EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 9/15/21
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Minnesota Seeks to Block Enbridge Hearing in Tribal Court
Star Tribune: DNR takes fight against novel Line 3 lawsuit to federal appeals court
MinnPost: Poll finds support among Minnesota voters for Clean Cars rule — and Line 3
The Detroit News: State asks judge to stop mediator from filing report in Enbridge case
Oil & Water Don’t Mix: Federal Mediation Ends Without Settlement - Send Case Back to State Court
Reuters: B.C. First Nation demands Enbridge reroute gas pipeline after 2018 explosion
APTN News: Lheidli T’enneh First Nation demands Enbridge gas pipeline be rerouted off territory [VIDEO]
Ames Tribune: 'My family's been through this 4 times': Story County residents push back against carbon sequestration pipeline
Missouri Independent: Spire STL Pipeline can keep operating for now despite court ruling on ‘self-dealing’
The Peak: SFU professor marks one year of civil disobedience against TMX pipeline expansion
S&P Global: LNG growth helps support US gas pipeline construction through 2026
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico Morning Energy: METHANE MADNESS
Reuters: U.S., EU pursuing global deal to slash planet-warming methane
STATE UPDATES
Bakersfield Californian: Kern sues Newsom over anti-oil moves
CPR: Oil, Gas And Mining Left Marks Across Colorado. The Federal Infrastructure Bill Could Help Clean Up Some Of It
EXTRACTION
CBC: Police treatment of Indigenous protesters differs starkly from white protesters, experts say
CLIMATE FINANCE
Insure Our Future: COALITION WELCOMES CHUBB’S EXIT FROM THE TAR SANDS SECTOR
OPINION
Sierra Club: No CO2 Pipelines in Iowa
CleanTechnica: Another Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Project Doesn’t Live Up To Its Targets
The Center Square: Pipeline safety is paramount
Duluth News Tribune: Local View: Livable future incompatible with new fossil-fuel infrastructure
The Hill: Oil and gas drilling is getting dangerously close to our national parks
PIPELINE NEWS
Bloomberg: Minnesota Seeks to Block Enbridge Hearing in Tribal Court
9/14/21
“A tribal court hearing on whether to rescind a state-issued permit for Enbridge Inc.'s Line 3 pipeline replacement project should be put on hold pending Minnesota’s challenge in federal court, the state told the Eighth Circuit,” according to Bloomberg. “The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota dismissed the state’s lawsuit of its own accord Sept. 3 after finding the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and the tribal court judge are immune. However, tribal Chief Judge David A. DeGroat isn’t immune from the lawsuit, according to the filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.”
Star Tribune: DNR takes fight against novel Line 3 lawsuit to federal appeals court
By Mike Hughlett, 9/14/21
“Having lost one key federal court decision, state natural resource regulators this week went to a higher court to stop a unique Line 3-related lawsuit from moving forward,” the Star Tribune reports. “The suit, which names "manoomin" or wild rice as the lead plaintiff, is aimed at forcing the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to rescind water permits it made earlier this year for the construction of Enbridge's new oil pipeline across the northern part of the state. The White Earth Band of Ojibwe filed the suit last month in White Earth Tribal Court in northwestern Minnesota. The DNR then asked for a federal injunction to halt the suit, saying the White Earth court doesn't have jurisdiction over the state. On Sept. 3, U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright in St. Paul ruled against the DNR, saying White Earth, its tribal court and an individually named tribal member are protected from the state suit by "sovereign immunity." The Department of Natural Resources Monday asked the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Wright's decision… “Frank Bibeau, an attorney for the White Earth Band, told the Tribune the lower U.S. court correctly found that it lacked authority to intervene in the DNR's favor. The DNR "is just trying to hold things up," he said. Indeed, an appeals court decision may not occur until November, and Enbridge's 340-mile pipeline could be finished by then. It's already 90 percent complete, and Calgary-based Enbridge has said it expects to start shipping oil from Canada in the fourth quarter. Once oil starts flowing, efforts to rescind the DNR's water permits — since they are related to the pipeline's construction — could be moot.”
