EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/16/22
PIPELINE NEWS
The Detroit News: Army Corps opens lengthy environmental review of Line 5 tunnel, asks for comment
Wisconsin Public Radio: DNR: Enbridge shut down oil and gas pipeline again near Bad River tribe's reservation
Canadian Press: Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs rally in Vancouver against B.C. natural gas pipeline
Guardian: Esso secures interim injunction against disruptors of aviation fuel pipeline
Des Moines Register: Judge rules names of landowners in path of carbon capture pipeline should be made public
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter: Iowa Utilities Board ordered to release the names of landowners affected by the Summit carbon dioxide pipeline
Omaha World-Herald: Carbon pipeline company moves headquarters to west Omaha
KETV: Summit Carbon Solutions considering eminent domain to build pipelines, some farmers oppose
KPVI: Pipeline meeting set Aug. 23 in Waverly
Fox News: Farmers fight against proposed 'Midwest carbon express' pipeline
DailyLocal: Residents impacted by Sunoco pipeline can request free water testing
WDEF: North Hickory Creek Development Raises Questions about Gas Pipeline, Traffic
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Will Biden’s climate bill really reduce LNG emissions?
STATE UPDATES
Capital and Main: Infrared Video Shows Widespread Oil and Gas Leaks in Los Angeles
EXTRACTION
Hellenic Shipping News: Rising Canadian crude output triggering more crude-by-rail again
CLIMATE FINANCE
Chief Investment Officer: NY Common to Review Net-Zero Readiness of Oil and Gas Firms
Higher Ed Dive: What’s the outlook for college fossil fuel divestment?
OPINION
New York Times: How Some Subsidies in the Climate Bill Keep Oil and Gas Alive
Esquire: Spare a Thought for the Folks Who Got the Short End of the Stick on the Climate Deal
PIPELINE NEWS
The Detroit News: Army Corps opens lengthy environmental review of Line 5 tunnel, asks for comment
Beth LeBlanc, 8/16/22
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday opened a two-month window for the public to comment on a plan to dig a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac to house Enbridge's controversial Line 5 oil pipeline,” The Detroit News reports. “The federal agency's publication of a "notice of intent" of its scoping process allows for public comment through Oct. 14 at line5tunneleis.com. The public comment period is part of the corps' potentially years-long effort to develop an environmental impact statement to determine what the impact of tunnel construction in the straits would be. The corps announced in June 2021 that it would conduct an environmental impact review of the tunnel. “Comments should help identify areas for in-depth review, including historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects and other public interest factors," Lt. Col. Brett Boyle, commander for the corps' Detroit District, told the News… “Several tribes and federal agencies will cooperate in developing the environmental impact statement, according to the corps, including Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State Historic Preservation Office… “The federal directive comes amid treaty negotiations between the United States and Canada regarding the future of the pipeline as Canada lobbies to keep it operating through tunnel construction, an effort that runs counter to Michigan leaders' efforts to shutter the line.“
Wisconsin Public Radio: DNR: Enbridge shut down oil and gas pipeline again near Bad River tribe's reservation
Danielle Kaeding, 8/15/22
“For the second time in a week, a Canadian energy firm shut down a pipeline near the Bad River tribe’s reservation — this time to investigate crude oil staining on a weld of its pipeline,” Wisconsin Public Radio reports. “On Wednesday, Aug. 10, Enbridge Inc. notified state regulators that it had shut down its Line 5 pipeline in an area near Ashland where the company reported contaminated soil last week, Trevor Nobile, a field operations director with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, told WPR. "The notification that we received in the information that was provided to the department on the evening of Aug. 10, it was described as a small area of staining on a pipe on a weld was discovered, and that Line 5 had been shut down so crews could evaluate and make repairs," Nobile told WPR. Enbridge made the report around 5 p.m. Wednesday, and a DNR conservation warden visited the site at 10 p.m. "No material was released to soil or water at this time, based on the information provided," Nobile confirmed… “Last week, Enbridge shut down Line 5 for three hours on Aug. 3 after crews conducting maintenance spotted a tablespoon of oil that had spilled from a valve site in the Ashland County town of Gingles. The site is about 1 mile from the reservation of the Bad River tribe. Enbridge and the DNR said no active release occurred, and the pipeline resumed operation the same day. The discovery led the company to excavate soil that’s suspected of contamination… “The potential spill comes as Enbridge is proposing to route Line 5 around the reservation after the Bad River tribe sued the Canadian energy firm to shut down and remove the pipeline from about 12 miles of tribal lands.”
