EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 3/6/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit wants to add 340 pipeline miles in Iowa

• South Dakota Searchlight: Proposed carbon pipeline adds more ethanol plants as SD lawmakers debate regulations

• Dakota Scout: ‘Landowner Bill of Rights’ included in latest pipeline compromise package

• Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska ethanol plant joins Summit CO2 pipeline after Navigator abandoned plans

• Globe Gazette: Hancock County supervisors voice mounting concerns over unpaid pipeline bills

• Illinois Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines: March 7 organizing meeting featuring Jeff Bonar, CapCO2 Solutions 

• Reuters: Enbridge to invest about $500 million in pipeline assets

• BNN: Pipeline Companies Seek Dismissal of Gulf Oil Leak Suit, Citing Lack of Evidence

• BNN: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Debates State’s Power Over Pipeline Permits Under National Gas Act

• Truthout: Despite Repression, Activists Continue to Shut Down Mountain Valley Pipeline

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Reuters: Biden’s scaled-back power rule raises doubts over US climate target

STATE UPDATES

• Colorado Newsline: Colorado climate activists rally at Capitol to support oil and gas phaseout bill

• Ethanol Producer: Red Trail Energy Becomes First Ethanol Plant To Enter Voluntary Carbon Markets

• NPR: Getting off fossil fuels is hard, but this city is doing it — building by building

EXTRACTION

• The Hill: Arctic sea could be ‘ice-free’ by the 2030s, new study warns

• Professional Engineering: Cost of carbon capture by 2050 ‘twice as high as previously estimated’

• BNN: Cenovus Criticizes Canadian Govt for Insufficient Support on $12.2B Carbon Capture Initiative

• MSN: Cenovus Energy sees production rising by 19% in five years

• Globe and Mail: Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation suing Alberta Energy Regulator over tailings leak

• DeSmog: Utilities Are Buying Pricier ‘Responsible Gas.’ But for What Climate Benefit?

CLIMATE FINANCE

• Reuters: UN-backed bank group seeks to avoid departures with new climate guidelines

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Enbridge: Jump In and Fill the Pool: Upper Fraser Valley Rallies for Indoor Pool Project

OPINION

• Detroit Free Press: I believe Enbridge Line 5, Great Lakes replacement tunnel are safe

• InForum: Port: Army official says Obama administration suppressed environmental damage from #NoDAPL protests

• The Hill: Gas-powered cars aren’t being banned, despite big oil’s propaganda

PIPELINE NEWS

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit wants to add 340 pipeline miles in Iowa
JARED STRONG, 3/5/24

“Summit Carbon Solutions plans to expand its carbon dioxide pipeline footprint in Iowa by about 50% — or about 340 miles — to connect to more ethanol plants, according to new regulatory filings,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “…Two large ethanol producers — POET and Valero — that had initially agreed to be part of Navigator’s project have since signed with Summit. That has resulted in Summit more than doubling its number of ethanol plant partners in Iowa to a total of 30. There are 42 in the state… “Also on Monday, the company indicated it would file for 14 more hazardous liquid pipeline permits in Iowa to connect to the POET and Valero facilities, including one that is in South Dakota. A review of the expansion routes filed with the IUB shows that they will include about 340 miles of new pipe in 22 counties. It’s possible for Summit to add even more ethanol plants to its proposed pipeline network, Sabrina Zenor, a Summit spokesperson, told the Dispatch. The project now includes 57 ethanol producers in five states and is expected to transport more than 16 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. The system has a total capacity of about 18 million metric tons, Zenor told the Dispatch… “Summit filed requests on Monday with the IUB to schedule public meetings in 22 counties for its expansion plans. The company proposed the first meeting for Adams County on April 22. The rest would be held over the course of about three weeks, ending May 9. The request for meetings starts Summit’s regulatory processes for what are anticipated to be 14 permit applications. That is the number of new lines that would branch from the original proposal to connect to one or more additional ethanol producers. Zenor told the Dispatch state rules require multiple applications for the proposed expansion.”

