June 2023 - News - lists.frackcheckwv.net

Climate Change & Heat, Wildfires & Air Pollution Cause Emergency Conditions
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 30 Jun '23

30 Jun '23

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Joe Manchin’s Pyrrhic Victory for the Mountain Valley Pipeline
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 29 Jun '23

29 Jun '23

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Two Legal Challenges to Blanket Approval of Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 28 Jun '23

28 Jun '23

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New Methane Leakage & Repair Standards for Gathering, Transmission & Distribution Pipelines
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 27 Jun '23

27 Jun '23

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Workshop on Monitoring Pipeline Construction Thru Wetlands & Streams
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 26 Jun '23

26 Jun '23

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Hydrogen Now Major Topic @ National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 25 Jun '23

25 Jun '23

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David Crane Confirmed as US-DOE Under Secretary for Infrastructure
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 24 Jun '23

24 Jun '23

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Advanced Closed Loop (ACL) GEOTHERMAL ENERGY RECOVERY is Under Study in Japan
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 23 Jun '23

23 Jun '23

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Carbon Dioxide Storage Underground Raises Many Questions [Expensive]
by Frack Check WV: admin 22 Jun '23

22 Jun '23

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New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units
by Frack Check WV: admin 20 Jun '23

20 Jun '23

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Air Pollution in Western Pennsylvania (& Regionally) Needs Attention ASAP
by Frack Check WV: admin 19 Jun '23

19 Jun '23

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WEB SEMINAR ~ MicroPlastics Impact Our Heath & Environment
by Frack Check WV: admin 18 Jun '23

18 Jun '23

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Our Water is Being Destroyed by Fracking ~ Consumed and/or Polluted!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 16 Jun '23

16 Jun '23

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Grays Peak Compressor Station Planned Near Reader in Wetzel County, WV
by Frack Check WV: admin 15 Jun '23

15 Jun '23

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WV-DEP Public Notices on Water Pollution & Land Slides
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 14 Jun '23

14 Jun '23

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ALERT ~ Time to Halt Plans for Fracking Ohio’s Public Lands
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 13 Jun '23

13 Jun '23

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Conservation Activities in the Monongahela National Forest
by Frack Check WV: admin 12 Jun '23

12 Jun '23

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Part 3. Coal Operators are Undermining the Black Lung Benefits Program
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 11 Jun '23

11 Jun '23

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Clean-Seas WV Plans to Produce Hydrogen & Fuel Oil from Waste Plastics via Pyrolysis Process
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 10 Jun '23

10 Jun '23

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Very Dangerous Mariner East Pipelines Cross Pennsylvania
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 09 Jun '23

09 Jun '23

# [Very Dangerous Mariner East Pipelines Cross Pennsylvania](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/09/very-dangerous-marine… east-pipelines-cross-pennsylvania/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/0ECB8679-EFA3-410C-9FD0-879D891D6304-300x155.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/06/0ECB8679-EFA3-410C-9FD0-879D891D6304.jpeg) Mariner East pipelines pass thru residential neighborhoods **Mariner East Pipelines Carry Fracked Gas Liquids from OH, WV & PA to East Coast ** From the [Appeal by Ginny Marcille-Kerslake, Food & Water Watch](https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/donate/donate-food-water-watch- and-help-fight-big-oil-gas), June 8, 2033 In honor of **World Environment Day** , I’d like to share a personal story highlighting how pipeline companies damage communities in my state and how we’re fighting back. Pipeline construction has already been destructive! For years, fossil fuel corporation Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) plan was for the Mariner East 2 and 2X pipelines to transport highly explosive natural gas liquids from fracking overseas to produce single-use plastics. Construction for this project wreaked havoc on my community and left us with dangerous pipelines. In 2017, because of drilling being done for this project, the aquifer underneath my neighborhood was hit! The water that flowed from this spill destroyed the private wells residents relied on for drinking, cooking, and bathing. That’s when their dirty project really came to the forefront of my life. My neighbors and I demanded an explanation. But, when we realized how difficult it was to get straight answers from Sunoco/ETP, and how likely they were to keep doing the dangerous drilling, we got to work, and I took on a new role — as an activist against the Mariner East pipelines. We worked with Pennsylvania Senator Andy Dinniman to get temporary halts to the drilling and pursued longer-term moratoriums. We bird-dogged Sunoco/ETP every time something went wrong — like when Sunoco/ETP didn’t self-report as they’re required to do when sinkholes occurred. My community and I are still fighting back against the threat of more pipeline construction. It’s a David vs. Goliath kind of battle, but we’ve carved out essential wins along the way. These fights don’t just affect one person — they affect entire communities, states, and the country. And though my story involves the Mariner East 2 pipeline, it reflects the kinds of fights going on in communities nationwide. It’s why I joined Food & Water Watch because we’re in this together, and we’re making lasting change. Join us in the fight to secure safe water and a livable climate for future generations — make a gift today. >>> Onward together, Ginny Marcille-Kerslake, Eastern Pennsylvania Organizer, Food & Water Watch #######+++++++#######+++++++####### [LET’S FIGHT BIG OIL & GAS](https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/donate/donate-food-water-watch-an… help-fight-big-oil-gas) **Pennsylvania fines Sunoco Pipeline for Mariner East violations in Delaware County, PA ~ The PUC imposed a $51,000 fine against the Energy Transfer LP subsidiary for violations related to disruptive pipeline construction through an apartment complex.** From Andrew Maykuth, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 8, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/09/very-dangerous-mariner-east- pipelines-cross-pennsylvania/>