MinnPost: Poll finds support among Minnesota voters for Clean Cars rule — and Line 3
Walker Orenstein, 9/14/21
“Over the last year, Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 crude oil pipeline and Gov. Tim Walz’s tougher new auto emissions standards have been two of the most fiercely debated environmental issues in Minnesota. Many supporters of Line 3 and the “Clean Cars” rule are also on opposing ends of the political spectrum. Republican politicians favor Line 3 in greater numbers while DFLers more often support Clean Cars,” according to MinnPost. “As it turns out, however, public views on the issues may not be as sharply divided as some might expect. A recent MinnPost poll of 1,945 Minnesota voters surveyed by Change Research found 56 percent supported Line 3 and 34 percent opposed the pipeline… “MinnPost/Change Research asked poll respondents: “As you may know, the Line 3 pipeline, which will transport oil across Minnesota to Lake Superior, is scheduled to come online in the coming weeks, replacing an old pipeline. Do you support or oppose this project?” A 56-34 percent majority supported Line 3, the poll found. About 42 percent of people said they strongly supported the pipeline and another 14 percent said they somewhat supported the project. The poll found 12 percent somewhat opposed Line 3 while 22 percent strongly opposed it. Another 11 percent were unsure. The project diverged along party lines, though Democrats were somewhat split… “DFLers and people who lean towards the party mostly opposed the project. About 64 percent said they somewhat or strongly opposed Line 3 while 21 percent said they strongly or somewhat supported the pipeline. Republicans, meanwhile, were more united in favor of Line 3 than DFLers were in opposition to it. About 92 percent favored the project, 80 percent of which strongly supported Line 3. Only 3 percent somewhat or strongly opposed the pipeline. Among independents, the poll found 63 percent of respondents favored Line 3.”
The Detroit News: State asks judge to stop mediator from filing report in Enbridge case
Beth LeBlanc, 9/14/21
“The state of Michigan has asked a federal judge to bar a mediator from disclosing details of mediation sessions between state lawyers and Enbridge Energy about the state's attempt to shut down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac,” The Detroit News reports. “Mediator Gerald Rosen, a former Detroit U.S. district judge, plans to file a report within the next few days on the status of mediation, which, as of last Thursday, had failed to yield an agreement, Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a Tuesday filing. But the terms of the mediation agreement establish that the process is "confidential" and prohibit the disclosure of information such as "communications and the conduct of parties in the course of mediation," the filing said. Instead, the terms of mediation allow the mediator to make a report "stating only who participated in the mediation session and whether settlement was reached." “...The two parties have not scheduled any further mediation meetings. They've met four times since April and had hoped to conclude mediation by the end of the month. Rosen led the mediation team that pulled Detroit out of municipal bankruptcy in 18 months through what has become known as the "grand bargain." The mediation seeks an agreement that ends an impasse between the Canadian oil giant and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmover the future of the Line 5 oil pipeline.”
Oil & Water Don’t Mix: Federal Mediation Ends Without Settlement - Send Case Back to State Court
9/14/21
“U.S. District Court Judge Janet Neff should now do what should have been done last March. With nearly six months of fruitless mediation ending in a report today of no settlement, Judge Neff must act with new urgency and allow the State of Michigan to make its strong case in Ingham County Circuit Court for confirming Gov. Whitmer’s decision to end a Line 5 easement agreement that Enbridge has repeatedly and irresponsibly violated. The court mediator's report today saying there is no settlement with Enbridge in the Line 5 case should mean the end of mediation and the beginning of action by the court to allow the governor to protect the Great Lakes.”
