EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/8/22
PIPELINE NEWS
WPLN: Tennessee’s second-largest crude oil spill narrowly missed the state’s biggest aquifer
Associated Press: 201K gallons of oil spill from pipeline in Tennessee
FOX News: Texas pipeline explodes, residents evacuated
Reuters: Energy Transfer natural gas pipeline explodes near Houston
CBC: Wet'suwet'en leader charged with criminal contempt over Coastal GasLink pipeline blockade
KVRR: Judge dismisses charges against three Enbridge Line 3 pipeline protestors
Reuters: Michigan orders more information from Canada's Enbridge on Line 5 tunnel application
9and10news.com: MPSC Reopens Record in Enbridge Line 5 Relocation, Replacement Application
Aberdeen News: Moratorium to slow Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline still an option for Brown Co. Commission
Radio Iowa: THIRD CARBON DIOXIDE PIPELINE PROPOSED IN EASTERN IOWA
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Understanding Pipeline Easements & Taxes (VIDEO)
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Will the 45Q Tax Piggies Be Hogtied by the U.S. EPA?
Fremont News-Messenger: County schools, townships will get additional NEXUS tax revenue after state ruling
Prairie Public Broadcasting: Industrial Commission formally supports WBI Energy's 'Wahpeton Expansion' natural gas pipeline project
The Tyee: Revealed: Health Officials’ Worries about Pipeline Company’s COVID Plans
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Washington Post: Democrats race to clinch deal on climate, energy with Manchin
STATE UPDATES
Press release: Biden Administration Paves Way for Railway That Will Quadruple Oil Production in Utah’s Uinta Basin
EXTRACTION
CTV: 'Can't just kick me out': Indigenous woman alleges major oilsands company banned her for smudging
Reuters: Calgary Stampede back on with oil prices high, COVID rules low
Bloomberg: Mine Fatality Adds to Pressure for Suncor Energy Changes
KOKH: Oil rig worker killed after being pulled into winch in Fairview
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
The Inter-Mountain: Beverly VFD Receives Grant
OPINION
TribLive.com: Bruce Castor: No pipelines means more coal, less safety
Corpus Christi Caller Times: Opinion: Texas can lead the way in hydrogen energy technology
PIPELINE NEWS
WPLN: Tennessee’s second-largest crude oil spill narrowly missed the state’s biggest aquifer
CAROLINE EGGERS, 7/6/22
“A pipeline that crosses eight states burst in Tennessee last week and leaked more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil into the rural town of Henderson – making it the second-largest crude oil spill in state history,” WPLN reports. “The Mid-Valley Pipeline Company, a roughly 1,000-mile line, is the source of the leak. The pipeline dumped about 4,800 barrels of crude oil into the surrounding area in Chester County, according to the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Safety Materials Administration, or PHMSA, which is investigating the cause of the incident and potential compliance issues. The spill occurred on June 29 at 12:34 p.m. and the release was stopped on June 30 at about 11:40 a.m. through the installation of a clamp on the damaged pipe, according to the National Response Center report. It is unclear how fast the pipeline operator shut down the flow of oil after the leak was detected. That information should be revealed soon, however, as the pipeline company is federally required to submit a report to PHMSA within 30 days. “Until they shut those valves down, oil is going to continue leaking out of that pipeline. When you have a spill of this size, it often means it was not shut down very quickly,” Bill Caram, director of Pipeline Safety Trust, a watchdog group, told WPLN… “The spill leaked directly into Horse Creek. That flows into the South Forked Deer River, which then flows into the recharge zone of the Memphis Sand Aquifer, Tennessee’s largest aquifer. At this time, officials have said that the oil spill was stopped before it reached the river. Emergency responders closed dams and placed buoys to catch the oil, which floats on water, in the creek. “If the oil spill was to continue flowing with the path of water, it could make its way into the South Forked Deer River and into the Memphis Sand Aquifer recharge zone. But at this stage, it does not appear to be impacting the aquifer at all,” Sarah Houston, executive director of Protect Our Aquifer, a Memphis-based environmental nonprofit, told WPLN… “This latest spill may have avoided the aquifer — narrowly, as the aquifer actually crosses into Chester County — but it will impact the local ecosystem along Horse Creek. “Creeks have delicate ecosystems, and a spill like this can really be devastating. It can take a very long time for a creek to recover, and in many cases it may never fully recover,” Caram told WPLN.