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Two Wells Drilled in Utah for Access to Hydrogen Storage Caverns
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 08 Jun '23

08 Jun '23

# [Two Wells Drilled in Utah for Access to Hydrogen Storage Caverns](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/08/two-wells-drilled-in-utah- for-access-to-hydrogen-storage-caverns/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/C2926923-0D3A-40BA-8FA2-ED934013E643.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/06/C2926923-0D3A-40BA-8FA2-ED934013E643.jpeg) Caverns underground must be dedicated to specific gases under pressure and monitored for leakage **WSP Completes Drilling Two Wells for Utah Hydrogen Hub ~ Designed for Curtailed Renewable Energy Use** From an [Article in Alternative Energy Magazine](https://www.altenergymag.com/news/2023/06/06/wsp-completes-drilli… two-wells-at-hydrogen-hub-designed-for-curtailed-renewable-energy-use/39636), June 6, 2023 SALT LAKE CITY — [WSP USA, a leading engineering, environment, and professional services consultancy](http://wsp.com), has successfully completed drilling operation and mechanical integrity tests for two new cavern wells for the Advanced Clean Energy Storage (ACES) I project in Utah — part of the first phase for the ACES Delta hydrogen hub. **The Advanced Clean Energy Storage I project will convert renewable energy into green hydrogen that can be stored in utility-scale solution mined domal salt caverns. The ACES Delta hydrogen hub controls the only known "Gulf Coast"-style domal-quality salt formation in the western U.S., which contains five existing salt caverns already being used for storing liquid fuels.** Advanced Clean Energy Storage I is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACES Delta, LLC. ACES Delta is a joint venture between Magnum Development and Mitsubishi Power Americas. WSP was contracted for the designing, drilling and completion of both cavern wells. Beside the drilling operation, WSP was responsible for designing procuring and managing the construction process of the project's solution mining surface facility to provide water and power to the well sites and will manage the solution mining process until final completion of both caverns. "Hydrogen underground storage is a key component of the hydrogen economy, which is critical in the effort to decarbonize U.S. power generation," said Scyller Borglum, PhD, underground storage leader for WSP USA. "These underground salt dome caverns will provide a huge reservoir of renewable fuel for power generation, supporting levels of utility scale renewable energy storage that have not been previously possible." The drilling operation for each cavern well was completed ahead of schedule, and both cavern wells have successfully passed the mechanical integrity test designated to ensure well integrity prior to the start of the solution mining process. Upon completion of the solution mining process, the total cavern volume of 9MM barrels-equivalent will be able to store around 300 gigawatt hours of clean and reliable energy in the form of hydrogen. **These will be the fourth and fifth hydrogen-compatible caverns in the U.S., and the salt cavern storage capacity will make it possible to store excess renewable energy produced in the spring when energy demand is low and use it to generate energy in the summer when demand is high.** #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also** : [Hydrogen projects hang on IRS decision on how clean is clean energy](https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/clean- hydrogen-irs-tax-credit-18137623.php), James Osborne, Houston Chronicle, June 7, 2023 WASHINGTON — Methane emissions from oil and gas drilling are under scrutiny as the Internal Revenue Service weighs how to assess the climate impact of clean hydrogen made from natural gas. The numerous clean hydrogen projects under development along the Gulf Coast await a critical decision by the Biden administration on how to count the burgeoning industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Internal Revenue Service is in the midst of deciding how companies qualify for a tax credit included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act that could potentially be worth tens of billions of dollars in the years ahead. Environmentalists and some technology firms are pushing officials to consider not just how much carbon dioxide facilities are capturing and storing underground but emissions from the natural gas they use to make so-called blue hydrogen. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/08/two-wells-drilled-in-utah-for- access-to-hydrogen-storage-caverns/>

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Hannibal Site (Ohio) is Becoming a Hydrogen Technology Center ~ Directly West of Morgantown in Ohio Valley
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 07 Jun '23

