December 2022 - News - lists.frackcheckwv.net

Hydrogen Hasn’t Been This Popular Since the Dirigible Liftoffs
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 21 Dec '22

21 Dec '22

# [Hydrogen Hasn’t Been This Popular Since the Dirigible Liftoffs](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/21/hydrogen- hasn%e2%80%99t-been-this-popular-since-the-dirigible-liftoff/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/B1B624FA-2AD6-40D1-B2F7-51CDF37B6221-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/B1B624FA-2AD6-40D1-B2F7-51CDF37B6221.jpeg) Air Liquide Innovation Campus Delaware in Newark **VIEWPOINT: Hydrogen is key to energy transition** >> [Article by Guest Writer, Delaware Business Journal](https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/viewpoint-hydrogen-is-key-t… energy-transition/), August 29, 2022 This week, Air Liquide was proud to host at our Innovation Campus Delaware (ICD) U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Governor John Carney for a productive discussion of our nation’s energy future and the key role that hydrogen will play in decarbonizing some of our most carbon intensive industries. Following the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law by President Biden, the United States is in a stronger position than ever to strengthen its domestic hydrogen market to the benefit of our environment and economy. The energy tax provisions included in the new law send a strong market signal that the United States is serious about hydrogen’s role in driving a clean energy transition, incentivizing continued private sector investment and increased hydrogen production. It is important to note that the technologies for hydrogen exist today. Alongside programs like the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen Hub program, we are now poised to make real progress on the regional and localized deployment of hydrogen technologies and infrastructure across the country. In doing so, we will be able to make hydrogen more accessible and affordable for consumers across the economic spectrum looking to curb their carbon footprints. Hydrogen provides the flexibility and reliability needed to achieve a true clean energy transition swiftly and effectively. Indeed, it can decarbonize our transportation and industrial sectors – which are the source for the majority of our nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – and facilitate the onboarding of more renewable energy on the electric, and can serve as critical, scalable energy storage. In addition to its environmental benefits, the development of a strong domestic hydrogen market will support the growth of our economy and create critical new clean energy jobs for American workers. According to a recent McKinsey report, a mature domestic hydrogen market stands to deliver an estimated $140 billion per year in revenue and 700,000 new jobs across the hydrogen value chain by 2030. Globally, by 2050, the global hydrogen economy could avoid 6 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions, create a $2.5 trillion market for hydrogen and fuel cell equipment, and provide sustainable employment for more than 30 million people. Simply put, hydrogen is proof that our environment and economy can grow hand- in-hand. It is no coincidence that this week’s discussion on our energy future took place in Delaware. The state has an impressive and inspiring history as a bastion for American innovation. From medicine to aerospace to defense and technology, so much of the R&D that has progressed our economy, society, and modern way of life has links to Delaware’s universities, corporations, and entrepreneurs. In fact, it is this legacy that drove Air Liquide’s decision 15 years ago to establish the Innovation Campus, the anchor of research and development for the Americas, in Newark. We saw clearly that Delaware’s commitment to innovation matched our own. Today, the ICD signifies a $100 million investment in innovation and the advanced technologies that will change the future, like hydrogen for the clean energy transition, working in partnership with entities like DOE and the University of Delaware. The R&D conducted at the ICD supports the cutting-edge technology that Air Liquide deploys in its operations, in support of the development of the U.S. hydrogen market and the achievement of our national and global environmental goals. In partnership with DOE, the ICD is currently focused on demonstrating the first-of-its-kind hydrogen refueling infrastructure for maritime applications, developing an integrated approach for sustainable steelmaking, solving the technical challenges of blending hydrogen in natural gas pipelines, and enhancing the technology of high-density hydrogen energy storage. And that’s but a fraction of the exciting work underway. As we look forward to the promise of emerging technologies and the next phase of our nation’s energy landscape, it is essential that we have the right public policies in place to support further investment and commitment. To- date, Air Liquide has invested more than $1 billion into hydrogen in the U.S., and we are committed to investing another $10 billion globally in the entire low-carbon hydrogen value chain by 2035. The energy tax provisions of the IRA send a strong signal that the United States takes hydrogen’s role in our clean energy future seriously, and is an example of the smart climate policy needed to make that future a reality. >>> Adam Peters is the CEO of Air Liquide North America #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **Hindenburg Disaster: Real Zeppelin Explosion Footage (1937 …** **Video here** ~ <https://youtu.be/CgWHbpMVQ1U> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/21/hydrogen-hasn%e2%80%99t-been- this-popular-since-the-dirigible-liftoff/>

