EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 5/20/26
PIPELINE NEWS
Michigan Advance: Public hearing set as Enbridge seeks renewed wastewater permit needed for Line 5 tunnel
Bridge Michigan: Michigan plans to reissue Line 5 permit amid federal review, court fight
Carolina Journal: Court will not block NC, Va pipeline as environmental groups appeal
WBUR: Energy company proposes big natural gas pipeline expansion in New England
Anchorage Daily News: Governor calls immediate special session to continue debate on Alaska LNG
The Bismarck Tribune: Regulators seek public comment on proposed Bakken East Pipeline in North Dakota
KTBC: Bastrop County residents concerned about proposed gas pipeline running through their properties
KTVE: Jackson Parish families affected by pipeline rupture asked to contact officials for reimbursement
Canadian Press: Alberta’s timing targets for West Coast pipeline ‘best-case scenario’: CIBC analysts
Financial Post: How Keystone came back from the dead
Salish Current: Bambi versus Godzilla: Pipeline Safety Trust
E&E News: The next Big Oil? Democrats set their sights on utilities.
PIPELINE NEWS
Michigan Advance: Public hearing set as Enbridge seeks renewed wastewater permit needed for Line 5 tunnel
Kyle Davidson, 5/20/26
“Michigan environmental regulators on Tuesday announced they are seeking input on a request to reissue one of the permits needed to move forward with construction on the controversial Line 5 tunnel project,” the Michigan Advance reports. “ Between May 19 and June 30, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy will take public comment on Canadian pipeline company Enbridge’s application for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, which would allow the company to discharge up to 6 million gallons of wastewater per day into Lake Michigan between two separate sites. Tribal nations and environmental groups from across the Great Lakes region have repeatedly called for a shutdown of Line 5, a 645-mile-long pipeline running from northwest Wisconsin to southwest Ontario, with a 4.5-mile segment located in the Straits of Mackinac, where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. .. “While the public can comment on the draft permit through EGLE’s public notice portal, the department is also hosting an online meeting and hearing on Zoom at 6 p.m. on June 18.”
Bridge Michigan: Michigan plans to reissue Line 5 permit amid federal review, court fight
Kelly House, 5/19/26
“State environmental officials plan to reissue a key water quality permit for the Line 5 tunnel, according to a preliminary decision announced Tuesday afternoon,” Bridge Michigan reports. “Regulators with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy propose to permit Canadian oil company Enbridge Energy to discharge millions of gallons of treated wastewater per day into Lake Michigan as part of a proposed project to move the 73-year-old Line 5 oil pipeline into a concrete-lined tunnel deep beneath the Straits of Mackinac. EGLE had originally granted the permit in 2021, but it has since expired. If approved, the proposed permit would put Enbridge one step closer to commencing construction on a tunnel the company had originally planned to finish building by 2024. The company is also awaiting a key tunnel construction permit that the US Army Corps of Engineers appears poised to grant, along with Clean Water Act approvals from EGLE. Meanwhile, the Michigan Supreme Court will soon decide whether the Michigan Public Service Commission acted properly when it issued another key tunnel permit in 2023. Tuesday’s preliminary decision “is another step in the process,” David Holtz, coalition coordinator for the anti-Line 5 group Oil & Water Don’t Mix, told Bridge, but “not a definitive step in the process … We still have major decisions coming.”
Carolina Journal: Court will not block NC, Va pipeline as environmental groups appeal
5/19/26
“The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals will not block a 55-mile natural gas pipeline project from moving forward in North Carolina and Virginia as environmental groups challenge a federal water permit,” the Carolina Journal reports. “A unanimous 4th Circuit panel issued a five-page order Monday rejecting the environmental groups’ request for a stay in the legal dispute. The decision clears the way for the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line project — dubbed the Southeast Supply Enhancement Program — to move forward during litigation over a permit issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers… “The timing of the environmental groups’ request “cautions against granting relief,” the judges added. “Construction on the project began in early March and has continued since then. On this record, we decline to hit pause.” “...Environmental groups Appalachian Voices, Haw River Assembly, 7 Directions of Service, Sierra Club, and Wild Virginia are fighting a permit the Army Corps of Engineers issued in February. Critics argue that neither Transco nor the Army Corps provided enough documentation supporting plans to use “dry-ditch, open-cut” methods of crossing streams affected by the pipeline. The groups sought a stay from the 4th Circuit that would have blocked the pipeline project throughout the appeal process.”
