April 2023 - News - lists.frackcheckwv.net

East Texas Getting New $8.5 Billion Ethane Cracker Plastics Facility
by Frack Check WV: S. Tom Bond 10 Apr '23

10 Apr '23

# [East Texas Getting New $8.5 Billion Ethane Cracker Plastics Facility](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/10/east-texas-getting- new-8-5-billion-ethane-cracker-plastics-facility/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/3636BAD3-0CFA-4F0D-90AE-A341380013CA.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/3636BAD3-0CFA-4F0D-90AE-A341380013CA.jpeg) These ethylene production operations consume fracked ethane and also generate huge tonnages of carbon dioxide (GHG) **Chevron Phillips Chemical & QatarEnergy begin construction of $8.5 billion East Texas integrated cracker complex** From an [Article by Pearl Bantillo, ICIS News](https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2023/03/10/10863117/qatar… cp-chem-begin-construction-of-8-5bn-us-integrated-cracker-complex/), March 10, 2023 **SINGAPORE (ICIS)– Chevron Phillips Chemical Co (CP Chem) and QatarEnergy have started building their joint $8.5bn integrated cracker complex called Golden Triangle Polymers Plant in the US.** A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the project located in Orange County, Texas, QatarEnergy said in a statement on 8 March. “We are investing $8.5 billion to build this world-scale facility, which is QatarEnergy’s second largest investment in the US after the more than $11 billion investment in the Golden Pass LNG [liquefied natural gas] production and export facility, which is currently under construction about 35 miles from here in Sabine Pass, Texas,” said Ahmad Saeed Al-Amoodi, executive vice president for surface development & sustainability at QatarEnergy. The project includes an ethane cracker with a 2.08m tonne/year ethylene capacity, with two downstream high density polyethylene (HDPE) units with a combined capacity of 2m tonnes/year, it said. Scheduled for start-up in 2026, the project will be owned by Golden Triangle Polymers Company LLC, a 51:49 joint venture between CP Chem and QatarEnergy. The project and the joint venture firm were named after Texas’s Golden Triangle region that encompasses the community of Orange. “This plant will also be, by far, the most significant economic investment in the Orange community in decades, creating jobs and supporting economic growth,” Al-Amoodi added. Based on information available on CP Chem’s website, the Golden Triangle Polymer Plant is expected to create more than 500 full-time jobs and about 4,500 construction jobs and generate an estimated $50bn for the community in residual economic impacts over 20 years. QatarEnergy and CP Chem made a final investment decision on the project on 16 November 2022, with plans to export the majority of its HDPE output to key markets in Asia, Europe and Latin America. **ALSO: RAS LAFFAN PROJECT IN QATAR** **The two companies have a similar project worth $6bn in the works in Ras Laffan, Qatar, which is also expected to begin production in 2026.** The Ras Laffan petrochemicals complex, Qatar’s biggest investment in the sector to date, will consist of an ethane cracker with a capacity of 2.1m tonnes/year of ethylene, and two HDPE trains with a combined 1.7m tonnes/year of capacity. Most HDPE output is targeted for exports. QatarEnergy will own 70% of the joint venture firm Ras Laffan Petrochemicals, which will implement the project, with CP Chem holding the remaining 30%. The project will double QatarEnergy’s ethylene production capacity, and increase its local polymer production to more than 4m tonnes/year from the current 2.6m tonnes/year. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/10/east-texas-getting- new-8-5-billion-ethane-cracker-plastics-facility/>

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Wind Turbines in the Mountains Provide Sustainable Electricity
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 09 Apr '23

09 Apr '23

# [Wind Turbines in the Mountains Provide Sustainable Electricity](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/09/wind-turbines-in-the- mountains-provide-sustainable-electricity/) **WINDExchange: West Virginia Land-Based Wind Speed at 100 Meters** From the U. S. [Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy](https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/344) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/3A2142F0-3BC1-4DAE-97A5-46DC3A5FA2141-300x274.jpg)]… content/uploads/2023/04/3A2142F0-3BC1-4DAE-97A5-46DC3A5FA2141.jpeg) Numerous Wind Turbines are Already Installed on the Allegheny Front Range ~ (Click on the map to expand it.) **WIND TURBINES ARE ALREADY BEING DEPLOYED IN THE PLAINS, MOUNTAINS AND COASTAL WATERS ~** This map was produced by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) using modeled wind resource estimates developed by NREL via the Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit and is intended for general educational purposes only. While these 100-meter wind speed maps can provide a general indication of good or poor wind resources, they do not provide a resolution high enough to identify local site features such as complex terrain, ground cover, and data needed prior to siting a wind project. [Watch a video tutorial for understanding land-based and offshore wind resource maps. See more wind resource maps, download wind datasets from NREL, and learn more about wind resource assessment and characterization on DOE’s website.](https://windexchange.energy.gov/maps-data/344) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/09/wind-turbines-in-the-mountains- provide-sustainable-electricity/>

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William & Mary College TO CLOSE Virginia Coastal Policy Center
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 08 Apr '23

