EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 4/19/24

PIPELINE NEWS

• Guardian: ‘Wake-up call’: pipeline leak exposes carbon capture safety gaps, advocates say

• North Dakota Monitor: Summit to make its carbon pipeline permit case again in ND

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipe supplier sues Summit Carbon Solutions for $15 million

• KMTV: Carbon pipelines could face more challenges from landowners if Iowa bill passes

• Global News: RCMP national security team investigating Yellowhead County pipeline rupture: Alberta minister

• Bloomberg: Canada Needs Further Pipeline Expansion: Tamarack CEO

• Law360: Enbridge Says Feds’ Pipeline Brief Aids Michigan Case

• Great Lakes Now: Line 5 activist group wants Gov. Whitmer to “be an advocate” for shutdown

• Hart Energy: Kinder Morgan Sees Need for Another Permian NatGas Pipeline

• Natural Gas Intelligence: Portion of Plaquemines LNG’s 2 Bcf/d Pipeline Project Ready for Service, Venture Global Says

• Colorado House Democrats: Story, Brown’s Pipeline Safety Bill Passes Committee

• WDIV: Orion Township community raise concerns about proposed gas pipeline

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• Bloomberg: White House Renews Internal Talks on Invoking Climate Emergency

• E&E News: House leaders block LNG amendment to spending package

• E&E News: DOE official gives legal reasoning behind LNG pause

• E&E News: Hydrogen may disappear from EPA’s power plant rule. Here’s what that means.

• E&E News: EPA readies reporting rule for methane fee

• E&E News: Interior finalizes Arctic oil restrictions, rejects Ambler Road

STATE UPDATES

• Associated Press: Many Gulf oil spill cleanup workers left with little compensation for health issues [VIDEO]

• Associated Press: Takeaways from AP’s story on the BP oil spill medical settlement’s shortcomings

• Alaska Beacon: Alaska’s carbon storage bill, once a revenue measure, is now seen as boon for oil and coal

• Colorado Sun: Colorado lawmakers weigh limits, safety regulations for trains as derailed Uinta Basin Railway trains seek fresh tracks

• Cowboy State Daily: Industry: Wyoming’s Orphan Wells Not The Problem The Feds Say They Are 

• Reuters: Texas Regulators Fine Freeport LNG For Environmental Breaches

• The Hill: California water regulators adopt nation’s first standard for ‘Erin Brockovich’ compound

EXTRACTION

• E&E News: ‘No longer credible’: Scottish government abandons climate goal

• Canadian Accountant: Unpaid taxes by oil and gas companies remains a concern for rural municipalities

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• DeSmog: Pathways Alliance Paid Google to Advertise on ‘Greenwashing’ Searches

• Enbridge: In Alberta, these watershed protectors’ passion runs deep

• Enbridge: ‘The prairie is the catalyst’ for a living laboratory

OPINION

• The Hill: Earth Day 2024: The clock is ticking as the planet takes a licking 

PIPELINE NEWS

Guardian: ‘Wake-up call’: pipeline leak exposes carbon capture safety gaps, advocates say
Nina Lakhani, 4/19/24

“A major leak of CO2 from an ExxonMobil pipeline in Louisiana exposes dangerous safety gaps that should halt the planned multibillion-dollar carbon capture industry, environmental advocates say,” the Guardian reports. “An estimated 2,548 barrels of carbon dioxide (CO2) leaked from the Exxon pipeline in Sulphur in Calcasieu Parish on 3 April, triggering an emergency response and alarm among residents who live in close proximity to scores of polluting pipelines, petrochemical and fossil fuel facilities. It took more than two hours to fix the leak, which is “unacceptable”, Kenneth Clarkson from the Pipeline Safety Trust non-profit told the Guardian. “Any release of this size of carbon dioxide should be taken seriously, especially given the proximity to homes in Sulphur … The operator should have promptly known about the leak from the pressure loss and quickly closed the valves and, as reported, they failed to do that,” Clarkson told the Guardian. “There are dangerous gaps in the federal regulations that we hope will be addressed.” “…Interviews by the Guardian suggest that no pipeline operator was on site at the pump station where the leak occurred – and the camera monitoring the facility was not working. Exxon staff located 50 miles away in Beaumont, Texas, learned about the leak after it was reported to emergency services, the Guardian understands. It took more than two hours for an operator to arrive at the facility and fix the leak, according to the local fire department. Earlier this week, the Guardian observed contractors carrying out anti-corrosion maintenance work at the pump station, where a significant leak was previously reported in 2011. Holly McGee, whose family lives opposite the pump station, told the Guardian she reported the leak to the sheriff’s office around 6pm on 3 April – after calls to the company went unanswered… “According to McGee, the leak sounded like a pressure cooker, and smelt like chemicals. “This wasn’t like the usual gas release that we see from time to time, this went on for a long time. I knew we should leave,” McGee, who evacuated to her grandparents home two streets away where they could still hear the CO2 leaking, told the Guardian. “If it had not been so windy, it could have been worse. We know what happened in Mississippi … I am more vigilant now.” “…“I only found out about the leak after the shelter in place order was lifted. There should have been an emergency alert for the whole parish, we should have been evacuated, but we don’t have good regulations. I went to bed and had nightmares,” Cindy Roberston, a community organiser in Sulphur, told the Guardian.”

