EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 5/29/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• WDBJ: Pipeline opponents urge federal regulators to go slow as company prepares to put project in service

• North Dakota Monitor: Landowners call communication with Summit ‘horrendous’ during CO2 pipeline rehearing

• North Dakota Monitor: Corn price connection to carbon capture hard to pin down

• E&E News: Illinois set to adopt ‘nation-leading’ carbon pipeline, storage rules

• Vermilion County First: Rep. Niemerg Stands Up for Private Property Rights: “Carbon Capture Sequestration” Does Not Protect Drinking Water

• IL Corn Growers Association: Carbon Capture Law Delivers Opportunity for Ethanol, Protects Landowners

• Law360: Tribe Says Enbridge's Trespass Concern Wasted Court's Time

• E&E News: Trump Reboot Would Threaten Pipeline Methane rule 

• Southeast Missourian: Lack of progress on shallow pipeline frustrates Scott County farmer

• Law360: Enbridge Says Oil Transport Monopoly Claims Lack Merit 

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Los Angeles Times: As The Election Nears, Biden Pushes A Slew Of Rules On The Environment And Other Priorities 

• Guardian: Majority of US voters support climate litigation against big oil, poll shows

• Heatmap: These Carbon Removal Companies Got the Energy Department’s Stamp of Approval

STATE UPDATES

• KTVI: Missouri AG files lawsuit against five states over energy policies

• E&E News: Vermont wants to make Big Oil pay. And it’s bringing receipts.

• Casper Star-Tribune: Wyoming Sees Increase In Drilling-Related Spills In 2023. Is It A Problem? 

• Colorado Sun: How Much Methane Is Colorado’s Oil And Gas Industry Discharging? Regulators Will Soon Start Measuring 

• The Chronicle: Source of tar-like substance washing up on Washington and Oregon beaches continues to elude investigators

• KCTV: Drilled and drained: A family’s fight to break free from the legacy of oil

EXTRACTION

• Canadian Press: Lobby group says emissions cap would cost oil and gas sector $75B in lost investment

• GlobalNews: Pathways Alliance carbon capture project won’t have ‘special pathway’: Guilbeault

• GlobalData: ConocoPhillips in advanced discussions to purchase Marathon Oil

• Reuters: Energy Transfer expands Permian presence with $3.25 bln WTG Midstream buy

• Law360: Atty Says Loss Of BP Spill Claim Was Client's Fault, Not Firm's 

CLIMATE FINANCE

• Reuters: Highlighting Exxon suit, investors urge firms to keep shareholder spats out of court

• E&E News: Investor group sued by Exxon renounces climate proposals

• E&E News: Pension funds in liberal states are conservative on climate change

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• KOKI: Explorer Pipeline awards local firefighters with training scholarships

• Enbridge: I-STEAM Pathways: Melding mainstream science, Indigenous perspectives

OPINION

• Des Moines Register: Insurance industry's hypocrisy: Warning about climate change, backing fossil fuels

• Clean Air Task Force: Protected: Carbon capture and storage: What can we learn from the project track record?

• Euractiv: Out with green hydrogen, in with carbon capture

• The Hill: Biden’s Abuse Of The Antiquities Act Is A Classic Case Of Executive Overreach 
  

PIPELINE NEWS

WDBJ: Pipeline opponents urge federal regulators to go slow as company prepares to put project in service
Joe Dashiell, 5/28/24

“As the Mountain Valley Pipeline moves closer to completion and the company prepares to put the project in service, opponents are urging federal regulators to go slow,” WDBJ reports. “On Tuesday, the group Preserve Bent Mountain asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to deny MVP’s request for an in-service date in early June… “MVP has notified FERC it’s aiming for an in-service date in early June. And the company has asked for permission to begin operating within one day of notifying the agency it has completed construction and satisfied all in-service requirements. But opponents maintain there is cause for concern. The group Preserve Bent Mountain told WDBJ the rupture of a pipeline section during hydrostatic testing in early May has amplified concerns about pipeline safety. A new focus for opponents is a hole in ground, recently discovered near the point where the pipeline crosses Cahas Mountain Road in Franklin County. The landowner, and others who’ve seen it, can’t say for sure what caused the hole to develop, but pipeline opponents wonder if a slow leak during hydrostatic testing could have been responsible, or if it speaks to the instability of the soil. “You would think that they would want to come out and examine it and see what’s going on rather than just covering it up,” pipeline opponent Bob Peckman told WDBJ. “We would like to have it investigated to determine what the cause was, not just fill it in,” added Kris Peckman… “Opponents have vigorously, albeit erroneously, claimed that the result of this particular hydrostatic test warrants safety concerns; however, this single test result demonstrates the exact opposite conclusion. In fact, the result of this testing failure, along with Mountain Valley’s transparent reporting and remedial action, demonstrate that process is working as designed and intended,” Mountain Valley Pipeline spokesperson Natalie Cox told WDBJ. 