Reuters: B.C. First Nation demands Enbridge reroute gas pipeline after 2018 explosion
9/14/21
“A First Nation in northern British Columbia said on Tuesday it was trying to force Enbridge to reroute a natural gas pipeline off its reserve lands after the line exploded in 2018, causing residents to flee their homes,” Reuters reports. “The Lheidli T'enneh First Nation has written to the Canadian federal and B.C. provincial governments, which grant pipeline rights of way, asking ministers to order the Calgary-based energy company to reroute a 1.5 kilometre section of its T-South pipeline network that crosses the nation's reserve lands. A section of the pipeline exploded in October 2018, about 500 meters from the reserve near Prince George, resulting in a giant fireball, flying debris and shaking buildings, Chief Dolleen Logan wrote in the letter. "We have good reason to be concerned and doubt Enbridge's safety record," Logan said in a news release. "We don't trust Enbridge transporting hydrocarbons through our reserves." The Canada Energy Regulator last year fined Enbridge subsidiary Westcoast Energy $40,000 Cdn for the blast. The T-South system is part of a 2,858 kilometre network of natural gas pipelines supplying southern British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, which can move up to 2.9 billion cubic feet a day, according to the company's website. The Lheidli T'enneh is also suing Enbridge for damages from the explosion… “Logan said residents living on the reserve, including the children on the school bus, had to cross the pipeline daily and Enbridge had not offered proper emergency planning. The Lheidli T'enneh said it was inspired by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer revoking a right of way for Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, citing concerns that pipeline could leak into the Great Lakes.”
APTN News: Lheidli T’enneh First Nation demands Enbridge gas pipeline be rerouted off territory [VIDEO]
9/14/21
“The Lheidli T'enneh First Nation is demanding Enbridge’s natural gas pipeline be rerouted off their territory in northern British Columbia. They sent a letter to the federal and provincial governments asking for an order to remove the pipeline from their lands,” APTN News reports.
Ames Tribune: 'My family's been through this 4 times': Story County residents push back against carbon sequestration pipeline
Danielle Gehr, 9/14/21
Land is environmentally sensitive, but it is also emotionally sensitive, one man pleaded at a public meeting in Ames on Monday informing stakeholders of how a 2,000-mile pipeline might impact them,” the Ames Tribune reports. “The $4.5 billion carbon capture pipeline is planned to cut through land the man's family has earned their living off of for six generations. He asked not to be named but was not the only attendee to raise issues with the project… “Company officials told attendees of Monday's meeting — one of 31 the company plans to host across the state — that the path is not yet set in stone and can be adjusted… “Attendees continued to push for more concrete plans on how land disputes and damages would be addressed, and Story County Supervisor Linda Murken told the Tribune after the meeting some valid concerns still needed to be addressed.”
Missouri Independent: Spire STL Pipeline can keep operating for now despite court ruling on ‘self-dealing’
ALLISON KITE, 9/14/21
“The embattled Spire STL Pipeline can keep operating for up to 90 days while federal regulators weigh its fate over the coming months,” according to the Missouri Independent. “The order, issued Tuesday morning by federal regulators, saves the pipeline from a court order that was expected to shut it down… “The court declined Spire’s request to hear the case again and was expected to issue a mandate Tuesday shutting down the pipeline. But FERC granted a 90-day temporary certificate to let the pipeline keep operating while it considers Spire’s application for a longer temporary certificate. That longer authorization would let the pipeline keep operating until FERC makes a permanent decision on the fate of the pipeline. Spire STL’s general counsel, Sean Jamieson, called FERC’s decision a “great first step” and told the Independent it gives stakeholders an “opportunity to breathe” without worrying about whether the company can meet demand for service. But the 90-day extension would not get Spire through the coldest winter months. Without the pipeline, Spire has warned up to 175,000 customers could lose service when temperatures dip below 9 degrees.”