Canadian Press: Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs rally in Vancouver against B.C. natural gas pipeline
8/15/22
“Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and their supporters opposed to a natural gas pipeline under construction in northern British Columbia are rallying in Vancouver as they near the end of a tour of several communities across Canada,” the Canadian Press reports. “The group walked across the Cambie Street bridge from city hall and a news advisory says they planned to rally in front of the CBC Vancouver building. The advisory says the event is part of a “larger struggle to empower the Wet’suwet’en Nation” against imminent drilling for the pipeline under a river, and to connect Indigenous communities grappling with the effects of climate change. The hereditary chiefs say they have not given free, prior and informed consent for the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline to be built on their unceded territory. They have opposed the pipeline for years, while 20 elected First Nations band councils along the route have signed off on the project.”
Guardian: Esso secures interim injunction against disruptors of aviation fuel pipeline
8/15/22
“The oil company Esso has secured an interim high court injunction to prevent environmental protesters disrupting construction work on a 105km-long aviation fuel pipeline,” the Guardian reports. “Activists have targeted efforts to replace most of the underground Southampton to London pipeline by interfering with equipment and “attacking” it with angle grinders, a judge was told. One protester, named in a court document as Scott Breen, has dug himself in next to the M25 at Runnymede in Surrey in an effort to disrupt the installation of the replacement pipe, a court heard… “The judge noted that protest action came against a background of “strongly held beliefs and concerns about the effect of air travel” and said he considered the “legitimate public interest in the changes to the climate”. Eyre concluded that an injunction was “proportionate and necessary to ensure that [Esso] is permitted to carry on its lawful activities”.
Des Moines Register: Judge rules names of landowners in path of carbon capture pipeline should be made public
Donnelle Eller, 8/16/22
“The developer of a proposed $4.5 billion carbon capture pipeline in Iowa must release the names of landowners who could be impacted along its roughly 680-mile route, a district judge ruled,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Summit Carbon Solutions, an Ames company that has proposed building a pipeline to transport liquefied carbon dioxide, failed to win a permanent injunction to keep secret the names of thousands of landowners it said could be in the pipeline's path… “The Sierra Club of Iowa asked regulators to release the names under state's open records law, a move state Consumer Advocate Jennifer Easler also supported. In November, the Iowa Utilities Board decided it would keep secret most of the names, saying property owners' right to privacy outweighed the public's interest… “On Friday, Polk County District Judge David Nelmark said Summit had failed to show landowner information should be excluded from state public records law. He ordered a temporary injunction allowing Summit to keep landowner names confidential to be lifted in 14 days. Nelmark said the order's enforcement could be delayed if there is an appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court… “The Sierra Club has said Summit seeks to prevent the release of landowner information to shut down communication among Iowans who want to fight the pipeline. "Summit vigorously fought to keep the landowner list confidential so the landowners could not form a unified opposition,” Jess Mazour, the Sierra Club's conservation program coordinator, told the Register.”
Sierra Club Iowa Chapter: Iowa Utilities Board ordered to release the names of landowners affected by the Summit carbon dioxide pipeline
8/15/22
“On Friday, August 12, Polk County District Judge David Nelmark ruled that the Iowa Utilities Board must make the list of landowners likely to be impacted by the Summit Carbon Solutions carbon dioxide pipeline available to the public. The Utilities Board was refusing to release the landowner’s names at Summit’s request. As a result, the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club made a request for the names under the Iowa Open Records Law. Summit took the case to the Polk County court in an attempt to keep the names from being made public. Jess Mazour, Conservation Program Coordinator for the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club states, “The open records request for the landowner list was made by the Sierra Club’s Iowa Chapter so that landowners would be able to know who their fellow landowners were and to organize opposition to the pipeline project. Summit vigorously fought to keep the landowner list confidential so the landowners could not form a unified opposition.” “...Throughout this whole IUB process, Summit has shown time and time again that they don’t want a level playing field - they want to force their private-profit pipeline on unwilling Iowans. This is a big victory to level the playing field for landowners. There are lots of landowners out there who are being harassed, intimidated and misled. Now we have the opportunity to make sure they know their rights, that they aren’t alone, and that if we keep uniting against the carbon pipelines we can stop this boondoggle and protect Iowa, its farmers, communities and land. This ruling applies to Summit but sets precedent for Navigator and Wolf.”