North Dakota Monitor: Landowners call communication with Summit ‘horrendous’ during CO2 pipeline rehearing
JEFF BEACH, 5/28/24

“Communication, or the lack of it, between Summit Carbon Solutions and North Dakota landowners was highlighted in testimony Friday during a Public Service Commission hearing on Summit’s proposed carbon capture pipeline,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “ Richland County landowner Loren Staroba and other landowners testified that they have been frustrated by a lack of communication throughout the pipeline siting process. Staroba said Summit sent him a written request for survey access that included wrong information, including identifying that land as being in Dickey County, not Richland. “Do we want to work with a company that can’t even get the county correct?” Staroba asked. Staroba said he has proposed a reroute to get the pipeline from cutting across a section, but felt he has been ignored… “Friday’s hearing started with four landowners represented by Domina Law attorney Brian Jorde, who has clients across the footprint of the Summit pipeline, which would run through Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. All four landowners complained that Summit has not communicated with them adequately… “Jorde said the burden was on Summit to address the concerns that the landowners have made. Jorde said letters sent to Summit attorneys a month ago did not elicit a response until those letters were filed with PSC. Then responses came in the last few days. Later in the all-day hearing, Ben Dotzenrod repeated those complaints. “The communication has been horrendous, like a lot of people have said,” Dotzenrod said… “Concerns from the landowners including damage to farmland, pointing to damage to farmland still evident decades after other pipelines were put in. “The land is scarred,” Starboda said. Jeanne Lugert said Summit’s offer to compensate farmers in exchange for the voluntary easement fell far short… “Landowners also cited safety concerns. Lugert complained that at a safety meeting  held in Mantador that Summit offered little useful information… “Technical hearings, with no public testimony, are set next week in Bismarck. A final public hearing is June 4 in Linton.”

North Dakota Monitor: Corn price connection to carbon capture hard to pin down
JEFF BEACH, 5/28/24

“The ethanol industry says capturing carbon emissions from ethanol plants and storing it underground is needed to help the industry keep up with the trend toward greener energy. But it’s unclear what the direct benefit to the farmers who supply corn to the ethanol plant might be,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “David Ripplinger is an associate professor at North Dakota State University, who specializes in renewable fuels. “So everybody always asks me, ‘Well, what’s the price of carbon?’” Ripplinger told the Monitor. “The problem is, there isn’t a single price of carbon. “It’s not as if there’s a futures market or a spot market and transparency of a price, let alone what it might be for a particular farmer or rancher.” “...The [Summit] pipeline project is expected to benefit from huge federal incentives in the form of tax credits. The tax credits go to the ethanol plant or to the pipeline developer. “The ones who are investing billions of dollars are the ones who are going to benefit,” Ripplinger told the Monitor… “Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank, in an interview with the North Dakota Monitor, said the ethanol plant partners will benefit from the project, but how much of a benefit it provides will vary from plant to plant… “But Blank would not offer an estimated price premium that could be passed on to farmers for the corn used to produce ethanol. “It is still the concept of a rising tide lifts all boats,” Blank told the Monitor… “For Andrew Mauch, president of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association, it’s not so much about expecting a price bump for corn with carbon capture, it’s about not getting left out of the low-carbon fuel market… “But Ripplinger told the Monitor if those low-carbon practices become widespread, that premium isn’t really a premium anymore. “So if it’s all low-carbon corn, but it’s not low-carbon corn anymore. That’s just corn,” Ripplinger told the Monitor.

E&E News: Illinois set to adopt ‘nation-leading’ carbon pipeline, storage rules
Jeffrey Tomich, 5/29/24

“Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to sign legislation to enact sweeping regulations for carbon dioxide storage and transportation, including a pause on approvals of CO2 pipelines for up to two years,” E&E News reports. “The Illinois Legislature on Sunday passed a 104-page “SAFE CCS Act” meant to create standards for the burgeoning carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry. The legislation includes a pause on carbon pipelines until July 2026 or until the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration updates its safety rules. The second-term Democratic governor, who has made climate action a policy pillar, said in a statement that he plans to sign S.B. 1289, which sets “nation-leading safety and environmental standards around carbon capture and sequestration while bringing thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars of investment to Illinois.” Illinois joins California as the only states to establish moratoria on CO2 pipelines — infrastructure the Biden administration is counting on to combat carbon pollution. PHMSA set out to strengthen oversight of CO2 pipelines two years ago in the wake of a 2020 pipeline failure in Satartia, Mississippi.”

Vermilion County First: Rep. Niemerg Stands Up for Private Property Rights: “Carbon Capture Sequestration” Does Not Protect Drinking Water
Steve Brandy, 5/28/24

“State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) opposed Senate Bill 1289 (Floor Amendment #3) that imposes a program to capture carbon emissions from agriculture, automotive and manufacturing sectors in Illinois. Niemerg expressed serious concerns that the sequestration sites mandated in central and southern Illinois do not have the proper protections against harming drinking water sources from the Mahomet Aquifer,” according to Vermilion County First. “This new program is a continuation of the CEJA woke ideology that will negatively impact farmers, the automotive industry, and manufacturers who create jobs for my district and across Illinois,” said Rep. Niemerg. “The storage of the carbon dioxide underground has no protective guidelines for the Mohamet Aquifer under Champaign and Vermilion Counties in my district that provide drinking water for over 800,000 people.” “...This plan imposes an eminent domain philosophy to put these underground storage sites in places against landowners’ wishes,” added Niemerg. “Private property rights are the backbone of our American system of ownership and freedom, and I will continue to fight for the landowners in my district who oppose this program.”