The Peak: SFU professor marks one year of civil disobedience against TMX pipeline expansion
Yelin Gemma Lee, 9/13/21
“On August 3, 2020, SFU health sciences professor Tim Takaro and the Protect the Planet Stop TMX (PPST) coalition occupied the forest canopy of Lost Creek, in the Brunette River Conservation Area,” The Peak reports. “They plan to delay the pipeline expansion project. Over a year later, Takaro is among the protestors building multiple treehouse camps for protestors to occupy. “We will be up there as long as needed. We’ve built several other houses [ . . . ] and tied together a hundred trees. We’re not going anywhere. We have thousands of people that will come out if they try to take us out,” Takaro said in an interview with The Peak. For the past year, Takaro has been living in these treetop structures alongside other members of PPST aiming to delay the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX). They hope to eventually see the cancellation of the project. It was originally set to be completed in 2019, with the most updated “in-service” date set for mid-2022. The project has faced public opposition, environmental activism, and “unresolved Indigenous consent.” In August 2018, the Federal Court of Appeal ruling cancelled the 2016 federal approval of the pipeline, requiring the federal government to revise and resubmit parts of the proposal… “PPST is working with the support of Chief Rhonda Larrabee of the Qayqayt Nation and Chief Leah George-Wilson of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to protect the Brunette River conservation area. “
S&P Global: LNG growth helps support US gas pipeline construction through 2026
Allison Good, 9/14/21
“LNG export facilities and their demand for supplies will drive a large portion of U.S. natural gas pipeline construction through 2026,” S&P Global reports. “Of the 45 pipeline projects projected to come online over the next five years, at least 16 are tied to liquefaction terminals that are operating or under development on the Gulf Coast, with six export facilities expected to begin commercial service in 2024 alone. Other pipeline projects are designed to bring gas to utility distribution systems, power generation plants and other end uses. Venture Global LNG plans to build just over 400 miles of gas pipelines to serve its proposed Calcasieu Pass, Plaquemines and Delta LNG terminals, which would have a combined production capacity of 50 million tonnes per year of LNG. Tellurian Inc., meanwhile, has 323 miles of pipeline under development for the planned Driftwood LNG LLC terminal, anticipated to begin construction in 2022. The company also said it may buy up more acreage in the Haynesville Shale or enter into a business combination that would allow it to fill out its upstream portfolio. LNG is the fossil fuel poised to have the biggest earnings advantage as the North American midstream sector's great pipeline build-out cycle winds down, according to a July Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. report. In 2022, capital expenditure for most midstream companies is expected to be minimal, and "in some cases, over 70% lower than 2019 levels for the company," analysts wrote. With traditional natural gas maintaining a slower growth curve and facing minimal rate reduction risks as hurdles to new infrastructure construction get higher in the U.S., LNG will perform best when it comes to long-term volumes, Bernstein said. Overseas demand for gas supply in Asia and Europe is lifting the prospects for the fuel. Other LNG projects putting pipe in the ground through 2026 will include NextDecade Corp.'s Rio Grande, Sempra's Port Arthur, and Exxon Mobil Corp. and Qatar Petroleum's Golden Pass.”
WASHINGTON UPDATES
Politico Morning Energy: METHANE MADNESS
Matthew Choi & Kelsey Tamborino, 9/14/21
“The House Energy Committee advanced key water and pollution portions of its share of the reconciliation bill in votes that stretched into Tuesday morning, pushing forward measures addressing lead water pipes, air pollution and hazardous waste, as well as a fee on methane emissions that drew sharp criticism from Republicans,” Politico Morning Energy reports. “GOP legislators charged the fee would raise energy costs for people who could ill afford it, worried about jeopardizing energy industry jobs and wondered whether similar penalties lurked for agriculture… “But moderate Democrats said they could back the provision, including the methane fee, given the costs climate change is exacting on their constituents. Democrats defeated several amendments along party-line votes that attempted to adjust the fee, arguing in part that it was tailored only to sources included in the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, which excludes agriculture. In relation to other provisions of the reconciliation package, a cohort of 19 clean energy groups, including Third Way, American Clean Power Association, Clean Air Task Force and Natural Resources Defense Council, are pushing for more support for the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office. The groups wrote to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate energy committees last week to urge increased funding for programs targeted at energy innovation and clean vehicles, citing potential for the programs to help bolster advanced nuclear energy, energy storage, transmission and carbon capture.”
