EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 6/20/23

PIPELINE NEWS

• Associated Press: Judge gives Enbridge 3 years to close oil pipeline on tribal land in Wisconsin

• Argus Media: Michigan staff OKs Line 5 underwater tunnel

• Reuters: Judge orders Enbridge to shut down portions of Wisconsin pipeline within three years

• The Detroit News: Enbridge plots next move after judge sets Line 5 closure deadline in Wisconsin

• Wall Street Journal: New Land Grab by Oil Giants Is Deep Underground

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit Pipeline Permit Hearing Will Start Two Months Earlier Than First Expected

• Des Moines Register: Iowa regulators to begin Summit carbon capture pipeline hearing Aug. 22 in Fort Dodge

• Globe Gazette: RRMR Schools join city, county in opposition to pipeline

• Bismarck Tribune: Wrigley won’t look into Summit pipeline investors for now; Burleigh takes aim at recording easements

• Bismarck Tribune: Insurance questions, existing pipelines further debate amid CO2 fight in Burleigh County

• Pipeline Fighters Hub: North Dakota Public Service Commission Hearing on Summit CO2 Pipeline (6/2/23) [VIDEO]

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Garret Graves reflects on Republican NEPA gains, future talks

• E&E News: House Committee Sets Vote To Block Contentious BLM Rule 

• Washington Post: Biden, in California, seeks to shore up support from environmentalists

STATE UPDATES

• Yale Climate Connections: Inside the unexpectedly wild landmark Montana youth climate trial

• Greater Baton Rogue Business Report: Should the state be the primary authority on carbon capture well permits? Residents will weigh in

• WCVB: Coast Guard helicopter spots mile-long oil slick in Buzzards Bay off Mass. coast

EXTRACTION

• CBC: At the heart of Canada’s rush towards liquified natural gas, Kitimat, B.C., is poised to boom

OPINION

• Norfolk Daily News: Attend meeting 

• Minden Press-Herald: Carbon Capture & Storage

• Jacobin Magazine: Canada’s Political Elites Are Climate Criminals in the Pocket of Big Oil

• Globe and Mail: Is Calgary still an oil and gas town or has it moved on?

• Nonprofit Quarterly: Indigenous Land Return as Climate Justice
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Associated Press: Judge gives Enbridge 3 years to close oil pipeline on tribal land in Wisconsin
6/18/23

“A federal judge has given Enbridge three years to shut down parts of an oil pipeline that crosses reservation land and ordered the energy company to pay a Native American tribe more than $5 million for trespassing,” the Associated Press reports. “Friday’s order from U.S. District Judge William Conley came after members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa told him during a hearing in Madison that the Enbrige Line 5 pipeline is at immediate risk of being exposed by erosion and rupturing on their land. The tribe argued that an emergency exists because large sections of nearby riverbank have washed away this year, leaving less than 15 feet of land between Line 5 and the Bad River as it meanders on the reservation. Experts and environmental advocates have warned in court that exposed pipelines would be weakened and could rupture at any time, causing massive oil spills… “His order gives Enbridge three years to “cease operation of Line 5 on any parcel within the Band’s tribal territory on which defendants lack a valid right of way and to arrange reasonable remediation at those sites.” Conley also ordered Enbridge to pay more than $5.15 million for trespassing, and to keep paying the tribe a portion of its profits for as long as the pipeline continues operating on tribal land. Enbridge told AP Saturday that it plans to appeal and “remains open to an amicable resolution with the Bad River Band.” The statement says it disagrees that Enbridge is trespassing and with the judge’s order that Line 5 must stop operating on reservation land within three years. Enbridge said the long-term solution to the dispute will be a 41-mile (66-kilometer) reroute of the pipeline, but “the project hinges on timely government permit approvals to allow construction to be completed within the next three years.”

Argus Media: Michigan staff OKs Line 5 underwater tunnel
Brett Holmes, 6/16/23

“Michigan regulators are weighing a staff endorsement of Enbridge’s proposed tunnel project that would replace and relocate a section of its 540,000 b/d Line 5 oil and NGLs pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac,” Argus Media reports. “Staff at the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) recommended the commission approve Enbridge’s application for the project, maintaining the proposed tunnel will “fulfil the alleged purpose of reducing the environmental risk to the Great Lakes posed by the dual pipelines.” “…The recommendation for approval comes after the MPSC reopened the file in July 2022 and sent staff back for more analysis and evidence gathering… “The 19 May staff briefing shared with Argus focused on arguments by the BMIC against the tunnel project, which commission staff largely rejected… “Staff also dismissed BMIC’s comparison between Line 5 and TC Energy’s 622,000 b/d Keystone pipeline that spilled crude in Kansas in December, indicating environmental conditions are “not the same, or even remotely similar” between Keystone and the proposed tunnel-enclosed line. An “extraordinary chain of events” would be required for product to be released from the pipeline into the Straits of Mackinac,” according to MPSC staff… “It strains the imagination to conclude that this implausible chain of events would ever be feasible,” MPSC staff concluded. Even if approved by the state, a key environmental review by the US Army Corps of Engineers would likely delay construction of the project until 2026.”