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Pros & Cons of FRACKING IN WEST VIRGINIA Are Not Even Equal
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 20 Dec '22

20 Dec '22

# [Pros & Cons of FRACKING IN WEST VIRGINIA Are Not Even Equal](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/20/pros-cons-of-fracking-in-wes… virginia-are-not-even-equal/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/B4198A3A-E13D-4A22-84CD-689162DAA3CC.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/B4198A3A-E13D-4A22-84CD-689162DAA3CC.jpeg) Some people have well water that is at risk or already contaminated **Fracking ‘pros’ never appear, but its ‘cons’ do** From a [Letter by Barbara Daniels, Morgantown Dominion Post, Sunday](https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/12/17/dec-18-letters-to-the- editor-2/), December 18, 2022 **According to the Ohio River Valley Institute, in the most heavily fracked county in West Virginia, the industry promise of jobs never materialized.** What did materialize, though, was a reduced population, dangerously polluted air and water and major damage to infrastructure. Also damaged was the clean, wild and wonderful West Virginia that supports tourism, recreation and farming. Yet even with the highest gas production in West Virginia, **Wetzel County still suffers from double digit unemployment**. A recent study conducted by the **Environmental Working Group** states just one fracked drilling site deploys harmful chemicals sufficient “to contaminate more than 100 billion gallons of drinking water to unsafe levels … more than 10 times as much water … New York uses in a single day.” These chemicals are often so dangerous that frack-waste cleanup crews report sores covering their legs and soles burnt off boots. **Wetzel County** also had many frack vehicle accidents; dump trucks smashed through guardrails, semis straddling roads, cranes toppled into ravines and drill rigs fallen off semis — on deeply rutted roads littered with industry equipment. Meanwhile, Marcellus gas is mainly exported to other countries, keeping U.S. natural gas prices high. However, as a **Bloomberg** report put it, extraordinarily generous fossil- fuel subsidies hide the true cost of fracking, wherein the average well production declines by 60% in the first year. So, though needing more and more costly wells to maintain output, destructive drilling — using taxpayer dollars — continues. While fracking created startlingly few jobs in **Appalachia** , most of them no longer exist. Instead, the money went to corporate profits and out-of-state workers. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See also** : [Health Professionals: Fracking Can’t Be Done Without Threatening Public Health](https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/health- professionals-fracking-cant-be-done-without-threatening-public-health), Grant Smith (EWG) & Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D. (EWG), March 16, 2018 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/20/pros-cons-of-fracking-in-west- virginia-are-not-even-equal/>

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Drilling & Fracking Exposes Workers and Residents to Toxic Chemicals
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 19 Dec '22