Reuters: U.S., EU pursuing global deal to slash planet-warming methane
By Kate Abnett and Valerie Volcovici, 9/13/21
“The United States and the European Union have agreed to aim to cut emissions of the planet-warming gas methane by around a third by the end of this decade and are pushing other major economies to join them, according to documents seen by Reuters. “Their pact comes as Washington and Brussels seek to galvanize other major economies ahead of a world summit to address climate change in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, and could have a significant impact on the energy, agriculture and waste industries responsible for the bulk of methane emissions. The greenhouse gas methane, the biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide (CO2), is facing more scrutiny as governments seek solutions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, a goal of the Paris climate agreement. In an attempt to jumpstart the action, the United States and the EU later this week will make a joint pledge to reduce human-caused methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, compared with 2020 levels, according to a draft of the Global Methane Pledge seen by Reuters. A separate document listed over two dozen countries that the United States and the EU will target to join the pledge. They include major emitters such as China, Russia, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, as well as others including Norway, Qatar, Britain, New Zealand and South Africa.”
STATE UPDATES
Bakersfield Californian: Kern sues Newsom over anti-oil moves
BY JOHN COX, 9/13/21
“Kern County sued Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday in an effort to stop him from continuing a de-facto ban on oil well stimulation treatments including the controversial technique known as fracking,” the Bakersfield Californian reports. “Arriving one day ahead of the governor's recall election and on the heels of the Newsom administration's recent denial of fracking permits to Bakersfield-based oil producer Aera Energy LLC, the petition for a writ of mandate filed in Kern County Superior Court was authorized Aug. 10 by a 4-1, closed session vote of the Board of Supervisors. The 33-page lawsuit escalates Kern's claim that Newsom's moves against the oil industry effectively deny good-paying jobs and property tax revenue to the state's top-oil producing county. A news release from the legal firm hired to carry out the county's suit, Holland & Knight LLP, called Newsom's efforts to curtail in-state oil production "an unprecedented attack on (Kern) residents" that violates California's constitution… “A county spokeswoman and an Irvine lawyer at Holland & Knight listed on the news release did not respond to a question Monday about whether the oil industry is contributing to the legal effort, as happened in another county legal case involving oil permitting.”
CPR: Oil, Gas And Mining Left Marks Across Colorado. The Federal Infrastructure Bill Could Help Clean Up Some Of It
By Caitlyn Kim, 9/14/21
“Dotted across Colorado are hundreds of old abandoned mines and orphan wells still in need of expensive cleanup, and no company left to pay for it,” CPR reports. “When they removed the pumpjack, they discovered historical leaks of produce water and oil into the soil and groundwater out in that field,” Greg Dean, Adams County oil and gas liaison, told CPR, standing on the site of the old well… “Dean is pleased with the work the state is doing to clean up orphan wells, but it can be pricey. Plugging each site properly, on average, costs $85,000. That adds up to about $6.5 million for the 77 orphan wells in Adams County alone. “I'm angry and frustrated,” Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter told CPR of the situation. “I feel like the analogy that keeps coming to mind is you go out to lunch with a couple of friends and you know you're going to have to pay the bill eventually. (But) as you look around, two or three of your friends have slipped out the back. And the rest of you are picking up the bill.” Right now, the state is left holding the tab. And Pinter worries so will counties eventually. But another guest may soon join the table. The bipartisan infrastructure bill that Congress may pass later this month contains more than $4.5 billion dollars for plugging and remediating orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells across the country. But that still may not be enough for the scope of the problem. The real cost “could be upwards of $50-$80 million, just in Colorado. And that's if there aren't any extra wells added to the orphaned well list,” Dean told CPR. Colorado has more than 250 orphan wells that need to be plugged — and more than twice that number of orphan well sites that need to be remediated.”
EXTRACTION
CBC: Police treatment of Indigenous protesters differs starkly from white protesters, experts say
Angela Sterritt, 9/12/21
“Indigenous people and criminology experts say the hands-off police treatment of people protesting mandatory vaccinations, many of whom are white, starkly differs from the way they treat Indigenous and Black protesters,” the CBC reports. “Last week, crowds swept cities across British Columbia with mostly white protesters blocking roads to health-care facilities, verbally accusing health-care workers and assaulting a hospital employee. Police presence was minimal and one person was arrested. Days later, protesters with alleged ties to white supremacist circles yelled and pelted gravel at Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau. One man — the former leader of a local People's Party of Canada riding association — was arrested Saturday and charged with assault with a weapon… “A judge recently declared the RCMP's actions were "unlawful." "I just wish it was more obvious for people to understand that type of privilege and that type of white supremacy that Canada shows every day," xʷ is xʷ čaa told the CBC..