North Dakota Monitor: Summit to make its carbon pipeline permit case again in ND
JEFF BEACH, 4/19/24

“The oil and gas industry in North Dakota wants more carbon but the company behind a giant carbon capture project says it remains committed to underground storage,” the North Dakota Monitor reports. “…We don’t have any customers today approaching us about enhanced oil recovery,” Lee Blank, CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions, told the North Dakota Monitor in an interview. The Summit plan is to store carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants in underground wells northwest of Bismarck. The Department of Mineral Resources has set a hearing for June 11-12 on that part of the project… “The North Dakota Public Service Commission last year denied Summit’s application but will hold a series of hearings beginning Monday in Mandan to reconsider that decision. There also will be hearings May 24 in Wahpeton and June 4 in Linton… “What I’m hopeful of is that the company comes in and provides good clear testimony to how they’re addressing the deficiencies that were put forward in the denial last summer,” Randy Christmann, chair of the three-person Public Service Commission, told the Monitor… “Christmann told the Monitor there may also be landowner testimony on the first day of the hearing… “North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring is a carbon storage skeptic who adds that Summit got off on the wrong foot with landowners, who told the Monitor people felt threatened and bullied by Summit agents trying to obtain easements. “That spreads like wildfire,” Goehring told the Monitor… “While carbon capture is seen by some as a way of addressing climate change, the project is opposed by several environmental groups such as the Dakota Resource Council in North Dakota… “The Navigator project planned to use a storage site in Illinois, but Blank told the Monitor Summit has not considered that site or others… “When Summit announced its project, there was speculation that the carbon dioxide would end up in North Dakota oilfields for enhanced oil recovery… “Summit officials have said the pipeline could be used for enhanced oil recovery in the future with the right agreement with a customer.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Pipe supplier sues Summit Carbon Solutions for $15 million
JARED STRONG, 4/18/24

“An Arkansas pipe manufacturer is seeking more than $15 million from a company that wants to build a carbon dioxide pipeline system in Iowa amid delays of their agreement, according to a lawsuit filed this week,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The lawsuit filed by Welspun Tubular says Summit Carbon Solutions commissioned the company to produce about 785 miles of pipe, starting in May 2023, at a total cost of about $183 million. But Summit’s project — a 2,500-mile pipeline network in five states — has taken longer to get potential approval than the company initially anticipated… “In February, Summit canceled the agreement, according to the lawsuit. Welspun claims that entitles it to a $15 million cancellation charge and partial reimbursement for materials it obtained to manufacture the pipe. Summit disagrees that it owes the money and hopes to find a compromise. “Our current dispute with Welspun Tubular revolves around timing issues related to pipe delivery,” the company told the Dispatch. “We’re committed to resolving this matter swiftly, and our intention to collaborate with Welspun remains unchanged.”

KMTV: Carbon pipelines could face more challenges from landowners if Iowa bill passes
Katrina Marke, 4/17/24

“A bill that could make it harder for energy companies to use private land to build pipelines is still working its way through the Iowa legislature,” KMTV reports. “Landowners opposed to pipelines would have more opportunities to challenge those eminent domain requests from energy companies… “Attorney Brian Jorde represents several southwest Iowa landowners whose property would be in the path of the Summit CO2 pipeline. He told KMTV it comes down to property rights. This bill is a small change that would create a new legal pathway for his clients to challenge attempts to build pipelines on their properties, earlier in the process. “One person or entity’s economic gain isn’t enough to trigger eminent domain rights,” Jorde, who is based in Omaha, told KMTV. “it would be ludicrous if I thought my business could make more money if I just took what you have, right?” “…If the bill makes it to the Senate floor for a vote, state senator Jason Schultz told the Iowa Capital Dispatch it will likely be amended to only address carbon pipelines and not other hazardous liquid pipelines.”