08 Apr '23

# [William & Mary College TO CLOSE Virginia Coastal Policy Center](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/08/william-mary-college-to-clo… virginia-coastal-policy-center/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/B980CF87-F82B-4C2F-8640-0C217823ABC6-300x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/B980CF87-F82B-4C2F-8640-0C217823ABC6.jpeg) Water rising in neighborhoods of coastal Virginia **William & Mary unveils details of plan to replace Virginia Coastal Policy Center** From an [Article by Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/04/07/william-mary-unveils- details-of-plan-to-replace-virginia-coastal-policy-center/), March 7, 2023 Following William & Mary’s announcement it plans to close its widely respected Virginia Coastal Policy Center this summer, the university has unveiled a new initiative to address sea level rise and stormwater flooding. The school has touted the new Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative as being part of a university-wide approach that is in line with its Vision 2026 plan to establish a greater presence in Virginia’s efforts to deal with water issues. “We’re excited about the potential of this new university-wide collaborative to expand, evolve and streamline the scholarship, educational, and advisory work that W&M and [the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences] have been engaged in across campus,” said Brian Whitson, the university’s chief communications officer. “This will be a multi-disciplinary approach, bringing together expertise across campus to produce a broader range of research, education and advisory work for policy makers and stakeholders.” The new collaborative will be organized under an assistant provost, who will coordinate work across William and Mary’s five schools of marine science, law, business, education and arts and sciences, as well as with other universities and state agencies. That coordination will allow the school and VIMS the ability to “develop and implement timely, real-world solutions — and legal scholarship and policy advice,” a description on William & Mary’s website reads. “With a broader, multidisciplinary university-wide approach, the Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative will also have the ability to address economic, social, business and/or private sector issues, whereas VCPC was focused more directly on legal and policy questions,” Whitson said. “The Provost, in coordination with the steering committee, will develop an implementation plan including recruiting personnel for the new collaborative.” Other staff at the collaborative will include a policy analyst and clerical support roles. The former VCPC had a director and three staff members, whose positions will be terminated June 30 when the center is dissolved. The steering committee, chaired by the dean of the School of Marine Science and director of VIMS, will first meet April 15 to develop the plan for the new collaborative, with help from Virginia Sea Grant, other school leaders, legislators, municipalities, policymakers and industry representatives. The current timeline calls for the plan to be submitted to the school’s president and provost in June. Recruitment of personnel will begin in July, and the collaborative will formally launch in September. The former VCPC had become a go-to resource in the state and Mid-Atlantic region for science-backed policy recommendations on evolving issues linked to climate change. Environmental nonprofits, local governments and regional commissions lauded the center for its contributions, with many members saying they are keeping an eye on the new collaborative to see if it lives up to its predecessor. “VCPC evolved into an institute of excellence, providing three critical functions for Virginia,” including the convening of resilience professionals, workforce training and policy guidance, said Mary-Carson Stiff, deputy director of environmental nonprofit Wetlands Watch. “We will see if this new entity will serve these three important functions for the betterment of Virginia.” Anna Killius, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, said she hopes the new collaborative continues VCPC’s track record of science-based policy recommendations. “I hope the conversation about the Virginia Coastal Policy Center has made clear the many important relationships that have been built by the center and its directors over the years with administration leaders, state lawmakers and many other public and private organizations,” Killius said. “To make sure that the collaborative is primed to deliver value for both the university and the community, it will be very important to see these stakeholders at the table as the collaborative takes shape. **Immediate impacts ~ The loss of the center has had ramifications in the legislative world**. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has already recommended an amendment to House Bill 2393 from Del. Keith Hodges, R-Middlesex, to strike a reference to the Virginia Coastal Policy Center that would otherwise have appeared in state code. Hodges’ bill, which passed both chambers unanimously, expands the range of universities the state can confer with when crafting resilience policy from solely VIMS to include VCPC, Virginia Sea Grant, the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the recently unveiled Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience at Old Dominion University. The Virginia Cooperative Extension offers agricultural research services through a partnership between Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and local governments. Virginia Sea Grant is the state’s program within a federal network established by Congress in 1966 to facilitate research opportunities across the state’s university network. Another amendment to Hodges’ bill from Youngkin could be more significant. The governor is suggesting a change that would add the word “led by” in front of Virginia Sea Grant. Some environmental nonprofits and universities have privately voiced worries the change will allow Virginia Sea Grant to determine which entities could provide input and which couldn’t. Virginia Sea Grant Executive Director Troy Hartley said his agency did not ask for the amendment. However, he said the amendment wouldn’t preclude state agencies from seeking advice from other universities if they so desired. “Prior to [VCPC’s] existence, we were leveraging interns and the National Sea Grant Law Center. No question that’s at a lower capacity than [what] existed with VCPC,” Hartley said. “We tap on the expertise of our member institutions and throughout the commonwealth, so we don’t make contact decisions. We’re helping collaborate and communicate across the institutions.” Hodges said he worked on the amendments with the Youngkin administration. Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for Youngkin, said the amendments were requested by the Hodges and eliminated redundancies by also removing reference to the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience, which falls under the purview of Virginia Sea Grant already. “The issues that we have are very, very complex, so you need to bring in all of the universities to solve the problem,” Hodges said. “[Virginia] Sea Grant makes perfect sense to be the one to lead that effort.” The inclusion of other collaborators doesn’t diminish the role of VIMS, Whitson said, pointing to state code specifically outlining its role. Lewie Lawrence, executive director of the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission, highlighted the collection of scientists, engineers, public outreach experts, educators and students brought together by Virginia Sea Grant to tackle coastal issues. “I don’t know of a more established public entity with a national statutory responsibility administered at the state level better equipped with a solid foundation to help lead and coordinate,” Lawrence said. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/08/william-mary-college-to-close- virginia-coastal-policy-center/>