Omaha World-Herald: Carbon pipeline company moves headquarters to west Omaha
Dan Crisler, 8/15/22
“Navigator CO2, a carbon management firm, recently moved its headquarters to west Omaha,” the Omaha World-Herald reports. “The firm’s move from Dallas marks a notable step up in its investments in Nebraska, where it has plans to build nearly 120 miles of pipeline in the eastern part of the state… “Not everyone is welcoming Navigator to Nebraska. Jane Kleeb, director of the progressive environmental organization Bold Nebraska and chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, views Navigator’s relocation of its corporate headquarters as another tactic to build its pipeline… “Kleeb told the Herald Bold Nebraska has been working with about 300 landowners in Nebraska. She also told the Herald she’s working with groups that are in contact with landowners in Iowa and South Dakota. Shelli Meyer, who grew up at and still maintains her parents’ property in Dixon County in northeast Nebraska, told the Herald she first became aware of Navigator’s interest in building its pipeline when her 82-year-old father, Ferris Meyer, handed her a packet he received shortly before last Christmas… “To Meyer, the mention of eminent domain undermined the company’s stated goal of benefiting the public at large. “This is for private gain that companies can put in their pockets,” she told the Herald. Meyer, who has power of attorney with her parents, told the Herald they have refused to entertain any of the company’s overtures. She now works with the Nebraska Easement Action Team, a nonprofit that, according to its website, seeks to educate and legally represent landowners who have been approached by pipeline companies… “But Kleeb argued that any environmental gains would be offset by costs, terming carbon sequestration as “the bottom of the barrel option.” She and Meyer told the Herald the construction and operation of such pipelines pose new environmental risks. Both pointed to a 2020 incident near Satartia, Mississippi, where, as reported by media outlet HuffPost (formerly the Huffington Post), a carbon dioxide pipeline rupture sent up a green noxious cloud, causing nearly 50 people to be hospitalized and about 300 people to be evacuated. “Quite frankly, I don’t think that any climate solution should put our farmers and ranchers at risk. And that’s exactly what this (would) do,” Kleeb told the Herald.
KETV: Summit Carbon Solutions considering eminent domain to build pipelines, some farmers oppose
Abbie Petersen, 8/10/22
“The company planning to build a carbon pipeline through Nebraska and Iowa says hundreds of landowners have agreed to let it build on their property,” KETV reports. “But according to filings with the Iowa Utilities Board, the company still may use eminent domain to get the project done. One farmer explains why he's frustrated with the pipeline plan. Tom Honeyman is a fourth-generation farmer on land just east of Emerson, Iowa. There, he raises corn, soybeans, hay and livestock. So when he heard there may be a pipeline of carbon dioxide going through this property: "My reaction was no, you're not," Honeyman told KETV. Honeyman and his neighbors told KETV the project is intrusive. "This is an invasion on the land. On our property, it's an invasion, just like you're doing surgery on the land," Margaret Thomas told KETV. "If we're a half mile from the pipeline, are we safe? We have cattle out at the pasture not the feed lot. This is going near feedlots and hog confinements. What's it gonna do to those animals if it ruptures?" “...Still, Mark McHargue told KETV landowners should decide what's best for them. "It's important that property owners get good legal representation. Contracts are complicated and it's important that you have someone who understands contracts to look that over and make sure it is in the best interest of you as a property owner," McHargue told KETV.”
KPVI: Pipeline meeting set Aug. 23 in Waverly
MIRA SCHMITT-CASH, 8/15/22
“An informational meeting on the proposed Navigator CO2 Ventures liquid carbon dioxide pipeline through Bremer County will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23, at The Centre, 1211 Fourth St. SW, in Waverly,” KPVI reports. “The Bremer County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 3 filed a written objection with the Iowa Utilities Board to the use of eminent domain for the Navigator Heartland Greenway CO2 pipeline. Acknowledging proponents’ claim in the letter that carbon capture and storage benefit the entire public, the Bremer County Supervisors countered: “Unlike regulated utilities, the pipeline is not granted a franchise to provide a service that benefits the entire public in a service area,” the letter reads. “... It seems the pipeline project will exclusively benefit private companies without providing a public service.” The letter also presented concerns as to the restoration of ag land, drainage and “the effects on our long-term soil health.” Butler County has also filed an objection letter with the utilities board.”