WBUR: Energy company proposes big natural gas pipeline expansion in New England
Miriam Wasser, 5/19/26
“Less than three years after a large fossil fuel company proposed expanding a major natural gas pipeline in New England, the company, Enbridge, is back with a new proposal,” WBUR reports. “Known as “Project Beacon,” the expansion would substantially increase the amount of gas that can flow into the Northeast through the Algonquin Gas Transmission line… “Details about the proposed project are vague, but according to documents released by Enbridge this week, the company would replace existing lines with larger diameter pipes in some places and run secondary pipe lines alongside existing ones in other places. Project Beacon would also involve expanding some compressor stations along the route, and could include new gas storage facilities… “Many environmentalists, meanwhile, have said a new pipeline could end up increasing utility bills — not to mention also running counter to the state’s climate laws. “ New England’s energy challenges are not going be solved by increasing the supply of fossil fuels,” Caitlin Peale Sloan of the Conservation Law Foundation, told WBUR. “We fundamentally need to be looking at decreasing peak need for gas overall, and we need to be really carefully reckoning with the cost that these resources put on to customers and people who have to breathe air when fuels are being burned.”
Anchorage Daily News: Governor calls immediate special session to continue debate on Alaska LNG
Alex DeMarban, Iris Samuels, 5/19/26
“A day after the breakdown of negotiations between Gov. Mike Dunleavy and lawmakers over a bill meant to advance a natural gas pipeline, Dunleavy called lawmakers into a special legislative session to begin Thursday morning,” the Anchorage Daily News reports. “...Dunleavy blamed legislative leaders for the failure during the regular legislative session to adopt the new tax system he proposed in March, just two months before the scheduled end of the legislative session on Wednesday. “I think elements of leadership are failing their people, they’re failing their fellow legislators that elected to put them in leadership, and they’re failing the people of Alaska,” Dunleavy told ADN. Legislative leaders, meanwhile, told ADN they remain open to working with the governor to promote the Alaska LNG megaproject despite Dunleavy’s decision to veto their top priority — a new public pension system — late Monday night, after work on the gas line bill hit a roadblock… “The resources committees in the House and Senate have spent weeks crafting alternative versions of the gas line legislation that they say will do more to protect Alaska ratepayers and ensure the state and local communities reap sufficient financial benefits from the projects.”
The Bismarck Tribune: Regulators seek public comment on proposed Bakken East Pipeline in North Dakota
Grant Coursey, 5/19/26
“Federal regulators are looking for public feedback regarding the proposed Bakken East Pipeline Project’s route across North Dakota -- including Burleigh County,” The Bismarck Tribune reports. “The Bakken East Pipeline would transport natural gas 353 miles from Watford City to Mapleton. Its route is set to take it straight across northern Burleigh County, according to materials distributed by WBI Energy, the company responsible for the project. The project is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2030. The North Dakota Monitor reported the pipeline will move 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from McKenzie County to central and eastern North Dakota once completed. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent the Burleigh County Commission and affected landowners a notice announcing the start of its scoping process, in which it will gather public comment to help determine whether the project is a public convenience and necessity. The letter was presented to the county commission during a meeting Tuesday. The deadline for the public and political subdivisions to submit comments is June 4. Mitch Flanagan, Burleigh County’s building official and director, told the Tribune the county was not consulted in planning the pipeline’s route. “I don’t know how they determine the siting of this pipeline,” Flanagan told the Tribune. “Wasn’t public comment from us, for sure. It wasn’t public comment from the state regulators either.”
