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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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LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD: ‘Mountain Valley Pipeline’ is in Congress
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 31 May '23

31 May '23

# [LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD: ‘Mountain Valley Pipeline’ is in Congress](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/31/let-your-voice-be- heard-%e2%80%98mountain-valley-pipeline%e2%80%99-in-congress/) **[WILD VIRGINIA SEEKS TO PRESERVE& PROTECT OUR WILD PLACES](https://wildvirginiainfo.salsalabs.org/mvpcalltoaction/)** [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/9BC46CEB-3221-4EA7-BF1E-A02E91694F8E-300x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/9BC46CEB-3221-4EA7-BF1E-A02E91694F8E.png) The environmental & public safety risks are huge and increasing with the age of the pipe **Thank you for your continued action**. _Updates and urgent calls to action are below! The calls to action are time sensitive - #1 is before 2pm._ [Please check in on the toolkit for updates, calls to action and (very long) call lists!](https://wildvirginiainfo.salsalabs.org/mvpcalltoaction/) **Update: The bill passed through the House Rules comm with NO amendments, and will go to the House floor for a vote today/tonight.** [This is the house schedule for today:](https://wildvirginiainfo.salsalabs.org/mvpcalltoaction/) 2pm ET: Convene 2:30pm: Debate rule for Fiscal Responsibility Act 3:30pm: VOTE: PQ, Rule and 1 suspension 4:10pm: Recess 7:15pm: Debate Fiscal Responsibility Act 8:30pm: VOTE MTR, passage of Fiscal Responsibility Act and 1 suspension [Call to Action #1 HOUSE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS - Make some calls!](https://wildvirginiainfo.salsalabs.org/mvpcalltoaction/) [Call your House Rep 888-997-5380 and ask for a CLEAN debt ceiling!](https://wildvirginiainfo.salsalabs.org/mvpcalltoaction/) Then, call members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus before 2pm TODAY and ask for a CLEAN debt ceiling: [MORE CALL LISTS ARE IN THE TOOLKIT](https://wildvirginiainfo.salsalabs.org/mvpcalltoaction/) #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **Fossil Fuel ADVOCATES Manchin, Biden and Schumer Tell West Virginians to ‘Rest in Peace’** [Note: This is the first in a series about Mountaintop Removal in WV.] RICHWOOD, W.Va. – As I write this, Congress is poised to pass the so-called “Fiscal Responsibility Act.” If passed as written, it will make impotent the nation’s environmental laws, people and courts. In short, democracy will be flattened like strip-mined mountaintops. It will also lead to new, aggressive Mountaintop Removal (MTR) endeavors in West Virginia. A poem by a new contributor to the Appalachian Chronicle and some photographs I took at the Blue Knob Surface Mine in Greenbrier County, W.Va. last week warn of the dangers and grief caused by MTR. Read the full article here. As always thanks for reading and feel free to share. - MMB Michael M. Barrick, The Appalachian Chronicle URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/31/let-your-voice-be- heard-%e2%80%98mountain-valley-pipeline%e2%80%99-in-congress/>

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ACTION ALERT ~ The Mountain Valley Pipeline “Dirty Deal” is Back in Spades!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 29 May '23

