EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 7/21/23

PIPELINE NEWS

• Des Moines Register: Iowa regulators block Steve King’s efforts to join Summit carbon capture pipeline hearing

• Dickinson Press: SD PUC denies motion for remote testimony from landowners for Navigator Greenway Pipeline hearing

• The Center Square: Groups continue opposition to CO2 pipeline for central Illinois

• Mitchell Republic: Mitchell baseball, Minnesota shooting, pipeline testimonies and more

• Wyoming Public Radio: A pipeline network for captured carbon – not oil or gas

• The Times News: Folwell backs gas pipeline project

• DeSmog: Proposed Pipeline Expansion Could Upend Three States’ Climate Plans

• KTRK: Liberty County residents arrested for allegedly damaging pipeline are claiming retaliation

• KETK: Anderson County landowner says oil company pipeline is leaking, killing vegetation on his property

• American Press: Pipeline safety agency looking at sites for new LNG office; LC under consideration 

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: Climate activists arrested on Capitol Hill

• Associated Press: New Rules For Oil And Gas Leasing Raise Rates Energy Companies Pay To Drill On Public Lands 

• E&E News: Biden unveils aggressive rules for public land oil drilling

• Center for Biological Diversity: Biden Oil and Gas Proposal Marks Massive Climate Failure

• Press release: The Wilderness Society applauds administration’s release of long-awaited Oil and Gas Rule 

• Press release: Environmental Groups React to New BLM Rules for Oil and Gas Leasing on Federal Lands 

• E&E News: Outdoor Groups Blast House Move To Block BLM Public Lands Rule 

• Vail Daily: Overwhelming Response To Proposed Public Lands Rule Presents A Difficult Task For BLM

• E&E News: Biden Boosted Climate Action. But U.S. Emissions Goals Still In Doubt

• E&E News: FERC Chevron doctrine fight arrives at Supreme Court

• The Hill: ‘Massive emissions ramifications’: Forthcoming hydrogen policy stirs intense debate

• Washington Post: No, you’re not imagining all those ads about “green” hydrogen

• E&E News: Leak Hunters Say EPA Methane Rule Could Hurt Their Business

• NOLA.com: Cassidy Files Bill To Mandate Drilling In The Gulf 

STATE UPDATES

• KING: Gov Inslee announces legislation demanding transparency from oil industry; GOP, industry push back

• New Orleans Public Radio: German lawmaker tours liquefied natural gas sites on Gulf Coast, opposes expansion

• Houston Chronicle: Zombie Wells, Part 3: Sinkholes near old Texas oil wells may signal issues in climate change fight

• Sierra Club: A Rare Legless Lizard Could Stop Oil Drilling in Its Tracks

EXTRACTION

• New York Post: Driver savagely beats protester blocking traffic in the middle of the street: video

• New York Times: She’s on a Mission From God: Suing Big Oil for Climate Damages

• E&E News: Europe takes aim at climate misinformation on social media

• Canary Media: Taking a closer look at carbon capture

• Carbon Herald: Koch Modular Celebrates Launch Of “Project Enterprise” Carbon Capture System

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Leader Publications: Dowagiac Fire Department awarded $12,000 TC Energy grant for CPR equipment 

• Enbridge: Providing Safe Spaces Empowerment LGBTQ Youth

OPINION

• CalMatters: California has more than 35,000 idle oil wells. Taxpayers should not have to pay for the cleanup

• Wall Street Journal: Op-Ed: Power Grab At The Bureau Of Land Management 

• The Atlantic: Climate Collapse Could Happen Fast
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Des Moines Register: Iowa regulators block Steve King’s efforts to join Summit carbon capture pipeline hearing
Donnelle Eller, 7/21/23

“Iowa regulators have blocked former U.S. Rep. Steve King’s efforts to participate in a hearing to determine whether Summit Carbon Solutions should receive a permit to build a $4.5 billion carbon capture pipeline across Iowa and eminent domain power to ensure it can acquire the needed land,” the Des Moines Register reports. “The Iowa Utilities Board issued an order this week denying King’s efforts to join the hearing as an intervenor, which would enable the former Republican congressman to submit testimony, offer witnesses, request information from Summit, cross-examine witnesses and submit post-hearing arguments. King, who represented northwest Iowa in Congress from 2003 to 2021, sought to intervene in the Ames company’s case because of what he said is his concerns about whether eminent domain is constitutional… “The three-member board also threw out requests Wednesday from more than 100 Iowans not directly in the path of the proposed pipeline, while allowing participation by 20 Republican state lawmakers, seven ethanol plants, and dozens of landowners in the project’s path, many of whom oppose the project… “Omaha, Nebraska, attorney Brian Jorde filed about 300 requests for his clients to intervene, but less than half were granted. He asked the board to reconsider. “What does ‘directly impacted’ mean? My folks that farm and have a leasehold agreement believe they’re directly affected,” Jorde said. “My people who live a couple hundred feet” from the proposed pipeline “feel they’re directly affected.” “…Additionally, the board has said landowners targeted for eminent domain and not represented by an attorney will have an opportunity to comment at the beginning of the hearing, scheduled for Aug. 22 in Fort Dodge… “Jessica Mazour, the conservation coordinator for Sierra Club’s Iowa Chapter, told the Register her group helped several people file requests to intervene and the order doesn’t specifically address whether the requests were granted or denied. Jorde told the Register the order leaves several questions unanswered. “Landowners are beyond frustrated. This process works well for industry, but it doesn’t work well for landowners,” he told the Register.

Dickinson Press: SD PUC denies motion for remote testimony from landowners for Navigator Greenway Pipeline hearing
Caleb Barber, 7/20/23

“An ad hoc meeting by Public Utilities Commission members decided Thursday to deny landowners permission to testify remotely in regards to the Heartland Greenway Pipeline project application submitted by Navigator CO2 Ventures,” the Dickinson Press reports. “Attorney Brian Jorde, who is representing landowners challenging the proposed pipeline project, filed the motion for remote testimony on July 14. The motion would have allowed certain witnesses to testify remotely, and landowner witnesses to testify remotely or by sworn affidavit. Commission chair Chris Nelson led the commission in denying the motion for remote testimony. “Let me just say, I was dumbfounded when this motion was filed,” Nelson said. “For a year, I have been looking forward to this hearing for us to establish the facts of this project. Now we have a motion from Mr. Jorde to just phone it in.” “…Someone can take eight hours on the stand, someone else 10 minutes,” Hanson said. PUC staff attorney Kristen Edwards said the list of witnesses to arrive for the testimonial hearing is much larger now than the prefiled testimony list states, and that such a number of people requires better organization if they are to have a functional week of testimony… “Another motion filed by Jorde requested times certain for specific witness testimony. The most important witness, Jorde said, was Dr. John Abraham, a professor of thermal sciences at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, whose areas of expertise include biological heating and fluid flow, climate change and energy generation in the developing world. Abraham would be out of the country after the July 27, Jorde said, so it was crucial he be granted a date certain for his testimony… “Evidentiary hearings for the project are being held from July 25-27, July 31 and Aug. 5.”