South Dakota Searchlight: Proposed carbon pipeline adds more ethanol plants as SD lawmakers debate regulations
JOSHUA HAIAR, 3/5/24

“A company hoping to build a carbon dioxide pipeline added eight more ethanol plants as partners on Monday, while South Dakota legislators took action on bills that could affect the project,” the South Dakota Searchlight reports. “Summit Carbon Solutions announced a new partnership with Valero Energy… “The decision comes after Valero’s former partner, Navigator CO2 Ventures, failed to obtain a permit in South Dakota and withdrew its pipeline project… “A bill introducing more stringent requirements for companies seeking access to private land passed the South Dakota Senate on a 29-4 vote Monday. The bill now goes back to the House for consideration of amendments. Under the proposed legislation, any person or entity must have a pending or approved siting permit application with the state before conducting examinations or surveys. The bill also requires a 30-day advance written notice to property owners, detailing the scope of the survey, anticipated entry date and duration, survey types, and contact information for the responsible party. In addition, the legislation proposes financial compensation for landowners, mandating a one-time $500 payment by carbon pipeline companies to property owners for entry onto private land, along with compensation for any damages incurred… ‘Another bill, which passed the Senate 24-9 and is also headed back to the House for consideration of amendments, specifies how carbon pipeline easements are to be granted, recorded and terminated… “Lastly, Senate Bill 201 is awaiting action by a committee of lawmakers to reconcile different House and Senate versions of the legislation.”

Dakota Scout: ‘Landowner Bill of Rights’ included in latest pipeline compromise package
JOE SNEVE, 3/5/24

“A “Landowner Bill of Rights” is the linchpin of the latest pipeline compromise package being rolled out by a bipartisan group of legislative leaders at the state Capitol,” the Dakota Scout reports. “Republican majority leaders in the South Dakota House and Senate Tuesday announced what would be the nation’s first Landowner Bill of Rights related to carbon dioxide pipeline projects, a proposal touted as making South Dakota the country’s top defender of landowner protections. A series of measures crafted by House Majority Leader Will Mortenson, Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree, and House Minority Leader Oren Lesmeister establish annual compensation requirements for landowners, a linear foot tax for counties and landowners, and cap the length of easement agreements at 99 years.”

Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska ethanol plant joins Summit CO2 pipeline after Navigator abandoned plans
CHRIS DUNKER, 3/5/24

“Summit Carbon Solutions has added eight ethanol refineries owned and operated by Valero Energy Corp., including one in Nebraska,” the Lincoln Journal Star reports. “…Valero Renewables’ facility near Albion, which produces 135 million gallons of ethanol each year and employs roughly 60 people, will join the pipeline after previously being a part of a separate carbon sequestration project… “Summit CEO Lee Blank said the expansion of the project is part of a “meaningful shift” in lowering the carbon intensity of biofuels. “It’s about practical changes that can make a real difference: improving farm profitability, increasing land values and offering solid support to our farm families and rural communities,” Blank said in a news release… “The Albion ethanol plant was originally part of a carbon pipeline project operated by Navigator Ventures LLC until last year. Navigator, which was based in Omaha, canceled the Heartland Greenway project last October, citing the “unpredictable nature of the regulatory and government process” after the company was denied construction permits by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission… “And in Nebraska, where the regulations and permits are decided at the county level, the pipeline has also faced delays. Last month, on a 3-0 vote, the Stanton County Board of Commissioners denied Summit Carbon Solutions a conditional-use permit to run 8 miles of pipeline across the county. Commissioners, echoing concerns from landowners living along the pipeline project, said they rejected the permit because of safety concerns… “Jonathan Lindgren, the chair of the Boone County Board of Commissioners, told the Journal Star county leaders were last briefed by representatives from Navigator nearly a year ago and have not yet heard from Summit Carbon Solutions.”

Globe Gazette: Hancock County supervisors voice mounting concerns over unpaid pipeline bills
Rob Hillesland, 3/5/24

“On March 4, Hancock County supervisors continued to voice their frustrations about not being timely repaid for prep work on Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed CO2 pipeline,” the Globe Gazette reports. “Perhaps, if we don’t stay on top of it, we won’t get paid,” said Supervisor Sis Greiman. “It’s not fair to our taxpayers, so we’re going to keep working on it.” Greiman said that the pipeline company is supposed to pay the bills. She added that the county’s engineering consultant, Snyder & Associates, which would provide required inspection services during potential pipeline construction in the county, sent bills to Summit Carbon Solutions in early February. “I fired off an email to the CEO (Lee Blank) in response to a letter he sent,” Supervisor Gary Rayhons said. “So, hopefully, we get them paid. During a public forum, area residents Glen Alden and Bob Kern noted that other counties are having difficulty getting their bills associated with the proposed pipeline paid as well. The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club has raised the same contention in recent news releases.”

