EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/11/23
PIPELINE NEWS
Politico: Appeals court orders temporary halt to Mountain Valley Pipeline construction
Roanoke Times: Federal court stops construction of Mountain Valley Pipeline in national forest
Bloomberg: Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction Blocked by Fourth Circuit
The Detroit News: Army Corps angers critics, heartens Enbridge with Line 5 tunnel decision
Iowa Capital Dispatch: IUB chairperson signals Summit permit hearing will proceed as planned
South Dakota Searchlight: Unusual alliances emerge amid opposition to eminent domain for carbon pipelines
The Fence Post: Landowners gather at SD’s capitol building; say ‘no eminent domain’ for carbon pipelines
Radio Iowa: Ex-U.S. Rep. Steve King threatens lawsuit over carbon pipelines
The Hawk Eye: CO2 pipeline meeting to be held Thursday in West Point
Reuters: Canada regulator issues order to Trans Mountain over community impact monitoring
WOLF: Active pipeline expansion project has local environmental group concerned
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Permitting talks to resume as Congress returns
E&E News: EPA says carbon capture is within reach. Utilities aren’t biting.
The Hill: Biden administration announces $650 million to plug orphaned gas and oil wells
KNAU: Two Arizona representatives introduce bill to void Chaco Canyon mining and drilling ban
STATE UPDATES
Buckrail: Gordon prioritizes carbon capture as chair of Western Governors’ Assoc.
WVLA: What is carbon capture and how can it affect Louisiana? What you need to know
Allegheny Front: ACTIVISTS RALLY TO PREVENT FRACKING UNDER OHIO’S SALT FORK STATE PARK
EXTRACTION
National Observer: Report finds Big Oil can afford to clean up its mess but needs arm-twisting to pay up
CLIMATE FINANCE
Reuters: New anti-ESG rule in Missouri offers US Republicans another path away from 'wokeness'
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Patch: Pipeline Company Food Drive Benefits Brookfield Town Pantry
OPINION
The Hill: With hundreds of explosive chemical plants, Louisiana could be a ticking time bomb this hurricane season
PIPELINE NEWS
Politico: Appeals court orders temporary halt to Mountain Valley Pipeline construction
BEN LEFEBVRE, 7/10/23
“A federal appeals court on Monday ordered the backers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline to halt construction in a national forest while it reviews a request by environmental groups to challenge the Biden administration’s approval of the natural gas pipeline,” Politico reports. “A panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which has previously rejected permits for the project, unanimously decided to grant the motion to stop construction. The ruling came after language in the debt ceiling law directed federal agencies to issue permits needed for the controversial pipeline favored by Senate Energy Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). The judges agreed with the argument that the Wilderness Society and other environmental groups made last week that construction on the proposed natural gas pipeline through the Jefferson National Forest should stop while the court weighs the request to review the Interior Department’s record of decision allowing pipeline construction in the national forest to begin… “A spokesperson for Mountain Valley Pipeline told Politico the decision was only related to construction in the Jefferson National Forest, a three-mile stretch of a pipeline that is planned to travel more than 300 miles… “Ben Tettlebaum, director and senior staff attorney at the Wilderness Society, praised the decision in a statement. “Time and time again, Mountain Valley has tried to force its dangerous pipeline through the Jefferson National Forest, devastating communities in its wake and racking up violations,” Tettlebaum told Politico. “We’re grateful that the Court has given those communities a measure of reprieve by hitting the brakes on construction across our public lands, sparing them from further irreversible damage while this important case proceeds.” Manchin, who provided the crucial vote for President Joe Biden’s climate bill last year and has been one of the pipeline’s big champions, protested the court’s decision. “The law passed by Congress & signed by POTUS is clear - the 4th Circuit no longer has jurisdiction over MVP’s construction permits,” Manchin said in a tweet Monday night. “This new order halting construction is unlawful, & regardless of your position on MVP, it should alarm every American when a court ignores the law.”
