EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 5/2/23

PIPELINE NEWS

• Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Summit files more than 80 eminent domain lawsuits in 9 South Dakota counties

• Capitol News Illinois: Carbon capture technology draws the attention of lawmakers, environmental advocates

• KMCH: Ag Informer – Carbon Pipeline Future Remains Uncertain

• The Tyee: The RCMP Finally Releases Details About the CGL Pipeline Attack

• Prince George Citizen: Coastal GasLink pipeline 86.8% complete

• Natural Gas Intelligence: TC Energy Eyeing Alberta Natural Gas Egress as CGL, Southeast Gateway Advance

• National Observer: Source of poisonous gas leak reported in north Alberta remains unknown

• Observer-Reporter: PUC releases revised settlement proposal in 2019 house explosion

• KTVK: Wrong coating, bad records likely to blame for deadly Coolidge pipeline explosion

• National Law Review: Pipeline Safety Act Preemption with Keith Coyle [Podcast]

• Rigzone: Pipeline Incidents Affecting Environment Down 16% in 2018-22, Say API, LEPA

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Manchin tries again on permitting overhaul

• E&E News: Supreme Court grants case that could end Chevron doctrine

STATE UPDATES

• E&E News: New Hampshire rejects climate lawsuit against oil industry

• New Orleans Public Radio: After carbon capture backlash, Louisiana lawmakers aim to tighten regulations

• The Center Square: Louisiana lawmakers aim to regulate carbon capture projects

• Sweetwater Now: County Commission to Provide Input on Carbon Storage Project Proposal

• Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association: Hydrogen and the perils of Carbon Capture in the Coastal Bend

• OilPrice.com: In A World First, California Bans New Diesel Truck Sales From 2036

• WVU Today: WVU announces drill date for first geothermal, carbon capture and storage data-collection well in West Virginia

EXTRACTION

• BBC: Extinction Rebellion protests at Poole Harbour oil spill site

• Barron’s: Fossil Fuel Says It Can Be Part of Clean Future. ExxonMobil Is on Board.

• Canadian Press: Imperial Oil hoping Cold Lake carbon capture project will be running before 2030

• Press release: Greenpeace occupies Fluxys LNG terminal to protest gas operators’ disregard of global climate goals

• National Observer: Carbon capture: Separating fact from fiction

OPINION

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Lawmakers are increasingly disregarding the appearance of unethical conflicts of interest

• South Bend Tribune: Nothing neutral about ‘carbon neutrality’ and wishful thinking won’t make it so

• NOLA.com: Bob Marshall: Carbon capture is a taxpayer-funded gusher for oil, gas

• Innovation Origins: CCS & fossil hydrogen: failing the climate change fight

• Institute for Energy Research: Biden Delays Permits on Carbon Capture Technology

• Forbes: Why Blowing Up Pipelines Will Not Solve The Climate Crisis
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Summit files more than 80 eminent domain lawsuits in 9 South Dakota counties
Dominik Dausch, 5/1/23

“Summit Carbon Solutions, a CO2 carbon capture company, has filed more than 80 condemnation lawsuits against South Dakota landowners in nine counties since April 24. The filings are the company’s first step in leveraging eminent domain to build their $4.5 billion pipeline in areas where they failed to secure an easement agreement with landowners. Leroy Braun never thought he would be sued, because he didn’t want a pipeline running through the land he owns. But as of Friday, Braun is one of many South Dakota landowners being taken to court by Summit Carbon Solutions, a CO2 carbon capture company. Summit has initiated more than 80 lawsuits against landowners in Beadle, Brown, Codington, Edmunds, Hand, Kingsbury, Lake, McPherson and Spink counties, court records show. The majority of the pending cases were brought on April 24. Joy Hohn, a landowner advocate, told the Argus Leader she was alarmed to see so many landowners named in the court dockets. “Basically, it should send a message to South Dakota. And [landowners] that this is the type of company we are going to be dealing with,” Hohn told Argus Leader. “Is this the type of company we want coming through South Dakota?” The Argus Leader obtained a copy of Summit’s verified petition from one of the landowners being sued. The documents show that Summit holds itself out as a public carrier and is petitioning the courts to allow the company to exercise its “privilege” of eminent domain… “Brian Jorde, a lawyer with Nebraska-based Domina Law Group, told the Argus Leader on Monday he predicts this is only the first batch of filings. “It’s significant in that it shows how unpopular this project is and how poor this company has handled itself in dealing with people. And it is a significant amount that will, no doubt, be growing, not shrinking,” Jorde told the Argus Leader… “Yet, while Braun was hosting Summit Carbon Solution engineers at his Spink County farmstead, the carbon company’s legal team was busy filing their lawsuit against the landowner. It was something the engineers failed to mention during the visit, since he didn’t find out until the next day, when his attorney told him. “They said, ‘We want to keep talking to you. We want to keep the lines of communication open.’ They stressed that,” Braun told the Argus Leader. “And then I go and find out on Tuesday morning that they’re filing eminent domain on me. Where’s the open dialogue on that?” Summit has yet to receive a permit to build its $4.5 billion Midwest Carbon Express pipeline in South Dakota… “We experienced the same type of intimidation and heavy handedness … under the Dakota Access pipeline. They did the same thing to us when Dakota Access went through. Before a permit was granted, months before the hearings even started, they sued us for eminent domain and condemnation as well,” Hohn told the Argus Leader. “We need to really do something within our legislature to get this to stop, because it’s not fair to land owners.”