Illinois Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines: March 7 organizing meeting featuring Jeff Bonar, CapCO2 Solutions 
3/5/24

“We want to welcome all to this coming Thursday’s Coalition meeting! These gatherings are designed to “onboard” landowners to the work of the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines, provide some education on the hazards and risks of CO2 pipelines and sequestration, connect landowners organizing to stop carbon dioxide pipeline and sequestration projects, and explore proposals or projects that might either expand CO2 pipelines and sequestration or make them less lucrative,” according to the Illinois Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines. “…This Thursday evening (March 7), Jeff Bonar from CapCO2 Solutions will join us to talk about his company’s green methanol project that is up and running in Lena Illinois. This pilot project captures CO2 at the ethanol plant and combines it with hydrogen to make methanol that will be transported by rail. We’re looking forward to hearing Jeff talk about this technology, which doesn’t require CO2 pipelines or sequestration, including its end uses, scalability, and requirements for ensuring it qualifies as “green”. 

Reuters: Enbridge to invest about $500 million in pipeline assets
3/6/24

“Pipeline operator Enbridge said on Wednesday it will invest about $500 million in expanding its pipeline and storage assets to improve its U.S. Gulf Coast presence,” Reuters reports. “…The company said it will acquire two marine docks and land from Flint Hills Resources for about $200 million, and is planning to invest about $100 million on Gray Oak Pipeline expansion. The company also sanctioned about $200 million of offshore pipelines to service Shell and Equinor’s sanctioned offshore oil and gas project Sparta in the Gulf of Mexico.”

BNN: Pipeline Companies Seek Dismissal of Gulf Oil Leak Suit, Citing Lack of Evidence
Rizwan Shah, 3/5/24

“Third Coast Infrastructure LLC and its subsidiary, Main Pass Oil Gathering Co., are currently embroiled in a legal battle, challenging a proposed class action lawsuit,” BNN reports. “This lawsuit accuses them of causing a crude oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which purportedly endangered the livelihoods of local commercial fishermen. They filed a motion on Monday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, asserting that the fishermen’s claims should be dismissed due to speculative injuries. The defendants argue that the lawsuit lacks merit because the fishermen have not demonstrated a concrete injury tied directly to the alleged oil spill. This assertion is supported by updates from the Coast Guard, which have consistently reported no observed oil contamination of wildlife or shorelines. Furthermore, it’s noted that the plaintiffs themselves concede to the absence of visible oil pollution, undermining the basis of their claims. This motion to dismiss highlights a significant legal hurdle for environmental litigation: the need to prove direct, tangible harm to gain standing in court. The heart of this legal controversy is whether the alleged oil spill from Third Coast Infrastructure and Main Pass Oil Gathering’s pipeline operations indeed resulted in significant environmental damage or economic losses for the plaintiffs.”

BNN: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Debates State’s Power Over Pipeline Permits Under National Gas Act
Ebenezer Mensah, 3/5/24

“On a pivotal day, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was engrossed in deliberations over the extent of the state’s authority to review permits for a pipeline project, a matter intricately tied to the National Gas Act’s provisions,” BNN reports. “This legal conundrum centers on distinguishing whether appeals to a state board are considered preempted civil actions, thereby falling outside state jurisdiction, or if they are seen as administrative proceedings within the state’s domain. The crux of the matter lies in interpreting the federal National Gas Act and its implications for state-level permit review processes… “For utility companies, a decision affirming state review authority could introduce additional layers of regulatory scrutiny, potentially delaying or complicating projects. Conversely, environmental advocates view this as an opportunity to ensure more stringent environmental and safety standards… “As the Pennsylvania Supreme Court deliberates, the outcome of this legal challenge will undoubtedly reverberate beyond state borders, potentially influencing national policy and the regulatory landscape for pipeline projects. The decision, when rendered, will offer clarity on the scope of state powers under the National Gas Act, marking a significant moment in the ongoing dialogue between state rights and federal oversight in environmental and infrastructure matters.”