19 Dec '22

# [Drilling & Fracking Exposes Workers and Residents to Toxic Chemicals](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/19/drilling-fracking-expose… workers-and-residents-to-toxic-chemicals/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/D217B31F-C248-4944-99EF-8A973AFAF3EF-258x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/D217B31F-C248-4944-99EF-8A973AFAF3EF.jpeg) Some of the impacts are shown in this earlier study! **We can’t forget the health dangers of fracking** Letter from [Joseph Otis Minott, Penn Capital Star](https://www.penncapital- star.com/commentary/we-cant-forget-the-health-dangers-of-fracking-opinion/), December 18, 2022 **It’s time Pennsylvania residents and regulators demand that the health risks of fracking be addressed.** Although it’s taken far too long – and so much work lies ahead – confronting the climate crisis has become a defining policy goal of the U.S. government, and people are starting to notice. International conferences like COP27 draw extensive coverage, and more and more parts of society are taking part in the conversation around climate change. Whether that talk will lead to necessary action is still unclear, but people are recognizing the need to move away from fossil fuels, including fracked gas. Yet climate impacts are just one aspect of the threat posed by fossil fuels. A growing body of research is confirming a dangerous link between fracking and a wide range of health problems. It’s time Pennsylvania residents and regulators demand these health risks be addressed, including by establishing safer distances between fracking sites and people’s homes under state law. A recent **Yale School of the Environment** report details the established connection between fracking and health risks. **Physicians for Social Responsibility** and Concerned Health Professionals of New York report that 17.6 million people live within a mile of a fracked oil or gas well. That’s a public health crisis, according to the healthcare professionals and scientists in the group. Earlier this year, Yale researchers found that children living near Pennsylvania wells that use fracking to extract gas (aka methane) are two to three times more likely to contract a form of childhood leukemia than their peers who live farther away. Another study from Harvard found that elderly people living near or downwind from gas pads have a higher risk of premature death than seniors who don’t live in that proximity. Across thousands of peer-reviewed research papers, the health effects linked to exposure to fracking include respiratory conditions, heart disease, cancer, stress, and adverse effects on the developing fetus. For at-risk groups and all Pennsylvania residents, greater protections are needed. There are a few commonsense actions we can take now. The first is to require safer distances between these toxic fracking sites and the areas where people live and work. Known as setbacks or protective buffers, these limits on how close fracking infrastructure can be to buildings, schools, hospitals, and natural resources are established in Pennsylvania law. Currently, Pennsylvania only requires that well pads be 500 feet from residential buildings. Some well pads are 40 acres across – yet can be within 500 feet of a school or hospital. According to the Yale study and many others, a 500-foot barrier is woefully inadequate in protecting populations from the health hazards of fracking. **Earlier this year, Clean Air Council partnered with several Pennsylvania environmental groups to form Protective Buffers PA. The Coalition calls for statewide action creating larger protective buffers between fracking sites and our communities and natural sites.** Some states, such as New York, have banned fracking because of its negative impact on public health. Pennsylvania should do the same. But if fracking is going to be allowed, Protective Buffers are a proven and no-cost solution to the public health crisis caused by fracking. Yet in the context of a growing body of research and the tremendous threat of climate change, these setbacks should only be a stepping stone toward a more permanent and impactful solution: to deliberately phase out fracking and methane production and transition to a renewable energy. Fracking poses a threat to current and future Pennsylvania residents. It poses a threat to our current and future environment. It poses a threat to our current and future communities. It’s time to create a safe distance between our schools, hospitals and residences and fracking as we work to phase out fossil fuels for good. >>> Joseph Otis Minott is the executive director and chief counsel of Clean Air Council in Philadelphia. CAC also has an office in Pittsburgh. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/19/drilling-fracking-exposes- workers-and-residents-to-toxic-chemicals/>

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SIXTH Mass Extinction Underway on EARTH
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 18 Dec '22