07 Jun '23

# [Hannibal Site (Ohio) is Becoming a Hydrogen Technology Center ~ Directly West of Morgantown in Ohio Valley](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/07/hannibal-ohio-is-becoming-a- hydrogen-technology-center-directly-west-of-morgantown-in-ohio-valley/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/4B93E24D-693B-4FE5-89BC- CC463D05A54F-265x300.jpg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/4B93E24D-693B-4FE5-89BC-CC463D05A54F.jpeg) Test site opposite the end of the Mason-Dixon Line in Ohio River valley **Harnessing an H-Class Gas Turbine for Hydrogen: Long Ridge Energy Terminal** From an [Article by Sonal Patel, Power Magazine](https://www.powermag.com/harnessing-an-h-class-for-hydrogen-long- ridge-energy-terminal/), October 3, 2022 **Long Ridge Energy Terminal in Hannibal, Ohio** , is one of the first power plants in the U.S. to be purpose-built for generating power with hydrogen fuel. But embarking on the pioneering journey that could ultimately allow the plant’s GE 7HA.02 gas turbine to combust 100% hydrogen by volume hasn’t been easy. At the end of March 2022, a team comprising Long Ridge Energy Generation, Black & Veatch, GE, NAES, and Long Ridge’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor Kiewit successfully wrapped up a first test to combust an initial blending of 5% hydrogen and 95% natural gas fuel by volume at the 485-MW Long Ridge Energy Terminal combined cycle power plant. The achievement marked a significant step for the project in Hannibal, Ohio, which launched commercial operation in October 2021 as one of the first power plants in the U.S. that was purpose-built to transition from natural gas to hydrogen blends and ultimately be capable of burning 100% hydrogen. **But while the test was significant and its future capabilities are being much-watched, Long Ridge Energy’s long journey in getting the pioneering power plant built may also offer crucial insight for gas power project developers that are considering large-scale hydrogen-ready projects. “I’ll confess that when we started off the project, it seemed like a really simple concept that wasn’t going to take very long to execute, given good partners,” noted Mark Barry, program manager at Long Ridge Energy, during a July GE-hosted webinar. “The closer we got to it, the steeper we realized that the curve was, from codes to materials to control issues**. There was a lot to work through. But with our team, it was really a series of engineering problems that you worked through in any project—more of them, and not a lot of them that we thought about really at the beginning.” How the plant resolved these issues and continues its transition to a higher concentration of hydrogen, despite so many unknowns that characterize the burgeoning low-carbon fuel horizon, makes Long Ridge an especially noteworthy POWER 2022 Gas Top Plant. **Why Long Ridge Chose to Be Hydrogen Ready** Long Ridge Energy was formed five years ago by investment firms Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors, and Grosvenor Capital Management—Labor Impact Fund, which saw a redevelopment opportunity at the site of a former aluminum smelter that operated for more than 50 years in the Appalachian Basin. The site is located within a 1,660-acre multimodal facility in the heart of the Marcellus and Utica shale formations alongside other natural gas infrastructure, including two storage tanks and four gas pipelines. “Really our objective for this project from the very beginning was to develop a digital industry on this large property adjacent to the power plant that could take power from the plant,” said Bo Wholey, president of Long Ridge Energy. “So, we started targeting really large power load industries like data centers but quickly concluded that the market had shifted several years ago and was really very focused on carbon-free generation,” he said. Long Ridge approached GE, and that kicked off a discussion about exploring the potential to transition the power plant to start blending hydrogen, he said. At the time, GE was intently exploring low-carbon fuels for its gas turbine fleet as part of a pathway to help the power sector combat climate change. In October 2020, the American original equipment manufacturer unveiled a contract with Long Ridge for a 7HA.02 combustion turbine, effectively launching a flagship hydrogen power demonstration for its HA-class gas turbines. The HA gas turbine, notably, is capable of 50% hydrogen by volume for units with the DLN 2.6e combustion system, which is found on the 7HA.03 (60 Hz)—GE’s newest HA-class model—and the 9HA.01 and 9HA.02 (50 Hz). The 7HA.02 combustion turbine—a model GE debuted in 2017—which has a DLN 2.6+ combustion system, is “innately capable” of burning 15% to 20% hydrogen by volume, explained Dr. Jeffrey Goldmeer, director of Emergency Technologies at GE Gas Power. “The 7HA.02 at Long Ridge has not been modified for hydrogen,” he said. “When we talk about going to 50% or 100% hydrogen, then we’ll start needing to see changes in the combustion system, primarily on the gas turbine, and changes in the balance of plant to handle much more hydrogen.” **Unique Challenges Obtain at Every Turn** While the concept was attractive, integrating it into the plant design with urgency, to meet the commercial operating timeframe of November 2021, proved more challenging, said Barry. “There were a few things — technical, logistical — that we don’t think we really appreciated until we started our working group,” which included GE, Black & Veatch, and Kiewit. Holding the authority to make decisions at a group level, for example, to simplify the design criteria and forego blending hydrogen at below 60% load, provided crucial project alignment, he said. It also allowed the team to address emerging supply chain constraints and rising prices for specialty items, such as stainless steel valves and piping. “We had to act quickly and grab things or commit to things when we could,” he said. **Permitting the novel project also prompted some issues.** Barry said the Ohio Power Siting Board was “extremely interested” in the project; it has monitored the volume of hydrogen the project has combusted in tests. Part of the issue stems from a general lack of awareness by energy regulators about existing codes and standards that exist for industrial hydrogen use. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/B43D42E8-FD73-48B8-B38D-25E2C7091BBA-150x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/06/B43D42E8-FD73-48B8-B38D-25E2C7091BBA.jpeg) High pressure hydrogen transport trailers **PHOTO** : The Long Ridge team successfully completed a test to combust an initial blending of 5% hydrogen and 95% natural gas fuel in March 2022. A key feature of the test was the H2 Integrated Fuel Blending System, a system that GE provided to allow the initial blending of 5% hydrogen with natural gas by volume. The system comprised two hydrogen trailers each holding up to about 100,000 cubic feet of hydrogen. Once the hydrogen was onsite, supply from the two tanks went into a blending system and was then sent to the gas turbine. **Courtesy: GE Gas Power** While the team didn’t see any changes in the plant’s operating parameters when running the turbine at 5% hydrogen, future tests promise to shed more light on technical challenges. Transitioning to higher concentrations of hydrogen may “bring a new set of unknowns,” he said. Barry, however, noted that a key takeaway from the experience is that designing and building a purpose-built plant “makes a whole lot more sense than coming back for retrofit later.” **Future Uncertainties — Some Known & Some Unanticipated** Another substantial hurdle was securing adequate hydrogen fuel supply, particularly for the first-fire test. On an hourly basis, the 7HA.02 consumes more than 100,000 cubic feet of hydrogen. While Long Ridge has access to industrial byproduct hydrogen nearby and had it trucked in on tube trailers for the test, a supplier maintenance outage during the testing period underscored “how big the supply problem” can be, Barry said. **Reliable hydrogen supplies as fuel for gas turbines will likely endure as a long-standing challenge.** _Costs are another concern._ Wholey said Long Ridge’s efforts to secure larger quantities for further testing will rely on lowering the hydrogen cost. “A big component of hydrogen cost is transportation and storage,” he said. While Wholey is optimistic that recently announced U.S. government initiatives to develop hydrogen hubs may alleviate the issue somewhat, the necessary hydrogen infrastructure may not be fully built-out for several years. **“The obvious solution is to make hydrogen onsite, next to the power plant,” he said. For now, the company has several options. While it can produce green hydrogen with electrolysis using water from the Ohio River, wind and solar in eastern Ohio don’t produce as much power as in the West. “I think that those locations are probably better suited for making green hydrogen since solar can be fairly cheap,” he said.** “We sit right next to one of the largest gas pipeline hubs in the world, Clarington Hub, and so in this location, blue hydrogen and other ways of making hydrogen are better suited.” However, the company continues to explore other hydrogen production methods, including methane pyrolysis and even breaking down recycled aluminum to create hydrogen from the process. “That may be ironic, given the history of the site as an aluminum smelter,” Wholey said. “The way we’re thinking about the site that we own is almost as a hydrogen incubator, creating a number of different pilot projects and scaling them over time to make hydrogen onsite.” Meanwhile, the site also offers good long-term storage prospects, Wholey noted. “We’re fortunate at Long Ridge that the geology is suitable for hydrogen storage. And what I mean by that is we have a fairly thick layer of salt that runs throughout this area. Caverns can be leached in that salt, which is really one of the most cost-effective ways for large-scale hydrogen storage,” he said. For Wholey, a more treacherous “unknown” relates to the market component of power generation from hydrogen. “Specifically, what is the revenue opportunity from running an existing generation unit on hydrogen?” he asked. While the market is moving to value reliability and sustainability, cost competitiveness continues to pose a challenge. “But hydrogen is still so new in terms of large-scale generation, and we believe that first we need to show the market that it’s possible. And now that we’ve done that, that has really helped kickstart some of our discussions with large companies, for example, that have targets to be emissions-free, in some cases on a 24/7 basis.” **Wholey suggested that industry should approach value proposition from the standpoint that hydrogen power, a decarbonized dispatchable asset, complements wind and solar both as a balancer and as storage. “The way we think about cost should really be compared to long-term battery storage,” he said. Currently, however, no real policy or market advocacy exists because hydrogen power is so new.** —Sonal Patel is a POWER senior associate editor URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/07/hannibal-ohio-is-becoming-a- hydrogen-technology-center-directly-west-of-morgantown-in-ohio-valley/>