Roanoke Times: Federal court stops construction of Mountain Valley Pipeline in national forest
Laurence Hammack, 7/10/23
“A federal appeals court has ordered the Mountain Valley Pipeline not to resume construction in the Jefferson National Forest,” the Roanoke Times reports. “Late Monday afternoon, a three-judge panel of 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of construction while it considers arguments that Congress violated the separation of powers doctrine when it passed a law expediting completion of the controversial project. The brief order came from Judge Roger Gregory and Judges Stephanie Thacker and James Wynn. The same three judges have set aside nearly a dozen permits issued to Mountain Valley over the past five years… “There had been no decision by 5 p.m. Monday on a second request for a stay — which if granted would affect a much larger portion of a 303-mile pipeline that runs from northern West Virginia, through the New River and Roanoke valleys, to connect with an existing pipeline near the North Carolina line. In that case, also pending before the Fourth Circuit, a coalition of environmental groups led by Appalachian Voices contests a finding by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that endangered species would not be jeopardized by the buried, 42-inch diameter pipe… “Monday’s decision came just hours after lawyers for the joint venture of energy companies building the natural gas pipeline argued in court papers that both legal challenges should be dismissed… “It was not clear when the Fourth Circuit might rule on the arguments made by the Wilderness Society, Appalachian Voices and the other environmental groups who say Congress violated the Constitution by asserting its power over that of the courts. But before granting a stay, the court had to find in favor of the Wilderness Society on four factors, including whether it had made a strong showing that its legal challenge will ultimately be successful.”
Bloomberg: Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction Blocked by Fourth Circuit
John Woolley, 7/10/23
“Construction of a portion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest was temporarily blocked by the Fourth Circuit on Monday pending an environmental group’s petition to review the Bureau of Land Management’s decision granting a permit to the controversial energy infrastructure project,” Bloomberg reports. “It’s unclear whether the panel has the authority to block construction after Congress authorized project permits and explicitly limited judicial review as part of debt limit negotiations last month. Mountain Valley Pipeline’s developers and several government agencies opposed the Wilderness Society’s motion to stay construction, arguing the court lacked jurisdiction as a result of Congress’s ratification of the project in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Environmentalists claim the court does have jurisdiction because their claims fall under the Administrative Procedure Act and allege violations of environmental statutes.”
The Detroit News: Army Corps angers critics, heartens Enbridge with Line 5 tunnel decision
Carol Thompson, 7/10/23
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in late June decided to narrow the scope of its environmental review of Enbridge Energy's Great Lakes Tunnel project to only the four-mile portion of the Line 5 pipeline that crosses the Straits of Mackinac,” The Detroit News reports. “Critics of the tunnel project had urged federal engineers to consider the entire Line 5 pipeline — which runs 645 miles from Superior, Wisconsin, through Michigan to Sarnia — in its permit review. Line 5 pipeline owner Enbridge had pushed for a narrower intrepretation. Instead of reviewing the greater breadth of alternatives for moving oil across the region, the Corps will review only alternatives for moving oil from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City, Sean McBrearty, Michigan legislative and policy director for Clean Water Action, told the News. "It looks like the Army Corps is intentionally not seeing the forest for the trees," McBrearty told the News. "They're focusing on a very narrow scope of review for a project that has huge implications for the Great Lakes themselves and for the future of our state and our region." In a memo written June 28, the Corps cited regulations within the National Environmental Policy Act, which state the federal engineers can only review a portion of the pipeline because the tunnel project is limited to the portion of Line 5 through the Straits and because Line 5 is "an existing, privately owned pipeline." "Though a Corps permit is required for construction of a pipeline tunnel crossing the Straits, this does not give the Corps sufficient control and responsibility to warrant review of the entire pipeline," the Corps wrote… “McBrearty told the News the Corps' June announcement contrasts with President Joe Biden's environmental promises. Environmental groups opposed to the tunnel project are pressuring the Biden administration to shut down the pipeline.”