IL Corn Growers Association: Carbon Capture Law Delivers Opportunity for Ethanol, Protects Landowners
5/29/24

“IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and the Illinois Renewable Fuels Association (ILRFA) appreciate passage of SB1289, the SAFE CCS Act through the Illinois legislature. The bipartisan legislation helps move carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology projects forward safely and responsibly in Illinois… “Carbon capture and sequestration is an important opportunity for ethanol plants and corn farmers. The technology allows corn-based ethanol to lower its carbon intensity and qualify for additional clean fuel market opportunities like sustainable aviation fuel. With this law, CCS projects can safely move forward and positions Illinois to lead in the clean fuel industry, which benefits everyone, including our renewable fuels industry,” said Dustin Marquis, President of the IL Renewable Fuels Association… “Protections for landowners: Affirms pore space ownership belongs to the landowner without severability. Requires companies to secure at least 75% of the pore space area around sequestration sites before they can petition to initiate unitization and the amalgamation process for remaining pore space. The number increased to 75% from 71% in the original proposal… “Institutes CO2 pipeline moratorium until the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) – the federal agency responsible for regulating the transportation of carbon dioxide in the US – finalizes updated safety rules for CO2 pipelines OR July 2026, whichever is sooner… “Creates a long-term trust fund to ensure the citizens, resources, and environment of the state will be protected in the future.”

Law360: Tribe Says Enbridge's Trespass Concern Wasted Court's Time
Celeste Bott, 5/28/24

“A Wisconsin tribe has told the Seventh Circuit that Enbridge Energy wasted the court's time raising concerns that an old tribal trespass ordinance could cost the company millions in fines,” Law360 reports. 

E&E News: Trump Reboot Would Threaten Pipeline Methane rule 
Mike Soraghan, 5/245/24

“The Biden administration has pushed back its timeline for finishing a rule cracking down on pipeline leaks until next year, leaving it more vulnerable if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House,” E&E News reports. “Supporters of the leak detection and repair proposal had been pushing the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to publish a rule in the Federal Register this summer, though they privately expected it to be closer to the end of the year. Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown, the top Biden appointee at PHMSA, had told a congressional committee earlier this month that it would be complete by the end of the year. But the agency recently issued an updated schedule projecting that it won’t be published until January 2025. That puts its fate in the hands of the next presidential administration. Environmentalists suspect the leak rule, part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda, would not fare well if Trump were to defeat Biden this fall. “I think anything that comes within range of being climate-related would be a target,” Hana Vizcarra, a senior attorney for national climate Earthjustice, an environmental law nonprofit, told E&E. “I can’t say I know why they keep pushing this back.” Bill Caram, executive director of the advocacy group Pipeline Safety Trust, called the delay a “gut punch.” “Given the industry opposition to the rule,” Caram told E&E, “we fear that it is less durable if it’s not finalized before a potential change in leadership.” “...Environmentalists have long complained that Congress hobbled PHMSA with a cost-benefit analysis requirement more burdensome than those at other agencies. But Congress may have changed the calculus when it ordered the regulation, ordering PHMSA to weigh environmental benefits along with safety benefits when tabulating the costs of its proposal… “In addition to the strict cost-benefit rules, environmental groups tell E&E the laws and regulations governing PHMSA’s rulemaking process offers opponents of their rules more ways to attack a new rule administratively even before filing court challenges.”

Southeast Missourian: Lack of progress on shallow pipeline frustrates Scott County farmer
Christopher Borro, 5/29/24

“Duston Stone owns farmland just outside of Scott City. His property also includes the dirt underneath the farmland, save for where a trio of pipelines diagonally bisects it underground,” the Southeast Missourian reports. “Enterprise Products Partners LP, a Houston-based energy company, owns two of the pipelines. Calgary, Alberta, energy company Enbridge Inc. owns the third. All three pipelines carry natural gas. Both Enterprise and Enbridge have easements for the pipelines. Stone said he let both companies know the pipelines are too shallow on some portions of his property. There are only around 18 inches of dirt above the pipeline, and his farming equipment reaches 16 inches underground. The property, located around Roth Drive just south of Scott City, has been in Stone’s family for generations. The family has had an agreement in place to host pipelines underneath their land since 1942. Stone told SM there is a good chance the pipelines could be hit through his regular farming practices, so he is working with the energy companies to come up with solutions and prevent potential catastrophe. If the pipeline is struck by farming equipment, he told SM it could cause damage that might lead to an explosion. He has been in touch with company representatives for more than a year, he told SM, in an effort to reach a solution. So far, he has heard no concrete plan. “There’s been no progress made,” Stone told SM. “Enterprise is trying to get some sort of plan in place from what I’ve been told, and Enbridge reached out last week and said they also want to get a plan put in place. But, as far as any actual work getting done or anything in writing … I’ve seen nothing.” “...He told SM he’s heard reports of shallow pipelines in other areas in the region, such as toward Kelso. In some places, he said the pipeline is even showing above ground. “They talk about fixing it, but nothing ever gets fixed,” Stone told SM. “I call them probably twice a week to ask if they’ve come up with a plan yet. Still no plan.”