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It Isn’t Easy Being Green at US Department of Energy
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 06 Jun '23

06 Jun '23

# [It Isn’t Easy Being Green at US Department of Energy](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/06/it-isn%e2%80%99t-easy-being- green-at-us-department-of-energy/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/1BDDA05E-A61D-4002-ACD8-3C788998E242.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/06/1BDDA05E-A61D-4002-ACD8-3C788998E242.jpeg) Diagram to become modern art in “Museum of Technical Wonders” **US DOE Sets Vision for Major Clean Hydrogen Scale-Up** From an [Article by Lauren Craft, Energy Intelligence News](https://www.energyintel.com/00000188-8cab-d485-af9e-aefb80350000), June 5, 2023 **US DOE of President Joe Biden’s administration has rolled out a national clean hydrogen strategy that acts as an important signal for the emerging industry, but leaves unanswered questions about which types of hydrogen would be promoted.** [The 99-page strategy aims to set a unified vision](https://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/us-national-clean-hydrogen- strategy-roadmap.pdf) around scaling up US clean hydrogen production to 50 million metric tons by 2050, which would in turn cut 10% of US greenhouse gas emissions between now and then. That 10% reduction would see decreases from multiple sectors of the economy — particularly hard-to-decarbonize industries where hydrogen is increasingly eyed as a replacement for fossil fuels. **In the industrial sector, this includes segments like cement and steel, and in transportation, this includes heavy-duty trucking, maritime vessels and aviation, explained White House Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi in a call with reporters. The plan also eyes clean hydrogen uptake in agricultural sectors and energy use within buildings, Zaidi added.** Despite the broad appeal of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, (IRA) the US has faced criticism for mixed messages on the energy transition, with investors finding it difficult to reconcile sometimes-conflicting signals from various agencies, lawmakers and states. The new strategy marks an attempt to deliver more clarity on the clean hydrogen front — while rallying the government around a unified goal and earning consensus and mutual trust from the private sector. Biden administration officials said they canvassed views of industry and other stakeholders beforehand and used those to shape the strategy. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said a major objective of the new strategy is to provide certainty across the different points in the clean hydrogen value chain. _“When you’re creating an entirely new sector — which is what the clean hydrogen economy will be — you have to do everything, everywhere all at once,” she said in a call with reporters. “That means looking at supply-side strategy, the workforce, the offtake strategy to make sure there are going to be customers. You have to look at the physical locations of supplies, where will hydrogen be taken from, delivered to, and by what means.”_ Experts are saying that clean hydrogen investments are lopsided at present. Investments in production are ramping up, but spending is lagging on infrastructure and offtake agreements. Some say this is to be expected, with production bound to lead and downstream investments eventually expected to catch up. **Elephant in the Room** ~ The government has not yet spelled out the answer to a major unanswered question: What, from the point of view of the government, constitutes “clean hydrogen"? Granholm said Monday that this is an “important consideration” and to “stay tuned.” Although so-called green hydrogen produced using renewable electricity would obviously be fundamental to the strategy, the role remains unclear for blue hydrogen produced using natural gas with CCS, pink hydrogen made using nuclear power, or similar varieties. **The same cloud of uncertainty surrounds the hydrogen production tax credits included in the IRA. Many have lamented that the Treasury Department has not yet released guidance about what types of hydrogen would fully qualify for the $3 per kilogram incentive based on lifecycle emissions intensity.** That's a key consideration for oil and gas companies like Exxon Mobil that are betting on blue hydrogen as a way to help scale up the hydrogen economy and perhaps eventually pave the way for green hydrogen. **Blue hydrogen — and, of course, conventional gray hydrogen produced using unabated natural gas — are far more cost-competitive today than green hydrogen.** **Broader Vision Suggested** ~ The high price tag of clean hydrogen hasn't gone unnoticed by administration officials. The new strategy was characterized as a way to help achieve scale and meet the Department of Energy's target of lowering clean hydrogen costs roughly 80%, to $1/kg, over the next decade. **The plan also mirrors the DOE’s effort to establish hydrogen hubs around the country, which has attracted an expansive list of project and concept proposals.** **Granholm said Monday that the hub initiative is undergoing peer review and that her department hopes to unveil more details of the envisioned hubs, including their locations, this September.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/06/it-isn%e2%80%99t-easy-being- green-at-us-department-of-energy/>