Global News: RCMP national security team investigating Yellowhead County pipeline rupture: Alberta minister
Caley Gibson, 4/18/24

“Alberta’s minister of forestry and parks said the RCMP national security investigation team is involved in a probe looking into what caused a pipeline to rupture and catch fire west of Edmonton earlier this week,” Global News reports. “…We have no indication of any kind of cause on that fire yet; the investigation is happening,” Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said at a wildfire-related news conference Thursday morning. “The national security investigation team of the RCMP are investigating the cause.” “…Officials told Global News the investigation into what caused the TC Energy pipeline to break could take months or even years… “The rupture sparked a blaze that could be seen for kilometres, sending large flames and plumes of smoke into the air… “The wildfire sparked by the pipeline rupture is located about 28 kilometres northeast of Obed Lake. More than 30 firefighters were expected to be in the area Thursday to continue working on the wildfire.”

Bloomberg: Canada Needs Further Pipeline Expansion: Tamarack CEO
Kevin Orland, 4/19/24

“The expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline is nearly ready for action after years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns.  But Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Brian Schmidt sees a need for even more export capacity in the long run as drillers ramp up output from newer fields like the Clearwater play his company specializes in,” Bloomberg reports. “The expanded Trans Mountain line — scheduled to start commercial operations in less than two weeks — protects Alberta’s growing heavy-oil production from the steeper discounts it would have sold at had it needed to move on rail, Schmidt told Bloomberg. But the Canadian oil sector could expand further if it had more pipeline capacity, with an Indigenous-led project allowing more access to the Pacific Coast as the ideal scenario, he told Bloomberg. Trans Mountain is “a good stopgap, but I also think that we need more capacity in the future to satisfy the growth,” Schmidt told Bloomberg. “My belief is that First Nations will drive that process if there is going to be a another pipeline to the West Coast.”

Law360: Enbridge Says Feds’ Pipeline Brief Aids Michigan Case
Crystal Owens, 4/18/24

“Enbridge Energy has said the U.S. government’s recent brief to the Seventh Circuit in separate litigation over its Live 5 pipeline backs its challenge against Michigan over the state’s attempt to shutter the project, arguing the federal government has a strong interest in ensuring that trade and diplomatic relations with Canada aren’t affected,” Law360 reports. 

Great Lakes Now: Line 5 activist group wants Gov. Whitmer to “be an advocate” for shutdown
Gary Wilson, 4/17/24

“Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s record on the Line 5 oil pipeline that traverses the Straits of Mackinac is mixed, according to Lansing advocate Sean McBrearty,” Great Lakes Now reports. “When running for governor in 2018, “Whitmer pledged to do everything in her power to take Line 5 out of the Great Lakes,” McBrearty told Great Lakes Now in a recent interview. McBrearty is the campaign coordinator for the Oil and Water Don’t Mix coalition that has worked to shut down Line 5 since 2013… “But over time, Whitmer moved to the background on Line 5 deferring to legal action brought by Attorney General Dana Nessel… “Now, McBrearty told GLN he wants to see Whitmer return to be the “outspoken advocate who ordered the Line 5 shutdown and revoked the easement.” He also wants her to use her high-profile relationship with President Biden to generate support from his administration, “It would be a wonderful thing for the people of Michigan and this campaign,” he told GLN. And there may be no more critical time for Whitmer to use her connection to Biden who, McBrearty told GLN, “has all the authority he needs” to revoke Line 5’s right to operate… “The [federal] brief is a selective reading of the U.S.-Canada treaty McBrearty told GLN, citing provisions that it “shall be subject to appropriate governmental authorities” that would allow for environmental protection.”

Hart Energy: Kinder Morgan Sees Need for Another Permian NatGas Pipeline
Sandy Segrist, 4/18/24

“Leaders of midstream company Kinder Morgan said another natural gas pipeline out of the Permian Basin is necessary and that the firm is working towards initiating a project,” Hart Energy reports. “Executives discussed the new line project during the company’s first-quarter earnings call on April 17. “We see a need for another pipe,” said Sital Mody, president of natural gas pipelines for Kinder Morgan. “We don’t have anything to announce today, but we continue to try and work on trying to commercialize another pipe. [We’re] still having discussions with customers along those fronts, but nothing to report this afternoon.” The project came up during a discussion of prices at the Waha Hub, a natural gas pricing point located near Pecos, Texas…”Mody’s statement during the earnings call is a more aggressive stance compared to what the company took last quarter, when CEO Kim Dang said the company was only interested in a new pipeline in the “back half of the decade.” At the time, a new project was still far enough down the timeline that there had not been much conversation about it… “Kinder Morgan Executive Chairman Rich Kinder opened the earnings call with a bullish speech on the future demand for natural gas, citing the expected massive growth in the LNG export market and the materializing need for more U.S. data centers.”