CLIMATE FINANCE
Insure Our Future: COALITION WELCOMES CHUBB’S EXIT FROM THE TAR SANDS SECTOR
9/14/21
“Chubb does not provide insurance coverage for any tar sands projects," a Chubb spokesperson told the Financial Times today. The announcement was shared in a tweet by Financial Times reporter Ian Smith. “By dropping Trans Mountain, Chubb has started to walk the talk around the climate crisis. The Trans Mountain Pipeline and expansion is a fuse to the carbon time bomb known as the Alberta Oil Sands that violates Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s inherent and constitutionally protected rights. We are committed to stopping this destructive and risky project on behalf of the salmon, the orcas and for future generations of people who live in our territory,” said Charlene Aleck of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust Initiative. Chubb was previously an insurer of Trans Mountain, and as recently as 2019 increased its coverage limits for the pipeline. Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer, became an early leader on climate change when it adopted a coal policy in 2019, but the company has not made any additional climate commitments since then. In recent months, it has been under increasing pressure for its involvement with the tar sands industry.”
OPINION
Sierra Club: No CO2 Pipelines in Iowa
9/8/21
“There are two pipeline proposals in Iowa. Both are centered around a new greenwashing scheme called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS is very complicated but when you boil it down, it’s simple. CCS allows for continued fossil fuel extraction via fracking and destructive industrial agriculture practices. We already know the solutions to our climate crisis - we must end our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in solar, wind, battery storage, conservation and efficiency! CCS claims to capture CO2 emissions from large polluters like coal-fired power plants, ethanol plants, and more. Captured CO2 would be piped to fuel more fossil fuel extraction via fracking or stored underground. Here’s why CCS is a greenwashing scheme: CCS has failed to meet it’s CO2 emissions targets in other projects; CCS is only economically feasible with massive public subsidies; CCS doesn’t address other emissions or forms of pollution from fossil fuel extraction and industrial agriculture; CO2 is incredibly dangerous and a pipeline leak or break could poison surrounding communities and first responders; CCS continues business as usual and delays investment in REAL climate solutions. We believe that CCS is a false solution that takes us farther away from our climate goals. These pipelines should not be approved and there should be no public money granted to the pipeline companies.”
CleanTechnica: Another Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Project Doesn’t Live Up To Its Targets
Zachary Shahan, 9/13/21
“Everybody concerned about the climate crisis we are entering would love for some form of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to work wonders,” CleanTechnica reports. “It would be so much easier to avert crisis if we could just capture carbon and re-bury or store it in some energy-efficient, cost-efficient way. But to this point, hopes of CCS being a sort of magical bullet have been little more than “magical thinking.” It simply doesn’t work as we imagine it should in our minds… “Another thing to keep in mind is that, yes, oil companies have known about the climate threat for several decades. They have put a lot of resources into lobbying, messaging campaigns, and greenwashing in order to try to keep their businesses going as usual. If they could simply implement a magic CCS bullet and avoid all kinds of political challenges and loss of market share, they would. CCS would be going strong all around the world right now if oil, gas, and coal companies could implement it cost-effectively — or effectively at all… “Chevron has been the company behind what is reportedly the biggest CCS project in the world. It is a project in Western Australia. And apparently it’s a massive fail. “Climate campaigners believe the company should be heavily fined after it acknowledged on Monday that it had not met a requirement to capture and inject underground at least 80% of emissions from a gas reservoir over the first five years of the Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) development,” The Guardian reports. “An analysis last year suggested Chevron could face a bill of more than A$100m if required to offset all emissions that breached its approval requirements.”
