EXTRACTED: Daily News Clips 8/24/23

PIPELINE NEWS

• Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit attorney laments: ‘This is just going on so long’

• KTIV: “From the pipeline to our home… it’s 600 feet”: Summit permit hearings continue as Iowa landowners talk safety concerns

• Iowa Public Radio: Summit’s proposed carbon capture pipeline reaches its final hearing before Iowa regulators

• KMA: IUB pipeline hearing continues

• KGAN: Iowa Utilities Board holds 2nd day of hearings on CO2 pipeline; Summit responds to allegations of special treatment

• KMA: More testimony, turbulence at IUB pipeline hearing

• KIOW: Pipeline Opponents Sound Off at the IUB Fort Dodge Hearing

• KICD: Clay County Landowner Takes Pipeline Concerns to Utility Board

• Sioux Falls Argus Leader: How safe can carbon pipelines in South Dakota be? Inside the debate between Navigator, landowners

• South Dakota Public Broadcasting: Navigator CO2 defends carbon pipelines in local debate

• KFYR: CO2 pipeline debate offers landowners additional information

• The Intercept: LOUISIANA PUSHES AHEAD WITH BUILDING CARBON PIPELINES IN CANCER ALLEY

• The Tribune-Star: Radio program to discuss carbon wells, pipeline project

• Canadian Press: Trans Mountain pipeline project runs into fresh construction-related hurdle

• Bloomberg: Trans Mountain pipeline at risk of more delays with route change

• Virginia Mercury: After case dismissals, work on Mountain Valley Pipeline resumes in Virginia

WASHINGTON UPDATES

• E&E News: ‘Drill, frack, burn coal’: Republicans echo Trump at presidential debate

• Wall Street Journal: How Oil and Tech Giants Came to Rule a Vital Climate Industry

• Press release: Biden Administration Urged to Ditch Planned Hydrogen Investments

• Politico: Lawsuit Settlement Prompts Interior To Narrow Gulf Of Mexico Oil Lease Sale 

• World Pipelines: API Finds Flaws In Biden Administration’s New Offshore Leasing Plan 

• Law360: Biden Administration ESA Rules Spark Comment Fireworks 

STATE UPDATES

• InsideClimate News: Appalachian Economy Sees Few Gains From Natural Gas Development, Report Says

• Associated Press: Cleanup Workers Are Gone But Petroleum Asphalt Is Still An Issue In Yellowstone River Following Derailment 

• Cowboy State Daily: Dirty’ Industry Workers Aren’t Transitioning To ‘Green’ Jobs, Study Finds

• Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico public land offered for oil drilling amid calls for federal energy reforms

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

• Enbridge: Investing in Biodiversity and Conservation at Enbridge

OPINION

• Daily Caller: A Day One Energy Agenda For The Next Republican President
  

PIPELINE NEWS

Iowa Capital Dispatch: Summit attorney laments: ‘This is just going on so long’
JARED STRONG, 8/23/23

“A pipeline attorney and the chairperson for Iowa Utilities Board at times complained on Wednesday about the sluggishness of the second day of testimony for Summit Carbon Solutions’ hazardous liquid pipeline permit request,” the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. “…The speed of Summit’s hazardous pipeline permit process has prompted a tug of war between the company and those who oppose it. The company was successful in getting an earlier start to its evidentiary hearing with the hope of securing a permit by year’s end. Pipeline opponents have sought to delay the proceedings as much as possible with the hope that the company would eventually abandon its proposal… “The evidentiary hearing for the project was initially projected by IUB staff to last two months or more, but Summit attorney Bret Dublinske thinks it could be done in six weeks… “A big factor in the length of the hearing is eminent domain. It took about four hours for three people to testify about eminent domain requests on Tuesday, the first day of the hearing. Eight people testified Wednesday over the course of about 10 hours… “Another of the witnesses was Timothy Fox, executive director of the Charles City Area Development Corporation, who argued against placing the pipeline on the south side of that town where his group is cultivating an industrial development site… “The rest of the land under consideration for eminent domain that was discussed on Wednesday was mostly cropland or is enrolled in a federal conservation program. Witnesses didn’t know whether they might have to repay federal money they have earned for setting aside farmland, and they worried about the long-term soil damage from construction and how a pipeline break might kill their livestock or people. “There’s nothing in it for me — nothing but risk,” said Hollis Oelmann, who farms in Hardin County.”

KTIV: “From the pipeline to our home… it’s 600 feet”: Summit permit hearings continue as Iowa landowners talk safety concerns
Katie Copple, 8/23/23

“Testimony continued in Fort Dodge for Summit Carbon Solutions as the carbon capture pipeline company vies for permits in Iowa,” KTIV reports. “Landowners opposing the project are the first to testify in front of the Iowa Utilities Board. A Kossuth County landowner, who has several parcels of land that the pipeline is mapped to pass through, says it would come a little too close to his home. “From the pipeline to our home, I wheeled it off with my, I forgot to mention that my wife and I are real estate agents, it’s 600 feet,” said David Wildin. “And from there going northwest to my neighbor’s home is about 1,000 feet.” “…The hearings will also determine if eminent domain can be used by Summit to acquire the private land needed for its project from those who don’t sign voluntary easements. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig spoke to our Al Joens this morning and touched on the carbon-capture pipelines, and whether eminent domain should be used for the projects. “Carbon capture, carbon sequestration, lowering the carbon intensity of ethanol, biodiesel, anything that we are doing in ag is a good thing and there is value in that from an economic standpoint. But, what we are talking about here is really that eminent domain, land use piece of this,” Naig told KTIV. “That’s the balancing act, right? You’ve got something that can be very good for ethanol, but at its core you’re talking about private property rights and land use and we should pay great attention to that. Eminent domain use should be rare, it should be used in cases where there is significant voluntary agreements in place and I think that applies here as well.”