The Center Square: Groups continue opposition to CO2 pipeline for central Illinois
Greg Bishop, 7/20/23

“A state senator is looking to require more regulations on CO2 pipelines being proposed through central Illinois,” The Center Square reports. “Earlier this week, proponents and opponents of a planned multistate pipeline traversing more than a dozen Illinois counties met in Springfield. State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, was there. “The crowd was largely against the pipeline. It was a packed house in the basement of the BoS Center and really the concerns of the public were about safety,” McClure told TCS. “What if the pipeline ruptures?” “…Citizens and groups from various impacted counties have filed opposition to the idea. Dr. Peter Kieffer of Springfield told TCS concentrated CO2 gas is dangerous. “The only true way to protect residents along the pipeline route is to increase required setbacks so as to avoid any route that will bring the pipeline close to any occupied building and minimize the possibility that any resident will be exposed to a dangerous level of CO2 over an extended period,” Kieffer told TCS… “McClure told TCS there are significant safety concerns residents need addressed. “And that’s why I filed a bill in the Senate to ensure that no pipeline is built until after those federal guidelines come out,” McClure told TCS. McClure’s bipartisan Senate Bill 1916 remains in committee… “With the coalition of those worried about property rights and environmental groups, McClure told TCS that could make a difference. Navigator’s rebuttal to opponents is due Aug. 15.”

Mitchell Republic: Mitchell baseball, Minnesota shooting, pipeline testimonies and more
Kai Englisch, 7/21/23

“Every week, reporters from the Mitchell Republic review some of the week’s news highlights and preview what’s ahead for the Mitchell Republic coverage area,” the Mitchell Republic reports. 

Wyoming Public Radio: A pipeline network for captured carbon – not oil or gas
Caitlin Tan, 7/20/23

“Wyoming continues to eye carbon capture as a way to meet climate goals and preserve its fossil fuel industry, and a new research project dealing with that is underway,” Wyoming Public Radio reports. “…This new research project, called the Wyoming Trails Carbon Hub, will put together a design for a pipeline network that would be a crucial part of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS). It is being led by the University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute and Carbon Solutions, a low-carbon energy research group based in Michigan. “So we need this pipeline in order to capture CO2 from multiple sources and deliver it to multiple different points for either CO2 enhanced oil recovery or for pure storage in saline aquifers,” Eric Robertson, senior petroleum engineer for the Recovery Institute, told WPM. Meaning, the carbon would be transferred via pipeline to either be re-used in oil production or stored underground. Notably, Wyoming already has one pipeline that carries carbon from the southwest part of the state to southeast Montana, but Robertson told WPM it does not connect with all of the carbon emitters and potential storage hub sites… “The research is largely being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with a $3 million grant, along with about $2 million in non-DOE funding. Robertson emphasized that this initial research is just about putting together a design for a pipeline network in Wyoming… “It’s anticipated that companies will take this design and then further develop it and actually put it in the ground in the coming years,” he told WPM… “Some environmental groups fear the focus on CCUS could leave the world dependent on fossil fuels and detract from exploring renewable energy options.”

The Times News: Folwell backs gas pipeline project
GUY LUCAS, 7/20/23

“North Carolina’s state treasurer, who also is running for governor, has sent a letter to federal regulators requesting that they allow nearly three more years for the completion of a controversial natural gas pipeline that would pass through Alamance County,” The Times News reports. “The Mountain Valley Pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia and an extension called MVP Southgate, which would run from Virginia through Rockingham and Alamance counties to a site east of Graham, originally were scheduled to be finished and in service last month. Southgate hasn’t even received the necessary North Carolina permits to begin construction.”

DeSmog: Proposed Pipeline Expansion Could Upend Three States’ Climate Plans
Nick Cunninghamon, 7/20/23

“California, Oregon, and Washington have all passed laws and enacted policies that require utilities to dramatically cut carbon pollution over the next decade,” DeSmog reports. “But TC Energy, the Canadian owner of a major regional gas pipeline, has asked federal regulators to approve a plan that would dramatically expand the line’s capacity, flooding the region for decades with new supplies of methane gas – even as demand dwindles. Called GTN Xpress, the plan calls for upgrading three compressor stations – facilities that keep up pressure in the line and propel gas forward – along the 60-year-old, 1,377-mile-long Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) pipeline, which carries fracked gas from British Columbia through the Pacific Northwest to the California border, where it connects with other pipelines. By beefing up an old pipeline rather than building a new one, TC Energy would avoid an extensive environmental permitting process. Opponents of GTN Xpress – including the governors of Washington, Oregon, and California – say that TC Energy and other utilities involved are using faulty projections of rising demand to justify the project. The attorneys general of all three states have formally asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject the proposal. However, the states have very little leverage in decisions made by FERC, which regulates interstate gas pipelines and has been an unflinching ally of the oil and gas industry for many years. Out of 425 gas project proposals FERC considered between 2000 and 2021, the agency has rejected only two. Still, some opponents of GTN Xpress believe there is a chance FERC could reject it, pointing to an overwhelming body of evidence that the project is not wanted and not needed. “What is compelling in this case is the level of state, community, tribal, ratepayer opposition across the region, and the company not being able to clearly identify the need,” Dan Serres, conservation director for Columbia Riverkeeper, told DeSmog. “This is a real opportunity for the Biden administration to show that it takes climate change seriously, takes environmental justice seriously, and takes community and state input seriously.” TC Energy is relying on agreements with two Pacific Northwest utilities to demonstrate the need for GTN Xpress… “But these plans conflict with state laws intended to slash fossil fuel use in buildings and the electric power sector.”