Fox News: Farmers fight against proposed 'Midwest carbon express' pipeline
Douglas Kennedy, 8/5/22
“Fox News' Douglas Kennedy interviews farmers across the Midwest who are fighting energy companies backed by Microsoft and Facebook that want to build a carbon dioxide pipeline across five states,” Fox News reports.
DailyLocal: Residents impacted by Sunoco pipeline can request free water testing
8/15/22
“Earlier this month, state officials announced that Sunoco Pipeline LP, and ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC (ETC), both subsidiaries of Energy Transfer LP (Energy Transfer), were convicted of criminal charges related to their conduct during the construction of two major pipelines in Pennsylvania,” DailyLocal reports. “As part of the agreement, Energy Transfer will pay for independent evaluations of water quality impacts for homeowners potentially impacted by the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline and in some cases, offer approved mechanisms for restoring or replacing the impacted private water supplies… “So far, more than150 Pennsylvania residents have contacted our office for their water tests. Residents interested in receiving a water test should know that there are no distance limits from the Mariner East 2 pipeline that would impact their eligibility to apply for a water test… ““We fought hard to require Energy Transfer to test residents’ water, because it goes to the heart of our criminal case and gives power to the people who were pushed aside by big companies and ignored by the institutions that were supposed to help them,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro told DailyLocal.”
WDEF: North Hickory Creek Development Raises Questions about Gas Pipeline, Traffic
Chris Guin, 8/15/22
“On Wednesday, the Hamilton County Commission will vote on a rezoning request that will clear the way for several hundred new apartments being built off of Highway 58 and North Hickory Valley Road,” WDEF reports. “...Near the development is a substation for a gas pipeline that runs parallel to Highway 58. The pipeline runs directly through the proposed development, and concerned residence aren’t confident that development is in compliance with federal pipeline standards. Roughly half of residents in the development would have to cross the pipeline to exit in the case of an emergency. “The Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration from the Department of Transportation, they mandate that you cannot have islands or cul-de-sacs or one-way egresses that would make someone be isolated in the event of an emergency,” Ted Pagett told WDEF… “If we have a pipeline eruption or if there is a nuclear incident, we’re trapped on our peninsula. There’s no way in and no way out,” Jerri Underwood told WDEF.
WASHINGTON UPDATES
E&E News: Will Biden’s climate bill really reduce LNG emissions?
Benjamin Storrow, 8/16/22
“The climate bill that President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law today will increase pressure on U.S. liquefied natural gas exporters to reduce methane emissions. But the extent of those reductions is an open question, thanks to a series of exemptions in the bill that could allow LNG facilities to skirt a new fee on methane leaks,” E&E News reports. “The stakes for the U.S. LNG industry are enormous. The new fee, coupled with proposed EPA methane regulations, could help the industry counteract Europe’s new tax on carbon-intensive goods and secure a long-term market for the fuel. At the same time, it also could add new costs to U.S. natural gas supplies, potentially making exports more expensive… “Analysts told E&E they don’t expect new regulations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean to temper trade volumes between the United States and the European Union but rather help in getting methane leaks better controlled. “Between the fees and the closing of export markets for companies with higher leak rates, there would be a huge incentive for companies to achieve low leak rates,” Drew Shindell, a climate scientist at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and chair of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, told E&E… “But there is considerable uncertainty in how the new fee will be implemented. Facilities in compliance with EPA’s new methane rules would not be subject to the penalty. Other eligibility requirements in the bill could exempt LNG facilities from paying the fee… “Sabine Pass reported methane emissions equivalent of nearly 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, according to the most recent EPA data… “But a second provision could potentially allow the Sabine Pass to avoid paying a penalty. Only LNG facilities with a leakage rate in excess of .05 percent of total gas sales are subject to the fee. (The bill establishes separate leakage rates for other gas infrastructure such as wellheads and pipelines.) A Cheniere spokesperson told E&E the company believed Sabine Pass’s emissions were lower than .05 percent. The company declined further comment.”