Capitol News Illinois: Carbon capture technology draws the attention of lawmakers, environmental advocates
ANDREW ADAMS, 5/1/23

“As Illinois considers ways to achieve its goal of relying entirely on clean energy by 2050, one technology that has courted controversy is carbon capture,” Capitol News Illinois reports. “…With several planned projects in the state, some lawmakers are looking at how to regulate it to ensure safety for people living near pipelines or sequestration wells. “We can’t let it continue without some significant regulation around it,” Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, told CNI. “I don’t see it as a solution to the climate crisis. I see it as a step along the way.” “…Lawmakers, advocates and industrial groups are all in talks about legislation that would regulate the technology, from capture to transport to storage. One of the bills, backed by environmental groups, is being sponsored by Williams, although she told CNI negotiations are ongoing. House Bill 3119 would ensure that a company engaging in carbon transport or injection is solely liable for any damages caused by carbon dioxide transportation. It would also establish that the owner of surface land also owns the title to the “pore space” underneath it. This is the underground area into which carbon dioxide can be injected. The bill would also establish a permitting structure for carbon capture projects and requirements for setbacks from occupied land, alongside a fee structure to fund the new regulatory mandates. Ariel Hampton is the legal and government affairs director for the Illinois Environmental Council, an environmental advocacy group that supports the legislation. “A lot of this process isn’t really covered by the federal government,” Hampton told CNI. Hampton added that investments in carbon capture can sometimes do more harm than good for the environment, either through their design or because captured CO2 can be used in “enhanced oil recovery.” “If we’re increasing net carbon trying to get carbon into the ground, that’s not helpful,” Hampton told CNI. Another set of bills, House Bill 2202 and Senate Bill 2153, have support from industry groups like ADM, Navigator CO2 and the Illinois Manufacturers Association… “These bills don’t regulate the transport of carbon dioxide, such as through a pipeline like the Heartland Greenway project. The bills codify pore space ownership and create an application process at the Department of Natural Resources for companies to follow when obtaining rights to use pore space. Mark Denzler, the head of the Illinois Manufacturers Association, told CNI the two bills the organization supports are focused on “landowner’s protection.”

KMCH: Ag Informer – Carbon Pipeline Future Remains Uncertain
Justin Roberts, 4/20/23

“An Iowa House bill that would restrict the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines in the state is effectively dead until the next session, in 2024, after the Senate late last month failed to advance it ahead of a legislative deadline,” KMCH reports. “That leaves the issue for now with the Iowa Utilities Board, which can rule on eminent domain requests. The proposed bill would have banned the use of eminent domain unless access to 90% of the planned pipeline route was first obtained from owners voluntarily. It would have also offered protections to owners if their land or property was damaged by a pipeline. But senators generally opposed any use of eminent domain to obtain land for the projects.”

The Tyee: The RCMP Finally Releases Details About the CGL Pipeline Attack
Amanda Follett Hosgood, 5/2/23

“More than a year after an alleged attack at a Coastal GasLink pipeline worksite, the RCMP has provided an update about how it believes more than a dozen assailants fled a remote area in northwest B.C. without being caught,” The Tyee reports. “Some of those details — such as the location where police encountered the suspects — directly contradict information released in the days following the Feb. 17, 2022, incident. But RCMP say they are standing by their most recent version of events, declining to provide an explanation for the changes or a follow-up interview. “What I can say is that the information that was released previously was believed to be accurate at the time,” RCMP senior media relations officer Kris Clark said, acknowledging the discrepancy. “As we now have a more fulsome accounting of the events, I can confirm that the information Chief Supt. John Brewer provided is accurate.” It was shortly after midnight on Feb. 17 when RCMP say they received the call from Coastal GasLink’s private security reporting that assailants wearing white camouflage had swung axes, fired flare guns and damaged vehicles, forcing workers to flee the site where the company was preparing to drill under the Morice River. Once workers had fled, police say attackers commandeered company equipment and used it to destroy mobile buildings and heavy machinery at the site, causing millions of dollars in damage. Coastal GasLink reported that roughly nine employees were threatened during the incident. One officer was injured, according to RCMP. In the aftermath, the force said it was sending 40 investigators to the area. But it has provided few details on that investigation… “According to Brewer, police now believe the suspects fled the area on snowmobiles, ditching them at Gidimt’en Checkpoint before driving out the Morice road undetected. It’s the first time RCMP have directly implicated the camp in the alleged attack. Gidimt’en Checkpoint representatives did not respond to a request for comment before deadline… “They used the sleds to travel 20 kilometres east along the pipeline right-of-way, which intersects a branch of the Morice road near Gidimt’en Checkpoint. “We had no idea at the time that they had the means to get that far away that fast,” Brewer told the Tyee… “Once at the camp, Brewer told the Tyee police believe the suspects swapped the snowmobiles for on-road vehicles and drove out the Morice road to join Highway 16 just west of Houston.”

Prince George Citizen: Coastal GasLink pipeline 86.8% complete
Arthur Williams, 5/1/23

“Work on the Coastal GasLink pipeline was 86.8 per cent complete as of the end of March, according to information released by TC Energy on Friday,” the Prince George Citizen reports. “Construction of the 670-km natural gas pipeline from west of Dawson Creek to Kitimat employed 5,513 workers as of the end of March 31, including 1,241 based out of Parsnip Lodge north of Prince George. “As we enter spring and wind down our winter construction season, our crews are preparing for spring break-up, when field construction work is reduced due to soft, thawing ground conditions caused by melting snow,” the TC Energy update says. “During this time, our workforce is focused on critical and seasonally sensitive work, while also ensuring the integrity of site conditions and that enhanced erosion and sediment control measures are in place.” As of the end of March, 587 km of pipe had been installed and 85 per cent of water crossing along the route were complete.”

Natural Gas Intelligence: TC Energy Eyeing Alberta Natural Gas Egress as CGL, Southeast Gateway Advance
ANDREW BAKER, 5/1/23

“TC Energy Corp. is working to expand natural gas takeaway capacity from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) amid record demand for the fuel across North America, management said,” Natural Gas Intelligence reports. “…Grant highlighted that TC added 700 MMcf/d of intra-basin capacity in Western Canada during 1Q2023, with another 500 MMcf/d slated to come online during the second quarter… Grant said his team is “looking at ways that we can continually optimize the system and create additional capacity where we can. That includes both existing and some new opportunities, which we’ll talk about in the following quarter.” On the U.S. side of the border, TC is “anxiously awaiting our certificates” from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the Gas Transmission Northwest Xpress (GTNXP) project, said Stanley Chapman III, president of U.S. and Mexico natural gas pipelines. The project would upgrade and expand capacity by 150 MMcf/d on the GTN system, which supplies Western Canadian gas to markets in the Western United States. Pending the necessary approvals, TC is aiming to have the GTN expansion in service by early 2024, Chapman said.  “We also have the ability to attract volumes in our Great Lakes system,” Chapman said. “And the other thing I would point out of late is there seems to be some interest from the LNG market in Louisiana to have additional exposure to Canadian volumes as well. So we’re pursuing opportunities to expand our ANR systems as appropriate to get more Canadian gas down to the LNG terminals.”