KTBC: Bastrop County residents concerned about proposed gas pipeline running through their properties
Angela Shen, 5/19/26
“Several Bastrop County residents are worried about a proposed gas pipeline running through their properties,” KTBC reports. “F.L. Meyer has lived on Lower Elgin Road for three decades. He got a letter in April about a proposed 36-inch gas pipeline that would run through his property. He says that was the only notice he received about it. He says the pipeline would take up about four of his 16 acres. “It would lower the value of my property. I’d never be able to sell it. We wanted to someday, when I die, my three boys talked about probably subdividing it. It’ll make it where it isn’t even profitable. If you go to sell, who’ll buy the property with the pipeline on it, with a 36-inch gas line?” Meyer told KTBC… “Meyer told KTBC he called the company and was told he could sign the form allowing them to survey the land, or they could condemn it for the project… “They want to come through my lane and disturb that and come about 50 yards from my house, which is crazy,” Milton McShan told KTBC. “I just wanted to let them know that it’s not something I want to do, not something I’m going to let do.”
KTVE: Jackson Parish families affected by pipeline rupture asked to contact officials for reimbursement
Kevin Dudley, Jr., 5/19/26
“The Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking residents who were affected by the pipeline rupture that occurred near Mosswood Road on May 14, 2026, to submit receipts of expenses for reimbursement,” KTVE reports. “Since the incident, the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness have been working with the pipeline company and its representatives to help ensure affected residents receive the information they need. If you incurred expenses such as hotel stays, meals, or other out-of-pocket costs related to the evacuation, you may be eligible for reimbursement. Please keep your receipts and contact the representatives below to begin the claims process… “According to reports, multiple families were evacuated from the area by authorities, and the cause of the explosion was not mentioned.”
Canadian Press: Alberta’s timing targets for West Coast pipeline ‘best-case scenario’: CIBC analysts
Lauren Krugel, 5/19/26
“The targeted timeline the Alberta government set out for construction to begin on a potential new West Coast oil pipeline is ambitious, with many obstacles yet to clear, analysts at CIBC World Markets wrote in a recent report,” the Canadian Press reports. “The province aims to submit a proposal to the federal major projects office by July 1, have it designated a project of national interest by Oct. 1 and get shovels in the ground as early as Sept. 1, 2027. Oil could begin to flow around 2033 or 2034, a provincial official told a media background briefing last week… “The last remaining side-agreement to sew up is between the province, federal government and a consortium of industry players represented by the Oil Sands Alliance on funding the multibillion-dollar Pathways carbon capture project… “The Alberta government is spearheading the pipeline application, as so far no private-sector player has emerged to shoulder the risk and cost. Top pipeline executives are, however, advising the province on the technical aspects of its proposal, including routing options… “While some pipeline companies remain open-minded to participating in the related pipeline project, several conditions remain outstanding to provide the necessary conditions to support the enormous investment in production, (carbon capture and storage) and the pipeline, but this is certainly incremental progress,” the CIBC analysts said of the carbon price deal… “In addition to the Pathways question still dangling, also outstanding are negotiations with British Columbia, consultations with Indigenous peoples and clarity around the ban on oil tanker loading on the northern B.C. coast.”
Financial Post: How Keystone came back from the dead
Daniel Trainer, 5/19/26
“...U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a presidential permit allowing Bridger Pipeline Expansion LLC to build and operate cross-border facilities at the Canada-U.S. boundary in Phillips County, Montana. The project is not Keystone XL under the same name, but it could use some of the same Canadian infrastructure and serve a similar purpose: moving more Alberta crude into the U.S. system,” the Financial Post reports. “On the Canadian side, South Bow Corp., the TC Energy spinoff that now owns Keystone-related assets, is evaluating a project called Prairie Connector… “From Guernsey, Canadian crude could be conncted into the broader U.S. pipeline network, which stretches through Cushing, Oklahoma, and eventually to the Gulf Coast, where many refineries can process heavy crude… “But this is not the West Coast pipeline Alberta has also been pushing for. It would deepen the country’s dependence on the U.S. market, not diversity exports. The project also is not a done deal. It still needs permits, customer commitments and a final investment decision.”
