February 2023 - News - lists.frackcheckwv.net

WVSORO ~ West Virginia Needs Fully Staffed Oil & Gas Inspectors
by Frack Check WV: admin 09 Feb '23

09 Feb '23

# [WVSORO ~ West Virginia Needs Fully Staffed Oil & Gas Inspectors](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/09/wvsoro-west-virginia- needs-fully-staffed-oil-gas-inspectors/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/5330E509-1F2F-4F3C-A588-1BAD7AEEC42E-300x245.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/5330E509-1F2F-4F3C-A588-1BAD7AEEC42E.png) Regular comprehensive inspections are necessary to protect the public and the workers **WV Surface Owners say DEP needs at least 45, not just 23, oil and gas inspectors** Alert from [WV Surface Owners Rights Organization (WVSORO)](https://wvsoro.org/), February 7, 2023 **WVSORO and our State of WV needs your help.** Senate Bill 448 and House Bill 3110 have passed out of the Energy Committees in their respective houses and are now in their Finance Committees. The WV-DEP and the industry and the Governor and maybe some Legislator agreed to fund a total of (only) 23 inspectors in this bill. No one talked to us surface owners whether we agreed to that number — and we are where the wells are leaking and stinking! And that is only half the inspectors per well that Pennsylvania and Ohio have. **The good news is that those bills will take the DEP from 10 inspectors to 23. The bad news is that the IOGCC research shows we should have 127 inspectors to inspect each of our 75,000 wells (not to mention 20,000 associated tanks) just once a year — and that does not include their other jobs of checking permit applications, visiting well pads during critical drilling stages, overseeing federal orphaned well plugging, responding to complaints etc.** **WVSORO is asking for enough money from the Finance Committees to hire at least 45 inspectors. We do not care if it comes from a share of severance taxes or a fee on industry like a $100 inspection fee on each well.** [Please go to this link that the West Virginia Rivers Coalition is sharing with us and let your legislators know we did not agree to 23 inspectors](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/oogfunding/index.html) — that we need at least 45 inspectors — as many per well as other states! [Put that in your message!](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/oogfunding/index.html) [For more details see our one-page of bullet points on this subject.](https://wvsoro.org/wvsoro-points-out-that-much-more-funding-is- needed-for-many-more-inspectors/) #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:**[ GREEN Legislative Update, West Virginia Environmental Council, ASAP](https://wvecouncil.org/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/09/wvsoro-west-virginia-needs- fully-staffed-oil-gas-inspectors/>

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It Isn’t Easy Being ‘Green’ ~ Some Will Fake It! … Shame on Ryan & DeWine
by Frack Check WV: admin 08 Feb '23