Associated Press: 201K gallons of oil spill from pipeline in Tennessee
7/7/22
“Officials are cleaning up a massive oil spill from a multistate pipeline that ruptured in rural Tennessee,” the Associated Press reports. “According to the state Department of Environment and Conservation, approximately 201,600 gallons of crude oil spilled from the pipeline on June 29 and entered Horse Creek in Henderson, some 88 miles northeast of Memphis. The department says the spill was “secured” on June 30 and there were no reported impacts to nearby drinking water wells, no water contact advisories issued and no fish kills observed. It was the second-largest recorded crude oil spill in the state, advocacy group Pipeline Safety Trust said in a statement. The spill occurred when a mowing contractor struck the Mid-Valley Pipeline Company’s pipeline, officials said. The cleanup response is being led by the pipeline’s parent company, Energy Transfer, with help from the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies… “State officials told AP they have asked for weekly monitoring of water quality near the spill.”
FOX News: Texas pipeline explodes, residents evacuated
Julia Musto, 7/7/22
“A pipeline exploded Thursday in Fort Bend County, Texas,” FOX News reports. “Sharing photos of the scene – with orange flames shooting high into the air – the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Fort Bend County wrote that the explosion occurred off of BJ Dusek Road between Orchard and Wallis. "The area is isolated in a field and all of the area surrounding is restricted," it said, instructing residents to avoid the area. The office said that the pipeline company was en route to the site and residents in the surrounding area had been evacuated as a precautionary measure.”
Reuters: Energy Transfer natural gas pipeline explodes near Houston
Arathy Somasekhar, 7/7/22
“An Energy Transfer (ET.N) natural gas transmission pipeline exploded on Thursday, setting off a two-hour fire in a rural area on the west edge of Houston, according to state and local officials,” Reuters reports. “The blaze was extinguished at about 12:10 p.m. CDT (1715 GMT), according to the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and natural gas drilling and energy pipelines in the state. No injuries were reported from the explosion and fire. Local firefighters sprayed water on nearby fields until the flow of natural gas was stopped, snuffing the fire… “Andrew Keese, Railroad Commission spokesperson, told Reuters the agency is conducting an investigation of the explosion and fire. Energy Transfer also said it is investigating the cause.”
CBC: Wet'suwet'en leader charged with criminal contempt over Coastal GasLink pipeline blockade
Betsy Trumpener, 7/7/22
“Crown prosecutors have decided to pursue a criminal contempt charge against a key Indigenous leader of a movement to stop Coastal GasLink's natural gas pipeline construction on Wet'suwet'en traditional territory in northern British Columbia,” the CBC reports. “The decision to charge Sleydo', also known as Molly Wickham, and three other protestors was made public virtually in the B.C. Supreme Court in Prince George on Thursday. Sleydo' — who is Wet'suwet'en — lives with her family on traditional territory near the pipeline construction area of the 670 km Coastal GasLink pipeline, being built across northern B.C. to fuel an LNG export facility. Although the company signed benefit agreements with 20 elected band councils along the project's route in 2018, several Wet'suwet'en hereditary leaders say band councils do not have authority over traditional territories beyond reserve boundaries. Sleydo' has been the public face of a high profile Indigenous land rights movement and a spokesperson for people who call themselves land defenders and water protectors. They are opposing construction of Coastal GasLink's project on behalf of several Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who haven't given consent for the pipeline to cross their territory, about 300 km northwest of Prince George, which is about 780 km northeast of Vancouver. Sleydo' was one of more than two dozen people arrested in November 2021, during an RCMP crackdown to dismantle Wet'suwet'en blockades that Coastal GasLink said had stranded 500 workers in a pipeline camp… “The Crown has now decided to prosecute a total of 19 people, including Sleydo'. Among those now facing criminal contempt charges are Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet'suwet'en family ties, and two prominent members of the Land Back movement, Skyler Williams and Corey Jocko.” “...A half dozen of those arrested last year will not be criminally charged, according to the B.C. Crown. The Crown said there is insufficient evidence that the RCMP or Coastal GasLink security guards read them the full court injunction before they were arrested.”