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Latest Debt Ceiling Deal Grants Blanket Approval to Mountain Valley Pipeline
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 05 Jun '23

05 Jun '23

# [Latest Debt Ceiling Deal Grants Blanket Approval to Mountain Valley Pipeline](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/05/latest-debt-ceiling-deal- grants-overall-blanket-approval-to-mountain-valley-pipeline/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/8D3448C7-4DB9-44F6-9786-A49931D74A3B-300x199.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/06/8D3448C7-4DB9-44F6-9786-A49931D74A3B.jpeg) Members of VA delegation, including Sen. Kaine, spoke against inclusion of MVP in dirty deal **Mountain Valley Pipeline approvals OKed as part of (dirty) debt ceiling deal** From an [Article by Charlie Paullen, Virginia Mercury](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/06/02/mountain-valley-pipelin… approvals-oked-as-part-of-debt-ceiling-deal/), June 2, 2023 **The controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline received federal support for completion Thursday after the U.S. Senate approved a debt ceiling deal that includes a provision requiring fast-tracked approvals for the project, despite opposition from some members of Virginia’s congressional delegation.** **Both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate sent the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which prevents the country from defaulting on its debt, to Democratic President Joe Biden with a measure attached to it that creates a 21-day deadline for the government to approve permits for the project.** **The provision also states that “no court shall have jurisdiction to review any action” taken by various federal actors to provide approvals for the pipeline and mandates that any challenges to the legislation be heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which is generally seen as more favorable to the project than the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, where most legal challenges have been heard.** **The move was hotly opposed by Virginia’s Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who this week sought an amendment to the bill to strip out the pipeline provision. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner also opposed inclusion of the provision. The amendment failed Thursday.** “My Virginians just want to be sure that if this pipeline is built, it has met the requisite standards of review agencies, both state and federal, and it has withstood any court challenges,” said Kaine in a floor speech Thursday. “Most people would be embarrassed to ask for that. ‘I lost, I’m unhappy, why don’t I get Congress to rewrite the rules of federal jurisdiction and take this case away from the court that’s maybe unhappy and put it in another court.’” **[[See the text of the MVP provision shown in the Comments below](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/06/02/mountain-valley-pipeline- approvals-oked-as-part-of-debt-ceiling-deal/)]** The 303-mile natural gas pipeline received its initial approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2017 to supply gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale fields to southern Virginia. Initially expected to be finished in 2018, completion of the project has been delayed due to numerous legal challenges over environmental impacts, including sediment and erosion issues. In 2019, the pipeline agreed to pay Virginia $2.15 million to resolve litigation over what former Attorney General Mark Herring had claimed were some 300 environmental violations in the commonwealth. Most recently, the pipeline sought and received a four-year extension of its approval from FERC to continue construction. An earlier attempt to force completion of Mountain Valley through a deal between the White House, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, related to the Inflation Reduction Act failed this fall. In a sharply critical floor speech in September, Kaine said the proposal would set “a very, very dangerous precedent.” Environmental groups in Virginia took to the streets in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk and Vienna on Thursday to rally in opposition to the bill. Virginia Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, participated in the Roanoke gathering. Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Appalachian Voices rallied in Richmond outside of Warner’s office. “We do not want this project built, and we will not stop until that project is stopped,” said Jessica Sims, a field coordinator with Appalachian Voices. The project is estimated to be 94% complete, according to the company, although environmental groups dispute the calculation. “We look forward to completing this important infrastructure project by the end of 2023 and flowing domestic natural gas for the benefits of reliability and affordability in the form of lower natural gas prices for consumers,” wrote Mountain Valley Pipeline spokesperson Natalie Cox in an email. “To date, Mountain Valley has successfully acquired 100 percent of right-of-way in West Virginia and more than 99 percent of right-of-way in Virginia, providing landowners with more than $125 million in compensation across the 303-mile route.” In October, the company withdrew its legal challenges seeking eminent domain for an extension project into North Carolina. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/05/latest-debt-ceiling-deal-grants- overall-blanket-approval-to-mountain-valley-pipeline/>