Iowa Public Radio: Summit’s proposed carbon capture pipeline reaches its final hearing before Iowa regulators
Grant Gerlock, 8/23/23

“A public hearing is underway in Fort Dodge that will decide the future of the proposed pipeline Summit Carbon Solutions wants to build across Iowa to capture CO2 from ethanol plants,” Iowa Public Radio reports. “…Landowners who object to the Summit pipeline filled seats at the hearing after rallying outside. Speaking at the rally, Tim Baughman of Denison said the project would cut through farmland rented out by his family to grow corn and soybeans. Baughman said his family values that land as a model for soil conservation. “Our soil has not been plowed for 47 years,” Baughman said. “And now Summit Carbon Solutions wants to target our land for their private profits.” Baughman said the hearing should be delayed since a siting permit application for the project was rejected by regulators in North Dakota… “If Summit failed to meet the burden of proof in North Dakota, guess what, they have failed to meet it in Iowa also,” Baughman said… “Opponents had also asked to delay the hearing while a district court reconsiders a motion to dismiss Summit’s pipeline application. But Helland said the IUB would not wait for the court’s decision, noting the board had already spent “over half-a-million dollars to date” preparing to occupy the Cardiff Event Center for the extent of the hearing… “Marcia Langner told board members she is against the pipeline and Summit’s use of eminent domain even though corn is one of the primary crops grown on her Clay County farmland. “Saying that corn value is going to tank if the CO2 pipelines are not constructed would be a slap in the face to all the innovative people in the industry,” Langner said. “Capturing CO2 from ethanol plants, combining it with hydrogen and turning it into green methanol is just one alternative the industry has in its arsenal.”

KMA: IUB pipeline hearing continues
Mike Peterson, 8/23/23

“The Iowa Utilities Board’s evidentiary hearing concerning a major carbon pipeline project entered its second day Wednesday,” KMA reports. “…Three landowners potentially impacted by the pipeline expressed concerns during opening testimony Tuesday afternoon. Five generations of Marcia Langner’s family have farmed at a location near Ayrshire in northwest Iowa. Langner says she’s concerned about the project’s impact on future generations of farmers. “My son and other young farmers already face many challenges in establishing profitable operations,” said Langner. “Limiting their potential would be a travesty. Landowners today and in the future should be able to use their land to the best of their ability for what they choose to meet the needs of their country.” “…She also stated objections to using eminent domain to acquire property for the project. “Eminent domain is intended for government projects that are undeniably for the public good,” said Langner. “Eminent domain practices should not apply to projects with the primary benefit being for private entities. Extensive time and money have already been spent to hold onto our property rights. If this use of eminent domain is allowed, how much more time and money must farmers annually allocate to combat future infringements on property rights.” “…The hearing is expected to last at least six weeks before the IUB makes a decision on Summit’s application.”

KGAN: Iowa Utilities Board holds 2nd day of hearings on CO2 pipeline; Summit responds to allegations of special treatment
Valeree Dunn, 8/23/23

“Wednesday was another long day for the Iowa Utilities Board, as they heard from landowners pushing back on Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline plan,” KGAN reports. “These hearings in Fort Dodge are expected to last weeks, while farmers are dealing with an early harvest in the midst of the drought… “One landowner told the IUB on Wednesday that the hot real estate market means landowners could be getting the short end of the stick if they’re compensated based off property assessments, and claims it’ll cost local governments in the long run… “As Summit Director of Community Relations Sabrina Zenor explained, while it may have raised some eyebrows to see Summit reps walking behind the curtain with IUB staff, there was no special treatment and Summit had rented its own room at the back of the venue. “There were no covert meetings with IUB staff,” Zenor told KGAN. “Summit Carbon Solutions reserved a room for our staff at the rear of the venue and compensated for it separately.” The IUB responded to Iowa’s News Now’s request for comment on Wednesday, and said the IUB doesn’t comment on open proceedings.”

KMA: More testimony, turbulence at IUB pipeline hearing
Mike Peterson, 8/23/23

“Day 2 of the Iowa Utilities Board’s carbon pipeline hearing brought more witnesses to the stand–and more debate between attorneys,” KMA reports. “…Garner-area farmer Glen Alden was among those testifying on the proposed impact on their properties and communities. Among other concerns, Alden expressed fears as to whether emergency services could handle a pipeline rupture producing a vapor cloud, and the risks posed to first responders attempting rescues. “Well, you would have to decide whether you want to risk your life, or try to drag them out, I guess,” said Alden. “And, not knowing where the possible cloud is makes that interesting. And, to ask our volunteer firemen to do that.” Hollis Oelmann of Ames operates a corn-and-soybean row crop operation. Oelmann answered questions on why he refused to sign an easement allowing the pipeline to stretch through his property. “There’s nothing in it for me–nothing but risk,” said Oelmann. “I own the land. Why would I sign an agreement with a party that wants an easement across it, but there’s no end to the agreement? It’s a payment upfront, and that’s it after that.” “…Omaha attorney Brian Jorde, representing numerous landowners in the hearing, defended the process, and attacked Dublinske for questioning the witnesses’ credibility. “It’s completely unfair to the landowners involved,” said Jorde. “There is no time limit on the questions asked. They (Summit) wanted the hearing–we didn’t. That’s their fault if this is quote-unquote going longer than they think it should or is convenient for them. We have a right to ask questions to the witnesses that are here. Despite Mr. Dublinske’s comments, I don’t think this witness (Alden) is less than other witnesses, and I’m offended that it was suggested.”