STATE UPDATES
Capital and Main: Infrared Video Shows Widespread Oil and Gas Leaks in Los Angeles
Aaron Cantu, 8/12/22
“Researchers have discovered up to 40 separate leaks, many in residential and commercial areas, at oil and gas installations across Los Angeles County,” Capital and Main reports. “If confirmed by regulators, they pose a potential hazard both to human health and to the environment, including for their climate warming potential, according to experts. The organization that shot the videos, FracTracker Alliance, submitted complaints this week to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) for each suspected leak, which span across the region from El Segundo to East Los Angeles, Downtown to the South Bay. The AQMD told Capital and Main it is sending a team of inspectors to investigate each complaint. Video of at least one leak, at a petroleum storage tank close to homes in Signal Hill, has already resulted in a violation notice for Cree Oil LLC. A representative for the company declined to comment when reached by phone. One expert on oil and gas equipment emissions who reviewed the footage told Capital and Main it was “shocking.” “You see that kind of thing in West Texas and rural Appalachia, but it’s unusual to see it in such a dense urban area,” Amy Townsend-Small, a professor of environmental science at the University of Cincinnati, told Capital and Main.”
EXTRACTION
Hellenic Shipping News: Rising Canadian crude output triggering more crude-by-rail again
8/16/22
“Canadian crude oil production has exceeded pre-pandemic levels and is poised to hit new records above 5.2 million b/d by the end of 2022, opening up a crude-by-rail arbitrage until pipeline capacity catches up,” Hellenic Shipping News reports. “...Canadian railroads into the US are expected to receive extra crude barrels for the rest of this year and well into 2023 until the oft-delayed Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion is finally completed, again restoring ample pipeline takeaway. Traders say the spread needs to be at least $15/b or so to incentivize rail… “After starting the year at 132,000 b/d, crude-by-rail volumes to the US could easily hit 200,000 b/d in the coming months, analysts said, although it is unclear if they will rise much higher. The timing just happens to coincide with the ending of Canada’s longstanding pipeline bottleneck into the US after the late-2021 completion of Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline replacement project, nearly doubling capacity and upping the capacity of Enbridge’s Mainline capacity into the US to more than 3.1 million b/d, as well as the early-2022 opening of the Capline Pipeline reversal to move Canada oil sands to the St. James hub in Louisiana… “While the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline project was canceled by the Biden administration, the base Keystone Pipeline system into the US had its capacity hiked this year from 590,000 b/d to at least 610,000 b/d with more growth on the way through optimization efforts, according to operator TC Energy. In August, the Enbridge Mainline and Trans Canada pipeline systems are increasing apportionment on their networks, meaning that shippers’ nominated volumes are being reduced because of pipeline constraints. Such concerns are expected to be alleviated by the Trans Mountain expansion, but multiple delays have pushed its completion out to July 2023 at the earliest. In the meantime, rail can benefit.”
CLIMATE FINANCE
Chief Investment Officer: NY Common to Review Net-Zero Readiness of Oil and Gas Firms
8/15/22
“The New York State Common Retirement Fund is evaluating 28 publicly traded oil and gas companies to determine if they are ready to transition to a low-carbon economy, according to a release from the state comptroller’s office,” Chief Investment Officer reports. “The $272.1 billion pension fund is asking each company, which includes energy giants BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell, to provide information on how prepared it is to transition to a net-zero economy. “Oil and gas companies face significant and complex economic, environmental and regulatory challenges in the years to come,” New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, the pension fund’s trustee, said in a statement. “While energy companies are currently making record profits driven by high prices, their long-term prospects are far less certain. As investors, we will carefully review these companies and may restrict investments in those that do not have viable plans to adapt.” DiNapoli told CIO the pension fund is targeting companies that engage in all aspects of the oil and gas business, including exploration and production, transportation, refinement and retail sales. The move is part of DiNapoli’s Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce climate change related investment risks and help the fund’s portfolio transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.”
Higher Ed Dive: What’s the outlook for college fossil fuel divestment?
Lilah Burke, 8/15/22
“When Harvard University announced last fall that it would be divesting its endowment from the fossil fuel industry, it was part of a deluge,” Higher Ed Dive reports. “Roughly 20 colleges and universities announced last year that they would be divesting their endowments from the fossil fuel industry, according to a list maintained by environmental groups. Those included the California State University System, Dartmouth College, Amherst College and the University of Michigan. This year, that momentum appeared to have slowed slightly — at least before a surprise legislative breakthrough this month upended conditions by clearing the path for a federal climate bill. Market changes might mean that colleges are more reluctant to go “fossil free” in the short term, experts say. But the general pressures to divest are not likely to go anywhere, and they may be getting stronger. One factor currently impacting willingness to divest is the stock market. When the market is high, colleges may find it easier to divest, Christopher Marsicano, assistant professor of educational studies and public policy at Davidson College, told HED. That’s not only because colleges can get a better return on fossil fuel stocks if they sell when the market is high, but because it may be easier to get buy-in from constituents, such as alumni. In other words, the high stock market in 2021 likely contributed to the flood of divestment announcements… “Fears of a recession and the growing demand for fuel may in turn disincentivize institutions from divesting, especially those with above-average investments in fossil fuels, CJ Ryan, associate professor at the University of Louisville’s law school, told HED. “I would predict that those universities that are on the fence about divestment may stay there to ride out the present inflationary curve and the (very likely) coming recession,” he told HED.”