Iowa Capital Dispatch: IUB chairperson signals Summit permit hearing will proceed as planned
JARED STRONG, 7/10/23
“The Iowa Utilities Board chairperson said Monday he doesn’t foresee the need for another scheduling meeting for Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline permit request, casting doubt on a delay to the proceedings that is sought by pipeline opponents,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The board is considering requests to delay the evidentiary hearing for Summit’s proposed carbon dioxide pipeline, and there is also a pending motion to dismiss the company’s petition for a permit. “I’m not saying, ‘No, there won’t be one,’ ” Chairperson Erik Helland said of another scheduling conference like the one held Monday. “But at this point in time, we don’t anticipate needing another scheduling conference.” The board decided last month to set Summit’s hearing to begin Aug. 22 — nearly two months earlier than initially expected. That hearing could go for months, and Summit has indicated it wants a decision on its permit by the end of this year… “Mary Powell, a Shelby County landowner in the path of Summit’s project, told the board Monday that she has “great concerns about how the (Iowa) Utilities Board has all of a sudden tried to push everything through really quickly.” “It feels that you’re not listening to the landowners, that you’re not following your own statements to be impartial, that you’re being pushed by people with big money,” Powell said… “Two groups of Republican state lawmakers have submitted recent objections to the board, and Rep. Charley Thomson, a Charles City Republican and attorney, recently indicated he is representing a group called the Republican Legislator Intervenors for Justice that will take part in the permit proceedings… “This matter clearly should be continued,” said Brian Jorde, an Omaha, Nebraska, attorney who is representing dozens of landowners in several states. “It’s premature to think we can move forward in any fair way on Aug. 22.” He said there is confusion among landowners who are subject to eminent domain about how they can effectively participate in the process, and that there will be further challenges from project opponents that will prevent a starting date in August. Jorde recommended the board delay the evidentiary hearing until next spring. On behalf of Floyd County landowner George Cummins, Jorde has also asked for the board to dismiss Summit’s hazardous liquid pipeline permit application because the company’s pipeline will not be transporting liquid carbon dioxide… “Summit’s written response to that argument is expected to be filed this week, and Helland said board orders on the motion to dismiss and to reconsider the hearing schedule are forthcoming.”
South Dakota Searchlight: Unusual alliances emerge amid opposition to eminent domain for carbon pipelines
JOSHUA HAIAR, 7/7/23
“Opponents of eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipeline projects in South Dakota have forged a unique coalition. It includes Republicans, Democrats, climate change deniers who see the pipelines as a boondoggle, and environmentalists skeptical of the pipelines’ benefits,” South Dakota Searchlight reports. “Many of them agree on one contention: that unlike water and natural gas pipelines, electrical transmission lines and other projects that have used a legal process called eminent domain to gain access to land, a liquified carbon dioxide pipeline would not deliver a product needed by the general public. Therefore, opponents say, carbon pipeline projects should not be allowed to use eminent domain to access land against a landowner’s will. “It hasn’t mattered to me, in this fight, who is a Democrat, who is a Republican,” state Rep. Karla Lems, a Republican from rural Canton who owns land that would be crossed by pipelines, told Searchlight. “I want to know if you are for the United States of America and the rights written in our Constitution.” “...Opponents of the projects staged a rally Thursday in the state Capitol in Pierre, where the political diversity of the coalition was on display… “But while some laud carbon capture technology as a necessary step in combating climate change, for others, it’s a government boondoggle. “If we didn’t have all these government tax credits involved in this project, this project would not be going anywhere,” said Lems, who introduced unsuccessful legislation during the 2022 legislative session to bar carbon pipelines from using eminent domain… “There were over 20 lobbyists on the side of the pipeline companies, and they were wining and dining legislators, and so were the ethanol companies,” Lems said. “They were really pushing this project.” “...Some carbon pipeline opponents are concerned about climate change. But they’re also concerned about dangerous carbon dioxide plumes from potential pipeline leaks. They question the wisdom of incentivizing carbon capture instead of halting emissions. And they worry that carbon pipelines would aid the ethanol industry, which could lead to the conversion of more grassland for corn. Some opponents argue the net result is a substantial public expenditure without delivering the intended environmental benefits. They say the investments in carbon capture technology might be better allocated toward other carbon sequestration methods – such as paying farmers to naturally store more carbon in the ground via soil health practices and protecting grasslands.”