Truthout: Despite Repression, Activists Continue to Shut Down Mountain Valley Pipeline
Cody Bloomfield, 3/5/24

“Before dawn on March 4, 2024, a car painted with birch trees crept out onto a narrow dirt road granting Mountain Valley Pipeline construction workers access to the site,” Truthout reports. “Two activists, 81-year-old River and 63-year-old Andy, unfurled a large banner reading “Older Than the Hills: Water is Life” and covered the rear of the car. The two — who asked to be identified only by their first names to protect them from reprisal — sat down, reached through specially drilled holes in the car, and locked themselves in for the long haul. Hours later, pipeline contractors attempting to drive to work found themselves stymied by the protest and called in the Virginia State Police — again. It took over 10 hours for police to extract Andy, during which time construction ground to a halt. Andy and River’s direct action against the pipeline was one part of a broader day of protest held on Poor Mountain, one of the last sections of construction still uncompleted. This section of the pipeline construction is among the steepest and most treacherous, labeled by the Securities and Exchange Commission a “challenging physical construction condition.” “…A vigorous protest movement has fought the project at every step of the pipeline’s plodding path, and they aren’t giving up now. In 2021, a rotating contingent of protesters successfully blockaded part of the pipeline for 932 days — over two and a half years. Like clockwork, every two weeks or so, dissenters against the pipeline project trek out onto the construction site land, often prepared to engage in meticulously planned civil disobedience actions using “sleeping dragons” — jerry-rigged PVC contraptions often reinforced with wire, concrete, rebar or tape that protesters use to handcuff themselves together in an immovable line. Extracting protesters who have handcuffed themselves inside sleeping dragons often demands hours of law enforcement’s time. Protesters say every hour of delay incrementally increases the pipeline’s cost and further delays construction. Maggie, an Appalachians Against Pipelines protester involved in the movement for several years who asked to be identified using a pseudonym in the face of state repression, told Truthout the protest movement centers direct action “because the other tactics have a different timeline.” “…In different avenues people have been fighting eminent domain and permitting, trying to contact their representatives,” Maggie told Truthout. “But at this point, a lot of those good alternatives have been closed off. And what we’re left with is direct action.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Reuters: Biden’s scaled-back power rule raises doubts over US climate target
Valerie Volcovici and Nichola Groom, 3/5/24

“The Biden administration’s decision to exclude the existing U.S. fleet of natural gas power plants from upcoming carbon emissions regulations raises questions over the nation’s ability to meet its climate goals, according to researchers,” Reuters reports. “…But in an unusual move, the Environmental Protection Agency late last week said it would take existing gas plants, which account for over 40% of U.S. power sector carbon emissions, out of the plan before finalizing the rule – a decision made after months of intense industry opposition… “But reducing emissions from those plants would be critical for U.S. climate goals beyond 2030, Ben King, an associate director with Rhodium Group’s energy and climate practice, told Reuters. The EPA has said it plans to write a separate rule to cover CO2 emissions from existing gas plants as well as other hazardous air pollutants after it finalizes the rest of the regulation later this spring, but did not give a specific timeline. The process of writing and finalizing a new rule often takes over a year and the agency faces the distraction of a looming general election in November. If President Joe Biden loses his bid for a second term to Republican rival Donald Trump, the effort would likely be abandoned.”