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NEW GREEN PROJECTS at Coal Mine Sites Under Development in USA
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 07 Apr '23

07 Apr '23

# [NEW GREEN PROJECTS at Coal Mine Sites Under Development in USA](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/07/new-green-projects-at-coal-min… sites-under-development-in-usa/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/32CA6090-CD86-44A9-99D7-D2AEEBAC6D90.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/32CA6090-CD86-44A9-99D7-D2AEEBAC6D90.jpeg) Roth Rock wind farm and Mettiki Coal processing plant near Oakland, Maryland **U.S. DOE Offers $450 Million for Green Energy Projects at Coal Mining Sites** From an [Article by Cristen Jaynes, EcoWatch News](https://www.ecowatch.com/green-energy-project-grants-mining-sites.htm…, April 5, 2023 The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the availability of $450 million through the **2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for clean energy projects — like solar farms — on current and former mining sites** , a White House press release said. There are about 17,750 mine land sites in the U.S. covering 1.5 million acres. These sites contaminate land, water and air quality, as well as expose local communities to toxic pollutants. The repurposing of the sites for renewable energy projects would generate up to an estimated 90 gigawatts of green energy — enough power for almost 30 million homes. These projects will “provid[e] new economic opportunities for historic coal and mining communities,” the press release said. **President Joe Biden has set a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.** **Up to five of the projects will be funded through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including at least two solar farms.** “[T]hese projects could spur new economic development in these communities,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said, as The Hill reported. “As with all BIL- funded projects, we’ll be prioritizing those that partner directly with communities.” **According to the White House, renewable energy project developers will also be able to access billions of dollars in bonus credits on top of Inflation Reduction Act investment and production tax credits. “These bonuses will incentivize more clean energy investment in energy communities, particularly coal communities,” the press release said.** A former coal power plant site in Massachusetts in the process of transitioning to offshore wind that Biden visited last summer was the model for the new projects, reported The Associated Press. “It’s very clear that… the workers who powered the last century of industry and innovation can power the next one,” Granholm said, as The Associated Press reported. **According to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in order to reap all the advantages of the bonus, developers are required to pay workers current wages and hire an adequate number of apprentices. “These provisions will ensure that workers in energy communities reap the benefits of the clean energy economy they are helping to build,” Yellen said, as reported by The Associated Press.** A searchable mapping tool to help locate areas potentially eligible for the energy community bonus has been provided by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the Interagency Working Group on Energy Communities, the press release said. A Coal Power Plant Redevelopment Visualization Tool is also available for stakeholders to be able to find opportunities for the redevelopment of closed coal power plants, as well as community reinvestment. Grant applications are due by the end of August of this year, with decisions expected in early 2024. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/07/new-green-projects-at-coal-mine- sites-under-development-in-usa/>

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Permafrost Releases Methane Gas Directly to the Atmosphere
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 06 Apr '23

06 Apr '23

# [Permafrost Releases Methane Gas Directly to the Atmosphere](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/06/permafrost-releases- methane-gas-directly-to-the-atmosphere/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/1C6BA459-46A1-402D-9FA0-7B4BBAA7F784-300x198.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/1C6BA459-46A1-402D-9FA0-7B4BBAA7F784.jpeg) Permafrost quite extensive in Arctic Polar Regions **Climate change: Thawing permafrost is a triple-threat** From an [Article by Marlowe Hood, Science X News](https://phys.org/news/2022-01-climate-permafrost-triple-threat.html), 01/12/22 Wellhead equipment is located at the Utrenneye field, the resource base for Novatek's Arctic LNG 2 project, located in the Gydan Peninsula. Thawing Arctic permafrost laden with billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases not only threatens the region's critical infrastructure but life across the planet, according a comprehensive scientific review. Nearly 70 percent of the roads, pipelines, cities and industry — mostly in Russia — built