KVRR: Judge dismisses charges against three Enbridge Line 3 pipeline protestors
Hami Arain, 7/6/22
“A White Earth Tribal judge dismisses charges against three Indigenous people involved in Enbridge line three pipeline protests,” KVRR reports. “Nancy Beaulieu, Justin Keezer and Todd Thompson were charged with criminal trespassing at an eight day ceremonial camp at Fire Light camp. It is on land above where Enbridge Energy built the pipeline. White Earth Court Judge David DeGroat says the protestors’ actions “were lawful exercises of sovereign Indigenous rights reserved in an 1855 Treaty and protected nonviolent direct action pursuant to the White Earth Tribal Code.” “Anything that we do to protect the water and all that is sacred, that’s an inherent right. My original instruction to protect all that is sacred. It is not illegal to defend our treaties, to protect all that is sacred. What is illegal? When the courts and the state deny us our treaty rights,” Nancy Beaulieu of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe of Leech Lake told KVRR. The protestors are calling this a landmark victory for Natives and express hope this victory will inspire others to know their rights and take action in the future.”
Reuters: Michigan orders more information from Canada's Enbridge on Line 5 tunnel application
Nia Williams, 7/7/22
“State of Michigan regulators on Thursday ordered Canada's Enbridge Inc (ENB.TO) to file additional information on safety and engineering for its proposed Line 5 oil pipeline tunnel, describing Enbridge's current application as "deficient," Reuters reports. “...The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today ordered the record reopened in Enbridge Energy LP's application ... finding that the record is deficient on critical matters of engineering and safety, and additional evidence is needed for the Commission to complete its analysis," regulators said in a statement. The decision is a setback for Enbridge, which has proposed building the $750-million tunnel to address concerns that Line 5 could spill into the Great Lakes… “In a statement Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy said the company believes "extensive information documenting the engineering and safety of the Great Lakes Tunnel is already included" in the MPSC record… “The Environmental Law and Policy Centre advocacy group told Reuters the tunnel was an unnecessary investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure. "The Commission's request for additional information makes clear that Enbridge has failed to demonstrate that the tunnel could safely be constructed or operated," senior attorney Margrethe Kearney told Reuters.”
9and10news.com: MPSC Reopens Record in Enbridge Line 5 Relocation, Replacement Application
7/7/22
“The Michigan Public Service Commission ordered a record in Enbridge Energy’s LP application to be reopened to relocate the Line 5 pipeline to a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac on Thursday,” 9and10news.com reports. “The record, stated the MPSC, was reopened to receive testimony, exhibits, documents, rebuttal and other relevant evidence needed for development of a full record, but no briefing will be allowed… “The MPSC has asked Enbridge to file information, documents and other information in order to create a complete record for tunnel engineering and safety, electrical equipment and risk of fire and/or explosion, and the safety of the dual pipelines, including leak detection systems and shut-down procedures. Additionally, Enbridge must file reports and other information from prior agreements with Michigan and federal governments related to their operation of their current pipeline which had not been turned in on the record in their case before the commission… “The MPSC deferred scheduling for testimony, exhibits and rebuttal evidence filing, including the opportunity for cross-examination, to the judge in the case. Thursday’s decision, stated the MPSC, does not impact the process or timeline involved for the consideration of needed permits, including permits under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
Aberdeen News: Moratorium to slow Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline still an option for Brown Co. Commission
Alexandra Hardle, 7/6/22
“Brown County commissioners will continue to monitor the possibility of enacting a moratorium that would essentially halt Summit Carbon Solutions work in the county,” the Aberdeen News reports. “That was a major takeaway from Tuesday's regular commission meeting at the Brown County Courthouse. During the meeting, a landowner asked the commission approve a moratorium on Summit's construction until new planning and zoning ordinances can be put in place and noted the company's survey work… “Some counties, including McPherson, have already enacted moratoriums. Chairman Duane Sutton said Brown County will continue to stay in contact with the PUC and monitor the situation, noting that there still is a lot to figure out. Sutton said passing a year-long moratorium might already be a moot point since the PUC has extended Summit’s deadline indefinitely. Brown County Deputy State’s Attorney Ross Aldentaler added that the county has been advised not to enact a moratorium because they are not enforceable. Not much can be done at the county level due to the fact that pipelines are governed by federal regulations, said Aldentaler. Commissioner Denis Feickert expressed interest in enacting a moratorium in order to at least show the PUC that the county is concerned about the project.”