STATE UPDATES

Colorado Newsline: Colorado climate activists rally at Capitol to support oil and gas phaseout bill
CHASE WOODRUFF, 3/1/24

“Colorado climate activists and Democratic lawmakers say the time has come to confront one of the thorniest issues in the state’s transition to clean energy,” Colorado Newsline reports. “Even as Colorado has undertaken an ambitious effort since 2019 to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions across a wide range of industries, one thing hasn’t changed: Colorado oil and gas production, which increased sharply during the fracking boom of the 2010s, remains near record-high levels. Colorado drillers will pump roughly 15 million barrels of oil out of the ground this month — more than five times their average monthly total between 1981 and 2009. Progressive environmental activists have long felt frustrated by this incongruity between Colorado’s lofty clean-energy ambitions and its ongoing fracking bonanza. For years, they’ve urged state policymakers to plan for a “phaseout” of oil and gas production to protect public health and begin to restrict the supply of the fossil fuels that are the root cause of climate change. And now, for the first time, such a proposal is being put on the table by lawmakers at the state Capitol. “Enough is enough,” state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Lafayette Democrat, said at a press conference alongside climate activists at the Capitol on Friday. “In order to meet our clean energy goals, we know we can’t keep drilling forever.” Jaquez Lewis is one of the sponsors of Senate Bill 24-159, which would require Colorado oil and gas regulators to stop issuing new drilling permits by Jan. 1, 2030. The phaseout is similar to one proposed by an initiative that grassroots climate groups are seeking to put on Colorado’s 2024 ballot. Activists rallied and met with lawmakers at the Capitol on Friday as part of an annual “Climate Lobby Day” organized by a coalition of more than 50 environmental groups, including 350 Colorado, Colorado Rising and GreenLatinos.”

Ethanol Producer: Red Trail Energy Becomes First Ethanol Plant To Enter Voluntary Carbon Markets
3/5/24

“Red Trail Energy LLC and Puro.earth today announced issuance of RTE’s carbon dioxide (CO2) removal credits on the Puro Registry, making it the first ethanol production facility to generate CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) and the largest durable carbon removal project registered to date. RTE will be offering its CORCs through its marketing arm RPMG. RTE worked with clean energy advisory firm EcoEngineers to successfully register its project under the Puro Standard, the world’s leading crediting platform for engineered carbon removal. The carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits are generated through bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) from ethanol production in compliance with Puro’s Geologically Stored Carbon Methodology. RTE sequesters CO2 from the fermentation process at its ethanol plant into a permitted underground Class VI well located approximately 6,500 feet directly beneath its facility… “We have not only achieved a groundbreaking milestone as one of the first bioenergy facilities with BECCS but have also emerged as pioneers in bringing verified CDR credits to the market,” said Red Trail Energy Chief Executive Officer Jodi Johnson.

NPR: Getting off fossil fuels is hard, but this city is doing it — building by building
Jeff Brady, 3/4/24

“Ithaca Tattoo & Piercing is closed on Mondays. But the downtown two-story brick building was bustling recently, even without customers around,” NPR reports. “Heating and air conditioning vans were parked on the street, and crews brought equipment to replace the building’s natural gas furnace with more efficient electric heat pumps. The workers sawed through flexible yellow gas hose, pulled it from the walls and hauled it out to the sidewalk. That’s where building owner John Guttridge was standing and looking proudly at the growing pile of hose and old equipment. “We have just torn out the very last of the gas appliances in this building, which we have just replaced with all air source heat pumps. So we are going fully electric,” he told NPR. Asked what this moment means to him, Guttridge says, “That my children are going to have a sustainable future on this planet.”

EXTRACTION

The Hill: Arctic sea could be ‘ice-free’ by the 2030s, new study warns
LAUREN IRWIN, 3/5/24

“Researchers are warning that Arctic Ocean sea ice is melting at an even faster pace than previously thought — and the region could experience its first ice-free conditions sometime before the 2030s,” The Hill reports. “According to a study published in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, the Arctic sea ice cover and the ice’s thickness have “declined conspicuously” since satellite observations began in 1978. For years, the melting of Arctic sea ice has been viewed as a measure of climate change effects. Predictions indicate that the earliest ice-free conditions in the Arctic Ocean could potentially occur sometime in the 2020s to the 2030s and are likely to happen before the 2050s, the study found… “Alexandra Jahn, researcher for the University of Colorado Boulder, told the outlet that at this point it’s “no longer a remote possibility,” and an ice-free Arctic Ocean will happen under all emissions scenarios. The study’s scientists argue that there is an urgent need to better understand what the impacts of an ice-free Arctic are, including the effects on marine ecosystems, the global energy budget, wave height and coastal erosion.”  