on the region's softening ground are highly vulnerable to acute damage by mid-century, according to one of half-a-dozen studies on permafrost published this week by Nature. Another study warns that methane and CO2 escaping from long-frozen soil could accelerate warming and overwhelm global efforts to cap the rise in Earth's temperature at livable levels. Exposure of highly combustible organic matter no longer locked away by ice is also fuelling unprecedented wildfires, making permafrost a triple threat, the studies report. Blanketing a quarter of the northern hemisphere's land mass, permafrost contains twice the carbon currently in the atmosphere, and triple the amount emitted by human activity since 1850. By definition, it is ground that has been at temperatures colder than zero degrees Celsius (32F) for more than two years, though much permafrost is thousands of years old. Temperatures in the Arctic region have risen two to three times more quickly over the last half-century than for the world as a whole—two to three degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The region has also seen a series of freakish weather anomalies, with temperatures in winter flaring up to 40C above previous averages. Permafrost itself has, on average, warmed nearly 0.4C from 2007 to 2016, "raising concerns about the rapid rate of thaw and potential old carbon release," note researchers led by Kimberley Miner, a scientist at the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. **Zombie fires do occur ~** Their study projects a loss of some four million square kilometres of permafrost by 2100 even under a scenario in which greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced in the coming decades. Rising temperatures are not the only driver of accelerated melting. Arctic wildfires rapidly expand the layer of permafrost subject to thawing, the researchers point out. As the climate warms, these remote, uncontrolled blazes are projected to increase 130% to 350% by mid-century, releasing more and more permafrost carbon. Indeed, thawing renders buried organic carbon more flammable, giving rise to "zombie fires" that smoulder throughout frigid winters before igniting again in Spring and Summer. "These below-ground fires could release legacy carbon from environments previously thought to be fire-resistant," Miner and colleagues warn. **The most immediate threat is to the region 's infrastructure.** Northern hemisphere permafrost supports some 120,000 buildings, 40,000 kilometres (25,000 miles) of roads and 9,500 kilometres of pipelines, according to another study led by Jan Hjort, a scientist at Finland's University of Oulu. "The strength of soil drops substantially as temperatures rise above the melting point and ground ice melts," the study noted. No country is more vulnerable than Russia, where several large cities and substantial industrial plant sit atop frozen soil. Some 80 percent of buildings in the city of Vorkuta are already showing deformations caused by shifting permafrost. Nearly half of oil and gas extraction fields in the Russian Arctic are in areas with permafrost hazards threatening current infrastructure and future developments. Clean-up operation followed a massive fuel spill in the Ambarnaya River outside Norilsk on June 10, 2020. A fuel tank ruptured after its supports suddenly sank into the ground near the Siberian city of Norilsk, spilling 21,000 tonnes of diesel into nearby rivers. Thawing permafrost was blamed for weakening the plant's foundation. North America does not have large industrial centres built on permafrost, but tens of thousands of kilometres of roads and pipelines are increasingly vulnerable too. While scientists know far more than a decade ago, basic questions remain unanswered as to how much carbon may be released as Arctic soil warms. As a result, "permafrost dynamics are often not included in Earth system models," which means their potential impact of Earth's rising temperature are not adequately taken into account, Miner and colleagues note. This is especially true, they warn, for the sudden structural collapse of permafrost, a process known as thermokarst. It is also still an open question as to whether climate shifts will cause the Arctic region to become drier or wetter. The answer has huge implications. "In a greener, wetter Arctic, plants will offset some or all permafrost carbon emissions," the authors not. In a browner, drier Arctic, however, CO2 emissions from decomposing soils and the amount of ever-more flammable fuels for wildfires will increase. Permafrost covers 30 million square kilometres, roughly half of it in the Arctic, and a million km2 across the Tibetan Plateau. Most of the rest was covered when seas rose at the end of the last ice age. More information: Miner, K.R., Turetsky, M.R., Malina, E. et al. Permafrost carbon emissions in a changing Arctic. Nat Rev Earth Environ 3, 55–67 (2022). doi.org/10.1038/s43017-021-00230-3, www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00230-3 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/06/permafrost-releases-methane-gas- directly-to-the-atmosphere/>