Salish Current: Bambi versus Godzilla: Pipeline Safety Trust
Jason Dove Mark, 5/20/26
“Remember this number: 3.3 million. That’s the total length of oil, gas and hazardous materials pipelines crisscrossing the United States, a figure greater than the length of paved roads in the country. On average, one of those pipelines ruptures every day, sometimes resulting in injury or death. Now remember this figure: One. That’s the number of nongovernmental watchdog groups in the U.S. dedicated to improving the safety of all that pipe, and it’s located on Bellingham’s Cornwall Avenue, in a nondescript building tucked between an antiques store and a bird feed purveyor,” the Salish Current reports. “At the entrance to the offices of the Pipeline Safety Trust stands a plastic reptilian monster towering over a small, wide-eyed figurine of a fawn. The diorama is an inside joke among the organization’s staff, who like to say that their efforts to monitor and improve the safety of the nation’s spaghetti-like network of pipelines resembles a faceoff between Bambi and Godzilla. The oil and gas industry is, infamously, one of the largest, wealthiest and most powerful economic forces in human history. And Pipeline Safety Trust? It’s a 10-person outfit with an annual budget of about $1.4 million. “We advocate for protecting the public from the risks posed by oil and gas pipelines, and we do that by encouraging public engagement, educating the public and fighting for stronger laws and regulations,” Bill Caram, PST’s executive director, told the Current. “When it comes to pipelines, the public engagement process is the problem, the trust is broken.” “...There have been some important victories over the years. Thanks to the work of PST, excess flow valves are required on every gas distribution line. PST worked with federal officials to establish stronger rules for CO2 pipelines—though those standards were revoked by the Trump administration in 2025.”
Press release: PHMSA Statement of Policy for Transporting Hazardous Liquids or Carbon Dioxide in Non-Steel Pipelines
5/19/26
“PHMSA is issuing this policy statement to clarify the agency’s expected operational practices for complying with Federal pipeline safety regulations when transporting hazardous liquids or carbon dioxide in non-steel pipelines… “...Section 195.8 further provides that “[i]f the Administrator determines that the transportation of the hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide in the manner proposed would be unduly hazardous, he will, within 90 days after receipt of the notice, order the person that gave the notice, in writing, not to transport the hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide in the proposed manner until further notice.” PHMSA has laid out certain important principles in evaluating notices submitted under section 195.8. First and foremost, PHMSA has acknowledged that an operator does not need to obtain a special permit to use a non-steel pipeline to transport hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide.6 An operator need only provide the notice required by section 195.8;7 if the Administrator does not issue an order objecting to the proposal described in the notice within 90 days, the operator is authorized to use the non-steel pipeline without any further action… “In addition, PHMSA has applied certain general criteria in evaluating whether transporting hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide in a non-steel pipeline would be unduly hazardous. The general criteria include whether pipelines constructed with that material have a history of operating safely in other environments, whether the material is authorized for use in transporting gas under 49 CFR Part 192, and, if so, whether the operator will comply with Part 192 in designing, constructing, testing, operating, and maintaining the proposed pipeline… “PHMSA has also applied certain specific criteria in evaluating whether transporting hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide in a pipeline constructed with a corrosion-resistant, non-steel material would be unduly hazardous. The specific criteria include, among other things, whether the material is “manufactured in conformance with a published specification and documented quality assurance program.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Key senators meet on permitting over dinner
Josh Siegel, 5/20/26
“Key Senate negotiators held a bipartisan meeting Monday night to discuss closing a long-sought deal on permitting reform this Congress, in a sign that talks are progressing despite the difficult odds in a midterm election year, POLITICO has learned,” E&E News reports. “:Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), a moderate Energy and Natural Resources Committee member active on permitting issues, organized the dinner meeting with committee leaders to “provide a forum to keep conversations moving,” a person familiar told POLITICO. Environment Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) attended the gathering, along with the ranking members of each panel — Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, respectively. Lee in an interview Tuesday called it a “good bipartisan meeting” and stressed “we’re making good progress” on an overhaul of federal permitting rules for energy projects of all kinds — from solar and wind farms to long-distance power lines to pipelines and gas export plants — in a bid to respond to spiking electricity and gasoline prices.”