Professional Engineering: Cost of carbon capture by 2050 ‘twice as high as previously estimated’
3/5/24

“The cost of removing one tonne of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2050 will be twice as high as previously estimated, new research has found,” Professional Engineering reports. “Using one of three carbon capture techniques will cost $230-540 per tonne, according to the work at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. Researchers compared technologies used by ETH spin-off Climeworks, carbon capture using aqueous solutions, and carbon capture using calcium oxide, all of which are already in use… “Direct air capture (DAC) will become “significantly” cheaper as the technologies are scaled up, the ETH announcement said, but not as cheap as some stakeholders currently anticipate. Some previous figures estimated costs of $100-300… “Findings suggest that the process developed by Swiss company Climeworks, in which a solid filter with a large surface area traps CO2 particles, could cost $280-580 per tonne by 2050… “The researchers based their work on the assumption that the cost of less complex components that can be mass-produced will fall more sharply, while the cost of complex parts that must be tailored to each individual system will fall only slowly. DAC systems also include mature components such as compressors, which cannot feasibly be made much cheaper.”

BNN: Cenovus Criticizes Canadian Govt for Insufficient Support on $12.2B Carbon Capture Initiative
Sakchi Khandelwal, 3/5/24

“Cenovus Energy Inc., a major player in the Canadian oil-sands industry, has openly criticized the Canadian government for its lack of financial backing regarding a proposed C$16.5 billion ($12.2 billion) carbon capture system,” BNN reports. “…Cenovus Energy Inc. argues that without substantial financial aid from the government, the ambitious carbon capture and storage (CCS) project cannot proceed… “However, the lack of government support raises questions about the feasibility of such large-scale environmental initiatives and the role of public funding in achieving Canada’s climate goals. The situation underscores the tension between economic development and environmental responsibility that defines the contemporary energy sector.”

MSN: Cenovus Energy sees production rising by 19% in five years
3/5/24

“Cenovus Energy +1.2% in Tuesday’s trading as the company said it plans to increase oil and gas production by 19% to 950K boe/day during the next five years as Canada’s pipeline capacity expands,” MSN reports. “In an Investor Day presentation, Cenovus (CVE) said it plans to raise production by 150K boe/day during the period, including expected additions of 30K bbl/day from Foster Creek, 20K-30K bbl/day from Narrows Lake, 15K-20K bbl/day from Sunrise, and 45K bbl/day from West White Rose. Cenovus (CVE) said it sees oil sands production rising by 75K bbl/day during the five years to 700K bbl/day by 2028, while oil sands operating costs are projected to drop to $11.50/bbl from $12.50/bbl currently.”

Globe and Mail: Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation suing Alberta Energy Regulator over tailings leak
EMMA GRANEY, 3/5/24

“A northern First Nation is suing Alberta’s energy regulator for keeping it in the dark for almost a year as water tainted with dangerous levels of arsenic, dissolved metals and hydrocarbons was seeping from the Kearl oil sands project into public lands and waterways near the community,” the Globe and Mail reports. “Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation said in a statement of claim that the incident was not isolated, but rather a symptom of broader deficiencies in what it labelled an “unconstitutional” legislative and regulatory regime for tailings management and other energy project approvals in Alberta. Neither Imperial Oil Ltd., which owns Kearl, nor the Alberta Energy Regulator informed the community about the tailings leak until after a second incident on the site nine months after the leaking began… “In Athabasca Chipewyan’s statement of claim, filed Tuesday in Edmonton, the First Nation argued that the AER had a duty of care to warn the community about the tailings flowing into lands and waterbodies that feed the Athabasca and Firebag Rivers. By failing in that duty, it said, the regulator harmed the First Nation’s ability to safely exercise its treaty rights. Even as the province raked in $50-million per month in royalties from the Kearl project, the regulator took no steps to notify the community about the contamination of land and water, or consult it about how best to mitigate the impact to members’ rights and way of life, it added… Among other remedies, Athabasca Chipewyan wants a declaration that the Crown caused a substantial weakening of the community’s traditional way of life. It’s seeking part of the royalties the government has earned from Kearl during the leak, and $500-million in damages. “We’ve had enough,” Chief Allan Adam told AER president and chief executive Laurie Pushor, handing him the statement of claim at a fiery meeting in Fort Chipewyan on Tuesday night.”