Law360: Enbridge Says Oil Transport Monopoly Claims Lack Merit 
Madeline Lyskawa, 5/24/24

“Enbridge Inc. fired back at an antitrust suit accusing it of intentionally killing a pipeline terminal project that would have resulted in the company losing its monopoly power over crude oil transportation in the Chicago area, calling for an Illinois federal judge to dismiss the claims,” Law360 reports. “In a motion to dismiss filed Thursday, Enbridge maintained that Illinois-based energy company Ducere LLC’s amended complaint ‘comes nowhere close to alleging a viable antitrust claim,’ and is merely an attempt to hold Enbridge responsible for the overall failure of Ducere’s business proposal… “When Ducere initially filed suit against Enbridge in February, it also named as defendants ExxonMobil Corp. and the companies’ joint venture, Mustang Pipe Line LLC, accusing the companies of working together to veto Ducere’s planned construction of a terminal connection to Mustang’s pipeline that it had already committed more than $11 million to.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Los Angeles Times: As The Election Nears, Biden Pushes A Slew Of Rules On The Environment And Other Priorities 
Matthew Daly, 5/25/24

“As he seeks to secure his legacy, President Biden has unleashed a flurry of rules this election year on the environment and other topics, including a landmark regulation that would force coal-fired power plants to capture smokestack emissions or shut down,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “...The power plant rule is among more than 60 regulations Biden’s administration finalized last month to meet his policy goals, including a promise to cut by 2030 roughly half of U.S. carbon emissions that drive climate change. The changes, led by the Environmental Protection Agency but involving a host of other federal agencies, are being issued in quick succession as the Biden administration rushes to meet a looming but uncertain deadline before there’s a new Congress — or a new president… “In addition to the power plant regulation, the EPA has also issued rules targeting tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks and methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. The Interior Department, meanwhile, has restricted new oil and gas leases on 13 million acres of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska, and now requires that oil and gas companies pay more to drill on federal lands and that they meet stronger requirements to clean up old or abandoned wells. Industry groups and Republicans have slammed Biden’s actions as overreach.”

Guardian: Majority of US voters support climate litigation against big oil, poll shows
Dharna Noor, 5/28/24

“As US communities take big oil to court for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate crisis, polling shared with the Guardian shows that a majority of voters support the litigation, while almost half would back an even more aggressive legal strategy of filing criminal charges,” the Guardian reports. “The poll, which comes as the world’s first-ever criminal climate lawsuit was brought in France last week, could shed light on how, if filed, similar US cases might be viewed by a jury. The 40 existing US lawsuits against major oil companies, filed by cities and states, are based on civil charges such as tort law and racketeering protections. But last year, the consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen proposed also filing criminal charges – most notably, homicide – against the companies… “To see how the scheme plays with ordinary Americans, Public Citizen teamed up with progressive polling firm Data for Progress to survey 1,200 likely US voters. Conducted earlier this month, the poll was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography and voting history. Asked if fossil fuel companies “should be held legally accountable for their contributions to climate change”, 62% of voters said yes, suggesting majority support for the existing civil lawsuits against oil companies. That included 84% of Democrats, 59% of Independents and 40% of Republicans. The results confirm a majority opinion suggested by earlier national and state polls. “[V]oters strongly want to see companies held accountable for their harmful actions,” Grace Adcox, senior climate strategist at Data for Progress from the organization and advocacy group Fossil Free Media, told the Guardian.

Heatmap: These Carbon Removal Companies Got the Energy Department’s Stamp of Approval
EMILY PONTECORVO, 5/28/24

“The Department of Energy is advancing its first-of-a-kind program to stimulate demand for carbon removal by becoming a major buyer. On Tuesday, the agency awarded $50,000 to each of 24 semifinalist companies competing to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere on behalf of the U.S. government. It will eventually spend $30 million to buy carbon removal credits from up to 10 winners,” Heatmap reports. “The nascent carbon removal industry is desperate for customers. At a conference held in New York City last week called Carbon Unbound, startup CEOs brainstormed how to convince more companies to buy carbon removal as part of their sustainability strategies. On the sidelines, attendees lamented to me that there were hardly even any potential buyers at the conference — what a missed opportunity. Conference panelists asserted that the industry needed to rebuild trust. Purchasing carbon credits has become a risky strategy for companies. In one investigation after another, journalists and researchers have shown that many of the projects behind these credits fail to produce the climate benefits they advertise… “The Department of Energy hopes that by selecting 24 companies that have been vetted by government scientists, it’s sending a signal to the private sector that there are at least some projects that are legitimate… “Nine of the companies are building machines that capture carbon dioxide directly from the air. Seven take advantage of the natural ability of plants and algae to suck up carbon, and have developed systems to sequester that carbon for far longer than would otherwise occur. Five employ rocks that naturally absorb carbon and have figured out how to speed up the process. The last three capture carbon from the ocean, enabling the world’s biggest carbon sink to draw down more from the atmosphere. To proceed to the final round, all of these companies will have to draw up contracts that say how quickly they will be able to remove the promised tons of carbon, and who they will work with to measure and verify the process.”