18 Dec '22

# [SIXTH Mass Extinction Underway on EARTH](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/18/sixth-mass-extinction-underw… on-earth/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/182F9FB2-AE64-42D6-995C-861BE703FA01.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/182F9FB2-AE64-42D6-995C-861BE703FA01.jpeg) An Article, an Audio CD Set, and a best selling Book by Elizabeth Kolbert **Coextinctions dominate future vertebrate losses from climate and land use change** [Scientific Article by Giavonni Strona & Corey Bradshaw, Science Magazine](https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.abn4345?et_rid=24…, Dec. 16, 2022 **ABSTRACT** ~ Although theory identifies coextinctions as a main driver of biodiversity loss, their role at the planetary scale has yet to be estimated. We subjected a global model of interconnected terrestrial vertebrate food webs to future (2020–2100) climate and land-use changes. We predict a 17.6% (± 0.16% SE) average reduction of local vertebrate diversity globally by 2100, with coextinctions increasing the effect of primary extinctions by 184.2% (± 10.9% SE) on average under an intermediate emissions scenario. Communities will lose up to a half of ecological interactions, thus reducing trophic complexity, network connectance, and community resilience. **The model reveals that the extreme toll of global change for vertebrate diversity might be of secondary importance compared to the damages to ecological network structure.** **INTRODUCTION** ~ **The planet has entered the sixth mass extinction (1–5)**. **There are multiple causes underlying the rapid increase in observed and modeled extinction rates in recent times, of which land-use change, overharvesting, pollution, climate change, and biological invasions figure as dominant processes (6).** However, assessing the relative importance and the realistic impact of such drivers at the global scale remains a challenge. Another aspect rendering assessment difficult are the synergies between drivers — a species might go extinct for multiple, simultaneous reasons, and in such contexts, ecological interactions play a fundamental role in predicting its fate (7). Growing recognition of the importance of species interactions in promoting the emergence of biodiversity in complex natural communities implies that an additional, fundamental component of biodiversity loss is represented by the amplification of primary extinctions across ecological networks. Coextinction — the loss of species caused by direct or indirect effects stemming from other extinctions — is now recognized as a major contributor to global biodiversity loss, strongly amplifying the effect of primary (e.g., climate-driven) extinctions (8–11). Networks of ecological interactions are central to global patterns of diversity loss not only because coextinctions can be triggered by other extinction drivers, but also because network structure and dynamics might modulate several processes that can either reduce or increase extinction rate. For example, it is intuitive that a species’ success in colonizing a new area depends strongly on its ability to exploit local resources while simultaneously escaping enemies (predators and parasites). The addition of the new species might also initiate substantial changes to and have important cascading effects in the local network. Ignoring the structure of ecological networks and how they reconfigure as their constituent diversity changes therefore gives a possibly misleading view of the future of global diversity. Previous attempts to predict the future of global diversity in the face of climate change and habitat modification have only considered the direct effects of these drivers on species (typically on single taxonomic groups), without explicitly accounting for ecological interactions. For instance, Thomas et al. (12) used projections of species’ distributions and species-area relationships to predict extinction rates for 20% of Earth’s surface, and Malcolm et al. (13) applied both species-area and endemic-area relationships to predictions of biome shift under climate change in **Biodiversity Hotspots**. van Vuuren et al. (14) also applied species-area relationships to vascular plants to project extinctions under different land-use and climate- change scenarios within the **Millennium Ecosystem Assessment** , and Jetz et al. (15) used a similar approach for birds. Others have applied analogous techniques to many other taxa, including lizards (16), crop wild relatives (17), chelonians (18), bird, amphibians, and corals (19). Later, Warren et al. (20) applied point-process and global circulation models to predict climate change–induced shifts in species’ distributions, and Urban (21) did a meta- analysis (including many of the studies cited above) to predict extinction rates of various taxa under several climate-change scenarios. Despite this extensive research foundation, future inferences of biodiversity’s fate over the coming century are likely to underestimate extinctions arising from global change (11). Apart from the obvious modeling and computational challenges to incorporate interactions among species, the main reason why there are few studies accounting for interactions is that obtaining sufficient data in most communities is intractable. Therefore, global-scale modeling of entire ecosystems appears to be the only viable solution, even if a challenging one (11, 22). Recent developments in network approaches have shown that potential ecological interactions can be derived by applying different techniques (e.g., machine learning) to available datasets on species distribution and ecology (23, 24). In previous work (11), we built on that idea to generate global- scale models of biodiversity by including species interactions using virtual species constructed to follow real-world archetypes. In such synthetic approaches, a virtual species is a plausible ecological entity that has a combination of ecological traits consistent with real-world species despite not corresponding exactly to them. There are several advantages in using virtual species in this manner. The first is that once the rules have been set to generate virtual species, current gaps and biases in biodiversity sampling cease to be a limitation; we can use virtual species to populate the entire Earth and generate plausible ecological communities, even in areas where data on local diversity are scarce or missing. Second, virtual species avoid preconceptions (and biases) about current biodiversity patterns, permitting instead a focus on the processes involved in change. Here, we can populate an entire virtual planet with species, let them develop communities based on a modest set of realistic ecological rules and assumptions, and then explore the emerging patterns. With such an approach, real-world data serve as a template for generating the virtual species and for identifying the basic ecological rules controlling community dynamics and as a benchmark with which to validate the realism of modeled predictions. We previously demonstrated how coextinctions increase the pace of annihilation of life on Earth by up to 10 times relative to primary extinctions, but only in the face of catastrophic, no-return environmental change modeled as either extreme planetary heating or cooling (11). Although an instructive proof of concept, that model contained many simplifications and was applied to (hopefully) unrealistic scenarios of global change. Building on that original approach, here we developed a more complex, and ecologically realistic dynamic model to represent all terrestrial vertebrate communities with which we project future biodiversity trends. By accounting for both primary extinctions and their resulting coextinctions, the model predicts the cumulative toll on global biodiversity of different climate and land-use change projections up to 2100 at a spatial scale of 1° × 1° and at a monthly temporal resolution. In addition to providing estimates of potential global diversity loss, the model quantifies the relative contribution of the different extinction drivers at the global scale for the first time. [This Article continues in Science Magazine.](https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.abn4345?et_rid=2… #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See also:** [The Sixth Extinction? | Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/25/the-sixth-extinctio…, May 18, 2009 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/18/sixth-mass-extinction-underway- on-earth/>