DeSmog: Utilities Are Buying Pricier ‘Responsible Gas.’ But for What Climate Benefit?
Nick Cunningham, 3/5/24

“Virginia Natural Gas’s aim, as it wrote in its request to the state regulator, was to “further support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.” As part of its “Sustainable Gas Program,” the Virginia-based private utility wanted to purchase what it calls “Next Generation Natural Gas.” But it needed the state’s blessing in order to pass on to customers a 15 percent premium for buying this specially certified gas,” DeSmog reports. “The utility received that approval — but only for a five percent premium — in November 2022. Less than six months later, Virginia Natural Gas boasted that it was supplying “NextGen Gas,” or gas “produced with lower greenhouse gas emissions,” to satisfy up to half of the energy demands of its 300,000 customers. Whether that added expense and certification actually deliver on their climate promises, however, remains unclear.  And Virginia is not alone. Utilities in at least nine states have begun purchasing so-called “certified” or “responsible” gas, which the firms certifying it say delivers fewer methane emissions and other environmental impacts compared to the typical natural gas flowing into a furnace or stove. The Revolving Door Project, a watchdog group that scrutinizes executive branch agencies, has released new research tracking this rising trend among gas utilities. Yet as these utilities begin passing the higher costs on to ratepayers, critics warn that the extra expense comes with uncertain climate benefits while risking providing a justification for the gas industry’s ongoing expansion. The fossil fuel industry is using certified gas as “a substitute for the real work of decarbonization,” Hannah Story Brown, a senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project, told DeSmog. “Customers shouldn’t bear the burden for upstream natural gas producers cleaning up their supply chain. That doesn’t make any sense.”

CLIMATE FINANCE

Reuters: UN-backed bank group seeks to avoid departures with new climate guidelines
Simon Jessop, Isla Binnie and Tommy Wilkes, 3/5/24

“A United Nations-backed alliance of banks is proposing its members disclose more information on their commitments to tackle climate change without requiring them to coordinate action, in a compromise it hopes will prevent departures, according to people familiar with the matter,” Reuters reports. “The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), whose 143 members oversee $74 trillion in capital, is trying to remain intact as attacks by some U.S. politicians and investors against environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies test the resolve of banks to stay as members. Three years after its launch, NZBA has proposed its first major update to guidelines on setting targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions linked to members’ activities, on the way to bringing them down to zero on a net basis by 2050… “The overall effect of the updated guidelines would be to increase disclosures from banks on climate change without compelling them to specific action, the sources told Reuters. The details of the new guidelines, which have not been previously reported, shed light on how the NZBA is trying to avoid the fate of other coalitions under the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, a U.N.-backed umbrella group. Two other GFANZ groups, the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative and the Net Zero Insurance Alliance, have seen more than 20 members exit since late 2022 amid concern that ESG critics would target them with collusion lawsuits.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Enbridge: Jump In and Fill the Pool: Upper Fraser Valley Rallies for Indoor Pool Project
3/5/24

“With stunning views of snow-capped mountains, the Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre is poised to steal the spotlight in Agassiz, BC by the end of 2025,” according to Enbridge. “…This ambitious indoor pool project still needs about $3.5 million to meet its target construction funding of $21 million… “As part of its Fueling Futures program, Enbridge—part of the Agassiz community for almost 70 years—has contributed $50,000 to the Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre.”

OPINION

Detroit Free Press: I believe Enbridge Line 5, Great Lakes replacement tunnel are safe
Geno Alessandrini, business manager for the Michigan Laborers, 3/5/24