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Two Separate Explosions ~ Utica Shale Pad in Ohio & Fairmont Brine Processing in WV
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 04 Jun '23

04 Jun '23

# [Two Separate Explosions ~ Utica Shale Pad in Ohio & Fairmont Brine Processing in WV](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/04/two-separate- explosions-utica-shale-pad-in-ohio-fairmont-brine-processing-in-wv/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/FCB9F60D-8ABC-47C7-88CC- FB60773D97AB.jpeg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/FCB9F60D-8ABC-47C7-88CC-FB60773D97AB.jpeg) Highly corrosive brine (residual) wastewater processing facility on Mon River in Fairmont **Well pad explosion rattles windows for miles, no injuries** From an [Article of Your Radio Place in Ohio](https://yourradioplace.com/well- pad-explosion-rattles-windows-for-miles-no-injuries/), June 1, 2023 LORE CITY, Ohio–Members of three area fire companies responded to the report of an oil and gas well pad explosion Thursday morning. Around 10 am Thursday, a explosion was reported at a Utica Resources drilling site on Leatherwood Road (SR 265) near the intersection of Salem Road, located east of Lore City. According to local fire officials, a storage tank on the site exploded for reasons yet to be determined. The blast was reported by residents nearly 15 miles away. Members of Lore City, Old Washington and Quaker City Fire Departments responded, and per protocol, staged at the entrance to the pad site. Following the explosion, a small fire was extinguished and situation was quickly brought under control by drilling company personnel on scene. One worker, close to the blast received minor injuries and was evaluated by Old Washington EMS personnel. The worker refused treatment. There was no report of nearby property damage and the incident is under investigation by the ODNR, well drilling company personnel and local fire officials. #######+++++++########+++++++######## **WV-DEP: Testing after Fairmont explosion showed no signs of contamination** Articles by [C. Allan, WBOY News 12, Posted: May 30, 2023](https://www.wboy.com/emergencies/911-center-no-evacuation-necessary- after-fairmont-explosion/), Updated: May 31, 2023, UPDATE: 5/31/2023, 1:14 p.m. FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — Officials with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are still assessing the site of a fire that happened at the Fairmont Brine Plant on Tuesday. According to an update sent to 12 News by a DEP representative early Wednesday afternoon, testing performed by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources on Tuesday showed that no first responders showed any signs of contamination. “No testing showed above background readings on their bodies,” said a DEP representative. The representative also said that when the fire was extinguished around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, DEP staff did not see evidence of material or firefighting water leaving the site. Crews from the DEP, Fairmont Brine Plant and Environmental Protection Agency are currently on site conducting an updated assessment. UPDATE: 5/30/2023, 7:01 p.m. FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — After previous reports that no evacuation was needed after an explosion at a brine plant in Fairmont on Tuesday, officials from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are now at the site testing for radioactive material. According to the Marion County Homeland Security & Emergency Management Facebook page, DEP is at the Fairmont Brine Plant on AFR Drive performing various sampling tests of the air and ground. The post said that the operations are contained to the immediate affected area. The Winfield VFD, Valley VFD, MCRS, Bunner Ridge VFD, Rivesville VFD, Barrackville VFD, Marion County Sheriff, Marion DHSEM, WV DEP, and Mon County Hazardous Response Team all responded. ORIGINAL: 5/30/2023, 2:59 p.m. FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — A representative with the Department of Environmental Protection has been called following an explosion in Fairmont. According to the Marion County 911 Communications Center, an explosion was reported at 1:53 p.m. Tuesday at the old brine processing plant on AFR Drive in Fairmont. When crews arrived on the scene, they reported back that there were no injuries and determined it was not necessary to evacuate the area due to potential chemical leaks resulting from the reported explosion, comm center officials said. At this time, the Department of Environmental Protection has been notified of the incident and is sending a representative to the scene, according to the comm center. At the scene were the Winfield, Valley, Rivesville, Barrackville and Bunner Ridge fire departments, also on the scene is the Marion County Rescue Squad as a precaution, comm center officials said. The Winfield District Volunteer Fire Department is the lead at the scene, according to the comm center. Currently, the crews on scene are following precautionary direction and instruction per the Department of Environmental Protection. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **TIMELINE for Fairmont Brine Processing** > 2009 – Facility was constructed under previous ownership > Q4 2009 – Venture Engineering & Construction, Inc. (“Venture”) hired by > previous ownership to manage construction and commissioning > Late 2009 – Operations begin (3,500 bbl/day facility) 2010 - Facility encounters increasing and severe metallurgical issues ~ Facility shuts down due to improper materials of construction and process issues 2012 - Facility is acquired by Fairmont Brine Processing, LLC (“FBP”) Venture is hired to redevelop the facility as a 4,000 bbl/day plant 2013 - Pretreatment operations commence July 1, 2014 - Evaporation & Crystallization process operations commence October 1, 2014 – Sold 100% of the plant capacity under two take or pay contracts (4,000 bbls /day) through end of 2016. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/04/two-separate-explosions-utica- shale-pad-in-ohio-fairmont-brine-processing-in-wv/>

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WV Environmental Council Calls for Action Now, Ahead of 2024
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 03 Jun '23