The Fence Post: Landowners gather at SD’s capitol building; say ‘no eminent domain’ for carbon pipelines
Carrie Stadheim, 7/10/23
“Over 500 people stood for property rights at the South Dakota capitol building July 6, 2023,” The Fence Post reports. “The group called on Gov. Kristi Noem and the South Dakota legislature to call a special session to protect property owners from the threat of eminent domain in the face of two carbon capture pipelines hoping to cross the state… “Landowner Jared Bossly of Brown County, South Dakota, joined several other landowners to organize the July 6 rally. The Summit pipeline proposes to cross Bossly’s land, near his cattle pens, and through an area he had hoped to someday build calving barns and another calving lot, in order to expand his operation to make room for his kids to ranch with him. Bossly told the Post the event was powerful. “I’m used to talking to cows and tractors that don’t work, and maybe a nice looking bale,” said Bossly.” It was powerful to be in there. To talk to people. To hear them cheering.” “...A year ago, the Brown County Commission approve a one-year moratorium on any CO2 pipelines being built. That moratorium expires soon and the commission could renew it for one more year but he doesn’t know if they will or not. The commission also approved an ordinance requiring any C02 pipeline to have a 1,500 foot “setback” from dwellings… “The ethanol industry never came forward with a proposed plan that could have been a compromise. That was an eye opening experience for me. They asked for that opportunity and we granted it, but they never worked with us. It turned out to be all or nothing deal for them,” he told the Post. So the commission eventually did approve the 1,500 foot setback. Dennert believes that the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, which is expected to rule on Summit’s permit request this fall, will likely have the authority to require Summit to follow county ordinances if it so chooses… “Will Rozell, loan officer and vice president of Bank North, Warner, S.D., attended the rally. Some of Rozell’s clients own land in the pipeline’s pathway. So does his dad and his uncles. “My dad and uncles are concerned about the devaluation of the land,” he told the Post. And so is he, but his main concern is the violation of property rights. Rozell told the Post the landowners in his area, including his dad, have been digging to find out the truth about the carbon pipeline concept. He believes their safety concerns, along with a lack of integrity on Summit’s part, has landowners very leery of signing easements. Many of his clients are corn farmers, but as their banker, he doesn’t necessarily believe this pipeline will uphold the value of corn. “I believe if you own stock in the ethanol companies, you might benefit from this, sure. But just because the investors see bigger dividends, will they start paying $4 more for corn? Just because of their carbon credits? Why would they artificially inflate the price of corn? Just to be nice? That’s not how they do business,” he told the Post. Additionally, he questions the claim that the ethanol from the plants along the pipeline route will sell their “environmentally friendly” ethanol to California. “Everything you read says California will be all electric in 10 years. So that doesn’t make sense to me, either,” he told the Post.
Radio Iowa: Ex-U.S. Rep. Steve King threatens lawsuit over carbon pipelines
O. Kay Henderson, 7/10/23
“Former Iowa Congressman Steve King says he’s in talks with three law firms about filing a lawsuit to try to block construction of carbon pipelines,” Radio Iowa reports. “King filed paperwork this morning with the Iowa Utilities Board to be on record as an opponent of the projects. “We already know what the (Iowa) Utilities Board is going to do. They have their marching orders. They’re going to carry them out. We need to fight them every step of the way,” King told Radio Iowa. “While we’re doing that, we need to build the case to get to the United States Supreme Court.” King indicated he’s aware law firms are already representing landowners and county officials opposed to the pipelines in state court, but King told Radio Iowa the focus should be overturning a 2005 U-S Supreme Court decision. That ruling said private property can be claimed for a private economic development project through the government’s eminent domain process… “On Saturday, King met in Fort Dodge with over 150 people from Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas who are opposed to the carbon pipelines and he said some of them indicated they would be willing to join a class action lawsuit against the carbon pipeline developers.”