29 May '23

# [ACTION ALERT ~ The Mountain Valley Pipeline “Dirty Deal” is Back in Spades!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/29/action-alert-the-mountain- valley-pipeline-%e2%80%9cdirty-deal%e2%80%9d-is-back-in-spades/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/AF21BAD1-B8CB-4084-9BF8-A1D5C75EE175.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/AF21BAD1-B8CB-4084-9BF8-A1D5C75EE175.jpeg) The environmental science is clear, MVP is a dirty deal for the climate & the land **Time to push back really hard and stop this Dirty Deal in the US Congress.** >> From [Maury W. Johnson, Affected Resident & POWHR Member in Monroe County, WV](https://powhr.org/), May 28, 2023 **According to an email I received from Grace Tuttle, POWHR Coalition Advocacy Director, the “Dirty Deal” was included into the “Debit Ceiling Deal.”** **It orders all permits to be granted within 21 days and mandates NO judicial review for permits. This text, full of many other cruel and destructive provisions, still has to pass the House and the Senate, but every further delay now is closer to risking default making it extremely hard to vote against by design.** **We are working to draft calls to action ASAP. We will be URGING Members of Congress to reject this horrific (on many levels) deal and to pass a clean debt ceiling.** **The MVP portion of the text** i **s Section 324 in the** [full text is available here](https://t.co/8IvlQu4isH): <https://t.co/8IvlQu4isH> >> _Thanks, Maury Johnson, Monroe County, West Virginia. Protect our Water, Heritage, Rights [POWHR]_ #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **NOTE: My urgent recommendation and request is as follows. Regardless of where you live, please Google one or more Senators from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Delaware or Virginia and get their contact information.** Tell them the **MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE** must be rejected. It is too large in diameter for the terrain @ 42 in., it is too long for Appalachia disturbing 300 miles of farms & forests & rivers & streams. The metals pipe is subject to excess stresses due to bending & changing temperatures. There will be chemical corrosion from contact with soil & water because the coating has been exposed to sunlight beyond its safety limit. Failures at the welded joints can result in leaks that become explosions and forest fires. **(The MVP natural gas is not needed & excess greenhouse gases would be generated if installed. The pipeline project should not be decided by a back room deal in Congress.) DGN ** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/29/action-alert-the-mountain- valley-pipeline-%e2%80%9cdirty-deal%e2%80%9d-is-back-in-spades/>

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Remembering the Dunkard Creek Fish Kill of August & September 2009
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 28 May '23

28 May '23

# [Remembering the Dunkard Creek Fish Kill of August & September 2009](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/28/remembering-the-dunkard-creek- fish-kill-of-august-september-2009/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/5C8B41B5-AF5E-4820-9D86-87B4BB6F330C.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/5C8B41B5-AF5E-4820-9D86-87B4BB6F330C.jpeg) Over 40,000 fish killed over essentially the entire length of Dunkard Creek **Remembering the 40 Mile Dunkard Creek Fish Kill of August 2009 in WV & PA** From the [Blog of Betsy J. Lawson, Monongalia County, WV](https://betsyjaeger.com/f/dunkard-creek-fish-kill), May 31, 2019 **Dunkard Creek wanders above and below the Pennsylvania-West Virginia state line for much of its forty-three miles, seeming to taunt the rigidity of man- made boundaries. It was one of the most ecologically diverse streams in either state. But in August of 2009, people who lived along the stream witnessed an unimaginable sight: thousands of fish were trying to leap out of the water.** During the next month, about 22,000 fish washed ashore, many bleeding from the gills and covered in mucous. Some estimates say as many as 65,000 died. Three- foot long muskies washed up along the riverbanks. The die-off marked one of the worst ecological disasters in the region’s history. **Some 161 species of fish, mussels, salamanders, crayfish and aquatic insects were wiped out.** [Department of Natural Resources officials from both states arrived at the crime scene to find answers.](https://betsyjaeger.com/f/dunkard-creek-fish- kill) Golden algae bloom was the cause. The algae releases a toxin that ruptures the tissue cells in the mouths and gills of fish, depriving them of oxygen and suffocating them. Algae bloom only lives in very salty waters. The DNR found that Consol Energy had been discharging acid mine drainage directly into Dunkard Creek for decades. In the spring of 2010, one of Consol’s primary contractors, Allan’s Waste Water Service, a wastewater hauling company, was charged with multiple counts of illegally dumping toxic waste, including Marcellus Shale-produced wastewater into Dunkard Creek and its tributaries. Wastewater from fracking is ten to twenty times more saline than sea water. In more recent years, hydraulic fracturing wells had been removing huge quantities of fresh water from the stream and dumping the wastewater back into the stream. Low water levels, high salt content from fracking wastewater, and especially high sulfate levels, typical of AMD, led to the algae bloom. Such a bloom had never been seen north of Texas and Florida before. How did the golden algae get to the temperate freshwater of West Virginia and Pennsylvania? [Read a more detailed explanation of the fish kill HERE](https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/magazine/entry/what_kil…. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [A Case Study of a Prymnesium parvum Harmful Algae Bloom in the Ohio River Drainage: Impact, Recovery and Potential for Future Invasions/Range Expansion](https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/22/3233), November 15, 2021 Authors are Kyle J. Hartman, David I. Wellman, Jr., Joseph W. Kingsbury, Daniel A. Cincotta, Janet L. Clayton, Kevin M. Eliason, Frank A. Jernejcic, Nathaniel V. Owens, and Dustin M. Smith ~ School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University & Wildlife Resources Section, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources **Water 2021, 13(22), 3233;<https://doi.org/10.3390/w13223233>** Received: 24 August 2021 / Revised: 9 October 2021 / Accepted: 2 November 2021 / Published: 15 November 2021. (This article belongs to the Special Issue: “The Blue Economy: Evaluating the Human Benefits from and Pressures on Marine and Coastal Environments”) **Abstract** ~ Inland waters provide valuable ecosystem goods and services and are intrinsically linked to downstream coastal areas. Water quality impairments that lead to harmful algal blooms damage valuable commercial and recreational fishing economies, threaten food security, and damage already declining native species. Prymnesium parvum is a brackish water golden alga that can survive in salinities less than 1 ppm and when it blooms it can create toxins that kill aquatic life. Blooms have been documented globally including 23 U.S. states. We report a case study of an aquatic life kill associated with P. parvum in Dunkard Creek (WV-PA, USA), in the Ohio River Drainage. We document the immediate impact to aquatic life and responses of the aquatic community ten years post-kill. Most fish species returned within a year. Excellent connectivity to unimpacted tributaries and a river downstream likely aided the reestablishment of most species, although some had not reached pre-kill abundances after ten years. Mussel taxa did not recover despite significant efforts to relocate adult mussels and stocking of host fish inoculated with glochidia; probably due to other water quality impairments. Given the potential for lateral transport of P. parvum via industry and natural vectors we conducted an ecological risk assessment mapping the spatial extent of U.S. waters that could be threatened by golden algae colonization and blooms using a national water quality database and a state database. Overall, about 4.5% of lotic systems appeared to have some level of risk of harboring P. parvum, making them at risk for potential golden algae blooms in the face of increasing salinization and eutrophication of freshwaters. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/28/remembering-the-dunkard-creek- fish-kill-of-august-september-2009/>