03 Jun '23

# [WV Environmental Council Calls for Action Now, Ahead of 2024](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/03/wv-environmental-council-call… for-action-now-ahead-of-2024/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/2EDB34AC-21CD-453A-80C6-851977729D8A.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/06/2EDB34AC-21CD-453A-80C6-851977729D8A.jpeg) E-Council activities are essential in West Virginia now and next year! **Action Alert ~ Calling all Changemakers! Prepare for Coming Months & Year!** >From the [West Virginia Environmental Council, Charleston, WV](https://wvecouncil.org/calling-all-changemakers/), June 2, 2023 The **West Virginia Environmental Council (WVEC)** is gearing up for the 2024 legislative session with several crucial campaigns, and we need your support to make a real impact. And there is even a greater sense of urgency now that the [Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)](https://wvecouncil.org/calling-all- changemakers/) has been exempted from judicial review, placing it above the law and risking our lands and waters. By joining our campaigns, whether it's through writing Op-Eds, engaging with legislators, or boots-on-the-ground water quality monitoring with [WV Rivers Coalition (WVRC)](https://wvecouncil.org/calling-all-changemakers/), you can play an active role in protecting our state. Lawmakers must hear directly from their constituents on the issues that matter most. Your unique voice can help us gain the momentum we need before the next legislative session begins. Year-round outreach is crucial. **Please take a moment to complete our survey and let us know how you 'd like to contribute.** [Complete our volunteer survey today!](https://wvecouncil.org/calling-all- changemakers/) If you have any questions or need help with the form, please don't hesitate to contact us at WVECevents(a)gmail.com. [Add your voice to our campaigns! Thank you!](https://wvecouncil.org/calling-all-changemakers/) >>> **West Virginia Environmental Council** , P.O. Box 1007, Charleston, WV 25324 ~ info(a)wvecouncil.org ~ (304) 414-0143 #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See Also the E-Calendar:** Check out our calendar for upcoming events and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay informed! [See the Calendar here!](https://wvecouncil.org/calendar/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/03/wv-environmental-council-calls- for-action-now-ahead-of-2024/>

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Misguided Sen. Manchin Taking Nation Over “Climate Cliff”
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 01 Jun '23