KTRK: Liberty County residents arrested for allegedly damaging pipeline are claiming retaliation
Jessica Willey, 7/20/23

“There is a big controversy brewing just outside the small town of Dayton in Liberty County. Residents claim they have been dealing with oil leaks for months, but Jay Management Company, the company that owns the pipes, says the residents are to blame, and this week some of those residents were arrested,” KTRK reports. “On July 18, Ximena Santos, Jose Santana Argueta Jr., Maria Nares, Fernando Garcia, Miriam Gonzalez, and Walter Chapman Jr. were arrested by the Liberty County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office and charged with damaging/destroying critical infrastructure. They are all in a legal battle with Jay Management Company. “It’s a lie. All lies,” Arely Garcia, whose mother was arrested, told KTRK. “At this point, we feel like it’s never going to stop.” “…Last fall, one family said they discovered an oil spill, and there have been more ever since. “It’s very hazardous. It causes cancer and other diseases. It’s already in our water and on our land,” Amaris Argueta told KTRK… “While the families told KTRK the old and rusted equipment is to blame, Jay Management told KTRK they were “intentionally or unintentionally caused by surface residents,” according to a statement… “After the discovery, the company filed a police report. Jay Management has sued the residents, and the residents have counter-sued. Both sides allege wrongdoing.”

KETK: Anderson County landowner says oil company pipeline is leaking, killing vegetation on his property
Ashlyn Anderson, 7/20/23

“Larry Busby has owned his land off Highway 287 in Cayuga for about 10 years,” KETK reports. “He told KETK the past year has been frustrating as he tries to save his property. “I don’t know what else to do, I worked all my life for this land. I paid for it, it’s mine,” Busby told KETK. One year ago his land was thriving and green, now he told KETK  an old leaky pipeline by Vista Energy Consulting has killed off about 200 of his oak trees. He told KETK  the company runs the pipe through his land. “You can see everything that is green on both sides and everything you see is destroyed is dead,” Busby told KETK. He reached out to the company and they came and repaired the leak, but said they never finished clearing the cut trees and restoring the soil like they agreed to… “He also asked for the company to pay for all the trees he said they killed. They’ve denied saltwater being an issue in the soil. “The test we had done by the Texas A&M University and they did a soil test on it last year right after it happened and it came back positive big time for salt crystals,” Busby told KETK. Busby has had conversations with the Texas Railroad Commission and said that they couldn’t help. He also told KETK he hasn’t heard back from state representatives and other organizations… “I’m really frustrated with everything. I’ve called everybody I know. I’ve tried to hire lawyers, but they are not interested in it because it’s an oil company,” Busby told KETK.

American Press: Pipeline safety agency looking at sites for new LNG office; LC under consideration 
Rita Lebleu, 7/13/23

“The new LNG Center for Excellence at McNeese State University could house the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials and Safety Administration (PHMSA) National Center of Excellence in LNG Safety,” the American Press reports. “That was just one of the news items shared by Jim Rock, Lake Area Industry Alliance (LAIA), at the West Calcasieu Chamber monthly luncheon this week. Rock is executive director of the 24-member industry group that provides one voice for Southwest Louisiana industries… “He shared progress regarding the construction of The LNG Center for Excellence at McNeese, where he hopes PHMSA will decide to headquarter. “McNeese was successful in getting a grant for $2.8 million to build an LNG Center for Excellence,” Rock said… “Currently a curriculum is being developed… “By law, the agency has to have a national center. U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., wrote legislation in such a way that looks good for the state, saying the headquarters would need to be in the state with the most LNG exports, according to Rock.  If PHMSA locates in Lake Charles, it will bring eight to 10 high-paying jobs and millions in research. “It would be a big feather in the cap of Southwest Louisiana,” Rock told the Press. Southern University and Louisiana State University are pulling for PHMSA to locate in Baton Rouge. Rock said primacy and carbon capture would also be good for Southwest Louisiana. He testified recently in a hearing in favor of Louisiana having primacy in the permitting of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects, rather than The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has permitted only two Class VI commercial projects in a decade.  “I’ve seen a heck of a lot of change in 46 years and I think carbon capture and sequestration will definitely be part of the solution,” Rock said.”

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: Climate activists arrested on Capitol Hill
Robin Bravender, 7/19/23

“Activists with the group Climate Defiance were arrested on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, where they chanted “End fossil fuels, Biden,” in a House office building after disrupting a White House climate official’s meeting with House Democrats,” E&E News reports. “Capitol Police arrested at least seven activists Wednesday, Michael Greenberg, the founder of Climate Defiance, told E&E. A video posted by Fox News shows police officers handcuffing protesters who linked arms and were chanting in the crowded hallway outside a House hearing room. These marked the first arrests for Climate Defiance, Greenberg, who protested with the activists but was not among those arrested, told E&E. The youth-led organization launched earlier this year to protest the Biden administration’s energy policies and has routinely disrupted speeches and events featuring prominent White House officials and Democratic lawmakers. “Arrest is not the goal,” Greenberg told E&E. “We believe in disruption. Sometimes arrest comes with that.”

Associated Press: New Rules For Oil And Gas Leasing Raise Rates Energy Companies Pay To Drill On Public Lands 
Matthew Daly, 7/20/23

“The Biden administration is proposing new rules for the nation’s oil and gas leasing program that would raise costs for energy companies to drill on public lands and strengthen requirements for cleaning up old wells where drilling is completed or abandoned,” the Associated Press reports. “ A rule proposed Thursday by the Interior Department codifies provisions in the sweeping climate law approved last year, as well as the 2021 infrastructure law and recommendations from an Interior report on oil and gas leasing issued in November 2021. The rule does not go so far as to prohibit new oil and gas leasing on public lands, as many environmental groups have urged and as President Joe Biden promised during the 2020 campaign. But officials said the proposal would lead to a more responsible leasing process that provides a better return to U.S. taxpayers. “…Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, whose agency issued the new rule, told AP the proposal “aims to ensure fairness to the taxpayer and balanced, responsible development as we continue to transition to a clean energy economy. It includes common-sense and needed fiscal revisions to BLM’s program, many directed by Congress.”