The Hawk Eye: CO2 pipeline meeting to be held Thursday in West Point
Robin Delaney, 7/11/23
“A CO2 Pipeline informational meeting will be held Thursday, July 13, at 6:30pm in the West Point shelter house. All local citizens are invited to attend,” The Hawk Eye reports. “The meeting is being held to help inform and create awareness of the Navigator Heartland Greenway CO2 Pipeline that is proposed to route through Lee County, coming in close proximity to the City of West Point, the West Point Care Center, Holy Trinity Elementary, Central Lee Schools, family farms and many rural homes. Concern has arisen over the potential hazard this pipeline will place on our communities, first responders and citizens… “Carbon dioxide is an asphyxiant and heavier than oxygen. In 2020 a similar CO2 pipeline ruptured in Satartia, Mississippi, injuring 45 residents. Federal regulations have yet to be updated in response to this rupture.”
Reuters: Canada regulator issues order to Trans Mountain over community impact monitoring
7/11/23
“The Canada Energy Regulator issued an "Inspection Office Order" to Trans Mountain for not adhering to an approved plan to monitor the impact of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project on local communities during construction,” Reuters reports. “A review found that Trans Mountain was not able to incorporate "qualitative data related to workers and local business accommodations in the North Thompson Region", as approved in its Socio-Economic Effects Monitoring Plan, the CER said on its website on Monday… “The troubled C$30.9 billion ($23.5 billion) project, bought by the Canadian government in 2018 to ensure it was completed, is nearing completion more than a decade after it was first proposed as an expanded gateway to Asia.”
WOLF: Active pipeline expansion project has local environmental group concerned
Alyshia Hercules, 7/10/23
“Construction directly behind a neighborhood on Susquehanna Avenue in West Pittston, Wyoming County has a local environmental group concerned—but local residents say they’re indifferent about the construction,” WOLF reports. “The NEPA Green Coalition told WOLF that this construction could cause more serious issues in the future. The Transco Expansion pipeline goes along the Susquehanna River. It follows the path of the former PennEast Pipeline in Luzerne County municipalities of Wyoming, Plains, and Jenkins Township… “The pipeline project is in very close proximity to long standing homes in the area, for some it’s in their backyard… “Natural Gas is not a clean fuel. It’s very dirty because you have the methane leaks and methane is actually dozens of times more potent than CO2 for a greenhouse gas”, Scott Cannon, a member of the NEPA Green Coalition, told WOLF.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Permitting talks to resume as Congress returns
Kelsey Brugger, 7/10/23
“Congress returns from a two-week recess with a host of unresolved issues, including one big one: permitting reform,” E&E News reports. “Despite the recent debt ceiling accord, which included a rewrite to permitting laws, lawmakers have insisted they are still working on an even bigger deal. Some informal bipartisan talks have already begun, lawmakers tell E&E. But a breakthrough remains far from reach… “On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told his colleagues in a letter that efforts to “unlock permitting reform” would be a focus ahead of the August recess… “When it comes to permitting, loosely formed groups are continuing to talk after the debt limit deal yielded permitting wins for Republicans and mostly nothing for Democrats. A Democratic aide familiar with the workings of one of the groups, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, told E&E the idea is to take a step forward this month. Still, the aide admitted that the details of a potential proposal remain murky… “At the same time, Manchin has said he intends to hold a hearing this month on permitting in the Senate committee he chairs: Energy and Natural Resources… “What we are going to see for the rest of year are smaller bipartisan gangs working within and outside of their committees on a multitude of sector-specific legislative changes that speed up the process,” Alex Herrgott, a former Trump administration official and president of the Permitting Institute, told E&E… “Democrats are feeling pressure from the clean-energy lobby, which wants Congress to advance a bipartisan measure that would try to accelerate the construction of transmission lines, necessary to further the nation’s climate goals. But the issue creates difficult politics for the White House after Republicans made clear that a trade-off must include permanent changes to environmental statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act. Herrgott predicted the White House would remain hands-off, waiting to see what a divided Congress could compromise on. But some observers are skeptical permitting legislation will materialize… “I think there’s way more opportunity for it to fall apart than for it to come together,” Nick Loris, vice president of public policy at C3 Solutions, told E&E.
E&E News: EPA says carbon capture is within reach. Utilities aren’t biting.