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Endangered Candy Darter May Be Saved for Posterity
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 17 Dec '22

17 Dec '22

# [Endangered Candy Darter May Be Saved for Posterity](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/17/endangered-candy-darter- may-be-saved-for-posterity/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/4912784C-E610-4D55-A064-FACCBB0F4A71-300x199.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/4912784C-E610-4D55-A064-FACCBB0F4A71.jpeg) Endangered Candy Darter with amazing coloration. **U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ~ Candy Darter ~ Small fish, huge news!** >> Press Release for Public Distribution, December 15, 2022 **Biologists at White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery in West Virginia recently released hatchery-raised candy darters into the wild for the first time ever!** This conservation milestone was reached thanks to partners as well as the dedicated hatchery staff trialing new methods for the care of this vibrant (and rare) fish. **More on the conservation efforts to help the festive-looking candy darter:** <http://ow.ly/nZEN50LIGuG> Photo: Courtesy of Joel Sartore/Photo Ark URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/17/endangered-candy-darter-may-be- saved-for-posterity/>

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Zombie Dirty MVP ‘Reform’ Deal Dies Again (3rd Time) in Senate
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 16 Dec '22

16 Dec '22

# [Zombie Dirty MVP ‘Reform’ Deal Dies Again (3rd Time) in Senate](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/16/zombie-dirty- mvp-%e2%80%98reform%e2%80%99-deal-dies-again-3rd-time-in-senate/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/729988DD-03DD-45DE-9C91-231F3195B2E9-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/729988DD-03DD-45DE-9C91-231F3195B2E9.jpeg) Sen. Manchin is attempting to run politics over the environment! **Oxfam applauds defeat of Senator Manchin’s zombie ‘permitting reform’ deal** >> From the [News Release of Karelia Pallan, Oxfam News](https://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/press-releases/oxfam-applauds-defe… of-senator-manchins-zombie-permitting-reform-deal/), December 15, 2022 **In response to the failure of Senate amendment 6513 to the National Defense Authorization Act, Chelsea Hodgkins, Oxfam America’s Climate Policy Advisor, made the following statement:** “ _We applaud the Senators who stood with communities on the frontline of climate change today and defeated Senator Manchin’s dirty deal. It is alarming that Democratic leaders – including President Biden, Speak Pelosi, and Leader Schumer – spent time and capital resurrecting a ‘permitting reform’ deal at the 11th hour despite widespread opposition. This must be a wake-up call to leaders from all parties to work with communities to advance legitimate and sustainable climate solutions. “Defeated for the third time this year, this zombie bill would have fast- tracked dangerous fossil fuel and mining projects that would undercut the positive impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act. Senator Manchin’s proposal would do nothing to address the real barriers to renewable energy development, which include fully resourcing underfunded agencies and investing in community-supported renewable systems. “Continued reliance on fossil fuels is making communities in the US sick and driving climate change impacts in communities around the world. It is time for leaders claiming to be climate champions to cut the hypocrisy and stop this deal once and for all. “Senator Manchin’s dirty deal had absolutely no place in a must-pass bill like the National Defense Authorization Act; it is unpopular and dangerous. If we are to create a more just future that keeps warming below 1.5C, let this be the end of the debate on the dirty deal_.” NOTE 1 ~ Analysis from Oil Change International shows that the industry-backed permitting scheme would speed up permits for oil and gas projects that would be the equivalent of 665 million tons of CO2 per year, a five times greater increase of emissions than emissions reductions from renewable transmission in the package. NOTE 2 ~ This deal would expand dangerous pipelines and mines that help warm our climate and perpetuate violence and harm against women, especially Indigenous women, women in rural communities, and other women living close to mining operations. Extractives projects have known negative health impacts and have been linked to increasing gender-based violence, and other harms to women and communities of color, both of whom are disproportionately impacted by fossil fuel and mining projects. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/16/zombie-dirty- mvp-%e2%80%98reform%e2%80%99-deal-dies-again-3rd-time-in-senate/>