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Our Planet Under Examination, But Few Want to See or Understand
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 05 Apr '23

05 Apr '23

# [Our Planet Under Examination, But Few Want to See or Understand](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/05/our-planet-under- examination-but-few-want-to-see-or-understand/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/E4061BF5-20B6-4EA0-A2B1-E01A16669438.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/E4061BF5-20B6-4EA0-A2B1-E01A16669438.jpeg) Fungal diseases are under the influence of climate change … **‘The Last of Us’ Is Right. Our Warming Planet Is a Petri Dish** . . From an [Article by Neil Vora, New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/opinion/the-last-of-us-fungus- climate-change.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Opinion), April 2, 2023 . . **“The Last of Us,” a postapocalyptic television thriller, recently concluded its first season with a stunning finale. However, as a physician and horror superfan, I found the show’s beginning more striking: A 1960s talk-show host asks two epidemiologists what keeps them up at night. “Fungus,” one replies.** He’s worried about a real-world species of Ophiocordyceps known to hijack the body and behavior of ants. Fast forward to the show’s central, fictional drama: a pandemic caused by a type of that fungus, which mutated as the world grew warmer. The new version infects humans and turns them into ravenous, zombielike beings whose bodies are overtaken by mushrooms. **Fungal epidemics in humans are infrequent, in part because human-to-human transmission of fungi is rare, and I am not aware of any involving zombielike creatures. It’s far more likely that the next pandemic will come from a virus. But the idea that climate change is making the emergence of new health threats more likely is solid. Could it cause a fungus ubiquitous in the environment to morph into a lethal pathogen in humans? It’s possible.** Scientists like me worry that climate change and ecosystem destruction may be creating opportunities for fungal pathogens to grow more infectious, spread over larger distances and reach more people. For example, Candida auris, a drug-resistant yeast that can be deadly in hospitalized patients, may have gained the ability to infect people thanks to warmer temperatures, according to some scientists. On March 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Candida auris has spread at “an alarming rate” in health care facilities and is “concerning.” But international efforts to strengthen global health security rarely consider fungal pathogens. Given that the risks are growing, that leaves us unprepared and failing to take adequate steps for their prevention. No fungal vaccines exist, diagnosis is complicated and costly, and there are not enough drugs to combat the fungus. Unless governments fund research to better address fungal disease and reverse the environmental factors that fuel their emergence, we will remain vulnerable. **For many plants and animals, fungi are a scourge. Fusarium wilt, which devastates banana plants and for which there are limited treatments, is spreading globally and is a major threat to the multibillion-dollar banana industry. An infection known as white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats across North America. Ninety amphibian species have gone extinct from chytridiomycosis, a dreadful disease that causes a frog’s skin to fall off.** Humans have largely been exempt from fungal outbreaks because of our warm blood — 98 degrees Fahrenheit, too hot for many fungi to survive. That could be changing. A January study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that heat kicked a fungus called Cryptococcus deneoformans — which can infect humans — into evolutionary overdrive, increasing certain genetic mutations fivefold. This means more opportunities to develop dangerous adaptations, such as heat tolerance and drug resistance. In another lab study, a research team grew and heated a type of fungus known to kill insects. Within four months, two strains could reproduce at 98 degrees Fahrenheit, up from a previous limit of about 90 degrees. **Some microbiologists believe climate change is already accelerating fungal evolution in nature.** Their theory is that global warming may have selected for strains of Candida auris in the environment that could survive at higher temperatures. This allowed the yeast to break a thermal barrier that previously limited spread, such that it gained the ability to infect warm- blooded birds — and humans exposed to those birds. A changing climate may also increase the transmission of fungal disease. These microorganisms are everywhere: kitchen counters, backyard soil and the air we breathe. Typically, systemic fungal infections occur in immunocompromised individuals — cancer patients, organ recipients and others — who have inhaled spores from their environment. But regional outbreaks among healthy people are of increasing concern since flooding, cyclonic winds and wildfire smoke can create conditions for fungi to flourish and spread. Counterintuitively, so can drought. In the American Southwest, long periods without rain have dried out the earth, leading to dust storms. Reported cases of Valley fever, a once-rare respiratory illness caused by soil-borne fungal spores, have soared nearly tenfold since 1998; the fungus has also spread to new regions, including Washington State. A warming planet is creating more vulnerability in humans, too. Reduced crop yields, for example, lead to malnutrition, while heat stress causes kidney disease. At the same time, deforestation, inadequate safety measures on farms and commercial wildlife trade increase the risk of so-called spillovers, where viruses like Ebola jump from animals to people. Fungi, nature’s savviest opportunists, will use these disturbances to their advantage. We saw this in the 1980s as fungal infections surged alongside H.I.V., a virus that emerged from spillover. We also saw it more recently when a unique fungal disease affected thousands of people in India who had received immune-suppressing steroids as part of their treatment for Covid-19. **Last October, the World Health Organization created a list of “fungal priority pathogens” for the first time. “Fungal pathogens are a major threat to public health,” the group wrote.** This was an important symbolic gesture, but it does not give doctors what they need: better tools to fight these infections. There are no approved vaccines. Globally, many countries lack the capacity to diagnose certain common fungal diseases. Even in New York City, where I treat patients, it can take weeks for some to receive a diagnosis for fungal infections. Worse yet, many fungal pathogens already are resistant to the few antifungal drugs we do have available. In part, this is a technical challenge: It’s difficult to develop antifungals that don’t also destroy our cells. But we cannot develop cures if we don’t try — and right now, fungal research output is abysmal. For example, cryptococcal meningitis, a fungal infection, kills more people than bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis, yet the latter receives over three times as much research funding. Fungal pathogens simply haven’t been on government funders’ radar — they receive just 1.5 percent of all research funding for infectious disease research. Likewise, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to invest in research and development, because the potential profit is limited. To help fill this void, the National Institutes of Health must increase support for the study of fungal diseases, as it recently did for Valley fever. The U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which helps develop vaccines and drugs for public health emergencies through public- private partnership, must also make them a priority. Currently, none of the 83 initiatives listed on the B.A.R.D.A. medical countermeasures portfolio website are for fungal pathogens, though it has announced its support for the development of novel antifungals. **This moment also calls for humility. In the 1960s, some prominent experts erroneously believed infectious diseases were a diminishing threat. But nature is full of surprises.** From 2012 to 2021, I investigated outbreaks with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As my colleagues and I responded to Ebola, rabies, poxviruses and coronaviruses, we saw firsthand how the ways people interact with the environment and animals can surface disease in horrific and unexpected ways. Often, we don’t learn how devastating these diseases are until we are in the midst of a full-blown emergency. With only 5 percent of an estimated 1.5 million fungal species identified to date, fungi are perhaps the great blind spot in public health. Our health depends on a delicate ecological equilibrium. Maintaining that balance — by weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels to slow climate change and halting the loss of nature to prevent viral spillovers — is perhaps our best hope for avoiding a fungal horror show. **>>> Dr. Neil Vora is the pandemic prevention fellow at Conservation International and led New York City’s Covid-19 contact tracing program from 2020 to 2021.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/05/our-planet-under-examination- but-few-want-to-see-or-understand/>

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Mountain Valley Frack Gas Pipeline ~ Unnecessary Risk for Residents, Farms, Streams & Mountains
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 04 Apr '23

