based company has proposed constructing a 1,300 mile pipeline that will capture CO2 from ethanol and fertilizer plants and transport the CO2 through South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. The CO2 will then be injected underground in our own backyards in central Illinois,” Nick Dodson writes in the Galesburg Register-Mail. “If that sounds like the plans of a cartoon villain, you’re not far off. Navigator CO2 Ventures plans to use federal tax funds earmarked for “green energy carbon capture reduction” to transport CO2 through pipelines covering 13 Illinois counties. Allowing corporations like Navigator to take control of our land and use it as a dumping ground for a new carbon capture project is a bad and potentially deadly deal… “Allowing the Navigator CO2 Pipeline to be built will set a precedent for another century of bad deals for central Illinois and beyond. Sangamon, Christian, Morgan, Hancock, Adams, McDonough, Henry, Knox, Fulton, Schuyler, Brown, Pike and Scott counties are all directly affected by the Illinois portion of the proposed pipeline. We must demand that local, state, and federal officials stop this pipeline in its tracks. Please join our coalition in saying this is not what our country or community wants. For more information please visit https://noillinoisco2pipelines.org”
Rolling Stone: Banks Must Divest From the Coastal GasLink Pipeline — or Hollywood Might Divest From Them
Mark Ruffalo and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham, 4/26/22
“The scene opens with a winding river. Snow covers the river banks. Moose drink from the water. It is silent, except for the river — a sacred source of sustenance for the Wet’suwet’en people, who have lived here for thousands of years,” Rolling Stone reports. “Cut to police pointing guns, wielding batons, screaming at Indigenous elders… “This isn’t from a Hollywood movie. Five months ago, in northern British Columbia, Canada, the RCMP (Canada’s federal police) violently arrested — with semiautomatic weapons, lethal overwatch, K9 units and chainsaws — peaceful Indigenous land defenders. I, Chief Sleydo’, was among those arrested and removed from the territory. City National Bank’s (CNB) parent company, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), enabled this violence by bankrolling Coastal GasLink, a controversial 416-mile fracked-gas pipeline threatening the land, water, and rights of Wet’suwet’en People. A few weeks ago, I, Mark Ruffalo — along with Scarlett Johansson, Taika Waititi, Robert Downey Jr., and many more — released a letter urging CNB’s parent company RBC to immediately divest from Coastal GasLink. CNB is known as “the bank of the stars.” If CNB’s parent company RBC doesn’t divest from Coastal GasLink, it won’t just be known for providing financial services to Hollywood, it will be known for steamrolling Indigenous rights. We come from different worlds. However, we both carry a deep desire for justice, for protecting people and the planet. That’s why we’re raising our voices together to show the world how RBC is financing the violation of Indigenous rights and making the climate emergency worse… “Trampling Indigenous rights, threatening drinking water, and exacerbating the climate crisis — all in the name of shareholder payouts. When the dust clears and decades go by, RBC and its wholly-owned subsidiary CNB risk being on the wrong side of history. But it’s never too late to do the right thing. CNB’s parent company RBC must immediately divest from Coastal GasLink. Or Hollywood and many others will just divest from them.”
Financial Post: Ukraine crisis reveals hard truth that the world isn't ready for the energy transition
Yadullah Hussain is Managing Editor, Climate & Energy, at RBC Economics & Thought Leadership, 4/27/22
“The world has been consumed with combatting climate change for some time. But something changed this year. As Russian troops invaded Ukraine, policy-makers across the world were confronted with a more immediate challenge: energy security,” Yadullah Hussain writes for the Financial Post. “...It’s hard to focus the mind on climate change policies that bear fruit in years and decades when energy insecurity — for countries and households — is at our doorstep right now. The energy transition will be hard to achieve without first ensuring reliable and affordable energy sources are ready. And the hard reality is that the world isn’t ready… “Royal Bank of Canada’s new report, A New Climate Bargain, argues that it’s time for adjustments that are rooted in the current realities of the global energy complex. Oil will continue to play an important role, albeit a diminishing one, in energy markets for at least the next few decades. There’s a compelling case to invest in decarbonizing oil, even as the world pursues more sustainable energy sources. The world will need all of them… “Equally important, Canada can raise output without compromising its net-zero target of 2050. That may sound counterintuitive, but if anything, it would light a fire under that ambition. In the absence of other technologies, Canada should lean on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies to decarbonize the oilsands. The federal government’s new investment tax credit regime and the industry-led Oil Sands Pathway Alliance can drive that change, with help from provinces and fast-tracked regulatory processes. CCUS has its challenges, as it remains largely untested at the scale needed for the oilsands. But it would be a test of Canadian ingenuity. Royal Bank research shows that investments in CCUS would be costly, with a price tag of between $45 billion and $65 billion, and would require oil to average a price of about US$50 per barrel to ensure Canadian barrels are competitive. But it could help burnish Canada’s role as a soft energy power and extend the life of its resources, which the world needs. Canada can complement this investment by forging deeper energy ties with its allies that ensure some demand certainty for its net-zero oil and gas production.”
WyoFile: Wyo officials think customers should pay $1B to ‘save’ coal
Kerry Drake, 4/26/22
“Gov. Mark Gordon and the Legislature apparently believe Wyoming’s electricity customers are all chumps,” Kerry Drake writes for WyoFile. “What other conclusion is possible, given their push to prop up the dying coal industry by retrofitting the state’s coal-fired power plants with wildly expensive, efficiency-killing carbon-capture systems by 2030? PacifiCorp, which operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, said last month it would cost between $400 million and $1 billion for each coal power plant unit to add carbon capture utilization and storage technology. A law passed in 2020 required the company to analyze the feasibility of such a move. The same measure spelled out who gets to foot the bill — PacifiCorp’s roughly 140,000 Wyoming customers. It’s already uneconomical and environmentally irresponsible to keep burning coal for electricity generation, no matter how much tax revenue it brings to Wyoming. It’s killing our planet. That’s why PacifiCorp announced plans in 2019 to close six coal-fired units at Wyoming plants within 10 years and rely instead on natural gas, cheaper renewables like wind and solar and new, experimental nuclear technology… “Black Hills Corp noted in its Wyoming Public Service Commission filing in March that retrofitting two of its Gillette plants could result in rate hikes as high as $100 per month. But because the PSC capped CCUS-driven rate hikes at 2%, Black Hills, Cheyenne Light, PacifiCorp and other utilities would have to spread out the charges over decades. Customers would be stuck paying higher rates far past the expected 30-year lifespan of a CCUS plant.”