Radio Iowa: THIRD CARBON DIOXIDE PIPELINE PROPOSED IN EASTERN IOWA
DAR DANIELSON, 7/7/22
“A group proposing a carbon dioxide pipeline to service ethanol plants in eastern Iowa has asked state regulators for a public meeting schedule,” Radio Iowa reports. “Wolf Carbon Solutions is proposing a pipeline with branches that would run from the ADM plants in Cedar Rapids and Clinton, with the carbon dioxide ending up in Decatur, Illinois. The Iowa Utilities Board is considering the request for public meetings on the proposal that would be held in September in Linn, Johnson, Cedar, Clinton, and Scott counties. The IUB is already in the process of looking at two other proposed pipelines.”
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Understanding Pipeline Easements & Taxes (VIDEO)
7/8/22
“Landowners’ attorney Brian Jorde goes over the typical terms of a pipeline “easement” contract with a fine-toothed comb, to expose all the terrible disadvantages that pipeline companies try to get landowners to sign on to “in perpetuity” — aka forever. Then, Pipeline Fighters Hub resident attorney and pipeline expert Paul Blackburn dissects the U.S. government’s “45Q tax credit” — the financial lynchpin enabling the current goldrush of developers seeking to build carbon pipelines across the Midwest.:
Pipeline Fighters Hub: Will the 45Q Tax Piggies Be Hogtied by the U.S. EPA?
Paul Blackburn, 7/7/22
“So, what does the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have to do with the 45Q tax credit?,” Paul Blackburn writes for the Pipeline Fighters Hub. “The short answer is, the IRS passes the buck for monitoring the physical processes of capturing and then storing or utilizing the carbon to the U.S. EPA. Will the IRS have Revenue Agents lurking around ethanol plants looking for 45Q bootleggers who are capturing less carbon than they claim? Will the agents be undercover in control rooms when a sequestration hub sends carbon to an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project but claims it went to a geologic sequestration site, so the owner can get $50 per metric ton instead of the $35? Nah, the IRS doesn’t do that science stuff. Instead, it expects that the USEPA will identify and hogtie any cheatin’ tax piggies. This blog explains how the IRS rules link to the USEPA, and then discusses whether the USEPA’s regulations and enforcement capacity will be sufficient to ride herd on a bunch of galloping tax piggies…”
Fremont News-Messenger: County schools, townships will get additional NEXUS tax revenue after state ruling
Daniel Carson, 7/8/22
“Fremont City Schools and several other Sandusky County school districts, townships and public entities can expect to see additional tax revenues from the NEXUS pipeline after the state's tax commissioner reached a settlement on the pipeline owner's valuation appeal,” the Fremont News-Messenger reports. “The valuation appeal dragged on for more than three years. Jerri Miller, Sandusky County's auditor, said Wednesday the final settlement announced last month for Nexus was $950 million statewide for tax year 2019. The Sandusky County auditor said the settlement was for about two-thirds of the original assessed values. The settlement agreement is not appealable by either NEXUS or the Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT)... “In 2019, the owners of the NEXUS Gas Transmission pipeline asked ODT to reduce the taxable value of its natural gas pipeline statewide by almost half, according to the Canton Repository. The state had set the initial statewide valuation at $1.4 billion. While NEXUS’ valuation was under review, its owners paid taxes based on the value they believed the pipe was worth, not the state’s assigned taxable value, as they were permitted to do… “Fremont schools' Superintendent Jon Detwiler told the Messenger NEXUS had been paying at 42% during the appeal. Detwiler said he didn't know yet what the final dollar value would be in terms of how much FCS would receive in additional revenues as a result of the settlement. He said the NEXUS valuation appeal was similar to one that American Municipal Power filed in 2013 with the state's taxation department. In that case, the state ruled in favor of AMP after a six-year appeal process and the school district was on the hook for more than $4 million in payments, or close to 70% of the total reimbursement. "Fortunately for us, we're on the other end this time," Detwiler told the Messenger.