The Center Square: Pipeline safety is paramount
By Bill Godsey, 9/14/21
“As the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas, the United States has assembled a robust pipeline network to move product to market. It follows that ensuring their safety is a priority,” Bill Godsey writes for The Center Square. “Thanks to Congressional action, Pennsylvanians can expect increased pipeline safety. The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) already has deemed pipelines the safest medium of energy transport, confirmed by the Fraser Institute, but Congress has continued to build out its pipeline safety systems. Lumped into the billion dollar omnibus coronavirus bill last year was the overlooked House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure’s “Pipes Act of 2020.” Its stated objective “reauthorizes the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pipeline safety program through fiscal 2023 and ensures that the millions of miles of pipelines in the U.S. are safe, reliable, and environmentally sound.” “...While Pennsylvania has benefited greatly from the thousands of jobs and billions in tax revenue that the oil and gas industry has created, the commonwealth remains way behind in the development of necessary pipeline infrastructure. Yet projects like PennEast, Adelphia Gateway and Mariner East continue to face regulatory delays and challenges that prevent prosperity. In America, safety measures are strong and resources are plentiful. The United States and commonwealth of Pennsylvania continue to position themselves to be energy powerhouses for decades to come, with safety at the forefront.”
Duluth News Tribune: Local View: Livable future incompatible with new fossil-fuel infrastructure
Jenna Yeakle of Duluth is an organizer with the Sierra Club. Jamie Alexander of Duluth is director of Drawdown Labs with Project Drawdown (drawdown.org/programs/drawdown-labs), a nonprofit working to lower greenhouse gases, 9/12/21
“If there was ever a moment to summon the strength of our Twin Ports communities and move toward the clean-energy future we need and deserve, it is now,” Jenna Yeakle and Jamie Alexander write in the Duluth News Tribune. “This summer we experienced wildfires in our backyards, severe air-quality alerts from wildfire smoke drifting across state lines and national borders, and extreme drought and heat. And yet it felt like the calm before the storm of looming climate chaos. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report spells out what we already knew in the Northland: It is well past time to leave behind the systems and practices that are harming us. It’s time to make a swift exit from the era of fossil fuels and throw out any proposals for new fossil-fuel projects. Disappointingly, yet unsurprisingly, our region’s electric utilities Minnesota Power and Dairyland Power would like to continue business as usual by hanging on to their proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center gas plant in Superior. The Sierra Club has conservatively estimated that this plant would add 1.7 million metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions per year, including methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas released during the fracking, transportation, and burning of gas and is more than 80 times as powerful as carbon-dioxide pollution. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report specifically highlights the role methane emissions play in adding fuel to the fire. The report also makes clear that cutting methane emissions is the fastest way to slow warming in the near term. This is clearly no time for half-measures, yet our utilities frame the Nemadji Trail Energy Center as a “cleaner option” and a “bridge” to help us get to some future moment when we can expect something different. But we know better… “Instead of giving fossil fuels a boost, the Biden administration should deny federal funding to any new fossil-fuel project and hold the federal government accountable to its promise to stop subsidizing business as usual.”
The Hill: Oil and gas drilling is getting dangerously close to our national parks
Matt Kirby is director of energy and landscape conservation at the National Parks Conservation Association; Steve Kandell is director of Trout Unlimited’s Angler Conservation Project, 9/14/21
“Millions of Americans are spending more time exploring the waters we fish, the national parks we enjoy and wild places near and far. At the same time, many of these same public lands have long been important to America’s energy portfolio,” Matt Kirby and Steve Kandell write for The Hill. “We believe that communities thrive when energy development is responsibly done, and balanced with the need for healthy lands, thriving fish and wildlife populations, and quality outdoor recreation experiences. Unfortunately, outdated policies prioritize oil and gas development over other public land uses. Spurred by antiquated federal leasing policies — some of which are over a century old — recent energy development proposals threaten the landscapes Americans from all walks of life cherish… “When public lands can be leased for as little as $1.50/acre, it’s time to take a step back, scrutinize federal policies and evaluate whether oil and gas development is the highest and best use of our most valuable public lands. This is especially true where there are little to no economically viable reserves of oil and gas… “We must care for our public lands so future generations have the same outdoor access and opportunities that we did. It’s time for Congress and the administration to advance common-sense solutions that usher in a new era of responsible energy development.”