STATE UPDATES

KTVI: Missouri AG files lawsuit against five states over energy policies
Joey Schneider, 5/24/24

“Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against five states over energy policies that he claims are threats to Missouri energy,” KTVI reports. “The lawsuit, filed through the U.S. Supreme Court, challenges the states of California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Bailey contends that those five states want a global carbon tax on the traditional energy industry, citing concerns with climate change. He argues that the five states cannot set emissions policies that affect other states, such as regulating energy… “The lawsuit aims to resolve whether states can impose regulations on global carbon emissions that affect other states, in addition to the federal government’s role in such measures… “The lawsuit asserts that states rely on traditional energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal and that changes imposed by other states could lead to economic disruptions. Eighteen other states have joined Missouri in filing the lawsuit, according to Bailey’s office.”

E&E News: Vermont wants to make Big Oil pay. And it’s bringing receipts.
Adam Aton, 5/24/24

“Vermont is picking a fight with the fossil fuel industry, a battle that could transform how lawmakers nationwide wield climate science — with billions of dollars at stake, if not more,” E&E News reports. “Legislators in Montpelier are on the brink of enacting the “Climate Superfund Act,” modeled after the federal Superfund law, that seeks to make oil, gas and coal companies pay for damages linked to historical greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation would mark the first time a state applies the “polluter pays” framework to climate impacts. Such a revolution in climate policy follows an evolution in climate science: the ability to fingerprint global warming’s effects on not just worldwide trends, but individual events such as floods and heat waves. Advancements have been made, too, in tracking companies’ historical emissions. Together, the innovations allow researchers to link specific emissions to disasters with countable costs. “Thanks to attribution science, we can measure just how worse storms are now because of climate change,” Democratic state Sen. Anne Watson, a prime sponsor of the bill, told E&E. “So it’s time for us to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the damage they have caused.” The legislation signals an inflection point for climate action. No longer theoretical, the escalating effects of rising temperatures are being cataloged with increasing sophistication — just as those same climate impacts are blowing billion-dollar holes in state budgets… “The fossil fuel industry is certain to litigate the Vermont legislation, which still awaits action from Republican Gov. Phil Scott. But legal advocates don’t expect oil, gas and coal companies to challenge the attribution science itself… “Currently, the oil industry is fighting lawsuits from more than 30 state and local governments. Some of those draw on attribution science to argue companies should be liable for climate damage. Fossil fuel companies dispute responsibility for emissions created by others using their products, and some corners of the industry argue that attribution science itself arose from activists’ desire to shake down oil companies. The climate superfund effort is “based on the same flawed theories as the climate litigation campaign and ultimately aims to bankrupt the American energy industry,” FTI Consulting’s Mandi Risko wrote last month for Energy In Depth, a project of the Independent Petroleum Association of America. The group has portrayed attribution research, climate superfund legislation and climate lawsuits as part of a conspiracy orchestrated by the Rockefeller Family Fund and other wealthy activists to “shut down” U.S. energy production.”

Casper Star-Tribune: Wyoming Sees Increase In Drilling-Related Spills In 2023. Is It A Problem? 
Zakary Sonntag, 5/27/24

“Oil and gas companies in the Mountain West report thousands of drill-related spills each year, including spills of crude oil and chemical water used in hydraulic fracking, which can result in adverse effects to land, potable water and wildlife,” the Casper Star-Tribune reports. “In Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, the amount of spills over time have stayed roughly steady even as the amount of oil and gas production has increased, suggesting that regulations designed to rein in spills do not inhibit production and have more or less maintained a lid on risk. However, a new report shows that drilling-related spills in the oil and gas sector went up significantly in Wyoming last year. The total amount of spills increased from 521 spills in 2022 to 730 spills in 2023–a 50% increase in number of incidents and a 22% increase in overall volume, amounting to 1,403,440 gallons of spilled materials, according to data analyzed by Center for Western Priorities, a Denver-based conservation think tank.”

Colorado Sun: How Much Methane Is Colorado’s Oil And Gas Industry Discharging? Regulators Will Soon Start Measuring 
Mark Jaffe, 5/28/24

“Colorado air regulators are set to begin patrolling the state’s oil fields and the skies over them to tally how much methane the industry’s wells, tanks and pipelines are spewing into the air,” the Colorado Sun reports. “The measurements are part of the first-in-the-nation methane intensity rule, aimed at helping meet the state’s statutory requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 26% in 2025; 50% by 2030; and 90% by 2050.”

The Chronicle: Source of tar-like substance washing up on Washington and Oregon beaches continues to elude investigators
Tanner Todd, 5/27/24

“Authorities still haven’t identified the source of the tar-like substance that has been washing up on Oregon and Washington beaches and endangering wildlife, although officials warned people not to touch it in a statement released Saturday,” The Chronicle reports. “...On Saturday, officials said that the substance was appearing along the coast from Long Beach, Washington, to south of Newport near mile post 146. Officials say that the substance can resemble sticky “tar balls,” and their origin remains unknown… “Officials said on Thursday that they had found and treated multiple birds covered in oil in the area, most of which were common murres… “Officials added that people shouldn’t try to clean up the substance themselves and that anyone who touches the substance should wash it off with soap or degreasing dishwashing detergent and water.”