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Wind Powered Electrolysis Projects Have Been Slow to Materialize
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 27 May '23

27 May '23

# [Wind Powered Electrolysis Projects Have Been Slow to Materialize](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/27/wind-powered- electrolysis-projects-have-been-slow-to-materialize/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/15BF9606-DC25-4AF6-837C-EF3461778820-300x203.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/15BF9606-DC25-4AF6-837C-EF3461778820.jpeg) Green hydrogen: full of promise but not without risk | November 2022 (Allianz Speciality) **Green hydrogen faces ‘significant step-up challenge’ says report** . . From an [Article by Janet Wood, Wind Power Monthly,](https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1824050/green-hydrogen- faces-significant-step-up-challenge-report) 25 May 2023 . . **Electrolysis projects are taking longer to deliver than expected due to lack of government support.** More than 1,000 large-scale project proposals had been announced by the end of January 2023 for all types of low-carbon hydrogen, according to the Hydrogen Insights report, produced by McKinsey consultancy and the Hydrogen Council. It expected 795 projects to be fully or partially commissioned by the end of 2030, representing total investments of $320 billion and capacity of 38Mt per year. About 25Mt of that capacity is from renewables. The report said that of the 12Mt of projects added in the past eight months, about 10 Mt are renewable hydrogen. It pointed to the high growth in announcements in renewables-rich regions such as Africa and the Middle East. But projects are taking longer to deliver than expected, the report warned. Out of the 6GW of electrolysis projects due for deployment by the end of 2022, only 700MW have been delivered – largely in China. More than 200GW of electrolysis capacity is needed by 2030 to track net zero in 2050, according to the report – more than 200 times the capacity installed today. “The next three to five years represent a significant scale-up challenge,” it added. The report blamed slow deployment on lack of government support and slow permitting, supply chain and engineering, procurement and construction capacity constraints. It also lamented the high cost of deploying projects while offtakers would not pay a green premium. Some 120GW of electrolysis projects were undergoing feasibility studies, the report said, while only 9GW had achieved final investment decision (FID). Geographically, Europe is the largest market but has less than 1.5GW past the FID stage. “Momentum is strong, and the industry is planning investments into clean hydrogen, yet much more needs to be done,” the report concluded. >> Scottish port could become offshore wind-powered hydrogen hub — Offshore wind companies have increased their links with industry in Scotland’s Cromarty Firth region after it was named a ‘green freeport’ by the UK government, raising expectations for it to become a green hydrogen hub. >> Port of Rotterdam to tender for offshore-wind powered 1GW green hydrogen plant — The Port of Rotterdam is developing a tender for a 1GW electrolyser facility to be built in connection with the IJmuiden Ver Beta wind farm. Both projects are due for completion in 2028. The Port will reserve 11 hectares at Maasvlakte for the project. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **UPDATE INFORMATION** ~ HYDR: The DOE's H2 Hubs Spell A New Era For Hydrogen, Sean Daly, Seeking Alpha, May 26, 2023 Down 68% from its high, the Global X Hydrogen ETF looks washed out. Of the original 79 bids for DOE-subsidized hydrogen hubs, 22 were allowed to send full applications before April 7th, and the final “7 to 10” will be chosen this fall. The DOE will disburse $8 billion for the buildout, giving the hub's corporate partners -HYDR's primary holdings -- a much clearer glide path to profitability. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/27/wind-powered-electrolysis- projects-have-been-slow-to-materialize/>