01 Jun '23

# [Misguided Sen. Manchin Taking Nation Over “Climate Cliff”](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/01/misguided-sen-manchin-takin… nation-over-%e2%80%9cclimate-cliff%e2%80%9d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/06/AC396935-3B19-482C-AE06-AB4E91452150.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/06/AC396935-3B19-482C-AE06-AB4E91452150.jpeg) MVP at 42 inch diameter is too large for such rough terrain & risks are too high **Congress Is Turning Climate Gaslighting Into Law** From an [Article by Jonathan Mingle, New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/05/31/us/debt-ceiling-biden- mccarthy), June 1, 2023 Late on Saturday, as members of Congress scrambled to strike a deal for legislation that would raise the nation’s debt ceiling, they agreed to a total non sequitur in the text they would release the next day. Following a series of late-in-the-game interventions by lobbyists and energy executives, the draft bill declared the construction and operation of a natural gas pipeline to be “required in the national interest.” It wasn’t really germane to the debt ceiling, at least not in the literal sense. But then again, it wasn’t any ordinary pipeline. Building the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 303-mile-long conduit to bring fracked gas from West Virginia to southern Virginia, has been a top priority for Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia since the project was announced in 2014. The problem, for him and the project’s other supporters, is that it has been fiercely opposed by grass-roots groups and landowners living in the project’s path for just as long. Construction on the project was recently stalled after federal judges found that regulatory agencies had repeatedly failed to comply with environmental laws. By forcing through this pipeline, the Biden administration rounded out the ransom sought by Republicans holding the global economy hostage, and paid off a debt of its own to Mr. Manchin for his crucial vote last year for the Inflation Reduction Act But if the Senate passes the bill the House passed Wednesday, an insidious piece of misinformation will be enshrined in federal law: the claim that the pumping, piping and burning of more fossil fuels is — despite all scientific evidence and common sense to the contrary — a climate solution. **Natural gas is predominantly made up of methane, a climate-warming super- pollutant that is responsible for about a third of the warming the world has experienced to date. If completed, the Mountain Valley Pipeline will be a very large and long-lived methane delivery device. At the wells that feed it and along the way, some of that methane will inevitably leak into the atmosphere, where each molecule will exert 86 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. At the end of the line, the methane will be burned in power plants and furnaces, producing carbon dioxide. Taken together, by one estimate, the M.V.P. would generate yearly emissions equivalent to what’s produced by 26 coal plants.** Mr. Manchin was also a supporter of another large gas pipeline that would have originated in his state: the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which I have been reporting on since 2019. The two pipelines were twins, announced on the same day in 2014 and approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the same day in 2017. They would have crossed similarly steep and landslide-prone Appalachian terrain. But the A.C.P. was canceled in 2020 after years of tenacious grass-roots resistance and successful legal challenges. Mr. Manchin seems determined to rescue the Mountain Valley Pipeline from this fate. And with it, his gas industry and power utility donors — whose lobbyists helped him in the final hours of debt ceiling deal making — will be able to further strengthen their foothold in the energy system. White House officials have said that the project would probably have secured the remaining federal permits regardless. But the provision authorizes all necessary permits and bars further judicial review of any of them — thus neutering an essential tool for ensuring that infrastructure projects comply with existing laws and regulations. It’s the legislative equivalent of overturning the Scrabble board in a fit of pique when you’re losing a game fair and square. For many of those living in the project’s path, who watched as its construction has so far triggered over 500 recorded violations of water quality and other regulations, it’s a terrible betrayal. But it also sets a dangerous precedent. It is it’s safe to assume this won’t be the last time this tactic is pursued to shield fossil fuel projects from judicial review or scientific scrutiny, if they happen to be deemed by their developers and political allies to be in the “national interest.” ‘Terrible public policy’: Why the debt deal infuriates climate activists The deal does little for the clean energy transition, and expedites a natural gas pipeline. But it keeps intact … **Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has cited this risk in explaining his opposition to the Mountain Valley Pipeline provision. When Mr. Manchin succeeded in getting a similar carve-out attached to the continuing budget resolution to fund the government last September, Mr. Kaine refused to vote for it. “If the M.V.P. owners are unhappy with a court ruling, they should do what other litigants do and appeal,” he said. “Allowing them to fundamentally change federal law to achieve their goal would surely encourage other wealthy people and companies to try the same. I won’t participate in opening that door to abuse and even corruption.”** Mr. Kaine, along with other Democratic members of the Virginia congressional delegation, remains opposed; this week he said he’s against any debt-ceiling bill that exempts the Mountain Valley Pipeline from judicial review. Meanwhile one of the lead Republican negotiators told reporters this week the pipeline provision is a “huge win” for his party, because it puts “Democrats on record supporting a conventional energy project that removes or ties the hands of the judiciary.” How a fossil fuel pipeline helped grease the debt ceiling deal ~ A group of Republican lawmakers, urged on by oil and gas lobbyists, saw an opening for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Democratic leaders will surely bristle at the suggestion that they are helping the gas industry obstruct the transition to clean energy. After all, they passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history, and protected its raft of clean energy incentives from cuts in the debt ceiling deal. It’s clear that the deal makers regard themselves as the grown-ups in the room, making the tough trade-offs needed to avert financial catastrophe. But when the stakes are this large, one need not grant them that deference. There’s always a political “crisis” gathering on the near horizon that will supersede concerns about the climate — that will cause us to look away from the dizzying rise of methane concentrations, currently spiking to levels not seen in over 800,000 years, a trend tracking with the worst-case climate scenarios. This is what it looks like to shuffle along toward climate chaos, one misguided “compromise” at a time. [Mr. Mingle is an independent journalist at work on a book about the grass- roots and legal fights over new gas pipelines.] #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **NOTICE** ~ **Virginia Democrats Tim Kaine and Jennifer McClellan aren 't happy with the White House for not alerting them of the Mountain Valley Pipeline project's inclusion in the debt ceiling deal — and they're not hiding it.** From the [Article by Nancy Vu and Josh Siegel, Politico dot com, ](https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/05-31-2023/virginia-dems-anger-at- wh/)May 30, 2023 **What 's happening:** Virginia Democrats are fuming about the inclusion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in the debt ceiling deal reached between House Republicans and the White House — but are aiming their ire at the Biden administration for not giving them a heads-up beforehand. **The details:** Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) criticized the White House for not alerting the lawmaker about including the natural gas pipeline, which would run from northwestern West Virginia and cut through parts of his home state, in the debt limit proposal. **What he said:** ~ "It's extremely frustrating because there could have been other vehicles to do it. I mean, it doesn't have to go into the debt ceiling bill. … [The White House doesn't] even bother to pick up the phone and call me. Have I made them mad? No, I'm the one they call to try and get cabinet secretaries confirmed. 'Go talk to your colleagues. They're not yet going to vote for Julie Su.' … They call me and ask me to help out. So like, what did I do wrong?" **What he 's asking for:** Kaine is requesting a vote on an amendment that would strip out the Mountain Valley Pipeline provision from the bill, arguing that if Republican senators get votes on their proposed amendments, he should be granted a vote as well. "Look, if I get screwed by putting this thing in, and then we get [votes] only on Republican amendments and not on mine, I'm really going to be unhappy. So I should get an amendment on this." In the case the amendment fails — which is likely considering there isn't enough Republican support to remove the pipeline project — Kaine stopped short of saying he would oppose the debt ceiling proposal. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), who said she's undecided on how she'll vote on the debt ceiling bill, shared Kaine's frustration on the lack of communication from the Biden administration. "[The White House] say they’ve just accelerated what was already going to happen," McClellan told POLITICO. "If that’s the case, then why bother?” McClellan is leading other Virginia Democrats in introducing an amendment in the House to strip the project from the bill. But fair warning: It's likely to fail in the Republican-controlled House. A spokesperson for Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) told the Washington Examiner that while the Virginia Democrat opposes the inclusion of the pipeline, the senator will ultimately vote for the debt ceiling deal. Significance: Kaine has been publicly against Congress weighing in on the Mountain Valley Pipeline — including during a deal struck last year between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Manchin to allow for a vote to approve the pipeline and broader reforms speeding up approval of energy projects, in exchange for Manchin's vote on Democrats' sweeping climate and health bill. Kaine came out against the deal when it was floated for inclusion in a government spending bill in September 2022 — and yet again underlined that he was not consulted about the details of the measure. “I strongly oppose the Mountain Valley Pipeline provision of this legislation, which would greenlight this pipeline without normal administrative and judicial review and ignore the voices of Virginians," Kaine said then in a statement. "The pipeline runs through Virginia for 100 miles and takes property from landowners, but I was not consulted as a deal was struck to approve it and thus not given an opportunity to share my constituents’ deep concerns." Fast forward: Permitting reform, along with the pipeline, were successfully blocked from being attached to the September 2022 spending deal — and later failed to be included in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which was passed late last year. The debt bill, in addition to approving MVP, includes a handful of measures pushed by Republicans to ease permitting reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/06/01/misguided-sen-manchin-taking- nation-over-%e2%80%9cclimate-cliff%e2%80%9d/>

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