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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ~ Tenth Annual Penna. Shale & Public Health Conference (2022)
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ~ Tenth Annual Penna. Shale & Public Health Conference (2022)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/15/league-of-women- voters-tenth-annual-penna-shale-public-health-conference-2022/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/C44334F8-D96F-44D3-9B42-44E7DD805E05-300x46.jpg)](h… content/uploads/2022/12/C44334F8-D96F-44D3-9B42-44E7DD805E05.jpeg)**Videos Now Available — Tenth Annual Shale & Public Health Conference** >>> From the [Pennsylvania League of Women Voters, Tenth Shale Conference](https://www.shalepalwv.org/2022-shale-public-health-conference/), November 15 & 16, 2022 **We thank those of you who helped organize the conference program, who were our speakers, and who attended the[tenth annual Shale & Public Health 2022 conference](https://www.shalepalwv.org/2022-shale-public-health- conference/).** **[The videos of all sessions are now available](https://www.shalepalwv.org/2022-shale-public-health-conference/). You can watch any of the sessions you missed, re-watch a presentation, or share it with colleagues.** [**VIEW ALL SESSIONS!**](https://www.shalepalwv.org/2022-shale-public-health- conference/) **Visit our Website:** [www.ShalePalwv.org](https://www.shalepalwv.org/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/15/league-of-women-voters-tenth- annual-penna-shale-public-health-conference-2022/>

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NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR WEST VIRGINIA ~ Combined Cycle NG Power Plant & CO2 Capture
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR WEST VIRGINIA ~ Combined Cycle NG Power Plant & CO2 Capture](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/13/new-technology-for-west- virginia-combined-cycle-ng-power-plant-co2-capture/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/14F93BDA-A65B-408C-AE08-911ADD678593-300x157.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/14F93BDA-A65B-408C-AE08-911ADD678593.jpeg) Middle Island Creek in Doddridge & Tyler Counties needs protection **Doddridge County Commission approves PILOT for $3 billion CPV project** From an [Article by Sam Kirk, WBOY News 12, Clarksburg, WV](https://www.wboy.com/news/doddridge/doddridge-county-commission-approve… pilot-for-3-billion-cpv-project/), 12/12/22 **WEST UNION (WBOY) — Competitive Power Ventures (CPV), a carbon capture energy company that aims to make fossil fuels more environmentally friendly, announced Monday that it is officially bringing a project to Doddridge County.** Plans for the Doddridge County development were announced in September, but now, a payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement for the project has also been approved by the Doddridge County Commission and Doddridge County Board of Education. This approval will allow the project to move forward with permitting and regulatory approval processes. “This is an outstanding day for Doddridge County,” said Doddridge Commission President Shawn Glaspell. “We are so glad that Competitive Power Ventures chose Doddridge County for this innovative project, and we look forward to continuing to work with this forward-thinking company.” **The project will invest $3 billion into building the CPV Shay Energy Center, a 1,800 MW combined-cycle natural gas power station utilizing carbon capture technology.** The release said that the project will go into operation “later this decade” and power nearly 2 million homes and businesses in West Virginia and the region while capturing the vast majority of carbon emissions from the facility. “The County has been extremely professional and receptive to the CPV Shay project which represents a key pillar in CPV’s vision for a reliable low carbon future,” Peter Podurgiel, CPV’s Executive Vice President of Project Development. According to the Monday release, the new CPV Shay Energy Center project will create 2,000 jobs during the construction period and several hundred long-term positions. “CPV’s decision to site this project in Doddridge County is a game changer,” explained Jennifer Wilt, Director of the Doddridge County Economic Development Authority. “This investment will not only create a large number of jobs during construction but will also support high-paying careers for a generation to come as this area becomes a key player in the country’s decarbonization efforts.” The release said that West Virginia is an “ideal location for a project of this magnitude” because of recent state legislation which established the basic rules for regulating the carbon energy industry. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/D90403CE-4988-4670-8868-6811258772C8-300x99.jpg)](h… content/uploads/2022/12/D90403CE-4988-4670-8868-6811258772C8.jpeg) Doddridge & Marshall Counties already have $$$ Billion Dollar natural gas processing facilities **Carbon capture has been one proposed solution for making fossil fuels more environmentally friendly, although there is still debate on its cost- efficiency compared to other renewable energy sources.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/13/new-technology-for-west- virginia-combined-cycle-ng-power-plant-co2-capture/>