Carlos Anchondo, Jason Plautz, Zach Bright, 7/11/23
“The utilities that control most of the country’s power plants aren’t rushing out to install carbon capture, even as the Biden administration offers the technology as a lifeline for fossil fuels,” E&E News reports. “The administration has boosted tax credits for companies that store carbon dioxide, launched large-scale pilot programs and proposed pollution standards that would allow utilities to avoid closing some fossil fuel plants if they employ carbon capture… “But those efforts haven’t yet spurred utilities to take the leap on installing the technology, which is more costly for the power sector than it is for other industries like ethanol. E&E News contacted the 10 companies that control the largest coal and gas fleets in the U.S. to ask about their CCS plans. While a few pointed to active research projects, most told E&E they do not have near-term plans for deployment on the timeline laid out in EPA’s draft rule to limit carbon pollution from power plants. With a mandate to keep the lights on and keep rates as low as possible, “this is an industry that is not generally incentivized to work with emerging technologies,” Emily Sanford Fisher of the Edison Electric Institute, which represents U.S. investor-owned electric utility companies, told E&E. “Our regulatory structure does not love the risk involved in new technology.” Fisher, EEI’s executive vice president for clean energy and general counsel, told E&E that even after decades of research, the pieces of technology that would allow utilities to efficiently trap carbon pollution from power plants and store it underground haven’t yet come together “in order for the industry to rely on it in a really substantial way.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has used its heft to raise concerns about the cost of electricity for businesses, said in a report last month that carbon capture was not ready for prime time. Saying that it has been one of the “loudest voices urging Congress" to adopt CCS, the Chamber nevertheless said that it's "dubious" that CCS meets the "adequately demonstrated" standard that EPA claims… “Two of the companies contacted by E&E News — Duke Energy Corp. and Entergy Corp. — are testing carbon capture after receiving funding from the Department of Energy last year. But even they aren’t ready to say exactly what role CCS will play in their future.”
The Hill: Biden administration announces $650 million to plug orphaned gas and oil wells
ZACK BUDRYK, 7/10/23
“The Interior Department announced Monday more than $650 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to plug abandoned oil and gas wells,” The Hill reports. “The $660 million in funding, available to 27 states, will go toward the plugging of so-called orphan wells, or wells abandoned for extraction by the oil and gas industry… “These investments are good for our climate, for the health of our communities, and for American workers,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in remarks Monday in Kansas with Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.). “With this additional funding, states will put more people to work to clean up these toxic sites, reduce methane emissions and safeguard our environment.” “...The administration previously announced $560 million in grants to plug orphaned wells in August 2022, with eligible states plugging nearly 3,000 wells so far using that funding.”
KNAU: Two Arizona representatives introduce bill to void Chaco Canyon mining and drilling ban
7/7/23
“Republican Representatives Eli Crane and Paul Gosar have introduced a new bill that would void President Joe Biden’s recent ban on oil and gas drilling on lands within a swath of New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park,” KNAU reports. “Crane told KNAU the move effectively prevents all private landowners and Navajo allottees from mineral leasing land in the area. He adds that it will have significant economic impacts on the Navajo Nation by limiting tribal revenue, economic development, self-sufficiency and American energy production… “The legislation – known as the Energy Opportunities for All Act – is set for a hearing in the House Committee on Natural Resources next week.”
STATE UPDATES
Buckrail: Gordon prioritizes carbon capture as chair of Western Governors’ Assoc.
7/10/23
“Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon was elected Chair of the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) at their late-June annual meeting, where he announced carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS) as his Chair’s Initiative,” Buckrail reports. “...Our world needs energy and a clean environment — neither is well-served if we are not honest about consequences and challenges,” Gordon said at the meeting. “Ignoring CCUS as a viable option to decarbonize the grid creates an energy gap. Shuttering coal-fired power plants before alternative resources are fully developed will exacerbate power shortages, brownouts and blackouts, higher fuel costs and higher-priced electricity.” “...The governor’s steps toward eco-friendliness, however, do not signal a wholesale endorsement of abandoning the state’s reliance on fossil fuels… “The litany of rules, regulations and tax subsidies coming out of Washington, D.C., give preferential treatment to renewables over more feasible technologies, such as CCUS combined with coal and natural gas,” Gordon wrote for the Hill.”