04 Apr '23

# [Mountain Valley Frack Gas Pipeline ~ Unnecessary Risk for Residents, Farms, Streams & Mountains](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/04/mountain-valley- frack-gas-pipeline-unnecessary-risk-for-residents-farms-streams-mountains/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/ED8FCDB3-53A1-4ACE-9D62-F02C6821C305.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/ED8FCDB3-53A1-4ACE-9D62-F02C6821C305.jpeg) MVP 42 inch coated pipeline actually too large for rough terrain and varied conditions **M.V.P. Plans ~ Pipeline’s pros can’t outweigh its cons** From the Letter to Editor of [Betsy Lawson](https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/2022-11/M…, Sunday Edition, Morgantown Dominion Post, April 2, 2023 . . **A guest essay in Sunday’s Dominion Post (3-26-23) extolling the benefits of finishing the Mountain Valley Pipeline is so glaringly misleading that a response is required.** The remaining unbuilt section would cross the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail — one of the most pristine areas in Appalachia. People who live there have seen whole sections of already built pipeline slide down the steep hillsides, an unstable terrain where a pipeline eruption and possible explosion seem inevitable. The construction of pipelines to carry natural gas at high pressures of 1,200 psi, some to ports on the coast where it will be sold overseas, risks the safety of many residents for the profit of a few elsewhere. This pipeline will not benefit the common good. Landowners will lose some of their land through eminent domain and see a decrease in their property values, while profits go to the corporate shareholders. Fewer tourists, hunters and fishermen will visit an area that looks industrialized. Soil erosion from these massive scars on the land will destroy trout streams and water quality. Tax revenue will decrease in this area and ratepayers may be stuck paying off this boondoggle as renewable energy makes fossil fuels less economic. **Further, fracking for natural gas mostly benefits the few people who sell it. The pollution and noise from fracking lower the quality of life for everyone who lives in proximity. We are experiencing 24/7 noise now from construction of a new fracking pad in our neighborhood. When the drilling starts, it will be far worse.** West Virginia has been under the thumb of the fossil fuel industry for much too long, making us one of the least healthy and least prosperous states in the country. We must vote for leaders who look to the future and promote the economic prosperity of clean energy. >>> [Betsy Lawson, Morgantown Area of Monongalia County, WV](https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/2022-11/MSS_2… URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/04/mountain-valley-frack-gas- pipeline-unnecessary-risk-for-residents-farms-streams-mountains/>

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US Court of Appeals Rejects M.V.P. Water Quality Permit From WV-DEP
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 03 Apr '23

03 Apr '23

# [US Court of Appeals Rejects M.V.P. Water Quality Permit From WV- DEP](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/03/us-court-of-appeals-rejects-m-… p-water-quality-permit-from-wv-dep/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/21B425A9-D4DD-4673-A510-A3D2D904FFC2.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/21B425A9-D4DD-4673-A510-A3D2D904FFC2.jpeg) US Court of Appeals Issues Unanimous Decision to Protect Streams **Court vacates critical West Virginia water permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline** [Press Release from Jessica Sims, Appalachian Voices](https://appvoices.org/2023/04/03/mvp-wv-401/), April 3, 2023 RICHMOND, Va. — Today, a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit vacated the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Clean Water Act § 401 certification for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, finding that the agency’s justification behind its conclusion that the pipeline would not violate the state’s water quality standards was deficient. The 401 certification is a critical permit that MVP needs in order to resume construction through rivers and wetlands in West Virginia, including 193 remaining water crossings in the state. This decision comes days after the same court upheld a § 401 water quality certification granted in Virginia. Mountain Valley Pipeline has devastated water resources in West Virginia, receiving citations for scores of violations of water quality standards and racking up at least $550,000 in fines for failing to timely and adequately control runoff along the construction route. The court identified multiple failures by West Virginia in issuing the certificate. Specifically, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection did not sufficiently address the history of MVP’s water quality violations, did not include a condition requiring MVP to comply with the construction stormwater protection permit, and did not adequately explain why they waived review of location-specific antidegradation policy. Without a § 401 water quality certification from West Virginia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cannot issue the related Clean Water Act § 404 water quality permit that MVP needs for its stream and wetland crossings. In addition, MVP still has not received authorization to cross the Jefferson National Forest. Now that the developers behind the MVP will have to reapply for a 401 water quality certification in West Virginia, the timetable for the project is even more uncertain. In this case, Appalachian Mountain Advocates represented Sierra Club, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Indian Creek Watershed Association, Appalachian Voices and Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Today’s ruling uplifts the tireless efforts of every single coalition member and volunteer fighting to protect land, water and people,” said Russell Chisholm, managing director for the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights Coalition. “Mountain Valley Pipeline’s assurances don’t match the facts as documented in violation after violation. MVP should abandon their ill-fated project because we will defend every stream and river crossing that can still be saved from permanent harm.” “West Virginia communities have endured Mountain Valley Pipeline’s damage to their water resources and environment for far too long,” said Jessica Sims, Virginia field coordinator for Appalachian Voices. “The WVDEP’s insufficient safeguards have been exposed, and this ruinous project must be canceled.” “West Virginia has been ground zero for the MVP and this ruling today makes clear that communities from West Virginia to North Carolina have worked together to protect the water,” said Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, co-founder of 7 Directions of Service. “People need investment in clean, fossil-fuel free, non-extractive energy — not the MVP — and developers should cancel the project.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/03/us-court-of-appeals-rejects-m-v- p-water-quality-permit-from-wv-dep/>

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Green Hydrogen Can Find Diverse Applications, Some More Logical
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 02 Apr '23