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Diversified Energy is Dominating with “Orphaned” Gas Wells
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [Diversified Energy is Dominating with “Orphaned” Gas Wells](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/12/diversified-energy-is- dominating-with-%e2%80%9corphaned%e2%80%9d-gas-wells/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/FF5E4125-78A4-453B-B300-3C6252C62EF8-300x161.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/FF5E4125-78A4-453B-B300-3C6252C62EF8.jpeg) The WV Surface Owners Rights Organization supports the plugging of abandoned & orphaned oil & gas wells **Don’t let (leaking) orphaned wells be taxpayers’ problem** From a [Letter by Jim Kotcon to Dominion Post, Sunday](https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/12/10/dec-11-letters-to-the- editor-2/), December 11, 2022 **The Nov. 26 article regarding well plugging by Diversified Energy is a welcome turn-around.** The article correctly indicated that significant new funding to close orphaned wells is available thanks to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and that wells owned by existing companies are not “orphaned” but are the responsibility of the private businesses that own them. **One important issue is worth bringing to the attention of readers. More so than any other West Virginia company, Diversified has acquired so many old declining wells that its current rate of capping and plugging would require hundreds of years.** Over the last few years, it has acquired more of these old wells much faster than it is plugging non-producing ones, which means it keeps getting further and further behind. Thus, there is a real risk that Diversified may join the long list of companies that are bankrupt, dead and gone before all those old wells get capped, creating a large pool of “orphaned” wells that become the responsibility of the taxpayer. That is why I hope that companies such as Diversified would support legislation to prevent more orphan wells from being created, so their plugging costs would not be passed on to the taxpayer. The Orphan Well Protection Act would require adequate bonding in an escrow account to assure that, even if large companies go bankrupt, West Virginia taxpayers will not be on the hook to pay the business expenses of a private company. We know that existing orphaned wells will need to be plugged but let’s at least stop the situation from getting worse. As the old saying goes: “If you find yourself stuck in a hole, stop digging!” >> _> Jim Kotcon,[W.Va. Chapter of Sierra Club](https://www.sierraclub.org/west-virginia), Morgantown_ ######++++++######++++++####### **See Article from WVSORO ~** [If you find out there is a proposal to plug an oil or gas well on your land, what should you do?](https://wvsoro.org/if-you- find-out-there-is-a-proposal-to-plug-an-oil-or-gas-well-on-your-land-what- should-you-do/) - [**WV Surface Owners ' Rights Organization**](https://WVSORO.org) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/12/diversified-energy-is- dominating-with-%e2%80%9corphaned%e2%80%9d-gas-wells/>