E&E News: Biden unveils aggressive rules for public land oil drilling
Heather Richards, 7/20/23

“In a win for conservation groups, the Biden administration plans to increase the amount of money oil companies have to provide before they can drill on public lands twentyfold, the Interior Department indicated Thursday,” E&E News reports. “The draft overhaul of Interior’s onshore oil and gas rules also weighs tightening the amount of time an oil and gas drilling permit can be used, while killing the long-standing practice in the federal oil patch of renewing unused permits… “Jacking up bonding requirements would represent one of the most ambitious steps taken by this administration to revamp drilling practices on federal lands and rein in fossil fuel development. Some environmentalists, as well as Biden administration officials, have stressed that new bonding requirements that ensure money is set aside when companies go bust are needed to ensure future oil wells are not abandoned on the taxpayers’ dime… “It’s a false notion that the onshore oil and gas program is beset with so many deficiencies and problems that these overarching rules are needed,” Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, told E&E… “BLM is also proposing to eliminate blanket bonds that a driller can obtain nationally — a longtime ask from environmental groups critical of the federal oil program. ‘“Elimination of the nationwide bonding is huge,” Shannon Anderson, a lawyer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council in Wyoming, a longtime advocate for drilling reform, told E&E. “That’s just a major loophole for industry.” “…Environmental groups were largely celebratory in the wake of the BLM draft rule, urging the Biden administration to stick to a high bar when it comes to finalizing them in the months ahead… “Nicole Ghio, the senior fossil fuels program manager at Friends of the Earth, told E&E the proposal falls far short of sound climate policy. “Even as record heat waves bake the country and floods ravage eastern states, the Biden Administration continues to cozy up to Big Oil,” Ghio told E&E.

Center for Biological Diversity: Biden Oil and Gas Proposal Marks Massive Climate Failure
7/20/23

“The Biden administration released proposed regulations today that would continue expanding oil and gas extraction on federal public lands, marking yet another major climate failure by the administration. “This is a cowardly proposal that fails the basic climate imperative of ending fossil fuel expansion and phasing out production,” said Taylor McKinnon at the Center for Biological Diversity. “President Biden is blowing an opportunity to end oil and gas extraction on public land as the world reels from one climate catastrophe to the next. This dangerous plan would ravage more of the landscape with fracking while sealing our fate of increasing megafires, more preventable heat deaths, a shrinking Colorado River and runaway wildlife extinctions.” The Interior Department rule governing the nation’s oil and gas leasing program proposes modest reforms, many of which are dependent on continued fossil fuel extraction, and makes no recommendations to phase out fossil fuels in the near future. It defies calls by the United Nations and multiple scientific bodies to end new fossil fuel projects and phase out existing extraction. Recent analyses show that wealthy countries must end all oil and gas extraction by 2031 to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. In response to today’s announcement, more than 500 groups sent a letter to Biden urging him to strengthen the proposal and phase down oil and gas production to near-zero by 2030.”

Press release: The Wilderness Society applauds administration’s release of long-awaited Oil and Gas Rule 
7/20/23

“Today, the Bureau of Land Management released a proposed rule to reform the federal oil and gas program that would better align oil and gas decisions on public lands with ecosystem and community health needs. The Wilderness Society issued the following statement about the agency’s proposed rule: “We all want a fair chance to live full, healthy lives, but the impacts of air and water pollution, and climate change, threaten public lands’ ability to help us do that.” said Jamie Williams, President of The Wilderness Society. “For far too long, federal public land policies have prioritized fossil fuel companies’ profits at the expense of communities’ wellbeing and public lands themselves. The proposed Oil and Gas Rule is an important step towards the BLM taking a more holistic conservation, climate and community-centric approach to managing public lands.” “…While the proposed rule takes some necessary steps to better align leasing decisions with climate impacts to public land resources and address problems that the Interior Department identified in its own 2021 review of the program, the Biden-Harris administration could make even more progress through additional reforms to the leasing and nomination process, and make equally crucial updates to the permitting side of the oil and gas program. To this end, and admirably, the rule’s preamble invites comment on how to better align leasing decision-making to account for greenhouse gas emissions’ adverse effects on public land resources. The Bureau’s proposed Oil and Gas Rule, in concert with other agency efforts including the Public Lands Rule, the Wind and Solar Rule, and updating the Western Solar Plan, can and should be an important part of a comprehensive approach to managing public lands.”

Press release: Environmental Groups React to New BLM Rules for Oil and Gas Leasing on Federal Lands 
7/20/23

“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today proposed a set of long-overdue reforms concerning oil and gas leasing on federal lands. The proposed reforms would apply to hundreds of millions of acres of lands owned by all who live in the U.S. and managed by BLM, an agency housed within the Department of the Interior. Fully 90 percent of the 245 million acres of federal land under BLM authority are currently designated as open to oil and gas leasing and development, with more than 26 million acres under lease as of 2021. Despite the fact that public lands are supposed to be managed to benefit all of us, the reality is that federal land management policies are riddled with de facto subsidies for fossil fuel companies. Today’s proposed rule marks the first time in decades that BLM has revisited how it handles industry efforts to obtain oil and gas leases on federal lands… “The regulations cover a range of issues such as rents, fees, bonding and royalties, proposed reforms that  reflect an important step forward and will help improve management of public lands oil and gas operations… “The Biden administration is recognizing that over a century of business as usual by the oil and gas industry is incompatible with a world being ravaged by climate change, a crisis induced primarily by the industry itself,” said Josh Axelrod, senior policy advocate with the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “These changes were badly needed—to put it mildly—and will help make onshore leasing more fair to taxpayers and hold industry accountable for its harms…But we can’t continue to lease our public lands for fossil fuels while facing climate and biodiversity emergencies—and what is truly key moving forward is for the agency to forge an approach for measuring and mitigating the program’s impact on climate.”

E&E News: Outdoor Groups Blast House Move To Block BLM Public Lands Rule 
Scott Streater, 7/20/23

“Outdoor groups and companies are urging the Biden administration to implement a much-debated draft public lands rule a day after House appropriators advanced legislation that would block the measure,” E&E News reports. “The groups organized by the Conservation Alliance and Conservation Communications on Thursday sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland applauding the proposed rule that would elevate conservation on par with oil and gas, mining, livestock grazing and other uses of the 245 million acres overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. “We support a Public Lands Rule that will ensure that our public lands continue to offer unique recreational opportunities, buffer important habitats against the growing impacts of climate change, and drive economic value and jobs for Americans,” said the letter, signed by more than 100 mostly outdoors businesses.”

Vail Daily: Overwhelming Response To Proposed Public Lands Rule Presents A Difficult Task For BLM
John LaConte, 7/19/23

“The Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Public Lands Rule, which was announced in late March, has drawn more than 150,000 comments, many of which came in at the last minute,” the Vail Daily reports. “The Public Lands Rule establishes frameworks for interested parties to pursue conservation leases with the BLM, with restoration or mitigation as a stated goal of the land use outcome. A conservation land use would be placed ‘on an equal footing with other uses,’ according to the BLM, in an effort to ‘help guide responsible development while safeguarding important places for the millions of people who visit public lands every year to hike, hunt, camp, fish and more.’ … The Center for Western Priorities analyzed a random sample of 10,000 of the comments and determined that 92 percent of the comments encouraged the Interior Department to adopt the Public Lands Rule as written or strengthen its conservation measures. ‘4.5 percent of comments encouraged the department to withdraw or significantly weaken the rule,’ according to the Center for Western Priorities. ‘Another 3.5 percent of comments did not express a clear opinion in support or opposition to the rule. The statistical analysis has a margin of error of ±0.5 percent.’”