08 Feb '23

# [It Isn’t Easy Being ‘Green’ ~ Some Will Fake It! … Shame on Ryan & DeWine](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/08/it-isn%e2%80%99t-easy- being-%e2%80%98green%e2%80%99-some-will-fake-it-%e2%80%a6-shame-on-ryan- dewine/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/E8390E86-8380-454D-8C57-B474B8B704E9-300x133.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/E8390E86-8380-454D-8C57-B474B8B704E9.jpeg) Kermit the Frog is correct, you can be green too, if you try! **No, natural gas is not “green energy”** Submitted by [Randi Pokladnik, PhD, Enviro. Scientist](http://main.movclimateaction.org/category/contributors/randi- pokladnik/), Tappan Lake, OH **During the recent “lame duck” session, Ohio’s predominantly Republican legislature and Governor DeWine rushed to pass HB 507.** The amended bill prohibits communities from banning pesticides within city borders and allows state lands and parks to be leased for oil and gas development. The legislation would also “[create a broad new legal definition of ‘green energy’ that would include natural gas](https://www.cleveland.com/open/2022/12/senate- passes-bill-expanding-drilling-on-state-land-dubbing-gas-green-energy.html).” An anonymously funded, pro-natural gas, dark money group, the [Empowerment Alliance](https://www.energyandpolicy.org/the-empowerment-alliance/), helped Ohio lawmakers spin the narrative that natural gas is ‘green.’ Seems like there are also Democrats willing to spin this narrative of methane as being ‘green’ energy. The group, “[Natural Allies for Clean Energy Future](https://naturalalliesforcleanenergy.org/)” has been running TV ads during programing in my area. They claim that gas is “necessary to accelerate our clean energy future.” In January, **they recruited a new Democrat to greenwash the industry: Tim Ryan (D-Ohio)**. This 501c4 organization says it wants to “better inform the public and policy makers about natural gas” but labeling gas as ‘green’ energy does not change the scientific facts: the combustion of methane produces carbon dioxide, and methane itself is a potent greenhouse gas. The bio-geo-chemical processes that created the methane gas and coal deposits in the geographic area of Ohio took place millions of years ago, when carbon sources such as ancient plants and animals decayed in anaerobic conditions. Coal has a higher percentage of carbon than methane; therefore, it produces more carbon dioxide per BTU when burned. However, both substances are fossil fuels that contribute to climate change, and both have limited supplies. Methane produces lower carbon dioxide emissions when burned but that benefit is overshadowed by the fact that extracting methane via high pressure [hydraulic fracking releases enormous amounts of methane gas](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/fracking-boom- tied-to-methane-spike-in-earths-atmosphere) into the atmosphere. These emissions can be from leaks of storage tanks, compressor stations, blowdowns, pipelines, and flaring. A [report published in “Energy Science and Engineering” states“](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ese3.35) natural gas (both shale gas and conventional gas) is responsible for much of the recent increases in methane emissions, and because of this have a higher greenhouse gas footprint than coal or oil. **Pound for pound, the comparative impact of methane is 25 times greater than carbon dioxide.** Actual ‘green’ energy sources differ dramatically from fracked methane gas when it comes to infrastructure needed, energy costs, and environmental externalities. After initial construction, renewable energy projects such as wind turbines and solar panels require little resource inputs. Their energy sources are limitless and free and the carbon footprint is minimal. “[Utility- scale renewable energy prices are now significantly below those of coal and gas](https://energyinnovation.org/2018/01/22/renewable-energy-levelized-cos… of-energy-already-cheaper-than-fossil-fuels-and-prices-keep-plunging/).” Fracking requires extensive infrastructure and constant inputs of resources such as water, sand and chemicals used to extract the methane. When it comes to the energy costs of fossil fuels, consumers are at the mercy of an industry which consistently makes record profits [while it receives $20 billion a year in subsidies](https://www.brookings.edu/research/reforming-global-fossil-fuel- subsidies-how-the-united-states-can-restart-international-cooperation/). **Ohio’s southeastern counties provide examples of how fracking has turned rural communities into sacrificial industrial sites.** Pipelines mar wooded hillsides, well pads rise over the landscape, thousands of trucks loaded with carcinogenic chemicals, frack sand and toxic produced- water travel our roads every day. Local residents are exposed to air and water emissions from [the process which releases hazardous air pollutants and contaminants water](https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/fracking/). In **February 2018, a gas well in Belmont County experienced a blowout**. The well released methane gas for 20 days before the leak could be contained. The total emissions from the 20-day event were estimated to be equivalent to the total annual emissions of [several countries or 120 metric tons per hour](https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1908712116). **Given the significant contribution of methane gas to climate change and the environmental destruction caused by fracking** , it is hard to understand why any educated person would call this energy source “green”. The only time “green” can legitimately be used to describe methane gas is when pointing out it is a potent greenhouse gas. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Ohio Leads On ‘Green’ Energy By Embracing Methane Gas](https://cleantechnica.com/2023/01/24/ohio-leads-on-green-energy-by- embracing-methane-gas/) - Steve Hanley, CleanTechnica, January 24, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/08/it-isn%e2%80%99t-easy- being-%e2%80%98green%e2%80%99-some-will-fake-it-%e2%80%a6-shame-on-ryan- dewine/>

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What’s It Like Living Next Door to a Frack Sand Mine (WI, MN, MI, etc.)
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 07 Feb '23