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Canada is Banning Single-Use Plastics — Phase 1 Now!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [Canada is Banning Single-Use Plastics — Phase 1 Now!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/11/canada-is-banning-single-use- plastics-%e2%80%94-phase-1-now/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/432CD975-CFCD-4FA2-9CFA-2475A9D335F7.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/432CD975-CFCD-4FA2-9CFA-2475A9D335F7.jpeg) Prevention of plastic pollution is practical & desperately needed **Phase 1 of Canada 's single-use plastics ban goes into effect 12/20/22** From an [Article by Michael Lee, Canadian Television News](https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/phase-1-of-canada-s- single-use-plastics-ban-comes-into-effect-this-month-these-are-the-products- on-the-list-1.6189050), December 9, 2022 **Canada 's ban on single-use plastics, starting with the manufacture and import for sale of a number of products, comes into effect later this month on December 20, 2022.** The prohibition on several categories of plastics will begin Dec. 20, affecting a range of products from checkout bags and cutlery to takeout containers and stir sticks. A ban on the sale of these products will start in December 2023. The move is part of an effort by the Canadian government to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030, citing the impact that plastics have had on the environment through pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. **Here are the products that will be subject to Canada 's single-use plastics ban starting Dec. 20:** **CHECKOUT BAGS ~ Checkout bags made entirely or in part from plastic and used to carry purchased goods from a business will be subject to the Dec. 20 ban on manufacture and import for sale.** The ban also includes fabric bags that cannot meet a stress test, meaning they can't break or tear if carrying 10 kilograms over a distance of 53 metres, 100 times, or when washed. **CUTLERY ~ The ban on cutlery includes single-use plastic knives, forks, spoons, sporks and chopsticks that contain either polystyrene or polyethylene,** or that change their physical properties when run through a household dishwasher 100 times. **TAKEOUT CONTAINERS ~ The prohibition includes clamshell containers, lidded containers, boxes, cups, plates and bowls made entirely or in part from plastic and designed for serving or transporting ready-to-eat food or beverages.** These products will be subject to the ban if they contain: expanded or extruded polystyrene foam, the latter commonly referred to as Styrofoam; polyvinyl chloride, often used in salad containers; carbon black or black plastic food containers that usually come with a transparent lid; or oxo- degradable plastic. **STIR STICKS ~ All types of plastic stir sticks, designed to mix beverages or prevent them from spilling from a lid, will be banned under the federal government 's current regulations.** **STRAWS ~ The prohibition will include straight plastic drinking straws and flexible straws that are packaged together with beverage containers, such as juice boxes and pouches.** Straws that contain polystyrene or polyethylene, or which can't be run through a dishwasher 100 times, are subject to the ban. Single-use plastic flexible straws, not packaged with a beverage container, are excluded under certain conditions, such as to accommodate people with disabilities. A retail store, for example, may sell a package of 20 or more single-use plastic flexible straws if a customer asks and the package is not displayed publicly. Retailers may also sell beverage containers with a flexible plastic straw for another two years. **TIMELINE ~ The manufacture and import for sale in Canada of the five categories of single-use plastics comes into effect on Dec. 20.** A ban on the sale of these products will begin the following year by Dec. 20, 2023, while a prohibition on the manufacture, import and sale for export of these plastics will come into effect on Dec. 20, 2025. A prohibition on the manufacture and import for sale in Canada of ring carriers or six-pack rings, used to carry aluminum cans and plastic bottles, will begin on June 20, 2023. Their sale will be banned by June 20, 2024, while their manufacture, import and sale for export will be prohibited starting Dec. 20, 2025. >>>>>……………>>>>>……………>>>>>……………>>>>> [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/A4A6B84A-A0DF-4821-80D0-3F2E1B40B3BB.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/A4A6B84A-A0DF-4821-80D0-3F2E1B40B3BB.jpeg) **Climate Barometer newsletter:** [Sign up to keep your finger on the climate pulse](https://www.ctvnews.ca/content/ctvnews/en/home/newsletters.html) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/11/canada-is-banning-single-use- plastics-%e2%80%94-phase-1-now/>

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