National Observer: Source of poisonous gas leak reported in north Alberta remains unknown
Natasha Bulowsk, 5/1/23

“A poisonous, corrosive and flammable gas has been detected near a TC Energy pipeline roughly 70 kilometres west of Fort McKay, Alta.,” the National Observer reports. “The company received complaints of odours in the “remote area” on April 27, which it then reported to the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), according to a note the AER sent to area First Nations on Saturday. That same day, TC Energy shut down the White Spruce Pipeline “out of an abundance of caution” to investigate the odour, according to an emailed statement TC Energy media relations sent to Canada’s National Observer Monday evening. The company, in collaboration with the AER, “determined the source of the odour is not related to the operation of our asset,” noting its monitoring did not detect any pressure drops or other indications of a release from the pipeline. On Saturday, April 29, the pipeline resumed operations. TC Energy and AER’s inspection found the source of the smell is hydrogen sulfide, a dangerous gas often characterized as smelling like rotten eggs. It occurs naturally in oil and gas wells and is found during the drilling and production of crude oil and natural gas… “The AER’s note from Saturday morning said “further inspection is ongoing to determine the source, as the pipeline is licensed as a sweet crude pipeline.” Sweet crude refers to oil that has small amounts of hydrogen sulfide — less than half a per cent — compared to crude oil. Hydrogen sulfide can cause serious corrosion issues for pipelines, particularly in higher concentrations.”

Observer-Reporter: PUC releases revised settlement proposal in 2019 house explosion
Mike Jones, 5/1/23

“A revised settlement between state utility regulators and Columbia Gas over the July 2019 house explosion near Washington has been released after a previous proposal was rejected last year,” according to the Observer-Reporter. “Just like the earlier proposed settlement, the new one also includes a $990,000 civil penalty against Columbia along with several other stipulations in an attempt to prevent a similar explosion that destroyed one house in North Franklin Township and injured several people. The state Public Utility Commission’s five-person board voted unanimously April 20 to publish the proposed settlement and request comment from the public before deciding whether to finalize the agreement. The public comment period is expected to open Saturday after it’s published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, and the window for submissions will be open through the end of the month… “The bulk of the settlement requires Columbia Gas to make substantial changes in future pipeline projects. While both settlement proposals included various directives in order to correct issues to prevent future incidents, the current one also asks for an estimated timeline for completion of each of those actions and for an accounting of the financial damages caused by the explosion… “The homeowner, Deborah Braden, later sued Columbia Gas in federal court asking for $400,000 in damages. She and her homeowner’s insurance company, State Farm, settled out of court with Columbia Gas for an undisclosed amount of money in April 2021, according to federal court documents.”

KTVK: Wrong coating, bad records likely to blame for deadly Coolidge pipeline explosion
Peter Valencia, 5/1/23

“The National Transportation Safety Board has released an 11-page report on the deadly pipeline explosion that happened on the outskirts of Coolidge in August 2021,” KTVK reports. “Arizona’s Family reported back in January that Kinder Morgan, which runs the pipeline, submitted a request to federal regulators to restart the line. It was approved and restarted in mid-February. At the time, community members remained skeptical of the possible reopening of the pipeline, with Coolidge Mayor Jon Thompson saying that he’d like to see the final report before any sort of action was taken on Line 2000, which caused the deaths of a father and daughter. The family’s mother Rosalina Alvarez, suffered severe burns. Now the federal agency leading the investigation says that the pipeline operators incorrectly recorded the coating type. The report explained that while it was noted that fusion-bonded epoxy, an industrial adhesive, was used on that section of the pipeline, it was actually spiral tape wrap. At no point, the NTSB says, was that listed in the “PODS” information system. The feds say there was also a crack in one of the seam welds that ultimately led to the pipeline’s rupture. The NTSB says records likely caused an inaccurate risk assessment for stress corrosion cracking with the wrong coating and adhesive listed in the data management system. In December 2021, Reuters reported that Kinder Morgan had placed the damaged part of the line entirely out of service after several months as it took steps to improve safety.”

National Law Review: Pipeline Safety Act Preemption with Keith Coyle [Podcast]
4/30/23

“This week’s Pipeliners Podcast episode features Keith Coyle discussing the Pipeline Safety Act provision over preemption and what that means for state versus federal regulations,” the National Law Review reports. “In this episode, you’ll learn about preemption, what it means, and the impacts it has on the pipeline industry at the federal, state, and local level.”

Rigzone: Pipeline Incidents Affecting Environment Down 16% in 2018-22, Say API, LEPA
Jov Onsat, 5/2/23

“Pipeline incidents in the USA totaled 293 last year, down 112 and with 16 percent fewer occurrences affecting people or the environment over the past five years, according to a joint report by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Liquid Energy Pipeline Association (LEPA) Monday,” Rigzone reports. “Over the last five years, corrosion failures (28 percent) were the most frequent cause of incidents impacting people or the environment, followed by equipment failure (24 percent), incorrect operation (13 percent) and material pipe/ weld failures (12 percent)”, the industry associations said in their “2023-2025 Pipeline Excellence Strategic Plan & 2022 Performance Report”. By their definition, pipeline incidents affecting people or the environment include those that directly harm people physically, lead to human displacement, impact wildlife or result in pollution. These incidents totaled 75 last year, from 89 in 2018… “Large” incidents that affected people or the environment fell 22 percent over the last five years. “In 2022, approximately 57 percent of such incidents were less than 50 barrels, with only 19 percent of incidents impacting people or the environment 500 barrels or larger”, said the API, which has nearly 600 member companies, and the LEPA, which represents over 50 pipeline owners and operators. Petroleum incidents comprised 55 percent of the total incidents in 2022, followed by refined products at 32 percent and natural gas liquids at 12 percent. “Carbon dioxide pipeline incidents are down 60 percent over the last five years, with two nationwide in 2022”, the report added… “The USA had 229,888 total miles of liquids pipelines as of 2021, the latest available data, according to the report. Thirty-seven percent or 84,712 miles are petroleum pipelines, 33 percent are for natural gas liquids and 28 percent are refined products pipelines.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Manchin tries again on permitting overhaul
Jeremy Dillon, 5/2/23

“Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin is relaunching his quest to overhaul the nation’s permitting laws Tuesday by reintroducing his proposal that capsized last year,” E&E News reports. “The West Virginia Democrat’s bill, dubbed the “Building American Energy Security Act of 2023,” largely matches the language and provisions of a negotiated measure that failed to advance in the last Congress. Manchin said the base text would serve as a starting point for further Senate negotiations… “…While the House passed a partisan bill, H.R. 1, in March that included permitting reforms and some hearings have been held in the Senate, there has been little momentum thus far to advance a serious negotiated agreement. Whether Manchin’s bill gets the ball rolling on that front is up for debate. Among its provisions, the bill would look to speed up the time for environmental reviews by setting a two-year shot clock on agencies to complete their work. It would also enable projects to seek legal enforcement of that timeline should agencies blow through the deadline. The bill would set a 150-day statute of limitations for legal challenges against an issued permit, along with a host of other changes to accelerate the legal review process. Critical to Democratic support, the bill also contains a section dedicated to expanding and bolstering the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ability to site and permit interstate transmission lines. Crucially for Manchin, the legislation would once again authorize the controversial Mountain Valley pipeline, a natural gas effort that runs through his state. Though it is more than 90 percent completed, it has run into multiple legal problems related to environmental reviews… “ENR intends to hold a legislative hearing on the bill as soon as next week.”

E&E News: Supreme Court grants case that could end Chevron doctrine
Pamela King, Alex Hargrave, Rob Hotakainen, 5/1/23

“The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider disposing of a legal tool that helps federal agencies defend environmental rules in court,” E&E News reports. “In a short order, the justices granted Loper Bright Enterprises Inc. v. Raimondo, which challenges a NOAA Fisheries rule that requires Atlantic herring vessels to pay as much as 20 percent of their revenue to hire third-party monitors that collect data for conservation and management of the fishery. The court limited its consideration of the case to a specific question with broad consequences: whether the justices should revisit their 1984 decision establishing the Chevron doctrine, which gives agencies like EPA leeway to interpret ambiguous statutes like the Clean Air Act. “The Supreme Court has an opportunity to correct one of the most consequential judicial errors in a generation,” Ryan Mulvey, counsel for the Cause of Action Institute and one of the lawyers for the fishing operations, told E&E. “Chevron deference has proven corrosive to the American system of checks and balances and directly contributed to an unaccountable executive branch, overbearing bureaucracy and runaway regulation.” “…Judicial deference to agency rulemaking power has for years been a target for opponents of robust federal regulation on climate change and other key issues. And some of the court’s most conservative members have expressed interest in doing away with the approach… “Before Monday’s order, several outside parties had filed “friend of the court” briefs on behalf of the fishing industry, urging the nation’s highest bench to overturn Chevron deference. The Pacific Legal Foundation — the private property rights law firm behind Sackett v. EPA, the blockbuster Clean Water Act case that’s currently before the Supreme Court — filed a brief in support of dismantling Chevron based on lower courts’ approach to applying the doctrine.”

STATE UPDATES

E&E News: New Hampshire rejects climate lawsuit against oil industry
Lesley Clark, 5/1/23

“The Granite State is staying out of a burgeoning legal battle that asks oil companies to pay up for climate change,” E&E News reports.

New Orleans Public Radio: After carbon capture backlash, Louisiana lawmakers aim to tighten regulations
Halle Parker, 4/28/23

“Louisiana is on the cusp of a carbon capture bonanza. For many, that is cause for concern,” New Orleans Public Radio reports. “Major projects, like a $4.5 billion hydrogen plant and carbon capture complex planned in Ascension Parish, have been met with enormous pushback. In that case, local residents have come out en masse to oppose Air Products’ planned facility, concerned about the risks that its carbon pipelines, wells and underground storage could pose to Lake Maurepas — an area central to the region’s culture and recreation. In turn, lawmakers from across the Florida Parishes — especially those representing Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena — have filed nine bills to respond to their residents’ concerns. It’s the most legislation filed on issues related to carbon capture and storage since the state first legalized it by passing the Louisiana Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide Act in 2009, to little fanfare. The state’s first-ever Climate Action Plan, published last year, included carbon capture as a key component of its roadmap for slashing Louisiana’s greenhouse gas emissions — but carbon capture was also one of the most divisive pieces of the plan… “Concerns about current carbon capture projects have ranged from lack of community input to no revenue sharing for local governments and fears about ecological damage. Residents and environmental advocates have also questioned whether taxpayers will foot the bill for ensuring that carbon stored underground remains there in perpetuity. The nine bills, all filed by Republican lawmakers, directly address those and other regulatory gaps. All but one are still waiting to be taken up in committee, with the bills due to be heard the first week of May… “Public hearings would also be required in each parish that could be affected by a carbon capture and storage project, and companies would have to conduct an environmental analysis for each Class VI permit. Companies would also be required to monitor and maintain their wells for 50 years after they stop pumping carbon dioxide into the ground, as well as meet specific conditions to be released from some of their liability. After that point, issues with the wells or storage would be paid for out of the state’s Carbon Dioxide Geologic Storage Trust Fund… “Neither the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association nor environmental groups like the Sierra Club oppose this bill… “Introduced by Rep. Sherman Mack, who also serves Livingston Parish, House Bill 454 would require a local election before any carbon sequestration project moves forward in Louisiana… “The project could move forward only with the voters’ approval. If a project was shot down, the bill requires the parish government to wait at least two years before holding another referendum. This bill has been heavily opposed by the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, which says such legislation would make it difficult for the state to capitalize on the industry’s interest in carbon capture. Meanwhile, environmental groups have championed the bill for the same reason, noting that carbon capture and storage presents many uncertainties and is yet to be successful on a commercial scale.”