02 Apr '23

# [Green Hydrogen Can Find Diverse Applications, Some More Logical](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/02/green-hydrogen-can-find- diverse-applications-some-more-logical/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/92FEBD7D-56A4-4B27-B381-0775F99876C9.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/92FEBD7D-56A4-4B27-B381-0775F99876C9.jpeg) An electrolyser stack in the research and development area of the Plug Power facility in Concord, Massachusetts **Green hydrogen is having a breakthrough moment, can we make the most of it?** From an [Article by Oleksiy Tatarenko & Natalie Janzow, Energy Monitor](https://www.energymonitor.ai/tech/hydrogen/opinion-green-hydrogen-is- having-a-breakthrough-moment-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it/), March 31, 2023 . . **Developers and policymakers should set their sights on projects catering to sectors most acutely in need of green hydrogen, like steelmaking, fertilizers and shipping.** Landmark federal legislation is now mobilising billions of dollars to energise a fledgling industry around green hydrogen, a carbon-free fuel and chemical feedstock that is produced with renewable energy. The good news is that green hydrogen is a versatile tool that can decarbonise industries ranging from marine shipping to steelmaking to fertilizer production. The caveat? The generous federal subsidies that are critical to rapidly scaling green hydrogen don’t yet dictate what the hydrogen is used for, which could result in projects that are financially viable for companies but aren’t in the best interest of the climate or consumers. State and federal agencies have the power to ensure that public funding for green hydrogen doesn’t go towards building an energy bridge to nowhere. Instead, public agencies and regulators can guide green hydrogen towards the sectors where its use is both financially viable and where better alternatives aren’t already available. Staffers at the **US Department of Energy** (DOE), for example, can allocate funding from the **Loan Programs Office and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations** towards projects that decarbonise heavy industry and energy-intensive transport. State policymakers can develop road maps with a clear vision for where hydrogen will be used, then implement funding programmes and deployment targets to incentivise hydrogen fuel- switching in priority sectors. **Building a green hydrogen economy for today and tomorrow** Under last year’s **Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)** , producers of green hydrogen can claim tax credits for the hydrogen they make, as well as for any new clean electricity that they generate to make that hydrogen. In some scenarios, the generous subsidies can make even inefficient uses of green hydrogen profitable. One prominent example is using power to produce hydrogen, then burning that hydrogen in a power plant to produce power again – wasting most of the energy along the way. While hydrogen may eventually play a role in decarbonising electricity, it will be as a store of energy for backup power to manage the variability of renewables, not as a primary source of baseload power. Importantly, the federal subsidies are time-limited, so use cases that are marginally profitable today may be woefully uncompetitive down the line. Misguided investments in hydrogen uses like baseload power generation or home heating could leave utility customers on the hook for inefficient and expensive infrastructure that has only a short window of financial viability. Even with optimistic assumptions, for example, using hydrogen to heat homes will require at least three-times as much electricity as using a heat pump, and will be more expensive for consumers in the long run. **Getting our priorities straight with clean energy** **Fortunately, there are several priority industries that promise to be far better long-term customers for clean hydrogen producers. Sectors such as steelmaking and fertiliser production provide a more stable and lucrative market for green hydrogen, which offers a carbon-free alternative to coal, diesel and other polluting fossil fuels. Not only can green hydrogen fetch higher prices in those sectors, but it would also make a much bigger dent in global carbon emissions.** **For example, analysis from the non-profit RMI finds that every kilogram (kg) of green hydrogen that displaces traditional fuels in the coal-heavy steel sector would prevent 33.6kg of CO2 from being emitted — more than five times the carbon savings of using hydrogen to generate power or heat buildings, where better decarbonisation technologies already exist.** Producing fertiliser from hydrogen instead of fossil gas would also provide substantial climate benefits, while boosting food security and insulating farmers from the volatility of fossil fuel prices. Similarly, deploying hydrogen-derived fuels such as ammonia and e-methanol in shipping and e-kerosene in aviation would enable widespread emissions reductions without limiting the scalability of these vital transport sectors. **Fuelling the US 's clean Industrial Revolution** The US now has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turbocharge the hydrogen economy – and ensure it is headed in the right direction. As part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal government is allocating $8bn to develop regional hydrogen hubs across the nation. These hubs will comprise clusters of interconnected hydrogen producers, consumers and transport infrastructure. **Regional coalitions looking to develop clean hydrogen hubs will submit their final applications to the DOE in April.** The state agencies and private- sector players in these coalitions are eager to get in on the ground floor of this nascent industry, and their cost-sharing contributions will bring tens of billions of dollars to these regions. The hubs that are selected – and the industries within those hubs – will help determine whether green hydrogen reaches its economic and climate potential. Forthcoming guidance from the Treasury Department and the IRS that clarifies how the new IRA tax credits are implemented will also help shape the early hydrogen economy, given that these tax credits will spur potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in investment. The boom in funding from IRA incentives, hydrogen hub investments and other initiatives gives the US a real opportunity to establish vibrant regional hydrogen hubs and clusters of clean industry. Alliances such as the **Mission Possible Partnership** , which helps align heavy industries and their customers behind decarbonisation solutions, can help grow these seeds into a nationwide hydrogen economy that transforms and modernises some of our highest-emitting industries. US policymakers have successfully summoned an unprecedented surge of interest and activity in carbon-free hydrogen. If they can channel it to the right sectors, they can help revitalise and decarbonise the nation’s industrial base at the same time. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/02/green-hydrogen-can-find-diverse- applications-some-more-logical/>

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U. S. Government Promotes Large-Scale HYDROGEN HUBS for Regional Energy Supply?
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 01 Apr '23