07 Feb '23

# [What’s It Like Living Next Door to a Frack Sand Mine (WI, MN, MI, etc.)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/07/what%e2%80%99s-it-like-livin… next-door-to-a-frack-sand-mine-wi-mn-mi-etc/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/6FF43073-517F-4090-A170-180E465BC2D0-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/6FF43073-517F-4090-A170-180E465BC2D0.jpeg) “White Lung” like Black Lung is a debilitating (permanent) condition **PHOTO ~ Pure White Silica Sand & Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust** From the Message by [Patricia Popple, Frac Sand Sentinel # 428](https://wisair.wordpress.com/frac-sand-sentinel/), January 30, 2023 **Doug Wood, who lives with his wife, Dawn, in Michigan, just south and west of Detroit, is besiged with a continually developing silica mine right next door to his home. Silica dust is carcinogenic and has known to be so for many years. It settles in the deep lung and in other body parts, unable to be released in anyway due to the small glasslike particulates that are a part of the geological formation.** While Michigan may have a standard set for respirable crystalline silica dust, it seems there is no enforcement by state protection agencies in residential areas. Who is responsible? Doug and his wife have worked endlessly it seems to get someone in the regulatory agencies and mining industry, to install air quality monitoring, and yet nothing has been achieved. Neighbors seem to be unconcerned about the presence of a mining operation that continues to spew dangerous dust into the air without concern for the residential areas that exist around the silica mine. There are other problems also associated with this operation including truck traffic and noise, but the dust produced is horrific and dangerous. **While it could take 20 years for silicosis to develop in the deep lung, it could take less. The glass like particulates don 't seem to be much different than asbestos which is also a known carcinogen.** [Take a look at the video at the site and see for yourself](https://youtu.be/T6PSl9Cdhvw) the problems that the Wood family members are dealing with. They need help and support from the state and neighbors and Michigan's protective agencies and organizations to spread this information and their concerns and more than that, take action. [Fractracker has played a role in the production of this video](https://www.fractracker.org/), and [there are other videos in this series](https://www.fractracker.org/resources/photos/) about the problems faced when regulatory agencies aren't much concerned about the health, safety, and welfare of people and their offspring living near silica or other mines that bring the potential for grave health conditions to a neighborhood. Also, look for them on YouTube. **Please click on the video link here:** <https://youtu.be/T6PSl9Cdhvw> I know that Wisconsinites are aware what the Wood Family is facing, but there are others of you in other locations who may be in similar situations. The industry must tighten its regulations, states and local governmental officials and groups much enforce. Residents and others must get involved by speaking out and by attending meetings of local and state agencies who can make a difference through rules, comprehensive plans, ordinances, zoning, and action. >>> _And by the way, register to VOTE in your communities at upcoming primary and general elections. It is critical that everyone get to the polls or participate in voting via absentee ballot. You can make a difference by researching candidates who are responsive to people facing environmental and health issues in your communties across the nation. Make a difference by exercising your right at your nearest voting location. VOTE!_ >>> [Welcome to the Frac Sand Sentinel,](https://wisair.wordpress.com/frac- sand-sentinel/) a newsletter highlighting resource links, news media accounts, blog posts, correspondence, observations and opinions gathered regarding local actions on, and impacts of, the developing frac sand mining and processing industries. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/07/what%e2%80%99s-it-like-living- next-door-to-a-frack-sand-mine-wi-mn-mi-etc/>

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Looking Inward AND Looking Outside Ourselves ~ Convocation Set for April 27th
by Frack Check WV: admin 06 Feb '23