Reuters: Judge orders Enbridge to shut down portions of Wisconsin pipeline within three years
Clark Mindock, 6/20/23

“A U.S. judge has ordered Canadian energy company Enbridge (ENB.TO) to shutter portions of an oil pipeline that runs through tribal land in Wisconsin within three years and to pay the tribe nearly $5.2 million for trespassing plus a portion of its profits until the shutdown is completed,” Reuters reports. “U.S. District Judge William Conley issued the order on Friday in Madison. The judge’s action came just over a month after the Bad River Band told him an immediate shutdown was needed following heavy spring rains that eroded a riverbank protecting the pipe… “In the ruling, Conley said a sudden shutdown could lead to oil shortages and price hikes in the United States, adding that “given the environmental risks, the court will order Enbridge to adopt a more conservative shutdown and purge plan.” “…Conley ruled last year that the pipeline was trespassing on the land but stopped short of ordering a shutdown due to public and foreign policy concerns.”

The Detroit News: Enbridge plots next move after judge sets Line 5 closure deadline in Wisconsin
Beth LeBlanc, 6/19/23

“Enbridge Energy plans to appeal a federal judge’s ruling issued Friday that requires a portion of the company’s controversial Line 5 oil pipeline running through Wisconsin to be shut down within three years,” The Detroit News reports. “The planned appeal, Enbridge told the News, could include a request to halt the judge’s order in an attempt to stop a closure that would have immediate impacts on the portions of Line 5 running through Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas… “While the three-year timeline is arbitrary, it is achievable, provided government permitting agencies follow reasonable and timely processes,” Ryan Duffy, a spokesman for Enbridge, told the News. The Bad River Band and environmental groups celebrated the judge’s decision Monday, while still expressing some disappointment an immediate closure order wasn’t granted and concerns over Enbridge’s compliance with the three-year closure timeline. “The band’s victory is not a cause for unqualified celebration,” Bad River Band Chairman Mike Wiggins said in a statement. “We are under no illusion that Enbridge will do the right thing. We expect them to fight this order with all of their corporate might. This is just one step in protecting our people and water.” “…In addition to an appeal, Enbridge’s pending request for expedited permits for Line 5’s reroute around the reservation could forestall the pipeline’s closure three years from now. Additionally, it’s not clear what impact Conley’s order will have on negotiations between the U.S. and Canada — conversations that are ongoing since Canada invoked a 1977 treaty over threatened Line 5 closures in Wisconsin and Michigan. A clear threat of closure lend some urgency to those negotiations.”

Wall Street Journal: New Land Grab by Oil Giants Is Deep Underground
Phred Dvorak, 6/19/23

“When brokers representing oil-and-gas producer Occidental Petroleum came to his rural district east of Houston last year, Dennis Dugat thought they were pulling his leg,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Occidental was offering a lot of money to lease not the property or minerals, but the porous rock deep under Dugat’s 750-acre farm and that of his neighbors. The company proposed to store carbon dioxide there, a procedure the 69-year-old rancher and constable says he had never heard of. Then energy giant Chevron came by and offered even more money to lease the land, making Dugat a believer and kicking off a bidding war between the companies as they wooed local landowners, he told the Journal. Dugat ended up leasing to Chevron; some of his neighbors went with Occidental. ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil are also on the prowl nearby, Dugat told the Journal he has heard… “Critics say that as a tool for reducing emissions, carbon sequestration is a Band-Aid measure that lets companies avoid tough steps to decarbonize. Even many supporters have said carbon sequestration is too costly to make business sense… “Many companies are keeping their leasing activities secret so rivals won’t swoop in and bid up prices, industry executives tell the Journal. Those companies are paying a signing bonus of anywhere between several hundred dollars and $1,000 an acre, with the possibility of smaller annual payments and a share of royalties that these days can hit $4 or more for each metric ton of CO2 injected later, they tell the Journal… “Based on public announcements, companies have leased or are proposing to lease around 480,000 acres of land for CO2 storage in Texas and Louisiana, Tip Meckel, who researches carbon capture and sequestration at the Gulf Coast Carbon Center of the University of Texas at Austin, told the Journal. That figure is double for offshore leasing in the Gulf of Mexico, and could explode once federal rules for storing carbon dioxide in those areas are set, he told the Journal… “The business is so new—only four CO2 injection wells have been issued permits now in the U.S., although nearly 100 are under review—that many legal and regulatory details are still unsettled, from who exactly owns the rights to the “pore space” in the rocks that trap the carbon dioxide to who’s responsible if the compressed gas seeps out of the leased area into someone else’s property underground. Some environmentalists and geologists warn that we may not fully understand what will happen when pressurized gas is pumped in such large quantities into the earth, and that unexpected leaks could be dangerous or even fatal if enough CO2 comes out.”