E&E News: Biden Boosted Climate Action. But U.S. Emissions Goals Still In Doubt
Benjamin Storrow, 7/20/23

“When Joe Biden was a presidential candidate in 2020, he pledged to ban oil and gas drilling on public land, pump federal money into clean energy, and achieve net-zero emissions by midcentury,” E&E News reports. “Three years later, the country’s emissions trajectory remains highly uncertain. The United States is within reach of cutting its carbon pollution in half by 2035 — if it’s able to install a massive number of renewable energy projects. Or the nation could fall far short of its international climate promises and reduce its emissions by as little as 29 percent in 2030 — if fossil fuel prices remain low, economic growth surges and clean electricity installations stumble, according to a report released Thursday by the Rhodium Group. Biden has committed to cutting emissions 50-52 percent of 2005 levels by 2030 under the Paris climate accord. ”‘It’s not going to be easy to meet the Paris target, and it’s not going to be easy to meet whatever the next target is after that. But there’s a path here,” Ben King, a Rhodium analyst who helped write the report, told E&E.”

E&E News: FERC Chevron doctrine fight arrives at Supreme Court
Niina H. Farah, 7/21/23

“A brewing Supreme Court battle over a renewable energy law is raising questions about the regulatory power of federal agencies,” E&E News reports. “The Edison Electric Institute and NorthWestern Energy recently petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission properly interpreted the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act — a law intended to increase renewable energy on the electric grid — to require a utility to purchase power from a Montana solar project. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit hinges on a legal theory known as the Chevron doctrine, which says judges should generally defer to agencies’ interpretation of ambiguous statutes — a legal theory that is being targeted in a separate Supreme Court case to be argued this fall. “[I]f Chevron is properly understood to condone the result reached here, then this case is further evidence that the time has come to reconsider Chevron by, at the very least, clarifying its limits,” EEI and NorthWestern Energy wrote in their Supreme Court petition docketed June 14. Executive branch decisionmaking has recently come under scrutiny among conservatives who have repeatedly called for the Supreme Court to set limits on how much power federal agencies like FERC and EPA have to interpret statutory language. While the conservative-dominated high court has moved away from using Chevron in its rulings, that has not been the case at the D.C. Circuit and other lower benches… “A Supreme Court decision that undoes Chevron would “completely call into question” any recent decisions that relied on it, including the D.C. Circuit’s ruling on the Broadview Solar LLC project at issue in EEI’s fight over PURPA, Joel Eisen, a law professor at the University of Richmond, told E&E… “If the Supreme Court were to take this case, one possibility would be that it would say that the D.C. Circuit misapplied the Chevron framework,” Eisen told E&E.

The Hill: ‘Massive emissions ramifications’: Forthcoming hydrogen policy stirs intense debate
RACHEL FRAZIN, 7/19/23

“Forthcoming guidance from the Treasury Department that could have major implications for climate change is sparking fierce debate in Washington,” The Hill reports. “The guidance will set the rules for the hydrogen energy industry — which has the potential to cut emissions from hard-to-abate sectors like the steel, cement and chemicals industries — as it looks to take advantage of a lucrative tax credit provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. Climate activists, however, say that if the policy gives the industry too much leeway on where it gets its power to produce the hydrogen, it could be a disaster for the warming planet.  Lena Moffitt, executive director of climate advocacy group Evergreen, called the forthcoming guidance “the key determinant of whether or not we get truly clean hydrogen in this country — with massive emissions ramifications.” “…But, the extent of hydrogen’s climate benefits could be determined by the Treasury guidance, which is due by the middle of August, and could set the rules for what a hydrogen producer needs to do in order to qualify. Environmental advocates have pointed to research that found putting strict rules on how the industry sources its low carbon power will have significant emissions benefits. They have raised concerns that looser rules could allow hydrogen to compete with other electricity users on the grid for clean power — driving up electricity demand and indirectly spurring more fossil fuel use.“ “…Moffitt, from Evergreen, told The Hill that as a result of that EPA rule, if “the hydrogen that we get flowing into the market subsidized by … public climate money is dirty, that could dramatically undercut the impact of the carbon standards for power plants.”

Washington Post: No, you’re not imagining all those ads about “green” hydrogen
Maxine Joselow, 7/21/23

“Ordinarily, we would expect the hydrogen subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act to foster a dry, technical debate among energy experts at Washington think tanks. But rather than a private discussion among policy wonks, the hydrogen subsidies have fueled an extraordinarily public advertising blitz aimed at influencing the Biden administration and public opinion,” the Washington Post reports. “… But in recent weeks, environmental and industry groups have run splashy advertisements in some of the nation’s biggest newspapers — including The Washington Post — aimed at influencing Treasury’s guidance. For example, the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association, a trade group whose members include the oil giant ExxonMobil and the utility Constellation Energy, took out a full-page ad in the New York Times last week urging looser rules. The ad features a striking yellow sign that warns of a “FACTORY CLOSURE.” It urges Treasury not to impose “additionality” requirements, which would mandate that hydrogen producers draw power from new sources of clean electricity, rather than grid power that may rely on fossil fuels. Frank Wolak, executive director of the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association, told the Post overly strict rules would prevent the nascent hydrogen industry from getting off the ground… “In contrast, a coalition of environmental groups took out an ad in The Post last Friday urging tight guardrails on what counts as green hydrogen under the climate law. The coalition, which included the League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Evergreen Action, has pushed for strict requirements around additionality and two other concepts: Matthew Davis, vice president for policy at the League of Conservation Voters, told the Post the green groups were trying to “counter” the industry ads and “elevate a topic that otherwise would be sort of a sleeper of an issue.”

E&E News: Leak Hunters Say EPA Methane Rule Could Hurt Their Business
Jean Chemnick, 7/20/23

 “Companies that do advanced methane detection for clients in the oil and gas industry are worried that EPA’s upcoming methane rule could stifle their emerging industry,” E&E News reports. “The companies say the rule could discourage oil and gas operators from hiring them to look for methane leaks because their technology catches more leaks and could trigger mandates in the proposed regulation requiring fossil fuel companies to report equipment malfunctions or leaks to EPA, triggering follow-up requirements or even fines.”