KIOW: Pipeline Opponents Sound Off at the IUB Fort Dodge Hearing
AJ Taylor, 8/23/23

“Landowners who object to letting the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline run through their properties are making their case to state utility regulators,” KIOW reports. “The Iowa Utilities Board’s hearing on the company’s application for a pipeline permit began Tuesday morning. Marcia Langner of Ayrshire spent an hour and a half testifying about her concerns about the proposed pipeline route through her Clay County farm. Langner says developers are using scare tactics when they say corn prices will tank if the pipeline isn’t built. Nelva Huitink of Hospers says her family put a plan to build an automated milking facility on hold after learning Summit’s pipeline might run through their farm. Huitink says the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline already occupies seven percent of her farm, drainage tile has been damaged and a sinkhole opened up a month ago.”

KICD: Clay County Landowner Takes Pipeline Concerns to Utility Board
8/23/23

“Landowners objecting to letting Summit Carbon Solutions run a carbon dioxide pipeline through their properties began bringing their case to the state utility board on Tuesday,” KICD reports. “Among the speakers for day one was Marcia Langner of Ayrshire who spent an hour and a half testifying about her concerns about the proposed route through her Clay County farm. Langner says developers are using scare tactics when they say corn prices will tank if the pipeline isn’t built. The hearing continued Wednesday morning and is expected to last several weeks, perhaps through the month of September.”

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: How safe can carbon pipelines in South Dakota be? Inside the debate between Navigator, landowners
Dominik Dausch, 8/23/23

“When a plaid-wearing, hair-graying landowner approached the formally dressed carbon capture company executive, outstretched hand angling for a handshake, the first words that came out of his mouth weren’t “thanks for coming,” the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports. “I just wanted to say, they’ve got you brainwashed,” the elderly man told Navigator CO2’s Elizabeth Burns-Thompson. He left after saying his piece. The Navigator suit has heard worse. “You get used to it,” Burns-Thompson told the Argus Leader. The man’s comment wasn’t something you heard regularly during Tuesday night’s moderated debate on CO2 pipelines between Burns-Thompson, who drove up from Nebraska, and Rep. Jon Hansen, a Republican lawmaker staunchly opposed to carbon capture projects in South Dakota, at the Dacotah Bank Center in Brookings. But the harsh statement reflected the tough task ahead of Burns-Thompson, who sought to make a positive impression on those opposed to her company’s controversial project. At the other end of the debate stage, Hansen, before an audience mostly comprised of affected landowners who view carbon capture companies as an existential threat, remained focused at levying critique at the company throughout the hour-long discussion… “Hansen’s first answer was to characterize the Navigator project as a “boondoggle.” He said the project “wouldn’t be happening without the 45Q tax credit” and claimed there is “no free market” driving it… “This led Hansen into his first major volley of the debate: Navigator’s refusal to release their plume dispersion models. These models can be used to demonstrate how far and where a cloud of carbon dioxide, a known asphyxiant, could travel in the event of a pipeline rupture, which is a rare event in and of itself. “They’re not being forthcoming as a company when it comes to saying what the plume modeling would be,” Hansen said. “Probably the most serious safety concern is that plume modeling. They won’t show us. They won’t show the county commissioners. They won’t show the public.” “…Hansen, after reiterating his frustration at Navigator’s unwillingness to release their plume models, rebuked Burn-Thompson’s “bad actors” comment. “With all due respect, the biggest threat to freedom and safety of these property owners is not ‘bad actors.’ It’s carbon sequestration pipeline companies that want to take their land without consent and put a dangerous pipeline in their ground,” Hansen said.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting: Navigator CO2 defends carbon pipelines in local debate
Evan Walton, 8/23/23

“A state Representative and pipeline spokesperson debated carbon capture pipelines, sequestration, and eminent domain in a public forum Tuesday,” South Dakota Public Broadcasting reports. “…The Dacotah Bank Event Center in Brookings was filled with landowners and lawmaker advocates anxious to hear the debate between Rep. Jon Hansen (R) and Navigator CO2’s Vice President of Government and Public Affairs Elizabeth Burns-Thompson. Hansen is a critic of carbon capture pipelines and sequestration. He said there are other ways to deal with carbon. “Well sure, absolutely, in fact I think there’s been companies that have come into the state and talked to landowners about production of, I believe it’s methanol, is what its called. You can capture the CO2 off of ethanol plants and make methanol. And by the way, that furthers the the industry’s interest and purpose of making renewable fuels. And so there are plenty of alternatives,” said Hansen. “There is also on-site sequestration options and things of that nature. But, the reality is, those aren’t being funded by the 45Q tax credit, so that’s why those things aren’t happening.” Hansen also questioned Navigator’s investors, noting 84% of the company is owned by BlackRock. “It’s a multinational investment company based out of New York City. Our own congressmen recently put out a statement very concerned about the national security risks that Blackrock is engaged in, by investing in blacklisted Chinese companies. Another 14% of Navigator CO2 is owned by a fund out of the United Arab Emirates,” said Hansen.     