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit Pipeline Permit Hearing Will Start Two Months Earlier Than First Expected
Jared Strong, 6/19/23

“A final permit hearing to consider Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed carbon dioxide pipeline will start two months earlier than initially expected, according to a procedural schedule set Friday by the Iowa Utilities Board,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “The change came after a shake-up in leadership on the board. Former chairperson Geri Huser was adamant in March that the weekslong evidentiary hearing would start Oct. 23 to consider Summit’s roughly 680 miles of pipe that would carry the captured greenhouse gas from ethanol plants in mostly western and northern parts of the state. Instead the hearing will begin in August… “Huser had overseen Summit’s permit process since August 2021, and the project is among the largest and most complicated the board has considered. But in April, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced her appointment of a new member, Erik Helland, to the board to replace someone whose term was expiring, and also appointed Helland as the new chairperson. Huser resigned less than a week later with an effective date of April 30, when her position as chairperson was set to expire. Her term as a board member would have expired in 2027. Reynolds recently told Iowa Capital Dispatch that her appointment of Helland — a former Republican state representative who most recently was a member of the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board — to replace Huser as chairperson was a standard procedure… “Pressed about whether there was an ulterior motive for the change, given the three contentious pending pipeline proposals, Reynolds told the Dispatch Helland’s appointment had the potential to provide “more continuity” for the board because Huser could have been “a supportive mentor.” “…The board also said it would break from precedent and consider eminent domain requests on the front end of the hearing so that farmers who are subject to them would be able to participate before fall harvest begins. Summit told Capital Dispatch that the schedule should enable the board to make a decision on its permit by year’s end, which it had requested. “This will enable Summit and the farming community to coordinate planting and facilitating construction within a single crop year,” Summit told the Dispatch.

Des Moines Register: Iowa regulators to begin Summit carbon capture pipeline hearing Aug. 22 in Fort Dodge
Donnelle Eller, 6/17/23

“State regulators plan to hold a hearing beginning Aug. 22 in Fort Dodge on Summit Carbon Solutions’ $4.5 billion proposal to build a roughly 680-mile carbon capture pipeline across Iowa, according to an order released Friday,” the Des Moines Register reports. “The Iowa Utilities Board, which initially indicated it would start the hearing in October, said it plans to first hear from Iowans whose land is targeted under eminent domain… “Two of the board’s three members of the board have been replaced since it issued its preliminary schedule in February. By starting in August, “landowners who seek to testify at the hearing may do so without the conflict of peak harvest months,” the board said in its order… “The board said the company must provide a complete list of the affected landowners within 14 days of the scheduling order… “While it is very likely the hearing could last into October or beyond, beginning with (eminent domain-targeted) landowner testimony and livestreaming the entire hearing will allow landowners who are harvesting and unable to attend in person to observe the hearing remotely,” the board said… “The board said it would send a “one-time mailing” to all landowners subject to eminent domain to see if they are interested in working with an impartial, third-party mediator to settle easement disputes. In the same mailing, the board also plans to ask landowners if they prefer to participate in the hearing in-person, through written testimony, or remotely. The board scrapped a proposal to use presiding officers to hear testimony and receive other evidence from landowners who face eminent domain.”

Globe Gazette: RRMR Schools join city, county in opposition to pipeline
Alexander Schmidt, 6/20/23