The Center Square: Louisiana lawmakers aim to regulate carbon capture projects
Victor Skinner, 5/1/23

“Legislation to tighten regulations for carbon capture projects is moving through the Louisiana House following strong opposition to those projects in some communities,” The Center Square reports. “The House Appropriations Committee on Monday approved House Bill 571, sponsored by Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzalez, to address some of the concerns from opponents who have criticized a lack of community input and local revenue sharing, and potential environmental risks, particularly to drinking water… “HB 571 comes as locals in Ascension Parish have voiced strong opposition to a $4.5 billion hydrogen plant and carbon capture facility planned by Air Products. That project is expected to be one of many inspired by federal tax incentives for the development of carbon capture and storage projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is poised to grant Louisiana’s request for primary responsibility for regulating carbon dioxide injection wells this summer… “HB 571 would increase notification requirements for carbon dioxide well permits to include parish governments, and would mandate public hearings in each parish affected. In addition, the bill would require companies to conduct an environmental analysis for permits, and to notify parishes of that activity, as well. Other provisions would require quarterly reports from Class VI injection well operators and would require notification within 24 hours when injections endanger underground drinking water, or when an injection system malfunctions… “Other carbon capture bills introduced this session include HB 10, to prevent operators from using eminent domain to gain properties for wells; HB 35, to ban the projects in St. Helena Parish; HB 120, to prohibit structures from protruding above lakes Maurepas or Pontchartrain; HB 267, to impose a 10-year moratorium on projects beneath Lake Maurepas and the Maurepas swamp; HB 308 to require environmental impact statement for wells or pipelines beneath Lake Maurepas and the Maurepas swamp; HB 312, to remove a cap on liability for carbon sequestration facilities; and HB 454, to require an election before projects can move forward.”

Sweetwater Now: County Commission to Provide Input on Carbon Storage Project Proposal
Olivia Kennah, 5/1/23

“The Sweetwater County Commission will provide input to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rock Springs and Kemmerer Field Offices regarding a proposed carbon capture and storage project in southwestern Wyoming,” Sweetwater Now reports. “Moxa Carbon Storage is seeking authorization to operate a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, called Southwest (SW) Wyoming CO2 Sequestration. The project would permanently sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) in subsurface federal pore space located in Sweetwater, Uinta, and Lincoln Counties. Consistent with the BLM policy, Moxa Carbon Storage has submitted a right-of-way application for the use of subsurface federal pore space (in the Madison and Nugget formations) to permanently sequester CO2…  “In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the BLM’s environmental policies and procedures, an environmental analysis (EA) will be prepared. An EA is a site-specific analysis of potential impacts that could result with the implementation of a proposed action or other identified alternatives. The BLM is seeking input from cooperating agencies and the public to help inform the EA.” 

Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association: Hydrogen and the perils of Carbon Capture in the Coastal Bend
Chispa TX and Ingleside On The Bay Coastal Watch Association, 5/2/23

“The Inflation Reduction Act has created tax credits for “clean” hydrogen projects, which has many fossil fuel companies scrambling to qualify for this money. Join us Tuesday, May 2 at 2:00 PM CST for a conversation with Patrick Nye, President of IOBCWA and Geologist, Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association (IOBCWA): IRA & “clean” hydrogen projects: What are “clean” hydrogen projects? Who is trying to bring this here? Where do they want to build what? Why is it a problem for us? How long do we have until this is set in stone? What can we do?”

OilPrice.com: In A World First, California Bans New Diesel Truck Sales From 2036
Tsvetana Paraskova, 5/1/23

“California’s regulators have unanimously voted to move with a plan to ban the sales of new diesel trucks as of 2036 as part of the state’s push to clean up its transportation sector emissions,” OilPrice.com reports. “Late last week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a first-of-its-kind rule that requires a phased-in transition toward zero-emission medium-and-heavy duty vehicles. Under the new rule, named Advanced Clean Fleets, all truck sales need to shift to zero emissions by 2036, and is especially focused on large fleets of polluting vehicles. California has already moved to ban the sales of new passenger vehicles with internal combustion engines from 2035… “Paul Cort, director of Earthjustice’s Right to Zero campaign, commented, “Diesel trucks are the worst polluters on our roads, pumping an especially harmful form of air pollution into communities living in the shadow of ports and freeways. This new truck rule will have profound health and economic benefits not just here, but in every other state that adopts these clean air protections.”

WVU Today: WVU announces drill date for first geothermal, carbon capture and storage data-collection well in West Virginia
4/28/23

“Drilling will start on the West Virginia University geothermal and carbon capture data-collection well during the second week of May, marking a significant step forward in clean energy research in West Virginia,” WVU Today reports. “This will be the first-of-its-kind geothermal study in West Virginia and will collect core samples and temperature data down to a depth of 15,000 feet, critical to testing the potential of geothermal energy in the region. Data also will be gathered on the potential for underground carbon storage in the Appalachian basin — another scientific first in the state. The project is a collaboration first spearheaded by the WVU Energy Institute with WVU faculty and experts at Northeast Natural Energy LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy, with support from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey and Hewitt Energy Strategies. The DOE provided approximately $9.1 million in funding from the Geothermal Technologies Office and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Northeast Natural Energy, WVGES and WVU contributed $2.76 million in cost-share funding… “Drilling will be located at an existing well pad at the Morgantown Industrial Park operated by Northeast Natural Energy, a West Virginia-based energy company.”

EXTRACTION

BBC: Extinction Rebellion protests at Poole Harbour oil spill site
5/1/23

“Protesters have been gathering near the site of an oil spill in Dorset, calling for the oil field operator to be stripped of its licence,” the BBC reports. “About 200 barrels of oily water escaped from a pipeline at Wytch Farm oil field into Poole Harbour on 26 March. About 100 people joined the protest, organised by Extinction Rebellion, against operator Perenco. Perenco said it had made “extensive checks” to ensure a “safe reinstatement of the operations”. Extinction Rebellion called the leak a “close-to-home example that demonstrates the environmental devastation that comes with oil and gas drilling”. One of the protest organisers, Adam Osman, told BBC: “We believe this production site is now past its expiry date. It’s time for oil production to end here, and for fossil fuel production to wind down everywhere. Campaigner Julie-Ann Booker told BBC: “We need to push hard, we need more voices to make it clear we want Perenco out, and as quickly as possible to avoid further environmental disaster.”