KFYR: CO2 pipeline debate offers landowners additional information
Beth Warden, 8/23/23

“Landowners from across the state arrived in Brookings Tuesday night for an opportunity to hear more about landowner rights and CO2 pipelines,” KFYR reports. “…The answers and rebuttals came from proponent Elizabeth Burns-Thompson of Navigator Pipeline and opponent Republican SD House of Representative Jon Hansen… “Hansen highlighted safety issues and what he believes to be a lack of information due to the withholding of models that depict what a breach in the pipeline could look like… “Hansen highlighted safety and property rights issues. He also has concerns about what he believes to be a lack of information due to the withholding of models depicting what a breach in the pipeline could look like. “The biggest threat to freedom and safety of these property owners is not bad actors. It’s carbon sequestration pipeline companies that want to take their land without consent and put a dangerous pipeline in their ground,” said Hansen… “Hansen notes one of the states he believes applying pressure for CO2 pipelines wants them located elsewhere. “What California is doing with these pipelines; there’s a moratorium in place. So in South Dakota here, we’re bending to the market regulators in California, and they themselves won’t even subject themselves to the risk of these pipelines. That’s absurd,” said Hansen.

The Intercept: LOUISIANA PUSHES AHEAD WITH BUILDING CARBON PIPELINES IN CANCER ALLEY
Delaney Nolan, 8/24/23

“DEEP IN THE wooded hills above Satartia, Mississippi, on an evening after weeks of rain, a patch of soaked ground collapsed. That was all it took,” The Intercept reports. “With a tremendous roar, the two-foot-wide Delhi pipeline ruptured, blowing a 40-foot crater into the side of a slope. A cool fog drifted downhill from the blast site and rolled across the highway into the tiny town. Jerry Briggs, fire coordinator for neighboring Warren County, was quickly on the scene. He assumed the pipe was spewing natural gas; such pipelines crisscross the region. But as his team rushed to help the victims, what they saw didn’t make sense. People were acting like “zombies,” dazed and walking in circles or gazing back blankly as responders yelled for them to evacuate. Others convulsed, drooling, as panic-stricken family members called 911. In the end, 49 people were hospitalized. Some still have symptoms and struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder. It wasn’t until about an hour after the February 2020 explosion that the pipeline operator, Denbury Inc., informed first responders what the pipeline carried: highly compressed carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is nontoxic, but it can be dangerous in dense concentrations. As the plume spread through town, it had displaced oxygen, causing mass asphyxiation. Now the specter of the Satartia leak looms large for the 130,000 residents of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, as they brace for a tremendous buildout of similar carbon pipelines. After President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law last year, developers are sprinting for billions of dollars of federal tax credits for carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS: a process in which industrial plants capture a portion of the carbon dioxide emitted from their smokestacks and then inject it deep underground for storage… “We’re already facing devastating climate impacts,” Jane Patton, a senior campaigner with the Center for International Environmental Law, told the Intercept. “What we are facing if we give into the myth and the distraction of carbon capture and storage is more devastation and catastrophe.” “…As one of the only fire chiefs in the country with firsthand experience responding to a CO2 pipeline leak, Briggs has critical knowledge absent from most standard safety training. He anticipated sharing recommendations based on his experience with the Satartia blast, including the purchase of certain equipment, like gas meters that measure CO2. But shortly before the meeting, Ascension Parish Safety Director James LeBlanc canceled it. ”We don’t use Parish-owned volunteer fire departments for political functions,” LeBlanc wrote in an email to The Intercept. He did not respond to questions about why he categorized the public safety meeting as political. Briggs was taken aback by local officials’ resistance. “My role is training and education,” he told the Intercept. “I’m not coming to bash a pipeline. I’m coming to educate your fire department on what we encountered.” He said such public safety sessions between different fire stations are common, and he’s never encountered similar interference… “Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, expressed alarm that public safety officials would brush off Briggs’s efforts, given the risks and hazards particular to carbon pipelines and their current underregulation. “That is the opposite of what we should be doing,” Caram stressed. “Those first responders in Satartia, they’re not activists. They are heroes. … That is a precious resource, to have that direct experience.” “…Richard Kuprewicz, a pipeline regulatory adviser who has testified before Congress, voiced grave concerns about these plans. “Folks, we’re getting ahead of the curve here,” he told The Intercept. “I understand we want to save the world, but, Jesus. Do you have any idea what a rupture force is for something that big? It’d be huge. You’re going to be doing body counts.”