Natural Gas Intelligence: Portion of Plaquemines LNG’s 2 Bcf/d Pipeline Project Ready for Service, Venture Global Says
JACOB DICK, 4/18/24

“The chances of feed gas being introduced to Venture Global LNG Inc.’s Plaquemines LNG project by the end of the year could be rising as the firm awaits approval to place a portion of its pipeline in service,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “Venture Global asked FERC to allow it to begin introducing natural gas to the 11.7-mile, 42-inch diameter second phase of its Gator Express pipeline system, which would connect to the Texas Eastern Transmission LP (Tetco) pipeline system controlled by a unit of Enbridge Inc. Pending swift approval, the firm told Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff it aims to place all of the second phase equipment in service by the end of the week as crews work to complete the more than 15-mile, 42-inch diameter first phase of Gator Express.”

Colorado House Democrats: Story, Brown’s Pipeline Safety Bill Passes Committee
4/18/24

“Pipeline safety legislation, sponsored by Representatives Tammy Story and Kyle Brown, passed the House Energy & Environment Committee today. HB24-1357 would address transparency and enforcement concerns about the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) Pipeline Safety Program. “This bill is about keeping our neighbors and environment safe from dangerous pipeline leaks,” said Rep. Tammy Story, D-Conifer. “A recent state audit confirmed – pipeline operators are not being held to a high safety standard, jeopardizing people’s lives and livelihoods. We’re stepping up to ensure the Pipeline Safety Program is working as intended by increasing transparency requirements and establishing a minimum penalty amount for violators. Public health and safety is a top priority and this bill would require pipeline operators to check for and fix leaks in a timely manner.” “…HB24-1357, which passed committee by a vote of 9-3, would require minimum penalty amounts for failure to follow rules designed to protect public health and safety. This bill would also limit the PUC’s discretion for reducing or eliminating fines on violators and increase maximum penalty amounts… “In addition to improving the efficacy of enforcement, this bill would also update pipeline reporting and transparency measures. Specifically, it would require the PUC to develop a user-friendly, public-facing website for pipeline safety data, including leak information, public complaints, and follow-up actions taken by the PUC in response.”

WDIV: Orion Township community raise concerns about proposed gas pipeline
Marianne Krist, Karen Drew, 4/17/24

“Now that warmer weather has settled in, you’re probably not thinking much about keeping your home heated. Consumers Energy and DTE Gas are, however, and the two companies plan to join forces to keep natural gas flowing — in case of a problem in either companies’ pipeline system,” WDIV reports. “We took a look at the plans for the nearly $15 million proposed project, which includes about 320 new feet of natural gas pipeline and an interconnect facility. The two companies say the “Oakland Resilience Interconnect” project will allow them to access each others’ natural gas supply if needed. An estimated $9.1 million of it is to be paid for by DTE Gas; and $5.4 million by Consumers Energy. The location of the project is Orion Township in Oakland County, near the intersection of Waldron Road and Joslyn Road, and the popular Polly Ann Trail. It’s one of several similar projects the companies have planned for linking their natural gas pipeline systems, and not all Orion Township natural gas customers are happy about the plan. “You know who’s gonna pay for it,” Oakland County gas ratepayer Ellen Harrington told WDIV. “It’s not gonna be DTE. It may be from out of their pocket, but out of their pocket comes our money.” “…Part of the planned project will be on a wetlands area. “Well I don’t like it, naturally, but we’re having to do what we have to do in order to survive,” local resident Pauline Cash-Smith told WDIV about the proposed project. The project still must be approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The MPSC will discuss the project on April 30, and all interested gas utility customers may attend the meeting.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

Bloomberg: White House Renews Internal Talks on Invoking Climate Emergency
Jennifer A Dlouhy and Jennifer Jacobs, 4/17/24

“White House officials have renewed discussions about potentially declaring a national climate emergency, an unprecedented step that could unlock federal powers to stifle oil development,” Bloomberg reports. “Top advisers to President Joe Biden have recently resumed talks about the merits of such a move, which could be used to curtail crude exports, suspend offshore drilling and curb greenhouse gas emissions, people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because a final decision has not been made told Bloomberg.” White House advisers are divided over the idea of declaring a climate emergency, with some saying it wouldn’t provide Biden with enough newfound authority to make substantial changes, the people told Bloomberg. Others, however, argue such an announcement would galvanize climate-minded voters. Officials have not made a decision on the matter, nor is any declaration imminent, the people told Bloomberg… “The Biden administration previously mulled a similar emergency declaration in 2022 after negotiations on broad, clean-energy legislation faltered, threatening to stall much of the president’s climate agenda. But the idea of a declaration was shelved after the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act was enacted… “Youth activists, led by the Sunrise Movement, Fridays For Future USA and the Campus Climate Network, are planning protests nationwide on and around Earth Day to demand Biden proclaim climate change a national emergency.”