06 Feb '23

# [Looking Inward AND Looking Outside Ourselves ~ Convocation Set for April 27th](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/06/looking-inward-and-looking- outside-ourselves-convocation-set-for-april-27th/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/FD1F2BBC-5C39-420E-A9DD- AFD11A2D1F2D.png)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/FD1F2BBC-5C39-420E-A9DD-AFD11A2D1F2D.png) UU Buddhist Convocations have been ongoing since 2005 **Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship: Convocation 2023 on April 27th** From the [Announcement of James Ford, UU Buddhist Fellowship](https://www.patheos.com/blogs/monkeymind/2023/01/unitarian- universalist-buddhist-fellowship-convocation-2023.html), January 9, 2023 **Convocation is a biennial opportunity for UU Buddhists** to sit together, compare notes on our sangha experiences, study and play together. We have been holding convocations since 2005. For each convocation we invite a guest teacher to offer dharma talks and teaching. In addition, there will be times of meditation, workshops, and informal meals and breaks where you can get to know other attendees. The 2023 Convocation will begin on Thursday, April 27, with a “grab and go” dinner available at 6 pm, and will end on Sunday, April 30 at 11:30 am. The [DeKoven Center, is lovely retreat center on the shores of Lake Michigan](https://www.dekovencenter.org/). You can register as 1) an online zoom participant, 2) a commuter participant with meals, or 3) an in-person participant, including lodging. There will also be a public talk on Saturday, April 29. **Registration will continue until 4/12/2023.** A limited number of scholarships are available. If you are in need of a scholarship in order to attend, please email _jzimmerman(a)uuma.org_ before registering. There are several major airports nearby (including O’Hare and Milwaukee), and Racine is also served by Amtrak trains. We will be arranging carpooling for the retreat, connecting those who can provide rides with those in need of ground transportation. [CLICK HERE TO REGISTER](https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z6WK/home) **More on David Loy and the theme of the Convocation ~** Dr. David Robert Loy is a professor of Buddhist and comparative philosophy and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. Loy is one of the founding members of the new Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center, near Boulder, Colorado. He is the author of many books, including Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis. **For our weekend together, Loy writes:** _“Traditional Buddhist teachings help us wake up individually and realize our interdependence with others. Today we need to wake up collectively in another way. We need to wake up to what is one of the greatest dangers that humanity has ever encountered. Buddhism can help us understand and respond appropriately to the climate emergency driven ecological crisis. Neither the Buddha nor Asian Buddhist traditions have faced the complex set of challenges of the twenty-first century. Yet Buddhism includes many teachings that are relevant to our situation._ >> _There are profound parallels between our individual human struggles which Buddhism addressed and our ecological predicament today. The parallels suggest that the eco-crisis is as much a spiritual challenge as a technological and economic one. In both cases, at the root of the problem is our illusion of separation: that “I” am separate from others, and that we are separate from the natural world._ >> _Perhaps the most important thing that Buddhism has to offer today is a new version of the bodhisattva — or ecosattva — path, which can respond to collective and institutionalized versions of greed, ill will and delusion (the three poisons). All this suggests, the ecological challenge is also a challenge to the ways we understand and practice Buddhism.”_ #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also :** [Morgantown Buddhist Meditation](https://morgantownbuddhism.wixsite.com/morgantownmeditation) <https://morgantownbuddhism.wixsite.com/morgantownmeditation> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/06/looking-inward-and-looking- outside-ourselves-convocation-set-for-april-27th/>

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Religion Involves Looking Inward at Ourselves AND Outward at Our Earth
by Frack Check WV: admin 05 Feb '23