01 Apr '23

# [U. S. Government Promotes Large-Scale HYDROGEN HUBS for Regional Energy Supply?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/01/u-s-government-promotes- large-scale-hydrogen-hubs-for-regional-energy-supply/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/2384ECD4-E266-4A38-A73D-A915C4459212-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/2384ECD4-E266-4A38-A73D-A915C4459212.jpeg) Hydrogen Hub intended to generate green hydrogen as an alternative fuel **The Outlook for U.S. Hydrogen Hubs: What Can They Achieve?** From an [Article by Anna Mende & Emily Kent, Clean Air Task Force](https://www.catf.us/2023/03/outlook-us-hydrogen-hubs/), March 29, 2023 As efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts of climate change ramp up around the world, public and private sources of capital have turned their attention to hydrogen—an energy carrier that does not produce carbon emissions when utilized in fuel cells or combusted. This zero- carbon fuel has garnered attention for its potential to play a key role in achieving full, global, economy-wide decarbonization. In 2022 alone, private equity and venture firms spent over $5 billion on hydrogen-related companies on the tailwinds of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Beyond authorizing $1.2 trillion of investment in infrastructure upgrades to help the United States transition to a zero- carbon economy, the legislation allocated $8 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE) to fund four Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs—or H2Hubs—across the U.S., and DOE has indicated that it may use the funding to support the development of as many as ten H2Hubs. The hubs will be localized centers for the production, transportation, storage, and end-use of hydrogen. This first- of-a-kind demonstration program intends to catalyze domestic clean hydrogen production in the United States and can serve as a platform and framework for operationalizing the technological and commercial advances developed through DOE’s Hydrogen Shot program, which aims to bring the cost of production down by 80% to $1 per kilogram in one decade. Given the massive investment by the federal government and the promising benefits hydrogen hubs can provide, it is important that these hubs are developed thoughtfully and designed in a way that maximizes climate and community benefits. The IIJA directs the DOE to fund hubs that: 1\. Demonstrably aid the achievement of the clean hydrogen production standard; 2\. Demonstrate the production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen; and 3\. Can be developed into a national clean hydrogen network to facilitate the production and use of low-emissions hydrogen in sectors of the economy that will be difficult or impossible to electrify. DOE will evaluate applicants on a variety of factors, including: Production methods and feedstock diversity: The IIJA requires at least one H2Hub to demonstrate production of clean hydrogen from fossil fuels, one from renewable energy, and one from nuclear energy. End-use diversity: At least one H2Hub will demonstrate the end-use of hydrogen in the electric power generation sector, one in the industrial sector, one in the residential and commercial heating sector, and one in the transportation sector. Cost share: The hubs program requires a minimum of 50% non-federal cost share. Cost share must come from non-federal sources such as private project participants, state or local governments, or other third-party financing. Community benefits: In alignment with the federal Justice40 Initiative, DOE will require hub applicants to include community benefits plans (CBPs) as part of their full applications to DOE. These plans are crucial aspects of the application and will be weighted at 20% of the technical and merit review of the proposals. DOE will give priority to regional hydrogen hubs that are likely to create opportunities for skills training and long-term employment to the greatest number of residents in the region. In the lead up to the full application deadline on April 7th, CATF has mapped and identified leading stakeholders and regions that have responded to the DOE funding notice and intend to submit a full application. You can further explore state and regional application efforts in our new map here. **What benefits do we expect hydrogen hubs to create?** The establishment of a hydrogen hubs program is historic. It signals significant governmental commitment to scaling the innovative technologies and industries we need to ensure deep decarbonization in the decades to come. We expect the program to deliver the following impacts: Decarbonization of hard-to-electrify end-use sectors: The hydrogen hubs program has the potential to catalyze the decarbonization of industries such as marine shipping, heavy-duty trucking, aviation, steel making, and industrial process heating – sectors that were responsible for nearly 16% of U.S. emissions in 2018. These sectors would greatly benefit from the availability of low-carbon hydrogen. We expect some of these industries to be firmly planted within a hub—for example, industrial facilities that use hydrogen instead of natural gas to fuel their high temperature processes. Other end-users like marine shipping, heavy-duty trucking, and aviation will flow between hubs – stopping in regions across the U.S. to refuel with low- carbon hydrogen or hydrogen derivatives. Connective infrastructure and export potential: For in-hub users like industrial facilities, hydrogen will often be supplied directly from the producer to the end-user by short pipelines. For other end-use sectors—particularly transportation—the distribution of hydrogen will be much more dispersed. CATF expects the hydrogen hubs program to foster the creation of hydrogen and ammonia-fueled transportation corridors that stretch between the hubs. This will create stronger economics for individual hubs, accelerate their development, and foster the build-out of a global hydrogen network, potentially positioning the U.S. to become a hydrogen exporter via our ports. Lowering costs and driving investment: Coupled with the hydrogen production credit from the Inflation Reduction Act (Section 45V), which gives hydrogen projects that begin construction before 2033 a tax credit of up to $3.00 per kilogram of clean hydrogen produced based on its carbon intensity, the hydrogen hubs program should help lower the cost of hydrogen production and creates significant incentive for project developers. The required 50% non- federal cost share will also attract private and state pools of capital to enter the hydrogen market. Job creation and community benefits: There is significant potential for the hubs program to drive localized clean technology job creation and workforce development opportunities. Additionally, when clean hydrogen is utilized in the transportation sector, it has the potential to improve local air quality, especially around ports and heavy-duty-trucking corridors. Additionally, the requirement that 40% of benefits from federal funding flow to historically disadvantaged communities means that the hubs chosen will need to have robust community benefits plans. Stay tuned to learn more from CATF on what comes next for the hydrogen hubs program, exploring some of what we have seen from hub applicants and the timelines and expectations from DOE over the coming year. >>> Anna Menke (amenke(a)catf.us), Senior Hydrogen Hubs Manager, and Emily Kent (ekent(a)catf.us), U.S. Director for Zero-Carbon Fuels, are important members of our CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE team. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/01/u-s-government-promotes-large- scale-hydrogen-hubs-for-regional-energy-supply/>

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