“The Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock school district has joined a growing list of local entities opposed to a carbon dioxide pipeline planned by Summit Carbon Solutions that would pass near the Rockford school building,” the Globe Gazette reports. “The school board approved a motion at its June 6 meeting voicing opposition to the project. In a letter dated the same day and filed with the Iowa Utilities Board June 15, the district said the proximity to the pipeline could negatively impact the health of students, staff and others.  “The increased concentrations of CO2 in the air can have the effects of headaches, dizziness, confusion and loss of consciousness,” said the letter, jointly signed by Board President Angie Johnson and Superintendent Todd Leichty, “[the] proposed route of the CO2 pipeline is not in the public interest of a safe learning environment for the [the RRMR school district], as it subjects students, staff and community to the potential hazards of a CO2 pipeline leak or rupture.” “…Eighty-eight percent of global CO2 use is for fossil fuel recovery, a practice many of the pipeline’s opponents oppose due to it prolonging the fossil fuel industry’s grip on energy production, along with the environmental concerns with emissions and contaminated groundwater. Summit and similar companies have also faced backlash from communities in its proposed use of eminent domain to seize property for pipeline construction. As reported in the Summit-Tribune, March 2023 polling found that 78% of Iowans oppose eminent domain for carbon pipelines. Golden Grain Energy of Mason City is one of the ethanol plants along Summit’s proposed pipeline route. It received a letter of support from Mason City Chamber President Colleen Frein stating, “I see firsthand the positive economic impacts ethanol provides for our state and our farmers. Maintaining support for ethanol production is essential to the life of Iowans. The Summit project will provide an opportunity to produce ethanol sustainably for the next several years and keep Iowa’s ethanol producers viable in their markets.” The Mason City Chamber’s letter of support of the project was filed with the Iowa Utilities Board on June 16.”

Bismarck Tribune: Wrigley won’t look into Summit pipeline investors for now; Burleigh takes aim at recording easements
BLAKE NICHOLSON and DAVID VELÁZQUEZ, 6/19/23

“North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley says he will not immediately be investigating the investors in a planned regional carbon dioxide pipeline because the request from state lawmakers doesn’t meet the necessary requirements,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “News of his decision comes as Burleigh County commissioners are considering a resolution preventing the recording of easements in the county for companies under investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office. The county proposal arose after concerns recently surfaced that some of the investment in Summit Carbon Solutions’ Midwest Carbon Express pipeline comes from foreign countries, including China. Burleigh Planning Director Mitch Flanagan said the proposal is “not singling out any particular company,” but he showed a map of the pipeline’s route through the county Monday night while briefly discussing the resolution. That discussion came just a short time after Wrigley released a letter he wrote notifying state Sen. Jeff Magrum, R-Hazelton, that his office will not be meeting the request last month of Magrum and 30 other lawmakers for a probe into the investors in Summit’s CO2 pipeline. Wrigley did not rule out a future investigation, however, and Magrum told the Tribune that supporters of a probe aren’t deterred… “Summit has signed easement agreements accounting for about 250 miles of the proposed 320 miles of pipeline in North Dakota, spokesperson Courtney Ryan told the Tribune.  Flanagan on Monday unveiled a proposed resolution to “temporarily cease the recordation of any easements made by companies that are under current investigation by the ND Attorney General of ownership by a foreign adversary until such a time as is prudent, that would allow the recording of those easements.” “…He requested that commissioners table the matter until the next meeting to give State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer time to research the issue. The commission agreed.” “…Summit has submitted a list of five investors to the state Public Service Commission that included TPG Rise and SK Group. The Silk Road Fund — an investment fund backed by the Chinese government — is an investor in TPG Rise. The SK Group is a South Korean company. Summit spokesman Jesse Harris has said that Summit is “proud to have the support of both TPG Rise Climate and SK Group.” He did not provide a list of other investors to the Tribune.” 

Bismarck Tribune: Insurance questions, existing pipelines further debate amid CO2 fight in Burleigh County
JOEY HARRIS, 6/17/23

“Efforts to combat climate change have led to a fledgling and unproven industry — storing carbon dioxide emissions in the ground rather than letting them escape into the air, where they contribute to global warming,” the Bismarck Tribune reports. “…The [Summit] project has sparked opposition from landowners, including many in northern Burleigh County, who have concerns about property values, stymied growth, insurance problems and personal safety. Letters submitted to state regulators from insurance companies, and the presence of other hazardous liquids pipelines in the Bismarck area, have furthered the debate over whether Summit’s pipeline presents a dramatic change from what already exists… “The company stated in a recent analysis that it has secured easements for 71% of the proposed route in Emmons, Burleigh and Morton counties. The proposed route goes just 2 miles outside of Bismarck’s extraterritorial area at its closest point, sparking concerns that it will impede Bismarck’s growth to the north and east, and cause problems for property owners and developers. Burleigh County has passed ordinances related to hazardous liquids pipelines in response to the Summit debate. Burleigh and Bismarck commissioners, as well as the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association, have called for moving the pipeline, or delaying it until federal regulators craft new rules for CO2 pipelines. A citizen group including two former Bismarck mayors has launched a petition drive to try to pressure elected officials to ensure the pipeline is safe. Opponents point to a CO2 pipeline rupture that occurred in 2020 near Satartia, Mississippi, resulting in 45 people seeking hospital care… “Summit has conducted a dispersion study to determine the potential spread of a leak. The company has submitted it to state regulators at the Public Service Commission but asked that it remain protected, citing security risks… “Bismarck-area environmental attorney Derrick Braaten showed the Tribune an appraisal which indicates that pipeline leaks on a client’s land in Montana have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in stigma damages to the property. These are in part, but not limited to, leaks from a CO2 pipeline system. “The concerns he’s got with the CO2 lines are similar to the concerns you’ve got with the other pipelines on the ranch,” Braaten told the Tribune… “Landowners and developers also worry about insurance issues. Letters from State Farm, Farmers Union and Northern States Insurance Services agents that were submitted to the PSC all point to potential coverage and liability issues for property owners near CO2 pipelines.”