05 Feb '23

# [Religion Involves Looking Inward at Ourselves AND Outward at Our Earth](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/05/religion-involves-looking- inward-at-ourselves-and-outward-at-our-earth/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/9B186F79-5C17-4575-B3E7-913FB621D441-300x147.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/9B186F79-5C17-4575-B3E7-913FB621D441.jpeg) Religion is more than a narrow self-centered viewpoint; a comprehensive worldview involves concern for the Earth **How religious faith can and should inspire environmental action** From an [Article by Christopher Ives, The Conversation](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-faith-environmental-action.html), January 9, 2023 It has become clear that meaningful progress on climate change is not going to be achieved by one person or indeed, one government. Coordinated action between governments, industry, local leaders and society is needed urgently. The recent COP27 decision itself mentions the importance of local communities, cities, indigenous peoples and children. But strikingly absent is the role of faith or religion. Roughly 84% of the global population identifies with some sort of religion, a figure expected to rise to 87% by 2050. Our research shows there is potential for faith to mobilize social environmental change, yet it is usually left out of conversations about sustainability. Religion can have a significant and positive influence on people's behavior when it comes to the environment. Spiritual practices and liturgies are being developed to help believers integrate environmental concerns with their spirituality. **Two key publications are Pope Francis 's encylical Care for our Common Home and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh's Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet. Both highlight the relevance of religious ideas to environmental crises and guide people to live sustainably.** **Faith can be a driving force behind environmentally responsible investment. The organization FaithInvest helps religious institutions use their financial resources ethically and sustainably.** Religious groups can also coordinate collective action on the climate. **Ahead of COP27, faith leaders from around the world published a letter calling for an end to new fossil fuel projects.** Of course, the same influences can and have been used to obstruct action on climate change, and formal institutional commitment does not necessarily translate to personal action. Our research helps explain how mechanisms of religious belief can be used to inspire environmental action. **Faith and the planet Earth** ~ We were interested in understanding processes of personal and practical change towards sustainability among Christians in the UK. We studied responses to the Archbishop of Canterbury's 2020 Lent book, **Saying Yes to Life** , authored by Ruth Valerio. The book presented theological perspectives on the importance of taking care of the natural world, focusing on environmental challenges such as water scarcity, air pollution, land degradation, biodiversity loss and energy use. **We surveyed 133 people from a range of age groups and church backgrounds before and after engaging with the text, and conducted focus groups. We found that this intervention significantly influenced participants ' beliefs and behavior related to the environment.** After engaging with the text, people had more positive attitudes towards the environment. Most reported at least a short-term increase in pro-environmental behaviors, particularly around energy use, food choices and recycling. Framing environmental issues in theological terms also influenced participants' environmental attitudes. They reported perceiving nature as sacred, feeling more connected to the natural world, and adopting a belief that humans should care for creation. **We identified three steps that people go through when their faith is mobilized into action:** 1\. The first step is revealing, where the nature of environmental problems and pre-existing theological beliefs (such as humans having a divine right to dominate the environment) are illuminated to the individual. For our participants, this came through thoughtful reading of the text and discussion with other believers. 2\. The second step is reflecting. People then consider how their own beliefs and lifestyles might need to be reconsidered according to new theological ideas or scientific information. 3\. The final step depends on the degree of environmental commitment already held. For those whose lifestyles are incompatible with the new information, the step of redirecting describes a process of internal (cognitive or spiritual) and external (behavioral) change. For those already pursuing pro- environmental lifestyles, the step of reinforcing involves further strengthening these commitments. **Tackling the environmental crisis** ~ Currently, many conversations about the environment are framed by economics—the triple bottom line (a concept urging businesses to think about profit, people and the planet), natural capital and green investment. Appealing to moral and spiritual worldviews could inspire people to think about environmentalism in terms of justice, sacred duty, compassion, empathy and kindness. **Having a community of faith that can support, reinforce and sustain environmental action is another critical function of religion. Many participants mentioned the hope and resolve that came from knowing they were part of a larger body of Christian believers working for change.** Appealing to faith-based worldviews has potential to bypass political divides and cultural affiliations that have stifled action. Indeed, in this research, the greatest shifts towards environmental concern were among participants who self-identified as politically conservative. **Faith is fundamental to many people 's outlook on the world.** Our research shows that religion offers a powerful opportunity to inspire environmental action. But there is work to be done on both sides. Religious leaders could further incorporate environmental matters into their spiritual teaching and practice, and scientists and policymakers could engage more with people of faith. **Humanity 's ability to avert environmental catastrophe will depend on sustainability becoming embedded into every institution and cultural setting. Religion is no exception.** >>> **Christopher Ives is a professor of religious studies at Stonehill College**. In his teaching and writing he focuses on ethics in Zen Buddhism and Buddhist approaches to nature and environmental issues. His publications include _Zen on the Trail: Hiking as Pilgrimage; Imperial-Way Zen: Ichikawa Hakugen’s Critique and Lingering Questions for Buddhist Ethics_. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Buddhist Ethics. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/05/religion-involves-looking- inward-at-ourselves-and-outward-at-our-earth/>

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MVP Comment Period for EIS Extended by US Forest Service to February 21st
by Frack Check WV: admin 04 Feb '23