E&E News: House leaders block LNG amendment to spending package
Emma Dumain, Kelsey Brugger, Nico Portuondo, 4/19/24

“House Republicans failed in their latest attempt to roll back a Biden administration pause on liquefied natural gas export permits as the chamber readies a package of foreign aid bills,” E&E News reports. “…As part of the parameters for debate, Republican leaders opted not to allow a vote on amendments from Reps. August Pfluger (R-Texas) and Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) that would have resumed reviews of LNG export reviews. For now, it brings to an end multi-week discussions over a proposal first floated by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) that would lift President Joe Biden’s pause on permitting for LNG facilities. Johnson, who represents a state with big stakes in the matter, had hoped his gambit would be a compelling trade for some Republicans who would otherwise be uninterested in voting to help fund a foreign war. Ultimately, it became clear Democrats weren’t going to go for it, even after Johnson offered a more targeted compromise, three people familiar with the discussions, all granted anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations, told E&E. Johnson’s proposal, those people told E&E, was that the White House could approve just four LNG export terminals that are currently paused as a condition of GOP leadership putting a Ukraine spending bill on the House floor. But that would potentially prove problematic for the president’s progressive base, which has not always been happy with the administration’s decisions around oil and gas.”

E&E News: DOE official gives legal reasoning behind LNG pause
Carlos Anchondo, Kelsey Brugger, 4/19/24

“A Department of Energy official clashed with House Republicans on Thursday over President Joe Biden’s natural gas export review pause and said approving new projects now could open the administration to legal peril,” E&E News reports. “Brad Crabtree, head of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, defended the administration’s January pause in the face of mounting Republican criticism. “The liquefied natural gas pause sends the wrong message to the world, as do other clearly political decisions against U.S. energy interests,” said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs, during a hearing. Crabtree said previous analyses of the economic and climate effects of LNG exports are outdated and that issuing approvals now would make them legally vulnerable.”

E&E News: Hydrogen may disappear from EPA’s power plant rule. Here’s what that means.
Jean Chemnick, 4/19/24

“EPA may sideline hydrogen in its final rule to limit power plant pollution amid industry pushback and legal uncertainties,” E&E News reports. “The move — expected by both industry advocates and environmentalists — probably won’t weaken the rule. But it remains unclear what technology will replace hydrogen to underpin EPA’s final standard for new intermediate gas plants… “In its May draft rule, EPA took the unusual step of identifying two benchmark technologies — carbon capture and “green” hydrogen — to be the basis of its standard for new large, frequently operated gas plants. That means the final rule will likely fall back on carbon capture to underpin a strong pollution standard for such “baseload” facilities. But EPA’s proposal only picked one “best system of emissions reduction,” or BSER, for intermediate units: hydrogen… ”But green hydrogen is not yet a cost-effective option, and a new lucrative production tax credit may do less to jump-start the industry than originally thought. If that drives the administration to finalize a rule that doesn’t depend on green hydrogen — as is widely expected — EPA is going to have to choose something new. And with the final rule due out next week, that something new remains a mystery. A cadre of environmentalists told E&E there is an easy solution: EPA can just demand that new intermediate gas plants use combined-cycle technology.”

E&E News: EPA readies reporting rule for methane fee
Jean Chemnick, 4/19/24

“EPA will soon issue a new rule for how oil and gas facilities assess and report climate pollution, and it could put more operators on the hook to pay methane fees,” E&E News reports. “The White House finished reviewing the final oil and gas greenhouse gas emissions reporting rule on Wednesday. That usually means the release of a rule is imminent, but in this case the announcement might be delayed until after EPA debuts a set of high-profile power sector rules next Thursday. Congress directed EPA to revise its reporting guidelines for oil and gas facilities when it passed the 2022 climate law known as the Inflation Reduction Act, which also authorized new fees on excessive methane leakage. Numerous studies have shown that the methane accounting methodologies currently required by EPA underestimate the sector’s leaked emissions. EPA’s proposed rule last year set much higher default emissions values for equipment and adds new categories for reporting, potentially resulting in some oil and gas companies disclosing higher levels of methane emissions for the same operations than they had in the past.”

E&E News: Interior finalizes Arctic oil restrictions, rejects Ambler Road
Heather Richards, Hannah Northey, 4/19/24

“The Interior Department finalized sweeping drilling restrictions in the western Arctic on Friday that could thwart future oil development in Alaska, a move aiming to bolster President Joe Biden’s environmental legacy ahead of the November presidential election,” E&E News reports. “The department also rejected a proposed mining road through the Alaska wilderness that would have allowed access to undeveloped mineral deposits, including copper and zinc… “Both the Ambler Road decision and the final rule restricting oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) underscore the Biden administration’s attempt to curb mining and drilling on public lands and shrink industry’s footprint in favor of wilderness, recreation and wildlife habitat. John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for international climate policy, told E&E the pair of decisions would conserve Alaska lands for generations. “The Biden-Harris administration has now protected more than 41 million acres of lands and waters across the country, leaving a huge mark on the history of American conservation,” Podesta told E&E… “The final rule for the NPR-A lays out “maximum protections” for oil development on roughly 13 million acres of protected lands in the 23-million-acre reserve… “This misguided rule from the Biden Administration sharply limits future oil and natural gas development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, a region explicitly intended by Congress to bolster America’s energy security,” Dustin Meyer, the senior vice president of policy at the American Petroleum Institute, told E&E… “President Biden has taken an important step to safeguard the areas of the Western Arctic that are essential to our traditions, our communities and our families,” Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, founder of Grandmothers Growing Goodness and the former mayor of the village of Nuiqsut, the closest village to the Willow project in the NPR-A, told E&E. “For too long, oil and gas executives have been prioritized over our voices and the needs of the communities who live here.”