NOLA.com: Cassidy Files Bill To Mandate Drilling In The Gulf 
Mark Ballard, 7/19/23

“U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, teamed up on a bill to jump start the sales of leases for oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico,” NOLA.com reports. “The bill is called the Offshore Energy Security Act. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in March dismissed a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department that was brought by environmental groups challenging the largest offshore lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, which was sanctioned under the president’s Inflation Reduction Act, called IRA. The Biden administration is still working on a five-year plan for managing offshore drilling. The plan likely won’t be finalized until December. That means the earliest lease sale won’t occur until 2026, Cassidy said. The Cassidy-Cruz legislation would require lease sales in 2024 and 2025.”

STATE UPDATES

KING: Gov Inslee announces legislation demanding transparency from oil industry; GOP, industry push back
Erica Zucco, 7/20/23

“During a news conference alongside Highline School District’s electric buses in Burien, Governor Jay Inslee, lawmakers and labor and healthcare representatives announced plans for legislation to be introduced in January targeting the oil industry. They also called attention to the health impacts of climate change,” KING reports. “Oil and gas pollution is attacking our state and attacking our children’s future and indeed attacking the entire nation and planet,” Inslee said. “We intend to defeat climate change, we intend to reign in the terrible pollution that the oil and gas industry is causing across our state and our nation, and we won’t stand for it.” In a news release, the governor’s office said oil and gas companies have taken in record profits while “communities everywhere grapple with record heat waves, deadly flooding, drought, wildfires and pollution-related medical conditions that average people and state governments are expected to pay for on top of sky-high fuel prices.” Inslee says those fuel prices are the choice of companies — and due in part to pipeline closures. Republican State Senator Jeff Wilson argues they’ve come as a result of impacts of the Climate Commitment Act. “It’s turned now into a political blame game that comes at the expense of every Washington working family’s expense,” Wilson told KING. “While others may want to accuse oil companies of price gouging, I’ll fire back and say- gouging has been occurring in the last few years’ state budgets. It seems the state has had an enormous appetite to collect more money and spend away in our biennial budgets.” “…Inslee’s office and lawmakers say January’s legislation will first require companies to open up their books and reveal any evidence of price-gouging.”

New Orleans Public Radio: German lawmaker tours liquefied natural gas sites on Gulf Coast, opposes expansion
Halle Parker, 7/19/23

“For the next week, a German lawmaker — who has opposed the liquefied natural gas movement in her own country — is traveling from southeast Louisiana to Texas to witness the Gulf Coast’s massive buildout,” New Orleans Public Radio reports. “After her first stop in Plaquemines Parish, German Parliament member Kathrin Henneberger told NOPR she’s worried the Gulf Coast terminals aren’t being built safely. The buildout in her own country was spurred in part when a crisis struck. Germany’s desire to get off Russian gas with the start of the Ukraine War sent fossil fuel companies, ramping up proposals to export U.S. natural gas to Europe to fill the gap left by Russia. Now, more than 20 gas export terminals are either under construction or proposed on the Gulf Coast — and 13 of those are slated for Louisiana. If every terminal was built, it would quadruple the number of export facilities already existing in the U.S… “After visiting the 632-acre site, Henneberger told NOPR she felt the terminal was built in a “danger zone.” “…She called on her own country, who has helped bankroll the gas plant, to think about the effect this new fossil fuel infrastructure could have on the people living near them. She said she feels a personal responsibility for the local impacts of the international gas trade. “This is why I’m also here to learn more about it. So that I can speak up in Germany about the topic and demand that especially the German companies should not do these long-term contracts and should not invest in fossil fuel infrastructure like energy terminals in Louisiana,” Henneberger told NOPR… “Oakville Baptist Church Pastor Wilfred Johnson thanked Henneberger for her visit, asking her not to forget about them when she returns to Germany at the end of the week. “This facility is designed to make life difficult in this parish,” Johnson said. “In my business, everything is not done by just praying. If something is against people, then we have to watch, fight and pray, and it’s fighting time now.”

Houston Chronicle: Zombie Wells, Part 3: Sinkholes near old Texas oil wells may signal issues in climate change fight
Amanda Drane, 7/18/23

“Steel oil well casings clawed like fingers out of the collapsing sinkhole in Daisetta before the fast-receding earth swallowed them. People in the onetime East Texas boomtown watched in awe as a gaping hole nearly the size of two football fields formed within a few hours,” the Houston Chronicle reports. “The May 2008 sinkhole raised questions with few answers. Then, this past April, a new sinkhole formed just south of the original one. More than a dozen old oil wells were within the footprint of the two sinkholes, yet whether or not they triggered the collapse remains unknown… “The issues surrounding old wells — the surprise discovery of undocumented wells, the growing list of orphaned wells, the frequency with which old plugs fail and how damaging unplugged wells can be to public health and the environment — are poorly understood. Policy solutions and resources to support them are percolating but underfunded, leaving many to fend for themselves… “The region’s geology likely predisposed the area to collapse, scientists said. But they also agreed orphaned wells likely played a role. Did the open holes allow water to travel deep beneath the surface and dissolve supporting layers below? In Daisetta, the town’s water wells were contaminated… “These issues are coming into sharper focus as the energy industry dives into uncharted territory with carbon capture and storage, perceived by many as pivotal in the fight against climate change. Operators would remove climate-warming carbon dioxide from the air and pump it underground for storage, yet unplugged and leaking wells pose risks for the future of the emerging industry because they could allow carbon dioxide to travel back to the surface. That, in turn, could undo climate benefits and endanger humans.”