KCTV: Drilled and drained: A family’s fight to break free from the legacy of oil
Angie Ricono, Cyndi Fahrlander and Matt Kline, 5/27/24

“When you think of Kansas, you think of sunflowers and wheat fields. But Kansas also has an oil legacy — a legacy that some want to end,” KCTV reports. “...This “liquid gold” supports jobs, provides income for families, and, according to the Kansas Department of Commerce, has generated $1.4 billion in state and local tax revenues over the last 10 years. There are thousands of abandoned wells in Kansas that no longer produce oil. Those abandoned wells are environmental hazards that jeopardize public health and safety by contaminating groundwater, emitting noxious gases like methane, littering the landscape with rusted and dangerous equipment, creating flooding and sinkhole risks, and harming wildlife. In a report from the Kansas Corporation Commission, there are 5,285 abandoned wells “requiring action,” meaning the KCC gave them a priority of one or two… “However, it costs between about $6,000 to $14,000 to plug each well, and there is nothing simple about the problem or how to fix it… “The Derr farm has about 40 abandoned wells on the property. Carl Derr refers to them as minefields. You have to watch where you step. Some of them leak. But his farm never struck it rich. “I don’t want to be in the oil business. I have no desire to be in the oil business,” Carl Derr told KCTV. “I would like to see them all abandoned and abandoned properly. So that they’re not a hazard.” The Derrs are not alone. While out driving, the KCTV5 Investigates team noticed an oil pump leaking on farmland where crops are grown. They stopped to talk with the property owners, Robert and Clara Ann Kempnich. “This here ain’t the only spill around you know,” Robert told KCTV. “the other guys, they got oil spills on their place, too.” Kempnich told KCTV the company that owned the lease went bankrupt, so it sits in limbo. They have sued, along with their neighbors, arguing abandonment. The issue is still before the court.

EXTRACTION

Canadian Press: Lobby group says emissions cap would cost oil and gas sector $75B in lost investment
Amanda Stephenson, 5/27/24

“An oil and gas lobby group says the federal government’s proposed emissions cap on the sector combined with its stringent targets for methane reduction could reduce Canada’s non-oilsands fossil fuel production by one million barrels per day by 2030,” the Canadian Press reports. “The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says it commissioned a study by S&P Global Commodity Insights to see what the economic impact of various proposed emissions-reducing policies would be on Canada’s conventional, or non-oilsands, oil and gas producers. The study says in the event that oil and gas drillers could be required to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030, the industry could see $75 billion less in capital investment over the course of the next nine years compared with current policy conditions. CAPP says that would translate to one million barrels of oil equivalent lower production per day in 2030 compared with current forecasts, and 51,000 fewer jobs by 2030 than under existing government policies.”

GlobalNews: Pathways Alliance carbon capture project won’t have ‘special pathway’: Guilbeault
5/28/24

“In the House of Commons on Tuesday, NDP MP Charlie Angus questioned whether a 400-kilometre pipeline along the Athabasca River and a Pathways Alliance project will be exempt from a federal environmental assessment with details kept secret. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault responded by saying that it has “been very clear that there will be no special pathways” and that the project would be evaluated as other federal projects,” GlobalNews reports.

GlobalData: ConocoPhillips in advanced discussions to purchase Marathon Oil
5/29/24

“ConocoPhillips is in advanced negotiations to acquire Marathon Oil, the Financial Times reported citing undisclosed sources,” GlobalData reports. “The all-stock bid would value Marathon Oil at somewhat more than its market capitalisation of roughly $15bn, the sources told the publication… “In the last few months, significant deals have been made as major oil companies consolidate to control the nation’s prime shale resources. This follows substantial acquisitions by ExxonMobil and Chevron in October 2023, valued at $60bn and $53bn, respectively, which set off a flurry of activity in the sector. ConocoPhillips, with a market capitalisation of around $139bn, has been contending with Devon Energy for several weeks to secure Marathon Oil, sources familiar with the discussions told FT.

Reuters: Energy Transfer expands Permian presence with $3.25 bln WTG Midstream buy
Seher Dareen, 5/28/24

“Energy Transfer said on Tuesday it would buy WTG Midstream Holdings in a deal valued at about $3.25 billion, the latest acquisition in the midstream sector aimed at expanding transportation and processing network in the Permian Basin,” Reuters reports. “Dealmaking in the pipeline sector has been picking up lately as some companies look to cut costs, while others seek to scale and gain access to attractive oil and gas producing regions such as the Permian basin and export facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast.”