04 Feb '23

# [MVP Comment Period for EIS Extended by US Forest Service to February 21st](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/04/mvp-comment-period-for-eis- extended-by-us-forest-service-to-february-21st/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/D5286E9D-BF84-49F4-9A4D-2E1545516F15-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/D5286E9D-BF84-49F4-9A4D-2E1545516F15.jpeg) Appalachian Voices held a COMMENT WRITING PARTY on Jan. 25th **USDA Forest Service Mountain Valley Pipeline and Equitrans Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Update** >> From the [USDA Forest Service](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDAFS/2023/02/03/file… (forestservice(a)public.govdelivery.com), February 3, 2023 **In December of 2022 we informed you that the Forest Service’s Mountain Valley Pipeline Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) was available. The USDA Forest Service (FS) had prepared a DSEIS to the 2017 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and the 2020 FS Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and Equitrans Expansion Project.** Publication of the Notice of Availability of the DSEIS in the Federal Register on December 23, 2022 initiated a 45-day public comment period on the DSEIS that was scheduled to end on February 6, 2023. **We are extending the comment period by two weeks. The comment period for the DSEIS will now end on February 21, 2023. Interested parties have been notified in accordance with 36 CFR 220.5(f)(3) and public notification of this comment extension will appear in the Federal Register on February 10, 2023.** **The preferred method to provide specific, written comments during the 45-day comment period is by submitting comments electronically to:** <https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=50036>. This web-based comment form will only be active during the designated comment period. Written comments may be mailed to: Dr. Homer Wilkes, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture, c/o Jefferson National Forest, MVP Project, 5162 Valleypointe Parkway, Roanoke, VA 24019. Please note, this project will not be subject to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s project level 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B pre decisional administrative review process because the responsible official is the Undersecretary, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture, (36 CFR 218.13(b)). For more information on this project or to request documents in another format, please contact Joby Timm, Forest Supervisor for the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, by leaving a voicemail at 1-888-603-0261. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at: 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. For inquiries for the BLM, contact Robert Swithers, District Manager, BLM Southeastern States District Office, by phone at 601-919-4650 or by email at BLM_ES_SSDO_Comments(a)blm.gov. >> **Sincerely, Joby Timm, Forest Supervisor,** George Washington and Jefferson National Forests **SOURCE** ~ [20230203 Mountain Valley Pipeline DSEIS _Interested Party Comment Extension.pdf](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDAFS/2023/02/0… URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/04/mvp-comment-period-for-eis- extended-by-us-forest-service-to-february-21st/>

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Put MVP on ICE! Support the CCAN Polar Bear Plunge @ National Harbor!
by Frack Check WV: admin 03 Feb '23

03 Feb '23

# [Put MVP on ICE! Support the CCAN Polar Bear Plunge @ National Harbor!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/03/put-mvp-on-ice-support-the- ccan-polar-bear-plunge-national-harbor/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/D5F396A2-6E1C-4CC8-B0C3-F07A4A47153E-300x168.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/D5F396A2-6E1C-4CC8-B0C3-F07A4A47153E.png) Hopefully, this will be the last we will hear about the MVP! **Take the Polar Bear Plunge on Sat. Feb. 11th. SIGN UP NOW!** From the [Invitation of Mike Tidwell, Chesapeake Climate Action Network](https://us-p2p.engagingnetworks.app/7945/keepwintercold), February 1, 2023 **Fighting dangerous fossil fuel projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is tough work, I’ll admit it. This year we’re fighting harder than ever to make sure fossil fuels stay in the ground and the MVP never gets built. But we can’t do it alone.** That’s where you come in. Spread the word, join the movement to move from fossil fuels to a sustainable future by joining our CCAN Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday February 11 (just one week away)! Like I said, saving the climate is tough work. That’s why it’s important to make a little room for joy. Warm towels! Free pizza! Yes, you read that right. Joy! The Polar Bear Plunge is FUN. You almost don’t feel the shock of cold when you run into the icy waters. That’s because you’re surrounded by so many loving activists who are all in this together. Then you get to join your friends afterwards for free pizza. [So sign up now!](https://us-p2p.engagingnetworks.app/7945/keepwintercold) We have big plans in 2023. In addition to fighting dangerous pipelines in Virginia, we’re working to electrify buildings in Maryland and push for rapid implementation of the historic clean-energy initiatives in the federal Inflation Reduction Act. These are just a few of the ways that we'll fight climate change this year with the funds raised by the Polar Bear Plunge. Our Polar Bear Plunge Sponsors know how important this event is to CCAN's work. I’d like to thank Neighborhood Sun, Green 2.0, MOM's Organic Market, US Wind, and Orsted for taking the Plunge with us in 2023 and supporting our upcoming campaigns. **Our annual CCAN Polar Bear Plunge is only one week away!** [SIGN UP NOW to take a winter swim with us on Saturday February 11](https://us-p2p.engagingnetworks.app/7945/keepwintercold). The Plunge brings in one third of our funds raised from individuals. The more we raise, the more flexibility and power we have to win our campaigns! [See you there, Mike Tidwell, Executive Director,](https://us-p2p.engagingnetworks.app/7945/keepwintercold) **Chesapeake Climate Action Network** #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **NOTE RECORDING ~** [Mountain Valley Pipeline Lunch and Learn February 2, 2023](https://wvrivers.org/2023/02/mvpfeb2023/) – WV Rivers Coalition **ACCESS WINDOW~** <https://wvrivers.org/2023/02/mvpfeb2023/> **YouTube Recording ~** <https://youtu.be/42d-68a1-tc> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/03/put-mvp-on-ice-support-the-ccan- polar-bear-plunge-national-harbor/>