Prairie Public Broadcasting: Industrial Commission formally supports WBI Energy's 'Wahpeton Expansion' natural gas pipeline project
Dave Thompson, 7/6/22
“North Dakota’s Industrial Commission is on record supporting a project to bring more natural gas to southeast North Dakota,” Prairie Public Broadcasting reports. “It’s called the “Wahpeton Expansion Project,” proposed by WBI Energy. It would run from Mapleton to Wahpeton, and would also serve Kindred. The project includes approximately 60.5 miles of 12 inch diameter pipe from Mapleton to Wahpeton. "That part of North Dakota does not have reliable or adequate natural gas supply," North Dakota Pipeline Authority director Justin Kringstad told PPB. "The supply can be intermittent. So this new pipeline would allow direct connection to an existing North Dakota gas line, with reliable, 365 day a year gas supply."
The Tyee: Revealed: Health Officials’ Worries about Pipeline Company’s COVID Plans
Amanda Follett Hosgood, 7/8/22
“Two weeks before B.C.’s Northern Health Authority declared a COVID-19 outbreak at two work camps for the Coastal GasLink pipeline, it wrote the project’s parent company identifying “opportunities for improvement” in its pandemic response,” The Tyee reports. “The Dec. 4, 2020, letter to TC Energy, which is just over one page, notes the growing urgency to control the spread of COVID-19 and “protect the health and wellness of residents and visitors.” The letter expressed concerns about “corporate accountability, plan coherence and communications.” It was sent by Northern Health chief medical health officer Dr. Jong Kim to Coastal GasLink’s vice-president of project delivery, Amir Hadzic. Clusters of the virus had begun appearing in work camps for the 670-kilometre gas pipeline under construction in northern B.C. And northern communities — including Indigenous communities — had expressed concerns about the risk of COVID transmission from work camps. The document was included in a 74-page response provided by the health authority a year after The Tyee made a request through freedom of information laws and following two complaints to B.C.’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner… “The released documents reveal that nine months into the pandemic, Northern Health had concerns with the lack of information being shared by the pipeline company with health officials. They also show that some health officials were concerned about how quickly the pipeline company resumed operations after the province ordered a phased restart for industry at the beginning of 2021… “The letter also suggests Coastal GasLink begin publicly reporting COVID-19 cases, something already under way at LNG Canada and BC Hydro’s Site C projects. The pipeline builder began its own public reporting of cases days later… “By late November, Chiefs in the Wet’suwet’en community of Witset were calling on the province to close the camps as COVID-19 cases began to spread, brought in by workers travelling between camp and the community.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Washington Post: Democrats race to clinch deal on climate, energy with Manchin
Maxine Joselow, 7/7/22
“Democratic leaders are racing to finalize a revised proposal to tackle climate change and jump-start the nation’s transition to clean energy, part of a larger sprint to strike a deal with Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) on their stalled spending bill this month,” the Washington Post reports. “The frenzied deliberations reflect weeks of private talks between Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Manchin, a centrist who scuttled negotiations over the party’s last attempt at a broader spending package in December. While top Manchin aides tell the Post they are far from a deal, some Democrats are still hoping to finalize a retooled climate proposal as soon as next week, when lawmakers are set to return from recess, according to two people familiar with the matter, who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. Already, party leaders have held discussions with the senator from West Virginia on placing a fee on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, the people told the Post.”
STATE UPDATES
Press release: Biden Administration Paves Way for Railway That Will Quadruple Oil Production in Utah’s Uinta Basin
7/7/22
“The U.S. Forest Service has rejected challenges to the Uinta Basin Railway, saying the project is in the public interest even as it predicts the oil railway could increase climate pollution in the U.S. by nearly 1%. Tuesday’s Forest Service action directs the Ashley National Forest in Utah to approve a right-of-way for the proposed railway to go through protected roadless lands. Once the right-of-way is issued, railway construction could begin next year. “President Biden should be doing everything in his power to respond to the climate emergency, but he’s about to light one of the nation’s biggest carbon bombs,” said Deeda Seed with the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is pouring another 5 billion gallons of oil on the fire every year and bulldozing a national forest in the process. It’s a horrifying step in the wrong direction.” The Uinta Basin Railway is expected to quadruple oil production in Utah’s Uinta Basin by linking its oil fields to national rail networks. Most of the crude will travel through the Colorado Rockies for 200 miles to Gulf Coast refineries. The railway will spur an increase of up to 350,000 barrels a day, amounting to up to 53 million tons of annual carbon pollution — as much or more than what’s produced by the nation’s three largest power plants. Sending tens of millions of barrels of crude oil each year from Utah to the Houston area for refining would be equivalent to adding a new refinery to the region, which already exceeds national pollution standards.”