Sierra Club: A Rare Legless Lizard Could Stop Oil Drilling in Its Tracks
Krissy Waite, 7/19/23

“Resting in the desert sand along the east side of California’s Temblor Mountains, one legless lizard stands alone in potentially halting 31 active oil fields from production,” according to the Sierra Club. “This rare, endemic reptile, the Temblor legless lizard resides in a small patch of about 1,070 square miles of desert scrub and grassland within Kern and Fresno Counties. There, it has only been found in five locations, four of which are on or next to oil and gas fields with oil wells mostly owned by Chevron and Aera Energy. Currently, the vast majority of the lizard’s range is open to, or already contains, oil and gas development. But a proposal to list the lizard as endangered could change the trajectory of the region… “Lizards in Kern County in particular are in danger. The county is attempting to approve an oil and gas permitting ordinance that would not require further environmental review or public notice for new oil and gas projects, allowing a single environmental impact statement for more than 40,000 new oil and gas projects over the next decades… “In November 2021, Shaye Wolf, the climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, decided to officially petition to list the lizard under the California Endangered Species Act as either threatened or endangered due to oil and gas development and habitat destruction.  An official listing under CESA would mean that before companies want to develop or drill, they have to survey for the lizard first… “Wolf hopes that a permanent listing will push the state to stop approving new oil and gas permits in the area and phase out existing projects. Ideally, she said, state agencies would go even further than the CESA requires and would acquire and protect the lizard’s critical habitat… “If the Temblor legless lizard is listed permanently, advocates hope it will protect its habitat from new oil endeavors—saving both the lizard and nearby communities and serving as an example of possibility for more species currently harmed by oil. “Oil and gas drilling needs to be stopped to protect the lizard, our communities, and the climate,” Wolf said. “We are all connected: When lizard habitat is being destroyed, that harms us as well.”

EXTRACTION

New York Post: Driver savagely beats protester blocking traffic in the middle of the street: video
Frank Chung, 7/20/23

“An enraged motorist has been filmed assaulting a Just Stop Oil protester in London, after a “slow walk” protest blocking traffic reportedly caused a pregnant woman to crash her car,” the New York Post reports. “Video of the incident posted online by the controversial group showed a man in a red hat punching a protester and knocking him to the ground before kicking him in the head. The man is seen furiously arguing with another person who steps in to intervene, before returning to a damaged silver Mercedes with his distressed female companion… “Just Stop Oil said one of its supporters was “assaulted while demanding no new oil and gas.”

New York Times: She’s on a Mission From God: Suing Big Oil for Climate Damages
David Gelles, 7/19/23

“Missy Sims carefully picked her way through a field of ruined tombs in central Puerto Rico, in a cemetery where walls of water from Hurricane Maria had smashed open some coffins and sent others careering into a nearby stream,” the New York Times reports. “…This is apocalyptic, end of the world, end of times stuff,” Ms. Sims, an attorney who is representing 16 Puerto Rican municipalities that are seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for the damage caused by a series of storms, including Maria, told the Times… “Ms. Sims, 54, may be the most surprising legal figure to emerge as the world grapples with the devastating impacts of a warming planet. An Armani-and-Rolex wearing observant Catholic from a small Midwest town who talks to God as she mulls her complex legal cases, Ms. Sims is also a constant TikTok poster whose dog has more followers than some celebrities. And she is now the singular force behind a creative legal gambit to make oil and gas companies pay for the devastation being wrought by climate change in Puerto Rico. Her strategy is being carefully watched by the fossil fuel industry and environmental groups as well as other lawyers and municipalities. The lawsuit she filed in November goes after a who’s who of the fossil fuel industry — Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, BP and others. Ms. Sims argues that since 1965, those companies have produced 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, while at the same time colluding to deceive the public about the disastrous consequences of their actions. The case is part of a new wave of litigation targeting oil, gas and coal companies over climate change, which is driven by the burning of their products. But it stands out in two significant ways. It was the first to allege that, by downplaying the effects of global warming for decades, the fossil fuel companies violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which was originally designed to crack down on organized crime. So-called RICO charges expose the defendants to potentially huge financial damages and open up a new front in their growing legal challenges.”

E&E News: Europe takes aim at climate misinformation on social media
Scott Waldman, 7/19/23

“Europe is gearing up to take more aggressive action against tech companies that allow the spread of climate disinformation,” E&E News reports. “Hints of this new approach were outlined in a report adopted last month by the European Parliament. Though the report itself was nonbinding, one of the key issues it addressed was climate change denial and the role of social media. The attention devoted to climate disinformation suggests that European policymakers plan to take aim at the problem ahead of next month’s enforcement of the Digital Services Act, which strengthens e-commerce regulations, Jennie King, head of climate research and policy at the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told E&E. King, who testified to a parliamentary committee on the issue, told E&E the adoption of the report is important political recognition that the spread of climate disinformation is a significant obstacle that gets in the way of meaningful regulatory actions. “In liberal democracies, people are allowed to hold beliefs even if those beliefs are inaccurate or based on false claims,” she told E&E. “What shouldn’t be possible is profiteering on false and misleading content, particularly on key policy issues like climate, like public health, like electoral integrity, like civil rights.”

Canary Media: Taking a closer look at carbon capture
7/20/23

“Carbon capture and storage is a controversial tool in the energy transition. We don’t want to use it, but we probably have to,” Canary Media reports. “But when people talk about ​“carbon capture and storage,” they may be referring to one of a number of technologies. It’s a term that covers multiple methods used to capture CO2, such as point source and direct air capture, as well as different approaches to using the captured CO2. With the CCS industry in its infancy, tackling some big questions now could save us headaches down the road. Most pressing are questions about CCS infrastructure use, where we’ll build it and who will control it. In this episode, Shayle talks to Emily Grubert, associate professor of sustainable energy policy at the University of Notre Dame. She recently posted a Twitter thread about how the same core CCS infrastructure can actually serve four different use cases: Avoiding emissions to extend the life of fossil-fuel infrastructure. Avoiding emissions where we don’t yet have zero-carbon alternatives (e.g., cement production). Removing carbon to compensate for other emissions (i.e., offsets). Removing carbon to draw down legacy emissions and avoid overshooting 1.5 degrees Celsius climate targets. In this episode, Shayle and Emily walk through each of the four categories and cover topics including: Which categories to prioritize over others — and whether we really have the luxury to prioritize when we need to deploy CCS so quickly. How to avoid the double-counting problem. Where we should use CCS vs. zero-carbon alternatives. The resource constraints on CCS, including water, land and energy. Whether CCS customers or regulatory bodies should determine the type of CCS infrastructure that is built and where we build it.”