The Tribune-Star: Radio program to discuss carbon wells, pipeline project
8/23/23

“This weekend on DLC Media radio stations, programming will include conversations with those concerned about a proposed carbon sequestration and pipeline project,” The Tribune-Star reports. “On Saturday’s “Policy and Politics with Dave Crooks,” guests will be Kerwin Olson of the Citizens Action Coalition and Clate CT Sanquenetti, a local resident and creator of Concerned Citizens against Wabash Valley Resources… “The Indiana General Assembly has approved a project by Wabash Valley Resources to construct a billion-dollar facility north of Terre Haute designed to manufacture Fertilizer and collect and capture carbon and store it in the ground in our area. The company also plans to build an 11 mile pipeline and may need to use eminent domain to secure easements. Many residents are opposed to the project and have attended recent meetings in Terre Haute, New Goshen and Universal.”

Canadian Press: Trans Mountain pipeline project runs into fresh construction-related hurdle
8/23/23

“The Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project has run into another construction-related hurdle that could delay its completion,” the Canadian Press reports. “The crown corporation that owns the pipeline has filed for regulatory approval to modify the route of one of the remaining stretches of pipe yet to be completed. In its regulatory filing, Trans Mountain Corp. said it has run into engineering difficulties related to the drilling of a tunnel in B.C… “But it faces opposition from the Stk’emlupsemc te Secwepemc Nation, whose traditional territory the pipeline crosses and who had agreed to the originally proposed route and construction method. In its filing, Trans Mountain Corp. says it needs the regulator to make a decision as soon as possible to avoid construction delays that could result in significantly increased construction costs for the project.”

Bloomberg: Trans Mountain pipeline at risk of more delays with route change
Robert Tuttle, 8/23/23

“A controversial pipeline expansion that’s set to boost Canada’s oil shipments to the Pacific Coast is facing the prospect of a costly delay just months before its scheduled startup,” Bloomberg reports. “Trans Mountain is seeking a route change after running into engineering challenges while drilling a tunnel in British Columbia, according to an Aug. 10 letter filed with the Canada Energy Regulator. The change faces opposition from an Indigenous group, and if isn’t approved, the pipeline’s start date will be pushed back and its cost will “significantly increase” beyond initial estimates, government-owned Trans Mountain said in the filing. The new challenges add to repeated delays and cost overruns that have dogged the project since it began more than a decade ago… “The project’s cost has more than quadrupled to $30.9 billion. The latest complication involves a route change of roughly 1.3 kilometres of pipeline that lies in the traditional territory of the local Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation, or SSN. The tunnelling was a modification made to accommodate SSN’s concerns, and the local community wants to stick with it, according to an Aug. 4 SSN letter to Trans Mountain. Trans Mountain didn’t respond to an email request for comment, and SSN didn’t respond to similar requests via email and phone.”

Virginia Mercury: After case dismissals, work on Mountain Valley Pipeline resumes in Virginia
CHARLIE PAULLIN, 8/24/23

“Construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline has resumed in Virginia following the dismissal of several legal challenges that had been holding it up for years,” the Virginia Mercury reports. “Matthew Stafford, a manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, told the State Water Control Board Wednesday the company resumed work on the pipeline on Aug. 4 and has completed eight stream and wetland crossings… “In Virginia, Stafford said work remains in sections of Montgomery and Roanoke counties. He told the board about 90% of the project’s tree clearing is complete, as is 82% of trenching, 87% of pipe laying, 82% of welding, 77% of backfilling and 19% of restoration… “However, David Sligh, conservation director at Wild Virginia, one of the groups that has been active in litigation against Mountain Valley, told the board that on July 14, a DEQ inspection of the pipeline found major sediment accumulation in a tributary of Flatwoods Branch, which is home to the endangered Roanoke logperch… “Asked about Sligh’s claims, Mountain Valley spokesperson Natalie Cox pointed to a FERC filing by the company this March that accused Wild Virginia of seeking to “delay and obstruct” the project’s completion… “As work resumes, the project is also facing increased scrutiny from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Earlier this month, the agency issued a Notice of Proposed Safety Order for Mountain Valley calling for further assessment of pipeline conditions following the construction delays. “PHMSA’s ongoing investigation indicates that conditions may exist on [Mountain Valley] facilities that pose a pipeline integrity risk to public safety, property, or the environment,” wrote Robert Burrough, director of the agency’s Eastern Region Office.

WASHINGTON UPDATES

E&E News: ‘Drill, frack, burn coal’: Republicans echo Trump at presidential debate
Scott Waldman, 8/24/23

“Former President Donald Trump might not have been at Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate, but his energy policy and rejection of climate science took center stage,” E&E News reports. “Trump’s push for energy dominance cast a long shadow over the eight candidates onstage in Wisconsin, and all promised to essentially follow in his footsteps if they can overcome his massive polling advantage to win the nomination next year. “This isn’t that complicated guys, unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear,” technology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said. The debate showed that, while the candidates aim to differentiate themselves from the front-runner, none are seizing on climate policy or support for renewable energy manufacturing and jobs as a way to stand out. “We’re going to open up all energy production, we’re going to be energy dominant in this country,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in the first minutes of the debate, echoing a familiar Trump line. Energy policy is one of the primary areas of agreement for the Republican candidates. They have all called for a massive increase in domestic oil and gas production and a shift away from President Joe Biden’s aggressive clean energy push. The candidates have universally criticized Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, and some have promised to repeal the climate law or slow its implementation if Congress won’t go along. Candidates also pushed for a slowdown in clean energy by claiming it only helps China, a regular talking point on Capitol Hill. “These green subsidies that Biden has put in, all he’s done is help China because he doesn’t understand,” former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said, adding, “Half of the batteries for electric vehicles are made in China, so that’s not helping the environment, you’re putting money in China’s pocket.”