Bloomberg: Burgum Dismisses US Oil Export Curbs as ‘Bad on All Accounts’
Jennifer A Dlouhy, 5/19/26
“Trump administration officials are holding firm against restricting American oil and gasoline exports, even as worries grow about dwindling domestic stockpiles with the world leaning on US crude to fill a shortfall caused by the war in Iran,” Bloomberg reports. “Economically, geopolitically and for affordability, it’s kind of bad on all accounts,” US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Bloomberg in an interview… “Still, Burgum’s comments provide more detail into the administration’s thinking on potential export curbs, as inventories fall and pressure builds. Burgum told Bloomberg he’s ‘adamant’ export restrictions aren’t an option… “Cutting off American oil from world markets would only suppress industry investment in domestic production, the secretary told Bloomberg.”
E&E News: The next Big Oil? Democrats set their sights on utilities.
Nico Portuondo, Pavan Acharya, 5/20/26
“A growing number of congressional Democrats have a new political villain in the fight over rising energy bills: electric utilities,” E&E News reports. “For years, Democrats focused much of their political fire on the fossil fuel industry, tying oil and gas companies to volatile gasoline prices. But as electricity bills become a more visible household expense, utilities — and their executives — are attracting more attention. While utilities have long been regulated and challenged at the state level, Democrats in Congress are increasingly signaling they want a role in reshaping how the industry operates. “We have to change the system. … There is an immediate need right now for folks to be able to survive from one day to the next,” Rep. Josh Riley (D-N.Y.) told E&E. “People cannot afford to wait for this place to get its act together.”
STATE UPDATES
KTVE: Multiple Louisiana carbon capture bills fail in committee
Griffin Broussard, 5/19/26
“...Several bills heard before the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee centered on giving parishes a greater say over carbon dioxide pipelines and carbon sequestration projects,” KTVE reports. “Johnson argued the bills were not designed to ban carbon capture projects, but instead give local communities the ability to decide whether they want those projects nearby… “Supporters of the bills said residents deserve more control over projects they believe could impact private property and drinking water. “The Rapides Parish Police Jury passed a resolution in support of the parish-wide local option election for the citizens, including Rapides Parish, to render a decision on carbon capture operations,” Rapides Parish Police Jury President Craig Smith told lawmakers… “Still, supporters of the legislation argued local communities should have the final say over projects happening in their own backyards. “What is the harm in letting our people who put us here decide by a vote?” Mike Johnson asked lawmakers. All of the bills giving specific local governments authority over carbon capture projects failed by similar votes and were involuntarily deferred.
Bay City News: Marin County backs coalition opposing new offshore drilling along California coast
Ruth Dusseault, 5/19/26
“The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a $29,000 contribution Tuesday to support a coalition opposing new offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters as the Trump administration advances its proposed five-year offshore leasing program,” the Bay City News reports. “The one-time payment will go to Santa Cruz County, which leads the multi-county Save My Coast Coalition. Marin County joined the coalition in November… “Marin County strongly opposes any new oil and gas lease sales in the Pacific Region,” said Marin County District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni in a public statement.”
WWL: ‘Hardly nothing’: Louisiana shrimpers blame LOOP oil spill for rough start to season
Paul Murphy,5/18/26
“The brown shrimp season is off to a troubling start for many area shrimpers, who say February’s oil spill at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, about 18 miles off the coast of Port Fourchon, is to blame,” WWL reports. “Instead of being out on the water catching brown shrimp, Joshua Vedine remains docked in Dulac, washing oil off his boat… “This time last year, Vedine caught roughly 20,000 pounds of shrimp — but this year, just 200. “Places where we were finding shrimp is contaminated with the oil, so we can’t work there and we have to move on,” Vedine told WWL. “I mean, we’re not trying to catch a dirty product.” Images obtained by WWL Louisiana show oil-covered seafood from the area, along with contaminated nets and fishing equipment. The problem extends beyond the docks. Alex Billiot, who owns a crab factory in Pointe-aux-Chênes, told WWL he can’t buy some of the crabs arriving at his facility… “There is now legal action. A group of South Louisiana attorneys has filed a class action suit against LOOP in federal court on behalf of hundreds of shrimpers, crabbers and fishermen.”