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Groundhog Day Webinar: WV Rivers Discusses the Mountain Valley Pipeline
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 02 Feb '23

02 Feb '23

# [Groundhog Day Webinar: WV Rivers Discusses the Mountain Valley Pipeline](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/02/groundhog-day-webinar-wv- rivers-discusses-the-mountain-valley-pipeline/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/D946DE1A-A2AA-4A05-8CAE-3754695AF6AE2-300x251.jpg)]… content/uploads/2023/02/D946DE1A-A2AA-4A05-8CAE-3754695AF6AE2.jpeg) Punxsutawney Phil has relatives in West Virginia who care! **West Virginia Rivers Coalition on the MVP** >>> Received on January 31 at 8:41 AM Make sure you join us Thursday, February 2nd, for a special #GroundhogsDay webinar on the [Mountain Valley Pipeline](https://bit.ly/MVPGroundhogsDay). Right now, there are two permits from federal agencies pending approval and you have the opportunity to comment! **Learn how you can send your comments. This a webinar is set for 12:00 Noon!** All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar. Register here: <https://bit.ly/MVPGroundhogsDay> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/02/groundhog-day-webinar-wv-rivers- discusses-the-mountain-valley-pipeline/>

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The Largest Owner of Oil & Gas Wells (Diversified Energy) Could Go Bankrupt
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 01 Feb '23