OPINION
New York Times: How Some Subsidies in the Climate Bill Keep Oil and Gas Alive
Dr. Charles Harvey is a professor of environmental engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Kurt House is the chief executive officer of KoBold Metals, a metals exploration company, 8/16/22
“The technology called carbon capture and storage is aptly named. It is supposed to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources and pump them deep underground. It was a big winner in the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress last week,” Dr. Charles Harvey and Dr. Kurt House write for the New York Times. “What the technology, known as C.C.S., also does is allow for the continued production of oil and natural gas at a time when the world should be ending its dependence on fossil fuels… “But the law also contains a counterproductive waste of money, backed by the fossil fuel industry, to subsidize C.C.S… “But now it’s clear that we were wrong, and that every dollar invested in renewable energy — instead of C.C.S. power — will eliminate far more carbon emissions. Even so, this technology has broad political support, including from Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, an ally of the coal industry, because it enables the continued extraction and burning of fossil fuels while also preventing the resulting carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Industry campaigns such as “Clean Coal” have also promoted the technology as something that could ramp up quickly to bridge the gap to the deployment of large-scale renewable energy. But by promoting C.C.S., the fossil fuel industry is slowing the transition away from fossil fuels… “Of the 12 commercial C.C.S. projects in operation in 2021, more than 90 percent are engaged in enhance oil recovery, using carbon dioxide emitted from natural gas processing facilities or from fertilizer, hydrogen or ethanol plants, according to an industry report. That is why we consider these ventures oil or natural gas projects, or both, masquerading as climate change solutions… “In an effort to capture and store carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel-burning power plants, the Department of Energy has allocated billions for failed C.C.S. demonstration projects. The bankruptcy of many of these hugely subsidized undertakings makes plain the failure of C.C.S. to reduce emissions economically… “These subsidies create a perverse incentive, because for companies to qualify for the subsidies, carbon dioxide must be produced, then captured and buried. This incentive handicaps technologies that reduce carbon dioxide production in the first place, tilting the playing field against promising innovations that avoid fossil fuels in the steel, fertilizer and cement industries while locking in long-term oil and gas use. Industry campaigns for C.C.S. also have shifted their decades-long disinformation fight: Instead of spreading doubt about climate science, the industry now spreads false confidence about how we can continue to burn fossil fuels while efficiently cutting emissions… “We need to stop subsidizing oil extraction and carbon dioxide production in the name of fighting climate change and stop burning billions in taxpayer money on white elephant projects. Clean power from carbon capture and sequestration died with the success of renewable energy; it’s time to bury this technology deep underground.”
Esquire: Spare a Thought for the Folks Who Got the Short End of the Stick on the Climate Deal
Charles P. Pierce, 8/15/22
“Most of official Washington and its attendant media, is still congratulating itself on the Very Big Bill that got passed all the way through Congress a week or so back and that will be signed into law tomorrow by the president. Crucial to the passage of what is described as the largest investment the American government has made in fighting the climate crisis was a sudden change of heart by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-Bituminous),” Charles P. Pierce writes for Esquire. “So with all this good feeling swirling about, surely nobody will mind if Maury Johnson, a 62-year-old farmer from Monroe County, West Virginia, explains why he hasn’t gone Politico all over this landmark legislation… “Johnson’s bete noire is the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which is a particular darling of his senior U.S. senator, Joe Manchin. Manchin loves this pipeline, and he doesn’t love the fact that Johnson and other property owners, whose land was hijacked through eminent domain, managed to stall its construction for several years. Now, Johnson dedicates the vast majority of his time documenting the pipeline’s land and water violations across Greenbrier, Summers and Monroe counties… “In short, Manchin exercised his own form of eminent domain over the Congress on behalf of his pet pipeline. I probably don’t need to mention that Manchin’s political donor lists are thick with executives of the pipeline industry, as well as the people who profit from the gas, goo, and gunk the pipelines carry… Sometimes, it’s real people who get ground up in the sausage-making.”