EXTRACTION
CTV: 'Can't just kick me out': Indigenous woman alleges major oilsands company banned her for smudging
Stephanie Thomas, 7/7/22
“An Indigenous woman from Calgary says she feels discriminated against by her former employer after she was suspended from the property and for smudging, while the company says workers' lodges are smoke-free including for ceremonial smoking,” CTV reports. "I just feel like it was unfair," Dennel Piche, a Cree and Dene woman who lives in Calgary, told CTV. She worked for a month as a safety watcher for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNRL) north of Fort McMurray -- but it came to an abrupt end when a bowl with smudging material was found in her room at the McKay Lodge. "The security said, you can't be lighting things, no smoking. And told her what it was, I showed her," Piche told CTV. Smudging is an Indigenous spiritual practice of lighting sage or sweetgrass. Unlike tobacco, the smoke isn't inhaled. "It's important to me because its the way that we pray, it calms our soul. It grounds us. It purifies ourselves," Piche told CTV. She told CTV she sent a letter to the security team at CNRL's Horizon camp to explain the daily ritual. The letter also added, "I would like to ask for a private area to smudge, and if I am not allowed to smudge in the privacy of my room." The next day on May 30, Bravo Target, the third party company that hired her, arranged a bus trip for Piche back to Calgary. She was told she was banned from all CNRL's worksites… “CTV News obtained a copy of the rules provided to Piche which states "smoking outside of a designated area will result in an indefinite site suspension... This includes ceremonial smoking." "I have not heard of anything like this. This was more than just a head-scratcher," Rob Louie, president and CEO of the Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada, a non-profit that takes on legal fights for Indigenous people, told CTV. "I would have figured this would have happened back in the 1970s or 80s, not in 2022." Louie told CTV he's started the process to file a human rights complaint.:
Reuters: Calgary Stampede back on with oil prices high, COVID rules low
Rod Nickel, 7/6/22
“With crude prices around $100 a barrel and COVID-19 restrictions largely gone, the Calgary Stampede looks to reclaim its place this year as Canada's biggest oil industry party,” Reuters reports. “The 110-year-old event, featuring a rodeo, midway and ubiquitous pancake breakfasts, will run from July 8 to 17 with heavy networking at dozens of boozy parties around the city… “This year, the Stampede expects more than 1 million people, spokesperson Kristen Anderson told Reuters. High oil and gas prices - largely due to sanctions against major producer Russia - have boosted oil patch activity this year, lifting the industry's mood even if capital spending lags that of previous booms… “The Stampede injects C$540 million ($414.02 million) annually into Alberta's economy, according to a 2019 Conference Board of Canada study… “Actor Kevin Costner will lead the annual parade on Friday. Past marshalls have included Walt Disney and beer mascot dog Spuds MacKenzie.”
Bloomberg: Mine Fatality Adds to Pressure for Suncor Energy Changes
Robert Tuttle, 7/7/22
“A worker was killed at Suncor Energy Inc.’s Base Plant mine in northern Alberta, the latest in a series of accidents that have shaken confidence in Canada’s biggest oil-sands producer and led to calls for changes in management,” Bloomberg reports. “A contractor’s employee died at the site early Thursday, Suncor spokesman Leithan Slade said in an email. The victim was a 26-year-old man from Fort McMurray, Alberta, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In April, Suncor investor Elliott Investment Management LP called for five directors to be added to the producer’s board and sought a management review after operational mishaps and accidents at its oil-sands projects caused the company to miss production targets. A truck accident in January killed a contractor and injured two others at the Base Plant mine. In June of last year, a person was killed at the Syncrude mine, and two deaths happened in December 2020 at the Fort Hills mine. Suncor’s safety record has been a contributing factor to its poor investment returns. The company’s share price has risen about 18% over the past five years, trailing the roughly 79% gain for rival Canadian Natural Resources Ltd… “Because of the death, Suncor will postpone a presentation on its oil sands operations, scheduled for July 13, to the fall, according to a company statement.”