Carbon Herald: Koch Modular Celebrates Launch Of “Project Enterprise” Carbon Capture System
Vasil Velev, 7/20/23

“Koch Modular, a global leader in process engineering design and modular construction, is proud to announce and celebrate the forthcoming launch of a unique Carbon Capture Demonstration Scale System, aptly named Project Enterprise,” the Carbon Herald reports. “Unveiled on Friday, July 14th, this project represents a significant milestone in the advancement of carbon capture technology, and it is poised to achieve a remarkable reduction in carbon emissions, projected to be at least 95%… “The process harnesses a groundbreaking carbon capture solvent developed by ION Clean Energy, a Colorado-based trailblazer in sustainable solvent technologies… “To assess the efficiency of CO2 capture with ION Clean Energy’s proprietary solvent, a portion of Calpine’s flue gas will be diverted to the new system, generating invaluable data to evaluate the advantages of ION’s solvent technology… “Initially, the hot flue gases are cooled, facilitating the subsequent absorption of carbon dioxide from the flue gas using ION’s transformative ICE-31 solvent. ION’s proprietary solvent boasts a faster and higher-capacity reaction with CO2 than other commercial solvents. Next, the solvent is regenerated in a state-of-the-art distillation column, allowing the captured carbon dioxide to be stripped from the solvent and collected as a valuable distilled product. This demonstration-scale system will not only validate the removal efficiency but also shed light on the unprecedented stability and low energy consumption required with ION’s carbon capture technology. A significant achievement of Project Enterprise lies in its focus on addressing carbon dioxide emissions from natural gas combustion, presenting a unique challenge due to the lower carbon-to-hydrogen ratio of flue gases.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Leader Publications: Dowagiac Fire Department awarded $12,000 TC Energy grant for CPR equipment 
7/21/23

“The Dowagiac Fire Department was recently awarded $12,000 from TC ENERGY to purchase new life-saving equipment,” according to Leader Publications. “Program Perfect CPR is a project that is based and centered around providing the best possible care available to the community in the event of a cardiac emergency… “Thank you to TC ENERGY for funding our grant, not only for our Fire Department, but our community as well,” the department said in a Facebook post.”

Enbridge: Providing Safe Spaces Empowerment LGBTQ Youth
7/21/23

“In the heart of Houston, where diversity thrives, the Montrose Center stands as a beacon of hope and support for the LGBTQ community,” according to Enbridge. “…Enbridge’s Fueling Futures corporate citizenship program supports safe, vibrant and sustainable communities. In 2023, a Fueling Futures grant of $10,000 to the Montrose Center has directly supported programming within Hatch Youth Services such as educational sessions, mental health counseling, rehousing services, and social events.”

OPINION

CalMatters: California has more than 35,000 idle oil wells. Taxpayers should not have to pay for the cleanup
Cesar Aguirre is the oil and gas director at Central California Environmental Justice Network; Hollin Kretzmann is an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute, 7/20/23

“Central California residents once again found themselves blindsided and alarmed last month when a state task force found more than two dozen idle oil wells leaking methane in Kern County – some close to schools. Compounding shock into outrage, many oil companies admitted they have no intention of repairing the leaking wells, more than a dozen of which are gushing methane at explosive levels. It’s the latest stunning example of oil companies’ impunity when it comes to the costs – and dangers – of more than 35,000 idle wells in California,” Cesar Aguirre and Hollin Kretzmann write for CalMatters. “As the state’s oil industry dies out, operators often leave wells unsealed and unattended. Surveys last year found dozens of these idle or orphan wells leaking methane near Bakersfield. These methane leaks revealed how rarely state regulators actually inspect idle wells near homes, schools and churches… “Before these corporations bilk taxpayers for billions to clean up thousands of their dangerous, polluting wells, Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers need to act fast. There are several steps they can take. The governor and state regulators can start by halting new oil and gas permit approvals… “The Legislature must overhaul California’s oil and gas laws that allow operators to keep dangerous wells idle indefinitely. The state should require oil companies to put up bonds that cover the entire amount of cleanup costs so that the industry – not the public – has enough money put aside to pay for them… “California leaders should also set a firm deadline for plugging wells that become idle, ensure idle wells near communities are prioritized for cleanup, and require operators to plug 10% of their existing idle wells per year so that all of their wells are plugged within the next 10 years. Finally, the state should increase fees to ensure the industry pays for wells that are abandoned by insolvent operators… “Without these critical changes, Californians risk paying for the harms to our health, our climate and our budget while the industry walks away with the profits.” 

Wall Street Journal: Op-Ed: Power Grab At The Bureau Of Land Management 
Gabriella Hoffman, Sarah Montalbano, 7/20/23

“The federal government is supposed to manage the land it owns in a balanced way that allows for multiple uses. But a recently proposed Bureau of Land Management rule would undermine the effective management of 245 million acres of public land and limit public access to its resources,” Gabriella Hoffman and Sarah Montalbanowrite for the Wall Street Journal. “Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, Congress authorized the BLM to manage federal land under a multiple-use and sustained-yield system. This means the diverse uses of land—including mineral production, wildlife protection, oil and gas production, and grazing—would be considered together by the BLM during any federal land decisions. The recently proposed Conservation and Landscape Health rule would establish ‘conservation’ as a distinct use of land. But all uses of land entail conservation. The aim of the rule is to reduce sustained-yield land uses like grazing, mining and timber in favor of recreation spaces, watershed preservation, wildlife and fish protection, and ‘natural scenic, scientific, and historical values.’”

The Atlantic: Climate Collapse Could Happen Fast
Lois Parshley, 7/20/23

“Ever since some of the earliest projections of climate change were made back in the 1970s, they have been remarkably accurate at predicting the rate at which global temperatures would rise,” Lois Parshley writes for The Atlantic. “For decades, climate change has proceeded at roughly the expected pace, David Armstrong McKay, a climate scientist at the University of Exeter, in England, told the Atlantic. Its impacts, however, are accelerating—sometimes far faster than expected. For a while, the consequences weren’t easily seen. They certainly are today. The Southwest is sweltering under a heat dome. Vermont saw a deluge of rain, its second 100-year storm in roughly a decade. Early July brought the hottest day globally since records began—a milestone surpassed again the following day. “For a long time, we were within the range of normal. And now we’re really not,” Allegra LeGrande, a physical-research scientist at Columbia University, told me. “And it has happened fast enough that people have a memory of it happening.” In fact, a growing number of climate scientists now believe we may be careening toward so-called tipping points, where incremental steps along the same trajectory could push Earth’s systems into abrupt or irreversible change—leading to transformations that cannot be stopped even if emissions were suddenly halted. “The Earth may have left a ‘safe’ climate state beyond 1°C global warming,” Armstrong McKay and his co-authors concluded in Science last fall. If these thresholds are passed, some of global warming’s effects—like the thaw of permafrost or the loss of the world’s coral reefs—are likely to happen more quickly than expected. On the whole, however, the implications of blowing past these tipping points remain among climate change’s most consequential unknowns: We don’t really know when or how fast things will fall apart.”