Law360: Atty Says Loss Of BP Spill Claim Was Client's Fault, Not Firm's 
Catherine Marfin, 5/24/24

“Texas attorney Brent W. Coon has told a Houston court that his firm’s alleged botching of a former client’s lawsuit stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill was actually the client’s fault, as he failed to provide the firm with a sworn statement to attach to his complaint per a court’s order,” Law360 reports. “In a 39-page motion for summary judgment, Coon wrote Thursday that his firm’s hands were tied because Gary Pesce didn’t respond to multiple requests from the firm for the signed statement. It was that failure that caused Pesce to lose his chance to recover economic damages he allegedly incurred because of the BP oil spill, and not any negligence on the part of Brent Coon & Associates, Coon wrote.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Reuters: Highlighting Exxon suit, investors urge firms to keep shareholder spats out of court
5/28/24

“A group of around 40 large European and American institutional investors on Tuesday urged companies to refrain from taking shareholders to court over disagreements relating to their proposals,” Reuters reports. “The group, which represents $4.4 trillion in assets under management, highlighted the lawsuit filed by Exxon Mobil against two activist groups, in which the oil company seeks to bar their climate resolution. They said long-term investors would suffer if companies increasingly seek the judgment of a court for settling disagreements on shareholder proposals… “We want to protect the right of shareholders to use their vote to decide for themselves when a proposal, sustainability-related or otherwise, is in their best interests and that of their stakeholders.” “...The group backed a similar call to companies made by the U.S. Council of Institutional Investors in February to let the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) be the arbiter in case of disagreements over shareholder resolutions.”

E&E News: Investor group sued by Exxon renounces climate proposals
Lesley Clark, 5/29/24

“An activist investor group that is being sued by Exxon Mobil is promising that it will not pursue any more resolutions to push the oil giant to address planet-warming emissions,” E&E News reports. “In return, Arjuna Capital told Exxon and a federal court in Texas on Monday that it expects the company will “albeit belatedly, do what justice and a respect for the rights of shareholders require and withdraw its lawsuit.” The judge who is hearing the case said Tuesday that Arjuna’s letter appears to guarantee that the group will not revive its resolution. Judge Mark Pittman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, who last week denied a request that Exxon’s lawsuit against Arjuna be dismissed, directed the oil company to tell him by Friday what it believes is left to the case. He said federal courts require a live conflict to avoid issuing theoretical rulings.”

E&E News: Pension funds in liberal states are conservative on climate change
Avery Ellfeldt, 5/29/24

“One of the nation’s most powerful public pension funds drew attention earlier this year for divesting from fossil fuels — sort of,” E&E News reports. “The New York State Common Retirement Fund said in February it would yank millions of dollars out of eight oil and gas companies that it says have failed to prepare for climate change, putting the fund’s finances at stake. But there was a caveat. The $260 billion fund would sell some, but not all of its assets in the companies to ensure the move wouldn’t eat into investment returns. So while the fund did divest $25 million from Exxon Mobil, for instance, it still holds nearly $580 million in the oil giant’s shares. The partial divestment illustrates the growing pressure public pension funds are under to address the threat that climate change poses to their investments — without sacrificing profits. State pension funds from New York and Maine to California and Colorado are monitoring climate risks in their portfolios, pushing companies to decarbonize and, in some cases, pulling dollars out of major polluters altogether. But the funds have faced obstacles, including experts who warn that selling funds solely for climate reasons is financially dangerous and jeopardizes fund managers’ primary duty to safeguard and maximize trillions of dollars in retirement savings. “There’s broad acknowledgment that climate risk is an emerging risk to pension fund investments,” Fatima Yousofi, a senior officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ state fiscal policy team, told E&E. “How that’s factored in, though, seems to be the big battle.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

KOKI: Explorer Pipeline awards local firefighters with training scholarships
5/28/24

“Explorer Pipeline awarded three Glenpool Firefighters with scholarships and hotel accommodations for a weeklong Industrial Fire and Hazard training,” KOKI reports. “We are excited to offer these scholarships and support to these deserving firefighters and their departments.” Said Mark Hurley, President & CEO in a press release. “This crucial training program will help keep these firefighters and our communities safe.” “...We're grateful for Explore Pipeline's commitment to expanding our training opportunities.” Said Chief Paul Newton of the Glenpool Fire Department in a press release. “Explorer Pipeline has been great to work with and we appreciate their investment in the safety of Glenpool and its citizens."

Enbridge: I-STEAM Pathways: Melding mainstream science, Indigenous perspectives
5/28/24

“...Since being launched in 2020, Indigenous students hired onto one of the research projects through the University of Alberta’s I-STEAM Pathways (I-STEAM) program could spend their summer studying water toxicity, regenerative agriculture, environmental policy or flood forecasting tools—just to name a few,” according to Enbridge. “...In 2023, Alliance Pipeline donated $60,000 to the I-STEAM Pathways program as part of its commitment to communities. The funding facilitated internships for the program and contributed to research costs and student wages. After a 24-year span, Enbridge sold its ownership interest in Alliance to Pembina Pipeline Corporation in April 2024.”