“Line 5 is safe. The Michigan workers I represent trust Line 5, and Line 5 will be even safer once we bury it deep below the lakebed and house it within a state-of-the-art Great Lakes Tunnel,” Geno Alessandrini writes for the Detroit Free Press. “I know that. Engineers and technical experts know it. Regulators and permitting agencies know it. Michigan Laborers know it. Safe construction and safe fuel is what they do. Last month, a “climate and environmental” activist from the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities wrote a column in the Detroit Free Press trying to muddy the waters, but it won’t work. (“Plan to relocate Line 5 oil tunnel ‘unusual and especially risky.’ Here’s why,” Detroit Free Press, Feb. 10.) It won’t work because her claims don’t hold up — and Michiganders know it… “The likelihood of a serious ignition event — an explosion — in the Great Lakes Tunnel isn’t just extremely remote. The risk is equivalent to one in every 169 million years… “Safety and prevention are the top priority of Tunnel builders… “Line 5 shouldn’t be a partisan issue… “We all want to protect our Great Lakes. We all want to support great jobs… “It’s long past time critics end the ridiculous scare tactics. It’s time to build the Great Lakes Tunnel.”

InForum: Port: Army official says Obama administration suppressed environmental damage from #NoDAPL protests
Rob Port, 3/5/24

“It wasn’t just that the Obama administration refused to send meaningful law enforcement assistance to North Dakota to help control the terrifying and violent protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Or that the administration played political games with the pipeline’s permits, protracting an ugly and dangerous situation. Or that Democratic leaders in other states worked to block law enforcement assistance to North Dakota. It turns out the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency charged with permitting the pipeline, and overseeing the federal lands around the Missouri River, was, for blatantly political reasons, prohibited from telling the public about the environmental damage done by the protesters,” Rob Port writes for InForum. “… The trial is ongoing, and Col. John Henderson, commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, testified that his team had a press release ready to go detailing several environmental concerns from the protests, including improper disposal of human waste and garbage. Under oath, Henderson testified at the trial that his superiors instructed him not to send the press release. “I would say, in essence, we had a professional disagreement,” he said. The protests were ostensibly about protecting the environment. Yet when the protesters themselves were causing significant environmental harm, some federal officials wanted to tell the public about it, and they weren’t allowed to. Environmental concerns took a back seat to political narrative… “I suppose it would have disrupted the preferred left-wing narrative about the protests, which held that they were just, peaceful and pure as the driven snow… “It’s hard to overstate the protests’ impact on North Dakota in terms of culture and politics. I’ve argued that #NoDAPL was a radicalizing event. The #NoDAPL protests aren’t the reason why millions of Americans, including thousands in North Dakota, turned their allegiance to Trump. But they are a reason.”

The Hill: Gas-powered cars aren’t being banned, despite big oil’s propaganda
Jamie Henn is the founder and director of Fossil Free Media, a nonprofit media lab that supports the movement to end fossil fuels; Katherine García is the director of Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All Campaign, 3/5/24

“The last time we checked, oil industry executives breathed the same air as everyone else. So you’d think they’d want to do everything they can to clean up our air and protect public health. Yet, for generations, oil companies and their powerful, deep-pocketed trade associations in Washington, D.C. have lobbied against clean air policies, promoting toxic, polluting businesses with slick ads full of misleading claims and flat-out lies,” Jamie Henn and Katherine Garcia write for The Hill. “Meanwhile, television stations across the country are doing their bidding by running deceptive public relations campaigns like this one, which highlights Big Oil’s preferred fear-mongering claim: the falsehood about a federal “ban” on gas-powered vehicles. This desperate assertion is easily disproved, and yet, shills for oil and gas continue to pour millions more dollars into their losing battle to keep as many polluting vehicles on the road for as long as possible… “The fossil fuel industry knows we are in the midst of an electrification revolution and they will stop at nothing — including spreading blatant lies about clean car policy and electric vehicles — to benefit from their massive polluter profits and shareholder payouts for as long as they can… “This spring, the Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing long-term clean car standards that will help cut climate pollution, improve public health and save drivers money through reduced fuel and maintenance costs. Nothing in the EPA’s proposal bans gas-powered cars or forces Americans to buy an EV or any specific type of car. Instead, Big Oil’s lobbying aims to ensure automakers keep manufacturing fossil-fueled cars, in fact trying to stymie advancements on cleaner vehicles. The oil industry shouldn’t be telling us which cars we can drive… “This is a critical moment for the future of our planet. President Biden and the EPA must stand strong against fossil fuel interests peddling lies and disinformation and finalize strong pollution standards for cars and trucks so Americans can realize all the benefits they will provide — for climate, public health and our economy.”