Wall Street Journal: How Oil and Tech Giants Came to Rule a Vital Climate Industry
Amrith Ramkumar, 8/24/23

“The technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere is unproven at scale and the economics are just taking shape. What has become clear this year is that carbon removal is now the realm of giant companies and big government support,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The Energy Department this month committed $1.2 billion to create two carbon-removal hubs in Texas and Louisiana, home to a large portion of the U.S. fossil-fuel industry. The biggest competitor in the Texas project will be Occidental Petroleum, which has its own billion-dollar bet on the technology. Three deals this year cemented corporate involvement in the sector: Exxon Mobil is buying one of the biggest operators of pipelines that move carbon to sites where it can be stashed underground; Occidental is buying one of the two most established carbon-removal technology companies; and the other experienced carbon-removal startup completed the first third-party verified process and cashed in on it by selling carbon credits to Microsoft and other big companies… “The Energy Department money, which is a record investment in the sector and the largest from a government, is designed to create an industry that is seen as vital to limiting climate change… “We have to get these projects up and running so there’s a commercial wave that follows them,” David Crane, the Energy Department’s undersecretary for infrastructure, told the Journal. He previously was chief executive of power-generation company NRG… “Large fossil-fuel companies have long been interested in technologies that remove carbon from the atmosphere because they could neutralize the emissions their products create. Occidental, the most aggressive fossil-fuel giant in carbon removal, is spending billions of dollars on the effort. Chief Executive Vicki Hollub has said direct-air capture would enable the company to keep producing oil for decades… “Critics argue that removing carbon from the atmosphere just to offset new carbon pumped in by fossil fuels won’t help fight climate change. “It really does raise some fundamental questions about the political sustainability of these efforts,” Danny Cullenward, a research fellow at American University’s Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy, told the Journal. “People are increasingly assuming that oil production and [direct-air capture] go together. That’s not healthy if your goal is to separate those things.” “…Carbon removal has become increasingly popular for businesses because it provides certainty that companies are helping the climate, though many consumers remain hesitant.  “There’s no illusion that the taxpayers rose as one and asked for a direct-air capture program,” the Energy Department’s Crane told the Journal.

Press release: Biden Administration Urged to Ditch Planned Hydrogen Investments
8/23/23

“A nationwide coalition of more than 180 conservation, Indigenous, faith, labor and social justice organizations urged the Biden administration today to scrap plans to rapidly expand investment in the production and use of hydrogen. The U.S. Department of Energy is championing hydrogen as a supposed climate solution despite the heavy reliance of fossil fuels in its production. “Calling hydrogen clean energy is a scam to prop up the oil and gas industry,” said Silas Grant, a campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Biden administration’s plans to expand this dirty energy will only increase oil and gas extraction at a time when the climate emergency demands the opposite. We need investment in affordable, reliable, community-supported renewable energy like wind and solar.” In its letter to the Department of Energy, the coalition said a large-scale buildout of hydrogen infrastructure will intensify the climate emergency by emitting greenhouse gases and increase pollution in frontline communities. Ninety-five percent of hydrogen produced today is made from fossil fuels, and hydrogen production emits even more smog-causing nitrogen oxide when combusted than methane, threatening public health. “Deployment of massive hydrogen hubs is a distraction from real climate action that will cause more pollution, more strain on water resources, and more extraction of climate warming fossil fuels,” said Jim Walsh, policy director with Food & Water Watch. “President Biden can’t claim to be a climate leader while his administration continues to embrace the hydrogen climate scam and other policies that continue to perpetuate fossil fuel production and infrastructure.” Frontline communities and groups concerned about pipeline safety have also raised concerns about hydrogen transportation. Hydrogen burns hotter than gas and is more combustible and corrosive to pipelines, meaning that even small ruptures can cause explosions. All forms of hydrogen use vast quantities of water, which make it an unsustainable source of energy especially in drought-stricken regions.”

Politico: Lawsuit Settlement Prompts Interior To Narrow Gulf Of Mexico Oil Lease Sale 
Ben Lefebvre, 8/23/23

“The Biden administration released the final details of an upcoming offshore oil lease sale — one that would reduce the number of federal acres available for oil and gas development following the settlement of a lawsuit with environmental groups,” Politico reports. “Details: Lease sale 261 would put up for consideration 67 million acres of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico in an auction on Sept. 27, according to an announcement Wednesday by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. That’s down from the 73 million acres that BOEM offered at its previous Gulf lease sale in March. Interior extended protections over some areas of the Gulf as part of a deal the Biden administration made with environmental groups to settle a lawsuit that targeted the Trump administration’s environmental review of the area. A National Marine Fisheries Service review in 2020 found that the habitat of the endangered Rice’s whale in the Gulf of Mexico was larger than previously known, prompting the Biden administration in the settlement to expand protections into the newly discovered area and taking it out of consideration for oil and gas drilling.”