KOKH: Oil rig worker killed after being pulled into winch in Fairview
Kevin Severin, 7/7/22
“Officials are investigating the death of a man at an oil rig near Fairview on Thursday,” KOKH reports. “Reports say emergency crews discovered an operator dead after being pulled into a cable winch drum. The employee was identified as Jerry Pollard of El Reno. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office and OSHA are investigating the incident. Stride Energy LLC has suspended operations.”
TODAY IN GREENWASHING
The Inter-Mountain: Beverly VFD Receives Grant
STEVEN ALLEN ADAMS, 7/7/22
“Beverly Volunteer Fire Department recently received a $10,000 grant from TC Energy’s Build Strong Program,” The Inter-Mountain reports. “BVFD Assistant Fire Chief Robbie Moyer accepted the check from Dennis Sapp, Cleveland area manager for TC Energy. With the grant money BVFD purchased eight G1 pagers and also nine digital radios. BVFD thanks TC Energy for their generous community support.”
OPINION
TribLive.com: Bruce Castor: No pipelines means more coal, less safety
Bruce L. Castor Jr. was appointed solicitor general of Pennsylvania in 2016 and became acting attorney general later that year, 7/6/22
“The Pittsburgh metro area has emerged as one of our nation’s leading energy hubs, though this status does not come without risks,” Bruce L. Castor Jr. writes for TribLive.com. “Right before the busy Memorial Day weekend, a Norfolk Southern Train struck a vehicle, causing a significant train derailment that sent nine carriages into a tributary of the Allegheny River in Harmar… “Rail accidents strongly make the case for more pipeline infrastructure… “But the Biden administration refuses to help grow pipelines and pipeline capacity by stubbornly opposing efforts to advance new pipeline projects. As a direct result, Americans will continue to feel pain at the pump as gas prices hover around $5 per gallon. Frankly, it defies logic that the administration seeks to keep our nation from returning to energy self-reliance… “While the delays in pipeline construction continue, the country is and would by necessity need to keep using “dirtier” sources of fuel, like coal. Even with the advances in clean coal-burning technology, no one disputes it is still not as clean as natural gas. Pipeline projects delayed or even terminated, all in the name of environmental justice, is foolishly substituting clean natural gas with coal, and that’s counterproductive to the stated goal of advancing clean energy… “Promoting pipeline infrastructure projects will be key to supporting both Americans at home and our allies abroad.”
Corpus Christi Caller Times: Opinion: Texas can lead the way in hydrogen energy technology
Charles McConnell is the Executive Director for Carbon Management and Energy Sustainability at the University of Houston and an Advisory Board Member of the Carbon Neutral Coalition, 7/7/22
“From the days of Spindletop, Texas has been the country’s leader in energy production. Currently one-fourth of the nation’s domestic energy production comes from the Lone Star State,” Charles McConnell writes for the Corpus Christi Caller Times. “And Texas will continue to be the energy leader of the future not just domestically but globally as well. A future that will ensure that energy will be reliable, affordable and carbon neutral. It is a future that will include, among several key transformative markets, a hydrogen economy that will help power our everyday lives… “And fuel substitution of hydrogen for the vast usage required within the hydrocarbon and power industry will enable the long-term utilization of natural gas – that is decarbonized through carbon capture – to fuel this hydrogen growth… “And cities like Corpus Christi are already preparing for this. In February of 2022, the Port of Corpus Christi and Apex Clean Energy, Ares, and EPIC Midstream entered an agreement to explore development of a hydrogen hub, including decarbonized hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and export. This agreement builds upon an agreement from May of 2021 to work towards developing infrastructure to support decarbonized, green hydrogen production. As the Port knows, the vast majority of global hydrogen pipeline miles are in Texas and the Gulf Coast and such infrastructure is unprecedented. It’s a built-in jump start and part of our competitive advantage. By investing in hydrogen and new innovating technologies, Texas can continue to be the energy leader, add jobs, drive our energy system to carbon neutrality, and power our nation for decades to come.”