Pipeline Fighters Hub: North Dakota Public Service Commission Hearing on Summit CO2 Pipeline (6/2/23) [VIDEO]
6/20/23

“The North Dakota Public Service Commission hosted a fifth public hearing on a CO2 pipeline permit application from Summit Carbon on June 2nd in Bismarck, N.D.,” the Pipeline Fighters Hub reports. “Testimony was heard from witnesses including Representative SuAnn Olson; Brian Bitner, Burleigh County Commissioner; Jon Lee, President, Bismarck Public School Board; Joe Hillerson, Board President, Tyrel Iron Eyes, Tribal Archaeologist, THPO, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association; Sean Kavajecz, Precision Pipeline (Summit Contractor); Scott Sokos, Executive Director, Dakota Resource Council; and many impacted North Dakota landowners. Landowners are represented by attorneys for the North Dakota Easement Team, part of the Easement Action Teams LLC. Video clips of testimony from the hearing were captured by Bold Alliance.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Garret Graves reflects on Republican NEPA gains, future talks
Kelsey Brugger, 6/16/23

“The clock ran out on the debt ceiling negotiations as Republicans came within striking distance of a long-sought goal of the oil and gas industry: restrictions on judicial review,” E&E News reports. “In a recent interview with E&E News, top Republican negotiator Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana reflected on how he almost extracted a notable change to the National Environmental Policy Act: limits on the length of time environmental groups and citizens have to challenge energy projects in exchange for increased “community engagement.” But the trade fell apart over the meaning of “community engagement.” “Does that mean advertising? Does that mean social media and all that? Sure. Sure,” he told E&E. “Does that mean you’re going to give grants to environmental groups [for things like technical assistance]? No, not in my mind. In somebody else’s mind, perhaps.” “…Indeed, both sides agreed to keep negotiating, and Graves told E&E they already started… “We have a handshake agreement that we are going to proceed with another round of negotiations, focusing on some of the remaining NEPA things that we didn’t fully close out,” Graves told E&E.

E&E News: House Committee Sets Vote To Block Contentious BLM Rule 
Scott Streater, 6/20/23

“The House Natural Resources Committee this week is almost certain to advance a bill requiring the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a proposed rule the bureau says is needed to ensure that working lands remain usable in the face of a warming climate,” E&E News reports. “The highlight of Wednesday’s full committee markup hearing is H.R. 3397, introduced last month by Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah). The bill would not only require the BLM director to withdraw the draft rule, but prohibit the bureau from developing ‘any substantially similar rule’ in the future. And Curtis has amended the text of the bill to give it a new title — the ‘Western Economic Security Today Act,’ or ‘WEST Act.’ The bill’s title reflects Republicans’ broad criticisms of the draft rule as an ‘assault’ on the ‘Western way of life.’ They believe the regulation is a thinly veiled attempt by the Biden administration to remove livestock grazing, recreation, energy development and other authorized uses of BLM lands in the name of conservation. Wednesday’s markup hearing comes a week after the full committee held a legislative hearing to consider only the Curtis bill. That hearing underscored a vast partisan divide over the draft rule and its impacts on federal land management across the West.”

Washington Post: Biden, in California, seeks to shore up support from environmentalists
Maxine Joselow, 6/20/23

“President Biden yesterday visited a coastal wetland in California, where he touted his environmental record and announced more than $600 million to fight disasters fueled by climate change,” the Washington Post reports. “The impacts we’re seeing from climate change are only going to get more frequent, more ferocious and more costly,” Biden said at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve, adding that his efforts to boost resilience would turn “peril into progress.” The visit kicked off a three-day trip to the San Francisco Bay Area that is slated to include several political fundraisers. Biden is focusing on his environmental record as he runs for reelection and seeks to shore up support among voters who backed him in 2020, including younger voters and Democrats for whom climate change is a top concern… “Biden also announced that later this year, he will host a White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities where the administration will release a new national climate resilience framework.”