WVLA: What is carbon capture and how can it affect Louisiana? What you need to know
Keymonte Avery, 7/10/23
“Louisiana is known for having its chemical and industrial plants throughout the state that emit carbon dioxide,” WVLA reports. “Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a process of reducing carbon emissions, which helps slow the global warming rate… “CCUS is one strategy to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. For Louisiana, it is particularly salient due to our high percentage of emissions coming from industrial sources,” Greg Upton, Associate Research Professor for the Center for Energy Studies at Louisiana State University, told WVLA… “Although carbon capture has its benefits, it has its risks as well. For carbon capture utilization and storage, most of the risks come from moving the carbon dioxide. CO2 is nontoxic and nonflammable but is transported at high pressures. The carbon dioxide injected into the reservoir also can leak to the surface. “Some stakeholders have voiced concerns broadly about continuing to invest in hydrocarbon-based technologies, such as the petrochemical sector, and thus have not been supportive of investments like CCUS. Others have expressed concerns about landowner rights regarding pore space deep underground. Others have expressed concerns about the safety of the technology,” Upton told WVLA… “Producing oil and gas in Louisiana is crucial for our local economy, and it provides affordable energy for the whole country. Many of these energy producers want to invest in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) so they can keep operating in Louisiana long into the future,” said U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy.
Allegheny Front: ACTIVISTS RALLY TO PREVENT FRACKING UNDER OHIO’S SALT FORK STATE PARK
JULIE GRANT, 7/7/23
“Activists who want to prevent fracking in Ohio’s state parks are trying to rally more people to their cause. They’re fighting against a new law that requires the state to consider proposals to drill for oil and natural gas under Ohio’s public lands,” Allegheny Front reports. “Make no mistake, the decision has been made without the consent of the public to whom these lands belong and against the desperate warnings of scientists that our continued exploitation of fossil fuels will send the human race to its grave,” said Aaron Dunbar, of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action. He was speaking to a gathering of about 65 people at a pavilion near the beach at Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County, southeast Ohio, in early July. In January, Governor DeWine signed a bill requiring the state to consider proposals to drill under state-owned property, like parks and wildlife areas… “A new group, Save Ohio Parks, organized this rally against the plan. People hung signs in the pavilion that read “Ohio: Fracking the Heart of It All,” and “No fracking on public lands.”
EXTRACTION
National Observer: Report finds Big Oil can afford to clean up its mess but needs arm-twisting to pay up
Natasha Bulowski, 7/11/23
“Oil and gas companies can afford the billions it will take to clean up their messes and it’s up to governments to force them to do so, a new analysis has found,” the National Observer reports. “Right now, it would cost an estimated $123 billion to clean up the environmental liabilities created by oil and gas companies in Canada, according to a new analysis by the Parkland Institute — a non-partisan research centre located at the University of Alberta — and commissioned by Environmental Defence. If the industry maintains current production levels, that number could hit nearly $224 billion by 2040. The estimated cost of environmental liabilities laid out in the report includes cleanup or reclamation of oilsands mines, abandoned or orphaned oil and gas wells, and tailings ponds… “Pipelines and facilities such as refineries, tank farms and more are not included in this report's estimates due to a lack of data, however, all of these will eventually need to be decommissioned and will be an added cleanup cost, the report explained. The Parkland Institute modelled three different scenarios and contrasted them with projected oil and gas industry profits, illustrating that companies have the means to pay for cleanup. “Oil and gas companies are not voluntarily going to pay their bills; they must be forced to do so by governments and that's at every level,” Julia Levin, national climate program manager with Environmental Defence, told the Observer. “In this world of declining demand for Canadian oil and gas … it is incumbent on provincial governments to start collecting the money ahead of time.” There's an enormous risk the public will have to bear the cost of these environmental liabilities, which would be unacceptable, Levin told the Observer, pointing out that the current $123 billion of liabilities amounts to roughly $3,000 per Canadian… “Regardless of oil prices being volatile and subject to geopolitical turmoil, companies are still obligated by law to clean up so that the financial burden doesn’t fall to taxpayers. Despite what the law says, the report points out a track record of companies delaying the cleanup of inactive infrastructure and or declaring bankruptcy and leaving the public on the hook. “Any public funding for covering the cost of cleanup is an incredibly inefficient fossil fuel subsidy given that oil and gas companies can absolutely cover these costs by themselves,” Levin told the Observer.