Barron’s: Fossil Fuel Says It Can Be Part of Clean Future. ExxonMobil Is on Board.
Evie Liu, 5/1/23

“Climate change risk is real, but the world cannot tackle the challenge in isolation from all the other challenges such as energy poverty, says Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods at the Milken Institute’s 2023 Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Calif.,” Barron’s reports. “…Joining Woods on stage was Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a state heavily reliant on the coal industry—one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions and global climate change… “Both Woods and Manchin noted that the IRA’s support for climate-change initiatives are extremely important, but it should’t be limited to renewable energy alone. One of the solutions pushed by the fossil fuel industry is carbon capture and sequestration, a technology that traps CO2 from industrial processes and permanently stores them in rock formations underground. Fossil fuel giants like Exxon have been under a lot of pressure to shift toward a lower-carbon business model. Expanding into renewable energy doesn’t make sense for Exxon, says Woods, because they’re very different lines of business. Instead, the firm can leverage its years of experience in carbon capture to make fossil fuel and other industrial partners cleaner… “We are not going to ask [the government] to sustain the subsidy,” says Woods, “What we’re hoping is that the IRA catalyzes the effort to lower costs, so eventually the market pays and incentivizes businesses to reduce carbon. That’s the only way it’s going to work in the long run.” Manchin echoed that, citing the dramatically lower costs of producing solar and wind power over the past decade fueled by public funding support… “Exxon is also actively working on direct air capture, says Woods. He admits that there are still hurdles to clear, but if the technology proves scalable, it would be the “holy grail” of environmental solutions. “The best answer to reducing emissions is to capture the CO2 and not replace the existing infrastructure,” says Woods.”

Canadian Press: Imperial Oil hoping Cold Lake carbon capture project will be running before 2030
Amanda Stephenson, 4/28/23

“Imperial Oil Ltd. could begin injecting and storing harmful CO2 emissions from its Cold Lake operations by the middle of this decade — well before the completion of a massive carbon capture and storage transportation line that has been proposed for the Canadian oilsands, the company said Friday,” the Canadian Press reports. “Imperial — which on Friday reported it earned $1.25 billion in its first quarter, up from $1.17 billion in the same quarter a year earlier — is a member of the Pathways Alliance, a consortium of oilsands companies that has committed to spending $16.5 billion on a massive carbon capture and storage network to be built in northern Alberta. The project is the centrepiece of the oilsands majors’ joint commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from production by 2050. It would involve the construction of a 400-kilometre pipeline that would transport captured CO2 from more than 20 oilsands facilities and move it to a proposed hub in the Cold Lake area of Alberta for safe underground storage. The line would also be available to other industries in the region interested in capturing and storing CO2. The Pathways group has not yet committed to going ahead with the project, although it has said it intends to apply for regulatory approval for its carbon pipeline as early as this fall… “Imperial, which hasn’t made a final investment decision on the Cold Lake carbon capture project, said it intends to begin engineering and design work this year with a targeted startup date sometime within the mid-to-late decade. The entire Pathways Alliance carbon capture network, if it goes ahead, would be one of the largest in the world. The Pathways Alliance says it could reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by about 10 million tonnes per year by 2030 from the first 14 facilities to use the system… “However, Lyons told CP the Pathways group is still hopeful it can have the carbon transportation pipeline up and running before that 2030 target. “There still continues to be a lot of work to do to fully define all of the regulatory requirements, the fiscal support that’s needed … We still have a ways to go, both with the federal government and the provincial government,” he told CP.

Press release: Greenpeace occupies Fluxys LNG terminal to protest gas operators’ disregard of global climate goals
4/29/23

“This morning 10 climbers and 12 kayaktivists from Greenpeace Belgium occupied Fluxys terminal in Zeebrugge to denounce Fluxys’ role, among European gas operators, in the recent development of US LNG imports to Europe, in total disregard of global climate objectives and human rights, as documented in a recent Greenpeace investigation. The environmental organisation is calling for the immediate end of US and European development of gas contracts and infrastructures… “They climbed onto the quays used for loading, unloading and transboarding the large tankers used to transport fossil LNG gas and deployed a 4x5m banner reading “Gas kills”. Kayaks also entered the terminal. Mathieu Soete, energy expert at Greenpeace Belgium said: “We are asking EU institutions, US and European national authorities to abandon new gas projects and phase out gas by 2035 at the latest. Following the shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gas operators like Fluxys quickly shifted their public messaging and lobbying from “energy transition” to “energy security” and cynically used the opportunity to frighten governments into massive, unneeded investment into and expansion of fossil gas imports and infrastructure. Under pressure from companies like Fluxys, many gas projects and terminals are emerging across Europe and the US, directly threatening the health of communities near production sites and the entire planet with disastrous environmental and climate impacts.”

National Observer: Carbon capture: Separating fact from fiction
Zahra Khozema, 5/2/23

“When scientists and activists first raised alarm bells on climate change, the oil and gas industry was a reluctant player. But now, it boasts that carbon capture is one of the fastest ways for the industry to reach net-zero emissions by 2050,” the National Observer reports. “The process entails capturing carbon emissions and storing them underground. Governments around the world have bought into this approach, providing billions of dollars in tax credits and grants to the fossil fuel industry to make it happen. Although carbon capture sounds like a good term for fighting the climate crisis, scientists and environmentalists question its ability to make a difference. In Episode 12 of Hot Politics, host David McKie examines the carbon capture utilization and storage process, or CCUS for short, and explores why some are calling it greenwashing. June Sekera, a public policy practitioner and researcher, takes us through the laborious and expensive process of carbon extraction, transportation and storage. “In the United States, we’ve had seven CCS projects at power plants since about 2011, and every one of them has failed. They’ve all been subsidized by the government. They’ve had hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and every one has failed because they don’t work,” she told the Observer. McKie also speaks to Angela Carter, an energy transition specialist at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. Carter researches Canada’s fossil fuel development and how it fits with international approaches to climate policy. She thinks rich oil companies should not expect taxpayers to pay to clean up their mess and says their solution is a mirage. “Carbon capture and storage is being presented as a climate solution. But in reality, for the most part, it is an oil production aid or method,” she told the Observer.