STATE UPDATES

Yale Climate Connections: Inside the unexpectedly wild landmark Montana youth climate trial
Karin Kirk, 6/15/23

“When I got an assignment to cover the landmark youth climate lawsuit that went to trial in Montana this week, I thought I was going to be able to pop in, grab some salient quotes, and write up a story,” Yale Climate Connections reports. “But the trial at a state district court in Helena has turned out to be unexpectedly wild. The testimony has been gripping. And the contrast between the polished lawyering of the plaintiffs’ side compared to the somewhat rough-and-tumble approach by lawyers for the state of Montana took me by surprise… “Despite the high stakes, the lawyers representing Montana appeared to struggle with the topic of the case at times… “During the cross-examination of climate scientist Steven Running, a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as an IPCC author, the state asked Judge Kathy Seeley to dismiss IPCC reports as “hearsay.” The request was denied… “ “Montana’s environment is neither clean nor healthful,” argued Roger Sullivan, attorney for the youth plaintiffs, in his opening statements. Climate change is taking a physical and emotional toll on the plaintiffs that worsens each year, Sullivan said… “In the state’s opening statements, attorney Michael Russell was dismissive of the plaintiffs’ experiences, characterizing the trial as nothing more than “sweeping, dramatic assertions of the doom that awaits us all.” The primary defense from the state thus far is that its emissions are “too minuscule to make any difference.” “…Similar lines of questioning followed each expert testimony. What would be the impact of one state’s emissions on a problem of global proportions? If Montana stopped burning coal, could the effect be measured in snowpack, wildfire smoke, or drought? Can a specific state policy be directly linked to the harm of an individual child in the state? If there is no measurable, specific impact, then perhaps the state has no responsibility for the peril of its children. Then again, the same argument could be made for any large-scale problem. If any single actor is insufficient to move the needle, then perhaps all actors are free from responsibility. It’s the very reasoning that has led the world into crisis in the first place.”

Greater Baton Rogue Business Report: Should the state be the primary authority on carbon capture well permits? Residents will weigh in
David Jacobs, 6/20/23

“Louisiana residents will weigh in this week on the state’s bid to take over primary authority for permitting carbon capture wells,” according to the Greater Baton Rogue Business Report. “While opponents remain concerned about the safety and effectiveness of carbon capture, supporters say putting the state in the driver’s seat could give the industry more certainty as companies weigh some $70 billion in potential projects, while hopefully helping to alleviate some local concerns.  “I’m hoping that they’re going to feel like they have more access, because now it’s going to be regulators in Baton Rouge carrying out the permitting process,” Tommy Faucheux, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association told the Report. “They have people that they can talk to more easily when they have questions.” The federal Environmental Protection Agency has only about five people working on Class VI wells, which means regulatory approval for a project could take about six years, Faucheux told the Report. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources is looking to hire seven people to work exclusively on such wells and could reduce the turnaround time to about 18 to 24 months, DNR spokesperson Patrick Courreges told the Report… “Hearings are scheduled to begin Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the LaSalle Building in downtown Baton Rouge near the state Capitol and continue Thursday and Friday… “The EPA is expected to approve the state’s request; a decision may be issued before the end of the year. “

WCVB: Coast Guard helicopter spots mile-long oil slick in Buzzards Bay off Mass. coast
Russ Reed, 6/18/23

“Crews from multiple agencies responded to the Cleveland Ledge area of Buzzards Bay after a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spotted a sizeable oil slick in that part of the ocean off the Massachusetts coast,” WCVB reports. “USCG Petty Officer Ryan Noel, a public affairs specialist for the Coast Guard, told WCVB the oil slick in Buzzards Bay was approximately a mile long and 150-300 feet wide. There was no debris reported within the area and the source of the oil slick is unknown at this time, Noel told WCVB. The oil slick made no impact to the environment and crews have since cleared the scene, according to a Facebook post made by the Marion Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department. Noel told WCVB the slick was dissipating and reported as “non-recoverable.” 