CLIMATE FINANCE
Reuters: New anti-ESG rule in Missouri offers US Republicans another path away from 'wokeness'
Ross Kerber, 7/10/23
“A new Missouri securities rule offers a template for Republican U.S. state officials who want to advance an "anti-woke" business agenda even as such ideas struggle for legislative backing,” Reuters reports. “Missouri's Republican secretary of state, John "Jay" Ashcroft, issued a rule on June 1 that requires broker-dealers to obtain consent from customers to purchase or sell an investment product based on social or other nonfinancial objectives, such as combating climate change. Ashcroft acted after Republican lawmakers failed to pass a similar measure during the state's legislative session that ended on May 12, amid infighting over which bills should be prioritized. Both the new rule and failed legislation were part of a broader push by Republicans in some U.S. states to limit the growing consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors by business and investors. Many Republican politicians call such concerns "woke" overreach, using a term the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as attentiveness to racial and social-justice issues. This year they proposed some 165 pieces of legislation in 37 states to counter ESG investment practices, according to Pleiades Strategy, a climate-focused research and advisory firm. But of those 165 proposals, only 22 anti-ESG laws in 16 states were approved this year, Pleiades found. Concerns over costs, bureaucracy and economic fallout led to bills stalling or passing in weakened form even in so-called red states, where Republicans dominate state government.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
Patch: Pipeline Company Food Drive Benefits Brookfield Town Pantry
Rich Kirby, 7/10/23
“The Brookfield food pantry was among the beneficiaries of Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company's 11th annual food drive,” Patch reports. “During this effort, Iroquois' 88 Connecticut and New York-based employees collected monetary donations, as well as food, personal care items and cleaning supplies benefitting six food banks in towns where the company has a presence.”
OPINION
The Hill: With hundreds of explosive chemical plants, Louisiana could be a ticking time bomb this hurricane season
Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré (Ret.) is the former commanding officer of the U.S. First Army. He led disaster recovery efforts in New Orleans as head of Joint Task Force Katrina, 7/10/23
“Eighteen years ago, Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, overpowering the city’s levees and destroying entire communities. As leader of Joint Task Force Katrina, I saw the devastating force of nature and the high cost of being caught unprepared,” Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré writes for The Hill. “...Tragically for Louisiana, the state has 740 petrochemical plants that are vulnerable to tropical storms, according to a new report by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate. While most have weathered storms in the past, there’s no evidence to show they will be able to withstand the storm surges of the powerful superstorms that are becoming the new norm. In additional reporting by The Advocate, it was revealed that many of these facilities could spread toxic, even lethal chemicals through the air anywhere across a 25-mile radius, were they to be damaged or destroyed in a hurricane. Chemicals like chlorine gas, once used as a chemical weapon in the First World War, could quite literally choke, burn or even kill innocent bystanders living all the way in another parish from the damaged plant. The massive corporations that own and operate these plants claim that such potential calamities are merely worst-case scenarios that won’t happen. That’s just spin, and it’s no comfort to the 1 in 4 Louisiana residents who live within 25 miles of a dangerous chemical plant… “It’s outrageous that chemical plant owners can put the health and safety of some 1.2 million Louisiana residents at risk. The rest of us understand we need to undertake additional precautionary measures now that hurricane season is becoming increasingly deadly. Petrochemical companies should not be able to put us in harm’s way by denying this reality… “Don’t wait. Prepare yourself and your family now. And while you’re at it, call your member of Congress. Tell them petrochemical companies need more stringent safety guidelines and disaster protocols in hurricane zones.”