STATE UPDATES

Associated Press: Many Gulf oil spill cleanup workers left with little compensation for health issues [VIDEO]
Gerald Herbert and Kristin M. Hall, 4/18/24

“Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected,” the Associated Press reports. 

Associated Press: Takeaways from AP’s story on the BP oil spill medical settlement’s shortcomings
TRAVIS LOLLER and MICHAEL PHILLIS, 4/18/24

“When the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in 2010 and spewed many millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the disastrous spill damaged the economy, devastated the environment and required thousands of regular people to help clean it up. Those hired workers picked up tar balls on the beach, deployed booms from boats to soak up oil and rescued injured wildlife. Many of them got sick, but a settlement was supposed to help,” the Associated Press reports. “BP agreed to pay workers who got ill after exposure to oil and a chemical dispersant used to break it up. Early on, the settlement was praised by attorneys for workers and BP as a fair solution that would provide money to victims without placing too much burden on them to prove their claims. The Associated Press found that in practice the settlement didn’t work out that way. A smaller number of people than hoped got paid — and it was less money than they expected. Thousands later were forced to file federal lawsuits that have been dismissed in batches across the South. The AP found just one person, boat captain John Maas, who sued and successfully settled with BP. To break up the oil, roughly 1.8 million gallons of the dispersant Corexit were dropped from planes and sprayed from boats. Research has found it can damage cells that protect airways and cause scarring that narrows breathing tubes, making it harder to breathe over time. Plus, oil itself is linked to illness. One of its toxic components is benzene, which can cause conditions ranging from skin irritation to cancer… “At the most basic level, workers and residents could submit affidavits attesting to their medical problems and collect $1,300. The vast majority of those compensated, just under 80%, got this lowest award… “BP argued that anyone without a diagnosis before April 12, 2012 couldn’t be paid through the routine claims process. Instead, they would fall into a category of people with “later manifested” conditions who would need to file individual lawsuits for compensation… “It has a broader reach than the BP oil spill,” Jason Clark, a Downs attorney, told AP. “If the burden is one that’s too high for any plaintiff to meet, then a lot of people who are exposed … are never going to see justice.”

Alaska Beacon: Alaska’s carbon storage bill, once a revenue measure, is now seen as boon for oil and coal
JAMES BROOKS, 4/17/24

“Last year, when Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed legislation last year to allow companies to inject carbon dioxide deep underground, he billed it as a way for the state to raise money while helping fight climate change,” the Alaska Beacon reports. “Now, with the Alaska House of Representatives prepared to vote Wednesday on House Bill 50, the goals have shifted: Revenue-raising provisions have been stripped out, and backers now say it’s a way to increase oil production and burn more coal while cutting emissions of carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas… “Because the state owns the pore space, it has the right to charge companies for using it… “As the bill advanced, lawmakers removed language requiring minimum payments in exchange for carbon injections… “Under the current language of the bill, carbon wells would be allowed on almost all state land, with exceptions for things like parks… “Coal has traditionally been the cheapest source of electricity in his Interior town, but coal is rapidly being phased out as a power source in the United States because of the pollution it causes. If carbon sequestration can deal with that problem, “I don’t know why anyone would not want to build a coal plant, if it’s net zero,” Stapp told the Beacon. “You could have a system in which you could have coal power that does not have any emissions.”

Colorado Sun: Colorado lawmakers weigh limits, safety regulations for trains as derailed Uinta Basin Railway trains seek fresh tracks
Jason Blevins, 4/17/24