EXTRACTION

CBC: At the heart of Canada’s rush towards liquified natural gas, Kitimat, B.C., is poised to boom
Moira Wyton, 6/19/23

“It’s been more than a decade since the global oil and gas industry began its plan to send millions of tonnes of natural gas across the Rocky Mountains to British Columbia’s western coast and on to Asia,” CBC reports. “Now, despite fierce opposition from some environmental experts and First Nations people along its 670-kilometre route, the controversial Coastal GasLink pipeline is almost complete. But the project’s economic and environmental impacts are already beginning to materialize in Kitimat, the port community on B.C.’s North Coast that will soon host the LNG Canada plant, which will utilize gas from the new pipeline… “Since 2012, the conglomerate TC Energy has been building the Coastal GasLink pipeline from Dawson Creek, B.C., to LNG Canada’s mammoth terminal now under construction in Kitimat. The controversial project, supported by the elected governments of all the First Nations along its route — but opposed by some hereditary chiefs, environmental groups and many community members — is scheduled to be completed later this year… “Among the most important changes in Kitimat is the collaboration with the Haisla First Nation, upon whose traditional, ancestral and unceded lands the factory and camps have been built. The nation has been part of the project since the start. Former Chief Ellis Ross, who now represents the region in the B.C. Legislature, told CBC he opposed the project at first. But with a nation still living the economic, social and cultural devastation of colonization, Ross saw an opportunity for the project to change things if the community got on board. “I started to understand that it was actually a solution to most of the problems we were facing, meaning poverty, unemployment, suicide and imprisonment,” Ross told CBC… “The company also says it will work toward making the plant carbon-neutral, as the provincial government has encouraged. However, that has not quelled concerns from environmentalists about the project’s impact on carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change, nor about what they say are threats to waterways and riverbeds along its route.”

OPINION

Norfolk Daily News: Attend meeting 
J. Drew Foster, 6/14/23

“I attended the June 5 Atkinson City Council meeting to listen to the presentation by a Summit Carbon Solutions representative,” J. Drew Foster writes for the Norfolk Daily News. “…The carbon pipeline is, at best, a dubious project… “However, as clearly stated by the Summit rep, the carbon pipeline is a means of reducing ethanol plants’ “carbon footprints” to meet new federal regulations. As stated in Summit’s website, “Summit Carbon Solutions seeks to lower the carbon intensity score of ethanol plants, increasing their competitiveness and profitability.” Think that last part through and you will likely see the fallacies. Once you embrace these realities, take the next step and ask if it is OK that Summit can, and has, strong-armed its way through the process of acquiring easements to lay the pipeline. To wit, according to the Mitchell Republic (South Dakota), Summit has filed more than 80 eminent domain lawsuits against South Dakota landowners. Gov. Noem, who promotes herself as supporting individual rights, has been silent on the matter. By the way, Summit was a platinum donor to her Jan. 7 inaugural celebration. So, follow the money through the totality of this project… “This pipeline WILL NOT save us from anything. This pipeline WILL likely be a great profit to its early investors. (Do you think they invested for noble causes or for financial gains?) Our acceptance of this pipeline WILL send a signal of acquiescence to Washington, that they can do as they please. With this proposed pipeline, we are facing, right here in Holt County, an abuse that is contrary to the God-given right to property ownership. That fact alone should reign supreme in our hearts and minds as we evaluate this pipeline project.”

Minden Press-Herald: Carbon Capture & Storage
Robert Mills, Senator Louisiana State Senate District 36, 6/19/23

“My family and I have been involved in the oil & gas business in Louisiana since 1919. I also have 25 years experience in the very complex crude oil refining industry and I currently serve Louisiana as State Senator of District 36. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering if the state of Louisiana will have primary responsibility, or primacy, for the permitting and regulation of new carbon capture projects,” Robert Mills writes for the Minden Press-Herald. “Soon, Louisianans will be able to weigh in directly with the Environmental Protection Agency at a public hearing in Baton Rouge that begins on June 21. Given what’s occurred at previous hearings around the country, there will be a lot of passionate views expressed from both sides. There’s a lot of misinformation brewing, so let’s set the record straight.  These new projects – Class 6 carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) facilities – will bring new investments to Louisiana, and with it support and create jobs, drive economic activity, and support an important industry for our state. It’s important that we have the facts.  While some groups have questioned the safety of CCUS technology, according to the Department of Energy, CCUS has a long track record of safety… “Some folks here in Louisiana are worried about oversight of new CCUS projects, and others want to have their concerns about the technology heard. State agencies here in Louisiana have a history of doing just that. Regulators in Louisiana are committed to consulting with experts and communities across the state before constructing new CCUS projects, and once they’re built, rules and regulations will make sure those projects will be tested regularly to ensure safety… “As the EPA considers granting our state its 6th primacy permit, it’s important for Louisianians to have the facts about CCUS.”