News Nation: US Coast Guard investigates oil spill near Honolulu harbor
Ashley N. Soriano, 5/19/26
“The Coast Guard responded to an oil spill near a tourist area of Honolulu on Monday,” News Nation reports. “Pollution responders recovered red dye diesel from the water at Ala Wai Harbor after deploying 23 bags of sorbent pads, according to a United States Coast Guard press release. Authorities are still investigating the amount and source of the spill. No injuries or wildlife impacts have been reported… “Anyone near the waters should maintain a safe distance from the response area, the Coast Guard said.”
Reuters: BP fails to reach deal with union as Indiana refinery lockout drags on
Nicole Jao, 5/18/26
“BP and union leaders resumed labor contract negotiations for workers at the Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery on Monday with no agreement yet, as a lockout entered its third month this week,” Reuters reports. “Some 800 workers at the 440,000-barrel-per-day refinery, the largest in the U.S. Midwest, have been locked out since March 19 after months of negotiations failed to produce a new labor contract… “The company is trying to use mortgage payments, grocery bills, health care worries, and family pressure as bargaining leverage,” USW Local 7-1 President Eric Schultz told Reuters. “We are ready to bargain, but British Petroleum should stop using this lockout to pressure workers and their families into accepting concessions.” The union has raised concerns about a range of issues, including job cuts, pay reductions, management rights language, seniority issues and an extended six-year agreement.”
EXTRACTION
Grist: Once a climate leader, Canada is now doubling down on oil
Jake Bittle, 5/20/26
“Before he became prime minister of Canada, Mark Carney was perhaps one of the world’s biggest supporters of the idea that climate action was good business,” Grist reports. “...In the year since he took over, Carney has unveiled a suite of new policies to gut Canada’s ambitious climate regulations and support the country’s powerful fossil fuel industry. This reversal reached a climax last week when he struck a deal with the province of Alberta to prop up its tar sands oil industry and vowed to expand the country’s power grid through the use of natural gas. Carney is pitching the reversal as a political and economic necessity. Canada is facing the prospect of a severe economic downturn as a result of President Trump’s disruptive trade agenda, and a group of conservatives in Alberta are waging a campaign to secede from Canada altogether. He has claimed that the country can achieve economic security by investing in oil and gas production while still making progress toward reducing its own carbon emissions… “The reversal reveals a stark truth about the direction of global climate action: Despite the rapid deployment of clean energy, even countries and politicians once seen as climate leaders are turning to fossil fuels to protect against the turmoil of Trump’s trade disputes and the war in Iran… “Underlying all these moves is the assumption that fossil fuels will provide protection against economic uncertainty. As long as Canada can extract and export natural resources, it will be able to balance its budgets and keep its citizens safe. But despite Carney’s reputation as a shrewd central banker, critics of his government view the prime minister’s new strategy as short-sighted — Carney is pinning his economic hopes on the sale of a commodity that the world is starting to abandon.”
E&E News: Lawyers urge New Zealand to ditch plan to ban climate lawsuits
Lesley Clark, 5/19/26
“More than 100 lawyers and climate researchers from across the globe are urging New Zealand to reconsider its decision to bar citizens from suing polluters for climate change,” E&E News reports. “In a letter delivered Tuesday to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, the signees argue that the move is contrary to New Zealand’s climate objectives and risks undermining the rule of law. They emphasize that the Pacific island nation is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. “Removing a mechanism that could act to lower New Zealand’s emissions does not align with this ambition,” reads the letter, which was organized by New Zealand-based Lawyers for Climate Action. The proposal to ban climate lawsuits “would act to shield a small number of companies from liability at the expense of the public interest.” Goldsmith announced last week that the country will revise its 2002 Climate Change Response Act to prevent courts from finding liability for climate change damage in both current and future proceedings. He argued civil claims against businesses for greenhouse gas emissions were “creating uncertainty in business confidence and investment” and that climate change is best managed by the government.”