OPINION

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Lawmakers are increasingly disregarding the appearance of unethical conflicts of interest
Kathie Obradovich, 5/1/23

“A progressive interest group filed an ethics complaint against a state senator, alleging he had a conflict of interest regarding a bill he was assigned to manage. The Senate Ethics Committee declined last week to move forward with the complaint,” Kathie Obradovich writes for the Iowa Capital Dispatch. “That’s not a surprise, given the narrow view Iowa lawmakers have traditionally taken with regard to lawmakers’ personal interests in legislation. The complaint, from the progressive community action group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, alleged that Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, breached the Senate’s code of ethics by refusing to advance a bill opposed by his former employer. The bill, House File 565, would have restricted the ability of liquid carbon dioxide pipelines to use eminent domain to force easements on unwilling property owners. Bousselot’s former employer owns Summit Carbon Solutions, which is one of three companies trying to advance multibillion-dollar pipeline projects. He was assigned to chair the subcommittee on the legislation, giving him the power to kill the bill by refusing to bring it up. That’s what he did. It looks like insider influence, at the very least. The Senate Code of Ethics says senators “have a duty to conduct themselves so as to reflect credit on the general assembly, and to inspire the confidence, respect, and trust of the public, and to strive to avoid both unethical and illegal conduct and the appearance of unethical and illegal conduct.” But the ethics code also acknowledges that senators occasionally will need to vote on bills that will affect their employment and pocketbooks… “Another Republican, Rep. Megan Jones of Sioux Rapids did recuse herself from voting on the same bill on the House floor. One of the proposed pipeline projects affects her family’s farm in southern Clay County. She had a direct financial stake in the legislation and she was right to step aside… “As the ethics code points out, the appearance of conflict is just a damaging to the Legislature’s reputation. “Senator Bousselot has at the very least, exercised questionable judgment and at worse, engaged in the appearance of unethical conduct,” Sen Jochum said. “This is one of those times when a senator should have declined to serve as a subcommittee chair of a bill that had a direct financial gain for Summit Solutions.” “…But lawmakers need to revisit their rules on conflicts of interest. If a lawmaker can floor-manage a bill his own lobbying organization wrote for the significant financial benefit of its members, or carry out a grudge match against a statewide elected office, the law is outdated, to say the least. In the past, perhaps, the law worked because lawmakers exercised personal ethics and conscience in avoiding the appearance of conflict. Those days are gone.”

South Bend Tribune: Nothing neutral about ‘carbon neutrality’ and wishful thinking won’t make it so
Alan Guebert, Agricultural Journalist, 4/30/23

“The key element of informed decision-making is facts. And not just any facts; the best, most tied-to-reality facts are needed to make the best decision. One more thing: “Alternative” facts only exist in alternative universes, so use them at your intergalactic peril,” Alan Guebert writes for South Bend Tribune. “Which is what Verra, “the world’s leading carbon standard for the rapidly growing $2 billion voluntary [carbon] offset market,” appears to have done for years, The Guardian reported Jan. 18. According to the newspaper, research found that “more than 90% of (the) rainforest offset credits,” packaged by Verra and purchased by greenie-wannabes like Shell, Disney and Gucci, “are likely to be ‘phantom credits’ and do not represent genuine carbon reductions.” The findings hit experts like Barbara Haya, the director of the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, like a sledgehammer. After all, The Guardian reported, Haya “has been researching carbon credits for 20 years, hoping to find a way to make the system function.” “‘The implications of this analysis are huge,’” she told the newspaper. “‘Companies are using credits to make claims of reducing emissions when most of these credits don’t represent emissions reductions at all.’” Huge, sure; but they mirror what others found whenever forest carbon offsets are examined as a conscience cleanser for corporate CO2 creators… “Several ag researchers have sent up similar flares to warn farmers that carbon markets may not benefit the farm, the farmer or the planet… “Second, there are few market rules in any ag carbon credit market anywhere for any farmer or buyer to follow, noted J. David Aiken, an ag economist who specializes in water and ag law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “What does the ag carbon credit market look like today?” Aiken asked in a 2021 paper. “It is the wild, wild west,” he warned. The reason is simple: “No rules or regulations exist, so let the buyers and sellers beware. From where I sit, the two largest players appear to be speculators and pilot project developers.” “…Other experts, such as William Rees, the University of British Columbia emeritus professor and co-creator of the human eco-footprint — later renamed “carbon footprint” — are far more clear-eyed on carbon sequestration, carbon trading, and carbon “net neutrality.” “Carbon neutrality,” Rees writes in an April 17 email, “… is an engineer’s fantasy and popular wishful thinking. Or, as I like to put it, ‘Humanity’s propensity for socially constructing comforting shared illusions.’”

NOLA.com: Bob Marshall: Carbon capture is a taxpayer-funded gusher for oil, gas
Bob Marshall is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, 5/1/23

“Watching Louisiana’s oil-soaked politicians madly embracing carbon capture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions recalls a famous saying from the 1960s: Long hair can cover a red neck,” Bob Marshall writes for NOLA.com. “Yes, the world desperately needs to reduce emissions any way it can if Louisiana’s coastal zone is to survive climate change. But are Steve Scalise, Garret Graves and the rest of our GOP gang in Congress suddenly turning greener than Rachel Carson? Or is there another reason behind their sudden change? Well, there is. And, as always with this group, it’s about getting the public to pay fossil fuel companies to do the right thing… “For decades, these petrol-patriots said efforts to reduce emissions at their refineries was bad for America. It would cost them money and hurt consumers, and was unnecessary because climate change was a hoax — and they were not the problem, anyway. But last year President Joe Biden got his Inflation Reduction Act passed, providing roughly $374 billion dollars in grants and tax incentives to encourage American industry to reduce emissions. A large chunk of that will be available to the energy industry to capture and store their refinery emissions underground… “Such a deal! You and I will be paying them to stop adding to the emissions responsible for larger hurricanes already wreaking greater economic disasters on us, ruinous rises in insurance rates and surging sea levels that could swallow our bottom third in the next 40 years. Best of all (for them), they can still make the fossil fuels that will produce even more carbon than will be captured at their refineries. All while continuing their fight against taxpayer grants to increase green energy. It’s like paying a thief to stop stealing just some of your money. Meanwhile, oil giants like Chevron and Exxon-Mobile see the potential of trillions in profits by providing the pipelines to remove the crisis-causing carbon their refineries and products produce. They made untold billions pumping the poisons into our air, causing this crisis, now they see even more profits taking it out. This obviously goes against the ideas of justice and responsibility our parents taught us.” 