01 Feb '23

# [The Largest Owner of Oil & Gas Wells (Diversified Energy) Could Go Bankrupt](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/01/the-largest-owner-of-oil- gas-wells-diversified-energy-could-go-bankrupt/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/F991AFB1-B2D7-4A9D-9FE5-FC022EA11081-240x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/F991AFB1-B2D7-4A9D-9FE5-FC022EA11081.png) Diversified Energy has ~ 70,000 wells, mostly for natural gas **Diversified Energy’s liabilities exceed its assets — Will public wind up paying to plug its ~ 70,000 wells** From an [Article by Kristina Marusic, Environmental Health News](https://www.ehn.org/abandoned-oil-and-gas-wells-2659296731.html), January 26, 2023 PITTSBURGH — Diversified Energy Company, the largest owner of oil and gas wells in the country, might abandon up to 70,000 oil and gas wells throughout Appalachia without plugging them, according to a new report. The company, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, spent the last five years acquiring tens of thousands of aging, low-producing conventional oil and gas wells and some fracking wells primarily in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. Conventional oil and gas wells are traditional wells where fossil fuels are extracted through vertical boreholes. **A new report, published by the Ohio River Valley Institute,** finds that the company’s financial liabilities exceeded its assets by more than $300 million in June 2022. It’s rare for an oil and gas company’s liabilities to exceed its assets to this extent, prompting concerns that Diversified Energy will go bankrupt without plugging its wells. “We don’t want to see citizens and taxpayers have to pay for plugging these well after this company is gone,” Ted Boettner, author of the report and a senior researcher with the Ohio River Valley Institute. “The way Diversified’s business model is set up, this is a distinct possibility.” Boettner’s report expands on a previous report on Diversified Energy published by the same organization in April 2022 that found the company did not have enough funds on hand to plug its rapidly growing inventory of wells. The company claims it can plug wells at a cost less than half the industry average, claims dying wells will continue producing for decades longer than can be reasonably anticipated, and misrepresents methane emissions. “These unusual assumptions — as well as accounting practices that function to punt cleanup costs down the line — are not used by any other company in the industry,” says Kathy Hipple, report coauthor and research fellow at the Ohio River Valley Institute. A spokesperson for Diversified Energy told EHN, “like other publicly traded peers, we’re held to strict financial reporting standards, including third- party auditing, and we’re measurably reducing emissions by deploying hand-held methane detectors, eliminating or replacing pneumatics, and upgrading equipment.” They added that Diversified Energy retires wells responsibly and is “helping states tackle the orphan well challenge.” **The Ohio River Valley’s new report comes on the heels of a December report by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection finding that abandonment of wells and improper reporting by the conventional oil and gas industry are the norm, rather than the exception in Pennsylvania. The agency found more than 17,000 violations at conventional well sites between 2017 and 2021, with more than 3,300 violations issued over operators’ attempts to abandon a well. “Clearly,” the report stated, “there is significant noncompliance with relevant laws in the conventional oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania.”** Unplugged oil and gas wells can emit climate-warming methane and air pollutants that are hazardous to human health, contaminate soil and groundwater, and allow gas to migrate into occupied buildings, creating a risk of fatal explosions. When drillers abandon wells without plugging them, taxpayers are generally left to clean up the mess. **In 2021, reporters for Bloomberg visited 44 of Diversified Energy’s aging wells throughout Appalachia and found methane leaks and an observable lack of maintenance at most of them, with many wells appearing abandoned.** **Corporate welfare is on the table** The 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $4.7 billion to plug abandoned oil and gas wells throughout the country. Soon after the legislation was passed, Diversified Energy began acquiring well-plugging companies to take advantage of these federal funds. **Diversified Energy has not received federal funds to plug its own wells, but the new report from the Ohio River Valley Institute found that through one of its new well-plugging subsidiaries, the company secured federal funding to plug other orphan wells at a per-well cost more than six times greater than the company earmarks to plug its own wells. “All of this leads me to believe that Diversified’s business model is built on a faulty foundation,” Boettner said. “This is something regulators should be taking a closer look at.”** Boettner also noted that many wells listed as abandoned by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and submitted to the federal government for its orphan well plugging program actually have documented owners, including Diversified Energy, which by law should be liable for plugging them. In May 2022, the Sierra Club informed the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that the federal list of orphaned wells that state regulators hope to use federal funds to plug includes 7,300 active wells in Pennsylvania that still have identified owners. The group urged state regulators to require the companies that have profited from these wells to pay for their cleanup instead of putting the burden on taxpayers. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said it doesn’t have the resources to track down the owners of these wells and require the companies to pay for plugging them and was considering hiring contractors to help. The Sierra Club, along with a number of other environmental advocacy groups, also petitioned Pennsylvania state regulators to look into increasing bonding for the oil and gas industry to protect against abandoned wells in the future. **Pennsylvania’s current bond rate for conventional oil and gas wells is $2,500 per well or a blanket bond of $25,000 to cover all of a company’s wells.The petition, however, estimates that the full cost of plugging and reclaiming a conventional oil and gas well is $38,000 and a Marcellus Shale fracking well is $83,000, so it recommends raising bond rates to those levels.** Wells drilled before 1984 don’t require any bonds in Pennsylvania, so the actual funds on file to cover Pennsylvania’s conventional wells amounts to just $15 per well, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The agency is studying whether raising bonding rates to the levels recommended by the petition is feasible. **Unusual accounting practices** ~ The new report highlights a number of unusual accounting practices used by Diversified Energy, which Boettner said are not typical for the oil and gas industry. They include claiming it can plug wells for less than half the industry standard cost, assuming dying wells will continue producing for longer than they’re likely to in order to delay plugging them, understating the rate at which oil and gas production is likely to decline over time, recording acquisitions as financial gains, and carrying forward $183 million in unused tax credits, which it generated when gas prices were low. “It’s honestly hard to make heads or tails of the way they report some of these financials,” Boettner said, “but we do know that much of what they’re doing is not typical.” Every well is different and requires different costs to plug based on its age, depth and location. Some wells can be plugged for as little as $5,000, while some can cost as much as $125,000 to plug, Boettner said, noting that Diversified Energy could streamline some of its plugging costs now that it owns several well-plugging companies. “But even given all of that, these numbers are still well below industry norms,” he added. “No matter how you look at it, they’ve just continued to make very questionable assumptions regarding retirement of their well inventory.” Gas prices have soared in recent years, but Diversified Energy has missed out on most of that revenue because it engages in a practice known as “hedging” — locking in a price for oil and gas to hedge against volatile shifts in the market. This ensures that they’ll get that minimum price even if the market price is lower, but also prevents them from reaping large profits when the market price is high. “The bottom line is that it’s highly unlikely that this company will have enough revenue to be able to plug all of its wells,” Boettner said. “Their financial outlook is not good, and if something happens to this company, we’ll all be on the hook for it.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/01/the-largest-owner-of-oil-gas- wells-diversified-energy-could-go-bankrupt/>

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