Tech Xplore: Before carbon capture can clean atmosphere at scale, one bottleneck may decide whether it succeeds
University of Colorado at Boulder, 5/19/26
“...Increasingly, scientists, engineers, and policymakers around the globe agree that we will need to actively pull carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere to help reduce the impacts of this pollutant,” Tech Xplore reports. “...This vast amount needs to not only be offset from the system but fully removed from it. This is the problem that has inspired a collaborative team of researchers at RASEI, including RASEI Fellows Prof. Wilson Smith and Prof. Bri-Mathias Hodge, and is the subject of a recent collaborative report published in Joule… “The second approach examined in this study, direct ocean capture (DOC), is less developed but works with a natural advantage: it is estimated that the oceans absorb around 30% of the CO2 that human activity produces each year, meaning seawater is already rich in dissolved carbon that originated in the atmosphere. By extracting that carbon directly from seawater, DOC bypasses the need to process enormous volumes of air… “That means a DAC plant needs to process far less liquid to recover a given amount of CO2 compared to DOC, but extracting carbon from such a concentrated solution requires running the BPMED part of the system at high intensity, at high electrical current, which consumes significant energy. The equipment footprint is relatively small, but the electricity bill is high. DOC works the other way around. Because seawater holds less dissolved carbon compared to a DAC solution, a DOC plant must process vast amounts of seawater to recover the same amount of CO2… “For a plant capturing 100,000 tons of CO2 per year, and connected to the current California electricity grid, the modeled cost of capture via DAC-BPMED came in at around $470 per ton of CO2 in the baseline case. For DOC-BPMED, the equivalent figure was around $1,500 per ton, roughly three times higher. This is driven largely by the upfront cost of all the additional equipment, and not the energy use.”
New York Times: Oil Slick Reaches a Pristine Persian Gulf Island in Iran
Sanam Mahoozi, Erika Solomon and Devon Lum, 5/19/26
“An oil spill has reached the shores of a pristine Persian Gulf island in Iran surrounded by clear turquoise waters that provide refuge for endangered sea turtles and dolphins, according to videos circulating on social media,” the New York Times reports. “The tiny, uninhabited island of Shidvar is one of Iran’s most important protected nature reserves. It is home to large coral reefs and a breeding ground for more than 80,000 birds. The videos, verified by The New York Times, show large dark ribbons of oil snaking along the island’s pristine white sand beaches. Birds, turtles and crabs can be seen trapped inside mounds of tar… “The cause of devastation, Mr. Madani told the Times, was likely the strikes on the Lavan refinery… “The damage from oil spills to the Persian Gulf’s fragile ecosystem is still not known. But it could extend beyond animals, Manoochehr Shirzaei, an Iranian environmental expert who teaches geophysics and remote sensing at Virginia Tech University, told the Times. “Among the most immediate and widespread consequences could be impacts on desalination infrastructure, as many Gulf countries rely heavily on desalinated seawater for municipal and industrial water supply…These facilities draw seawater directly from the Persian Gulf, making them highly vulnerable to oil contamination.”
OPINION
InForum: Doug Burgum’s very bad day
Mike McFeely, 5/19/25
“Our guy Doug Burgum had a rough day on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, May 13. He was Apollo Creed to the Democrats’ Ivan Drago, pummeled relentlessly while futilely trying to fend off sharp verbal blows with MAGA talking points made of wet tissue paper. Then he was made into a meme on social media, savaged for saying energy can’t be stored,” Mike McFeely writes for InForum. “The U.S. Interior Department secretary and former governor of North Dakota, testifying before the House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the Trump administration’s meager budget request for his department, instead found himself sparring with some sharp cookies who aren’t impressed by him. Democrats on congressional committee beat up Interior secretary, but Americans should focus on former ND governor’s maltreatment of public lands, wildlife… “A recent University of Montana poll, conducted in a state that voted nearly 60% for Trump in 2024, showed that 60% of the residents are extremely or very concerned about “firings and reductions in the number of park rangers, scientists and other workers managing national parks, forests and other public lands here in Montana” and that 62% are extremely or very concerned over “funding cuts to management of national parks, forests and other public lands.” Montana is not a liberal place. This is not a liberal issue. Burgum’s values are just that unpopular. Burgum had a bad day. His reign as Interior secretary could lead to a bad forever for public lands and wildlife.”