Jacobin Magazine: Canada’s Political Elites Are Climate Criminals in the Pocket of Big Oil
John Clarke, 6/19/23

“As wildfires spread across Canada, Justin Trudeau sought to showcase his commitment to responsible environmental stewardship,” John Clarke writes for Jacobin Magazine. “…It is only to be expected that Trudeau would want to distance himself from his conservative rivals at both the federal and provincial level. Their crude efforts to downplay the significance of the wildfires, often bordering on outright climate denial, are not for him. He is careful to say all the right things about environmental issues, even as he serves the interests of fossil fuel companies. And he is not alone — parties from across the political spectrum greenwash their public statements while courting Big Oil… “Canada’s approach to development, deeply rooted in the logic of a petrostate, has significantly contributed to the escalation of climate change impacts… “This drive to expand oil and gas production is deeply rooted and long-standing… “The idea that Canada could be a top-tier global energy producer has become accepted across the mainstream political spectrum. Alongside that acceptance, concerns for ecological consequences have been largely disregarded, often limited to mere lip service… “The predictable antics of right-wing politicians, as reprehensible as they are, shouldn’t divert our attention from the fact that faulty climate stewardship isn’t confined to conservatives… “NDP governments in British Columbia have backed destructive pipelines and handed lavish subsidies to fossil fuel companies… “Trudeau challenges his conservative opponents’ readiness to play to the climate denial gallery, but his own government can’t be allowed to escape its massive share of the blame. As the Sierra Club put it, “Trudeau still has not been able to reconcile his promises to cut emissions with his support for the continued growth of Canada’s oil and gas industry.” Canada’s ownership and support of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion is one of the clearest examples of this contradiction—but it’s not the only one… “Despite slight differences in approach and partisan disputes, Trudeau’s address in Houston reflected the collective stance of the entire Canadian political establishment. Without a massive and powerful movement for climate justice, we may expect those in power to disregard even so dire a warning as this year’s appalling wildfires. As far as Canada’s political establishment is concerned, the forests may be burning and the cities choking, but fossil fuel profits still come first.”

Globe and Mail: Is Calgary still an oil and gas town or has it moved on?
Jyoti Gondek is the mayor of Calgary, 6/20/23

“Perhaps the most significant thing to understand about the energy sector that has come to define Calgary is this: The growth of this industry has been fuelled by new technologies and an acknowledgment that past methods cannot be sustained into the future,” Jyoti Gondek writes for the Globe and Mail. “…The current paradox facing the industry is one where we must reduce carbon emissions while simultaneously ensuring that the world still has access to a secure, affordable energy supply. We are now in a moment where such reduction is a possibility, but we also need to recognize that, as a country, we simply do not have the infrastructure or capacity to flick a switch to achieve net-zero energy production or consumption. So, yes, Calgary is an oil town. And it will be one for years to come. But it’s much more than that… “By setting a net-zero pathway that is aligned with global climate targets, Alberta could generate almost 170,000 jobs in cleantech and contribute $61-billion to provincial GDP by 2050 if we invest properly. Considering the magnitude of the economic impact that could be realized, Calgary is actively working to attract global climate-focused investment dollars… “As the world’s third most livable city, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Calgary is home to many diverse people and companies. Calgary is creating an investment environment that commits to emissions reduction, new energy sources and being a global source for responsibly produced energy. This city has long had a certain brand, but it is capable of more than just one thing.”

Nonprofit Quarterly: Indigenous Land Return as Climate Justice
Iris Crawford, 6/15/23

“Land rematriation is the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people. The term, more commonly known as “land back,” acknowledges how colonization contributed to the theft and plunder of Indigenous land and communities—and has grown into an effort to help reclaim stolen lands,” Iris Crawford writes for Nonprofit Quarterly. “In recent years, the land back movement has grown to include many Indigenous land trusts. These land trusts are a form of climate justice and self-determination which includes honoring Indigenous land-based practices and traditional environmental stewardship… “Land ownership is a foreign concept to Native people, Gould explains, because Indigenous people thought of themselves as caretakers of the land, rather than its owners… “The two parties eventually came up with a cultural easement—meaning that although the city holds the title deed to the land, Sogorea Te’ will have nearly full access to use the land for educational, environmental, and cultural purposes in perpetuity. This new document allows them to caretake that land forever and is something that the City of Oakland can’t revoke. Gould sees the cultural easement as a tool that other Indigenous land trusts can use across the country to help get land returned… “Returning land to Indigenous people is a way for the land to begin to heal itself. Gould’s great-grandfather was one of the last original speakers of the Chochenyo language. “This land, just like any other land with languages, yearns to hear that original tongue spoken,” Gould says. Learning how to plant again and live with the land is inherently part of human nature—which has been forgotten amid colonization, industrialization, and capitalism. Land rematriation, she continues, “really is bringing people back so they can remember who they are.”