World Pipelines: API Finds Flaws In Biden Administration’s New Offshore Leasing Plan 
8/23/23

“The American Petroleum Institute (API) released the following statement from API Vice President of Upstream Policy Holly Hopkins, in response to the Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) Final Notice of Sale for Lease Sale 261: ‘While the Department of the Interior announced a much-needed offshore lease sale today, the Biden administration continues to throw up roadblock after roadblock to American energy production, prioritizing their campaign promise to stop American oil and natural gas development in federal waters over their duty to meet Americans’ energy needs,” World Pipelines reports. “With this announcement, the administration is removing more than 10 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico and adding new and unjustified restrictions on oil and gas vessels operating in this area, amounting to a lease sale in name only. These restrictions are not supported by the record and target the men and women of the oil and natural gas industry operating in this region, ignoring all other vessel traffic. ‘Today’s announcement leaves American energy developers in a period of extended uncertainty, with no future offshore lease sales scheduled. This action defies Congress’s mandate in the Inflation Reduction Act, jeopardizes U.S. energy security and violates the Biden administration’s energy obligations to the American people.”

Law360: Biden Administration ESA Rules Spark Comment Fireworks 
Juan Carlos Rodriguez, 8/23/23

“Environmental and industry groups clashed over how far the Biden administration should go in rolling back Trump-era Endangered Species Act regulations, with a variety of advocacy groups urging federal agencies to go back to the drawing board and finalize either more or less stringent rules,” Law360 reports. “In 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service issued three rules that weakened ESA implementation regulations in different ways. The Biden administration has now proposed reversing course, and in about 100,000 public comments submitted to the agencies before Monday’s deadline, industry groups said the two federal agencies are going too far, and environmental groups said there’s more that should be done. In one rule, the FWS proposed reinstating what’s known as the ‘blanket 4(d) rule,’ named after Section 4(d) of the ESA, which automatically extended protections for endangered species to threatened species. Section 4(d) rules either specify particular protections for a species or lay out exemptions for a certain activity that affects a species. Before the Trump administration rescinded it in 2019, the blanket rule had been in place for nearly 40 years. The Center for Biological Diversity said it ‘strongly supports’ reinstating the rule.”

STATE UPDATES

InsideClimate News: Appalachian Economy Sees Few Gains From Natural Gas Development, Report Says
Jon Hurdle, 8/23/23

“Natural gas production in the Appalachian region of the United States has failed to produce promised increases in jobs and income since the fracking boom began there in the late 2000s, with economic stagnation likely to persist now that output of the fuel has passed its peak, according to a report issued on Tuesday,” InsideClimate News reports. “The study from the Ohio River Valley Institute, a nonprofit research group, found that gas-producing areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia lost more than 10,000 jobs from 2008 to 2021 and that their personal income growth trailed that of the three states and the U.S. as a whole. Their population dropped by more than 46,000 during the period. Even though gross domestic product of the 22-county region surged at four times the rate of the states overall from 2008 to 2019,  little of that new wealth helped local economies because natural gas investment is mostly made in capital, not labor, and because many of the industry’s workers came from distant areas like Texas or Oklahoma where oil and gas skills were more readily available, the report said… “The American Petroleum Institute of Pennsylvania, a trade group for oil and gas producers, rejected the report as “flawed” and argued that the industry has brought strong economic benefits to the state… “The negative outlook for natural gas extends to proposals for building a petrochemical “hub” in the region, which was promoted by industry and some state and local government leaders as a way to use abundant nearby gas reserves. So far, only one of five proposed plastics plants, operated by Shell in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has been built, the study said. The plant, which began operating at full capacity in November, agreed to pay the state of Pennsylvania $10 million in penalties in May after emitting more air pollutants in its first months of operation than its state permits allow.  The 22-county region, dubbed “Frackalachia” by the report’s authors, has become the victim of false promises by gas-industry boosters and some state officials that the natural gas boom would bring new riches to local economies, they concluded. “This report, its predecessors and struggling downtowns in Frackalachia, provide overwhelming evidence that the predictions weren’t only wrong, they were the products of deeply flawed and biased analyses,” said the report, written by Sean O’Leary, the institute’s senior researcher. It predicted that plans for a petrochemical buildout, as well as a potential storage hub for natural gas liquids, will also fail to deliver on promises of prosperity.”

Associated Press: Cleanup Workers Are Gone But Petroleum Asphalt Is Still An Issue In Yellowstone River Following Derailment 
8/24/23

“Two months after a railroad bridge collapse sent carloads of hazardous oil products plunging into Montana’s Yellowstone River, the cleanup workers are gone and a mess remains,” the Associated Press reports. “Thick mats of tarry petroleum asphalt cover portions of sandbars. Oil-speckled rocks and bushes line the shore along with chunks of yellow sulfur, a component of crude. In the middle of the river downstream of the bridge, a tangle of steel juts out of the water from a ruptured railroad tank car that has not been removed. The railroad, Montana Rail Link, in conjunction with federal and state officials last week halted most cleanup work and stopped actively looking for more contaminated sites. They said dropping river levels that have been exposing more pollution also make it harder to safely operate the large power boats used by cleanup crews. Almost half the estimated 48,000 gallons of molten petroleum asphalt that spilled has not been recovered, officials said. That includes 450 sites with asphalt in quantities considered too small or too difficult for efficient removal, according to data provided to the Associated Press.”