Innovation Origins: CCS & fossil hydrogen: failing the climate change fight
MERIEN TEN HOUTEN, 5/2/23

“Shell’s Quest project in Canada, a fossil hydrogen plant utilizing carbon capture technology, has recently come under scrutiny for its environmental impact,” Merien Ten Houten writes for Innovation Origins. “Despite the company’s claims of capturing 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in less than five years, it has emitted another 7.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases during the same period. These figures reveal that only 48% of the plant’s carbon emissions are captured, which is a far cry from the 90% carbon capture rate promised by the industry for fossil hydrogen projects. When other greenhouse gas emissions are taken into account, this rate drops to a mere 39%. This revelation raises concerns about several other projects that have been touted as eco-friendly by the oil industry, yet are actually contributing to global warming. Critics argue that the promotion of fossil hydrogen and CCS serves as a smokescreen for oil and gas companies to continue their detrimental practices under the guise of sustainability. As a result, skepticism and scrutiny are mounting over the true intentions of these supposedly green initiatives within the oil industry… “Furthermore, the long-term viability of CCS projects is uncertain, as some of the stored CO2 may leak out over time. This not only dilutes the effectiveness of these initiatives but also undermines their credibility as sustainable solutions to climate change… “Shell has been accused of greenwashing its environmental initiatives, particularly with regards to its investment in CCS and fossil hydrogen projects. According to Global Witness, only 1.5% of Shell’s capital expenditure has been used to develop genuinely renewable sources, such as wind and solar, while much of the remaining resources have been devoted to gas – a fossil fuel. The promotion of CCS as a “green tradition” further obscures the fact that Shell continues to invest heavily in carbon-emitting operations. Rather than supporting a transition to a truly sustainable energy future, Shell’s participation in these projects appears to reinforce the status quo of fossil fuel consumption… “As the world races to meet the Paris Agreement targets and limit global warming to 1.5°C, the reliance on CCS technology and fossil hydrogen projects as intermediate steps is not only insufficient but also potentially counterproductive.

Institute for Energy Research: Biden Delays Permits on Carbon Capture Technology
4/28/23

“President Biden’s new rules for power plants that will be released soon would benefit carbon capture and sequestration technology by enabling coal and natural gas plants to meet the new proposed standards developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” according to the Institute for Energy Research. “However, the EPA is lagging far behind on permits allowing for the construction of the new technology… “The backlog has delayed projects and frustrated states and industry officials seeking to build the new systems, and calls into question whether the Administration actually wants to deploy the technology… “So far, North Dakota and Wyoming are the only states that have been granted primacy, and both approvals came under the Trump administration… “Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania have applications pending, while many more states have expressed interest. The new rules that EPA is about to impose on natural gas and coal plants are meant to eliminate them entirely—fossil-fuel driven technologies that generated 60 percent of the nation’s electricity in 2022. The cost and difficulty of implementing carbon capture technology will make renewables like wind and solar a more attractive energy source for power plants, resulting in utilities building them instead… “Electric utilities have in the past found it difficult to capture large amounts of the carbon dioxide from coal- and gas-fired power plants, particularly since the technology is expensive and requires large amounts of electricity to operate… “Despite the rampant growth expected for wind and solar facilities, the electric grids of the future will need electricity sources that can run on demand at all hours to complement their intermittency. Carbon capture technology could allow coal and natural gas-fired plants to provide that service if EPA is successful in implementing its proposed regulation on power plants. But, while the EPA is proposing CCS technology, the agency is delaying the approval of permits that would allow the necessary R&D to move the technology forward… “It seems that the Biden administration does not want Americans to have a reliable energy grid and is doing all it can to make electricity more expensive for Americans as electricity rates have already risen with solar and wind’s forced entry into the market.”

Forbes: Why Blowing Up Pipelines Will Not Solve The Climate Crisis
Nives Dolsak is Stan and Alta Barer Professor in Sustainability Science and Director of the School of Marine & Environmental Affairs. Aseem Prakash is the Walker Family Professor and the Director of the Center for Environmental Politics, 5/1/23

“Does slow climate progress justify violence against fossil fuel infrastructure? This subject was thrust into the limelight by a recent movie, How to Blow Up a Pipeline, which is based on the book by Andreas Malm,” Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakas write for Forbes. “In the film, eight activists seek to blow up a fossil fuel pipeline in Texas’ Permian Basin. Their argument is that given the severity of the climate crisis and the role of fossil fuel companies in enabling it, they have the moral authority to damage fossil fuel infrastructure. In recent years, some climate groups have resorted to disruptive action to focus public attention on climate policy lethargy. Activists have thrown tomato soups on paintings in prominent museums, blocked trains and major highways, picketed oil terminals, and glued themselves to the floor of BMW showrooms. So, why not escalate disruption by attacking fossil fuel infrastructure? Some suggest that radical action increases support for mainstream groups and facilitates policy action: social movement scholars call it the “radical flank effect.” Scholars have studied this tactic in the context of the emergence of democratic institutions, the women’s movement, the anti-nuclear movement, and the civil rights movement. Yet, when it comes to the climate question, some surveys suggest that the public does not support disruptive action… “The lesson is that supply disruptions by destroying fossil fuel pipelines will not serve the climate cause. They will probably do the opposite—by raising energy prices, they could motivate new drilling and investments in fossil fuel infrastructure… “Moreover, in the U.S., the movement now has the opportunity to take on the fossil fuel industry in the legal arena. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed local governments to sue the fossil fuel industry in state courts as opposed to federal courts which the industry wanted… “Thus, the movement should exploit these new legal opportunities to push the fossil fuel industry to take aggressive pro-climate actions.”