“The Colorado House last week approved legislation that would limit the length of trains as a way to reduce chances of a hazardous spill in watersheds,” the Colorado Sun reports. “The proposal is in response to increased derailments involving hazardous materials and the Uinta Basin Railway plan, which, while derailed, is not dead. House Bill 1030 has collected support from conservation groups eager to prevent projects like the Uinta Basin Railway, which proposed routing as much as 5 billion gallons of crude on trains two miles long along the Colorado River through Colorado… “The group behind that Uinta Basin Railway — the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, which hopes to ramp up production of the basin’s crude with a railroad that connects the oil fields to the national rail network — last month asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the appellate court’s decision… “The Colorado railroad legislation requires railroads to better train workers and community firefighters to handle hazardous spills. It also requires railroad companies to install wayside detectors on every 10 to 15 miles of track that monitor passing trains and can swiftly identify defects that could cause an accident. Railroad companies also must maintain insurance policies to cover the cost of spills and accidents… “The legislation also limits the length of trains in Colorado to 8,500 feet. The $2.5 billion Uinta Basin Railway plan could send as many as 10 trains a day — each longer than 10,000 feet with more than 100 heated tanker cars — through Colorado. The legislation also creates a Colorado fine structure for railroads that violate the new rules and gives railroad union representatives a way to investigate safety issues… “Similar proposals have been floated at the federal level — including defect detectors on the side of tracks — but Congress has passed no law.”

Cowboy State Daily: Industry: Wyoming’s Orphan Wells Not The Problem The Feds Say They Are 
Pat Maio, 4/17/24

“Data on stopping up these wells turned over to Cowboy State Daily by Tom Kropatsh, oil and gas supervisor for the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) in Casper, reflects a pattern of dealing with the problem, not walking away from it,” the Cowboy State Daily reports. “Still, the track record isn’t something the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is taking much stock in. The head of the WOGCC is worried that a new BLM rule could force oil and gas developers to leave Wyoming — or worse, America. BLM issued a new rule April 11 that could make it difficult for some oil and gas companies to bid on energy leases on public lands. The energy industry’s biggest beef with the rule is that developers may pay higher bonding amounts to drill on public land. The higher bond amount is meant to deter some developers from walking away from the drilling site and leaving a mess behind without any financial incentive to clean up.”

Reuters: Texas Regulators Fine Freeport LNG For Environmental Breaches
4/16/24

“Texas’ environmental regulator has fined liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter Freeport LNG $152,173 for violating state air pollution emissions rules for periods between 2019 and 2021, the company reported on Tuesday,” according to Reuters. “Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said on April 11 Freeport LNG had released carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds over several years in excess of allowed levels from flaring at its Quintana, Texas, plant.”

The Hill: California water regulators adopt nation’s first standard for ‘Erin Brockovich’ compound
SHARON UDASIN, 4/18/24

“More than three decades after Erin Brockovich recognized that hexavalent chromium was making residents of Hinkley, Calif., sick, state water regulators on Wednesday approved the nation’s first standard to limit the toxin’s presence in drinking water,” The Hill reports. “The California State Water Control Board voted to adopt a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 micrograms per liter — or 10 parts per billion — of hexavalent chromium in drinking water. Hexavalent chromium — known more commonly as chromium-6 — came under the public eye in the 1990s, after Brockovich discovered that it was contaminating drinking water and making people sick in the San Bernardino County town in Central California’s Mojave Desert… “When the State Water Board first proposed the 10 parts per billion MCL two years ago, Brockovich told The Hill that this threshold was insufficient, expressing her frustration “that nothing’s changed in 30 years.” “…The Water Board has failed the people of California,” Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, told The Hill. “Chromium-6 is a known carcinogen — even at exceptionally low levels,” Stoiber continued. “It has no place in drinking water. Yet tens of millions of Californians ingest this toxic chemical every day.” Industry and business representatives likewise expressed their disapproval of the MCL, but for opposite reasons.”

EXTRACTION

E&E News: ‘No longer credible’: Scottish government abandons climate goal
Abby Wallace, Andrew McDonald, 4/19/24

“The Scottish government will ditch a key climate target, ministers in Edinburgh confirmed Thursday afternoon,” E&E News reports. “Net-Zero Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan told the Scottish Parliament that the government will scrap plans to reduce carbon emissions in Scotland by 75 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The move is a significant climb-down from a government which was one of the first in the world to declare a climate emergency. It comes on the back of a damning report last month from the government’s independent climate advises — the Climate Change Committee (CCC) — which warned that the region’s 2030 target was “no longer credible.” McAllan said: “In this challenging context of cuts and U.K. backtracking [on green policies], we accept the CCC’s recent rearticulation that this parliament’s interim 2030 target is out of reach.”

Canadian Accountant: Unpaid taxes by oil and gas companies remains a concern for rural municipalities
Chantel Downes, 4/19/24

“The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) conducted a member survey identifying that, as of Dec. 31 2023, at least $251.8 million of municipal property taxes have gone unpaid by oil and gas companies,” Canadian Accountant reports. “This marks the sixth consecutive year that the RMA conducted the survey, highlighting an ongoing issue of tax evasion within the industry, according to the RMA press release. “Year after year, rural municipalities provide clear, documented, and verifiable evidence that a select group of property owners are simply choosing not to pay their property taxes,” Paul McLauchlin, representing Rural Municipalities of Alberta, told CA.  “While all other property owners in the province face strict penalties for non-payment of property taxes, oil and gas companies continue to exploit legislative and policy loopholes and hide behind an industry regulator that has, for many years, refused to hold some companies accountable for poor business decisions, high liability risks, and a lack of concern for the public interest.” “…Non-operational oil and gas companies have written off over $2 million in taxes from 2018 to 2023. Operational companies have not been written off, with their unpaid taxes totalling over $2.6 million.” 