OPINION

Des Moines Register: Insurance industry's hypocrisy: Warning about climate change, backing fossil fuels
Cathy Cowan Becker is the Responsible Finance Campaign Director at Green America, 5/23/24

“As the planet warms, the insurance industry finds itself at a crossroads, entangled in a paradox of its own making. On one hand, insurers bear the immediate brunt of climate change through increased claims from natural disasters. On the other, they perpetuate the crisis by backing the fossil fuel projects driving global warming. This duality not only exposes a glaring hypocrisy but also raises fundamental questions about the role of insurers in our collective future,” Cathy Cowan Becker writes for the Des Moines Register. “...Even as insurers withdraw from climate-vulnerable regions, they continue to invest in and insure fossil fuels ― the very industry at the heart of the climate crisis. This omission points to a larger, uncomfortable truth about the insurance sector’s complicity in the crisis of our time, leading us to an uninsurable future… “Yet, despite this clear threat to their bottom line ― and by extension to all of us ― major insurers are doubling down on the fossil fuel industry and have begun to cancel or restrict home coverage in our most vulnerable states… “Despite increasing climate risks, insurers prop up risky oil and gas projects that, without their backing, would struggle to find the financing and insurance required to proceed. Moreover, they’re sinking billions into these climate-polluting fossil fuel companies, embedding the sector deeper into the fabric of our economy… “The insurance industry’s support for fossil fuels is not just a matter of corporate autonomy but a direct contradiction of its role as risk assessors… “Nine U.S. insurance companies invest anywhere from $1.2 billion to $46.2 billion in fossil fuels ― enough to pay for the 28 billion-dollar climate disasters in 2023 several times over. It’s a hypocrisy that cannot stand. Insurers, by the very nature of their business, should be leading the charge against climate change, not underwriting and financing its acceleration… “Yet, as it stands, the insurance industry is choosing short-term profits over long-term viability ― which likely explains why few insurance companies have announced they would drop or reduce coverage for oil and gas projects, much less divesting from fossil fuel companies. The insurance industry must stop feeding the money pipeline that threatens to make our world uninsurable and uninhabitable.”

Clean Air Task Force: Protected: Carbon capture and storage: What can we learn from the project track record?
Toby Lockwood, 5/28/24

“There is growing political recognition of the important contribution that carbon capture and storage (CCS) must make towards global efforts to limit global warming. This has brought increasing scrutiny on the technical and economic performance of the facilities that are already using these technologies at large scales today,” Toby Lockwood writes for the Clean Air Task Force. “This report examines 13 significant carbon capture and storage projects, placing them in the context of their respective industrial sectors and outlining the motivations behind their development, their technical performance and what we have learned from them. In so doing, it aims to highlight the following key points: Commonly cited ‘large-scale’ or ‘commercial’ CCS projects represent the tip of the iceberg in terms of the existing deployment of many commercial technologies for the capture, transport, and storage of CO2.  The climate performance of CCS projects is dependent not just on their technical performance, but also on their diverse motivations and the regulatory and market contexts in which they operate.  There are, and will continue to be, technical challenges as CCS is carried out at larger scales and for more diverse applications, but these are demonstrably being overcome through operational experience, technological learning and innovation. As several large-scale CCS projects have been developed primarily as a means to gain such experience, maximising continuous technical performance is often subordinate to this goal. The right policies can ensure that new and existing technologies are used in such a way as to maximise the climate impact of carbon capture and storage.” 

Euractiv: Out with green hydrogen, in with carbon capture
Donagh Cagney, 5/28/24

“Policymakers and industry’s love for green hydrogen – has cooled in recent months. While hydrogen derived from renewable energy is still a key part of Europe’s decarbonisation drive, teething problems have made clear that this new industry is incapable of scaling up overnight,” Donagh Cagney writes for Euractiv. “Green hydrogen projects have struggled with lack of customers, insufficient renewable energy, supply chain delays, and financing challenges. Earlier this year the International Energy Agency revised downwards by 50% of its 2028 projections for hydrogen production in Europe. Governments and industry are now looking for alternative solutions to fill the gap. Enter carbon capture, which has sprung back on the agenda in recent months, most notably when the European Commission crowbarred it into the EU’s Net Zero Industry Act… “But anyone dismayed by green hydrogen’s teething problems is unlikely to find comfort in carbon capture… “Similar to hydrogen, carbon capture requires the creation of a large trading market, the development of expensive transport infrastructure, and the de-risking of technology… “Teething problems are unavoidable, but sooner rather than later, these technologies need to start delivering on their promises.”

The Hill: Biden’s Abuse Of The Antiquities Act Is A Classic Case Of Executive Overreach 
Megan Jenkins is strategic research director, and Keelyn Gallagher is a strategic research analyst, at Pacific Legal Foundation, 5/25/24

“This month, President Biden used his executive power to expand two national monuments in California: Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and San Gabriel National Monument,” Megan Jenkins and Keelyn Gallagher write for The Hill. “Altogether, the president set aside an additional 120,000 acres of federal land for special protection under the Antiquities Act — an area slightly larger than the city of San Jose, Calif. The Antiquities Act allows the president to unilaterally protect nationally significant objects by designating them as national monuments. It requires designations to be limited to the ‘smallest area compatible’ with their protection. This power has been abused. New research from Pacific Legal Foundation shows how this undemocratic process lacks checks and balances and harms real people’s livelihoods. Because the federal government owns 28 percent of U.S. land, it’s essential (and required by law) that public lands be used for productive purposes like mining, logging or grazing and recreation. Federal lands produced 25 percent of U.S. crude oil, 10 percent of natural gas, and 45 percent of coal in 2021. Federal lands also comprise 64 percent of our geothermal energy capacity and significant solar and wind production.”