Cowboy State Daily: Dirty’ Industry Workers Aren’t Transitioning To ‘Green’ Jobs, Study Finds
Kevin Killough, 8/22/23

“The Biden administration has long promised that as it moves to shut down coal plants and restrict oil and gas drilling on public lands, workers in coal and petroleum industries would find new careers in the “green economy.” It doesn’t appear that’s happening,” the Cowboy State Daily reports. “A new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) finds that fewer than 1% of all workers who leave jobs in coal, oil and gas transition to jobs in low-carbon industries. In most cases, the report determined, people working in a high-carbon industry end up moving to another high-carbon industry.  In June, the administration bragged that “clean” energy jobs grew 3.9% in 2022, which amounted to an additional 114,000 jobs nationally. The NBER report found that the rate of transition from “dirty” to “green” jobs increased 10-fold between 2005 to 2021, which means it rose from near zero to less than 1%. The report considers all extractive industries as dirty, including mining, oil and gas, coal and refining. It also includes many manufacturing industries, such as cement production, paper and pulp factories, and chemical production… “In Wyoming, there’s been a large drop in employees working in petroleum and coal mining. According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, between December 2014 and June 2023, the number of people employed in oil and gas extraction in Wyoming fell from 4,600 workers to 2,300. In that same period, the number of people employed in coal mining fell from about 6,600 to fewer than 4,600… “If there are any oil or coal workers looking to move into the wind industry, the college’s enrollment suggests they aren’t retraining through LCCC. There isn’t a lot of evidence that workers in “dirty” industries are entering college programs to retrain for new careers in other high-carbon jobs. 

Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico public land offered for oil drilling amid calls for federal energy reforms
Adrian Hedden, 8/23/23

“Federal land managers proposed leasing public land to the oil and gas industry in southeast New Mexico’s Permian Basin region, with an auction slated for the second quarter of 2024,” the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports. “…The BLM sought technical comments during its 30-day public scoping period running until Sept. 20. Those interested in providing feedback on the lands proposed for sale can do so on the BLM’s lease sale website. Comments will be used as the agency drafts an environmental analysis (EA) for the lands offered for lease and expected drilling activity on the parcels. Extracting oil or gas from the leased lands would still require an approved application to permit drilling through the BLM, and leases continue for 10 years or as long as fossil fuels are produced… “But amid continued use of public lands for oil and gas extraction, environmental groups became concern that too much of the land was being used for fossil fuels, impeding efforts to transition to less-polluting forms of energy and conserve natural resources. Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Resources for the Future focused on energy production in the Permian Basin of New Mexico in a study published Monday, contending the region’s economy could be threatened by its singular focus on oil and gas… “Efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions could reduce demand for fossil fuels, the report read, potentially leading to economic declines in southeast New Mexico and other fossil-fuel based regions throughout the U.S.”

TODAY IN GREENWASHING

Enbridge: Investing in Biodiversity and Conservation at Enbridge
8/23/23

“Enbridge works across many different landscapes—some densely populated, some remote—to create and operate the energy infrastructure that communities rely on,” according to Enbridge. “Every place we work is ecologically and culturally important. We also invest in programs that promote environmental stewardship and conservation, and work closely with local and Indigenous communities and other stakeholders to promote shared environmental values and priorities. Each business unit must implement an integrated management system and an environmental protection program (EPP) that meet Enbridge’s requirements and ensure regulatory and permit compliance. The goal of the EPP is to anticipate, prevent, manage and mitigate environmental risk and conditions that could adversely affect the environment… “Through Enbridge Fueling Futures, we make investments in conservation and research projects focused on biodiversity, such as the RGV Reef study, which was launched in 2022. We also provide funding and create opportunities for employees to support activities like tree planting and habitat restoration. We work with landowners and local and Indigenous communities that may potentially be affected by our projects and operations to meaningfully address their environmental priorities and concerns.”

OPINION

Daily Caller: A Day One Energy Agenda For The Next Republican President
David Blackmon, 8/23/23

“With or without Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidates have much to talk about during their first debate Wednesday night. One key topic that should not be omitted but normally receives short shrift in these debates is energy, and what steps related to energy any new Republican president should take upon assuming office in January 2025,” David Blackmon writes for the Daily Caller. “Joe Biden felt energy policy so important that he had his Day 1 promise to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline despite the operator, TC Energy, not being found in violation of any U.S. law or regulation related to it, and he carried it out. A new GOP president should promise to reverse that order even though TC Energy has said it would not try to renew the project, simply on constitutional and symbolic grounds. Further, a new GOP president should have a Day 1 agenda of his or her own, an extensive one that would move fast to end the worst excesses being imposed in the energy policy realm by the Biden regime, and to shore up U.S. energy security which is being greatly diminished by Biden’s failure to compete for resources and secure supply chains currently dominated by China. Here are some humbly-offered suggestions for actions that should be included in this Day 1 agenda: A promise to force a return to the equal enforcement of the rule of law related to “green” energy projects as they have been applied to all other energy-related projects. Too many such projects favored by Biden officials are being green-lit right now without proper performance of environmental impact studies and consideration of other conditions of approval that have always been applied to all oil, gas, coal and nuclear projects. This must end… “An executive order calling for an immediate suspension of all offshore wind projects until impacts on sea life have been properly assessed… “An order revoking immediately the U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s politically-motivated decision to list the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard as an endangered species, a move being made despite the success of a conservation plan run jointly by the state of Texas and federal government.”