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

DeSmog: Pathways Alliance Paid Google to Advertise on ‘Greenwashing’ Searches
Geoff Dembicki, 4/18/24

“A major Canadian oil sands group has been running advertisements on Google that target people seeking information about oil industry “greenwashing,” the practice by which companies make false and misleading environmental promises,” DeSmog reports. “The Pathways Alliance is a marketing and lobbying organization representing the country’s six largest oil sands producers: Imperial Oil, Suncor, ConocoPhillips, Cenovus, CNRL and MEG. Google ad records viewed by DeSmog show that it’s been paying to advertise on the search term “Pathways Alliance greenwashing,” meaning that when people type that phrase into Google, one of the first results that appears is the Pathways Alliance website.  “It’s part of their systematic attempt to influence the climate policy discussion,” Chris Russill, a Carleton University journalism professor and academic director of the climate communication centre Re:Climate, told DeSmog. The Pathways Alliance is currently under investigation by the Competition Bureau of Canada due to a complaint from Greenpeace about the accuracy of its advertisements. Those ads, which have run in national newspapers, during hockey games and even on the sides of buses, portray oil sands companies as climate leaders “on the road to net zero,” when actually the industry is expanding its production of climate-altering crude oil to record high levels. This is but one of “numerous indicators of greenwashing in Pathways Alliance’s public communication,” according  to recent peer-viewed research from Russill and other academics in Canada and the U.S… “But when Canadians went searching on Google for additional information about accusations of “greenwashing,” one of the top results they may have encountered was sponsored content from the Pathways Alliance claiming that the country’s biggest polluters “are working to reduce carbon emissions from oil sands.” (In fact, Canadian oil and gas emissions grew 13 percent last year, according to federal regulators, and are likely vastly underestimated in official counts).”  

Enbridge: In Alberta, these watershed protectors’ passion runs deep
4/19/24

“North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance’s new Youth Water Council is dedicated to conservation, restoration, education and watershed health,” according to Enbridge. “…With the support of a $20,000 Fueling Futures grant from Enbridge, NSWA established the first youth council, designed to give members educational opportunities about conservation as well as a platform to protect the watershed.”

Enbridge: ‘The prairie is the catalyst’ for a living laboratory
4/18/24

“In Illinois, Enbridge gift of 20 acres creates thriving native plants, migrating pollinators and transformational learning for high school students,” according to Enbridge. “…In 2021, Enbridge donated 20 acres of prairie property to Operation Endangered Species (OES), a program founded in 2011 by Ritter who also serves as the non-profit organization’s executive director… “At Enbridge, sustainability is central to everything we do, and we also support community sustainability projects that help improve, grow and nurture our environment.”

OPINION

The Hill: Earth Day 2024: The clock is ticking as the planet takes a licking 
Brad Bannon is a Democratic pollster and the veteran of many environmental campaigns, 4/19/24

“Earth Day on April 22 will be an occasion to celebrate the beauty of nature. But the sweet call of nature might be drowned out by the shrill cries of “drill, baby, drill,” President Biden will trumpet his strong environmental record, honor his legacy and roll out the green carpet for the event. Republicans will just walk away,” Brad Bannon writes for The Hill. “…The clock is ticking and the planet is taking a licking. The annual day of environmental awareness traditionally comes with grave warnings from climate scientists who sound the alarm about the fragility of the planet… “The researchers found that a clear majority of the public believes climate change is real and is caused by humans. At least two in three people think climate change impacts extreme heat, wildfires, air pollution, water shortages, flooding and rising sea levels.  Joe Biden and his party have responded to public concerns about the climate crisis while Donald Trump and the Republican Party have blissfully ignored them… “Planet Earth is on life support but Trump and the climate deniers in his orbit want to pull the plug. The GOP response to the climate emergency and the Biden administration’s stellar record of environmental action is “don’t worry be happy.” The Heritage Foundation’s 2025 Project, the inaction blueprint for a second Trump term would ease regulations and reverse the progress that President Biden made in his first term… “Trump’s trials and tribulations and questions about Biden’s age dominate coverage of the 2024 campaign. But the news of the day doesn’t make existential problems go away. We can spend the moral and financial capital now to save the environment or our children and grandchildren will pay the price later.”