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Power Plant Residue Ponds Need More Regulation, Whether Active or Inactive
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 26 May '23

26 May '23

# [Power Plant Residue Ponds Need More Regulation, Whether Active or Inactive](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/26/power-plant-residue-ponds- need-more-regulation-whether-active-or-inactive/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5BB732AA- BD32-419E-99AB-432750D4F379.jpeg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/5BB732AA-BD32-419E-99AB-432750D4F379.jpeg) Little Blue Run Lake in Beaver County (PA) and Hancock County (WV) **Changes Proposed for Management of Legacy Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR)** >From the [Roux Group, Long Island, NY](https://info.rouxinc.com/usepa- proposed-changes-to-ccr-regulations/), May 25, 2023 The USEPA is proposing changes to the CCR regulations for inactive surface impoundments at inactive electric utilities, referred to as "legacy CCR surface impoundments." The USEPA is proposing that within tailored compliance deadlines, owners and operators of legacy CCR surface impoundments comply with all existing requirements applicable to inactive CCR surface impoundments at active facilities, except for the location restrictions and liner design criteria. These are ponds which were exempted from the original rule in 2015. This action is in response to the August 21, 2018 opinion by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (Utility Solid Waste Activities Group, et al v. EPA), which voided the provision that exempted inactive impoundments at inactive facilities from the April 17, 2015 CCR rule. The notice for the proposed rule changes came out on May 18, 2023. Legacy CCR surface impoundments are more likely to be unlined and unmonitored, making them more prone to leaks and structural problems than units at utilities that are currently in service. Legacy CCR surface impoundment and CCR management units are currently not regulated at the federal level and pose risks to groundwater. Therefore, as part of this action, the USEPA is also proposing to establish groundwater monitoring, corrective action, closure, and post closure care requirements for all CCR management units (regardless of how or when that CCR was placed) at regulated CCR facilities. These additional requirements may result in substantial additional long-term costs for facilities with these types of impoundments, depending on how legacy CCR impoundments are currently managed at the state level. The USEPA will collect public comments on this proposal until July 17, 2023. The USEPA will host an in-person hearing in Chicago, IL on June 28, 2023 and an online public hearing on July 12, 2023. Once the rule is finalized, it is expected to impact as many as 400 CCR units nationwide. [For more information on legacy CCR surface impoundments and understanding the proposed changes, use the form provided.](https://info.rouxinc.com/usepa- proposed-changes-to-ccr-regulations/) >> Roux Group, 209 Shafter Street, Islandia, NY 11749, United States #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Little Blue Run Lake or Little Blue Run is the largest coal ash impound in the United States.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Blue_Run_Lake) FirstEnergy owns the site, located in Western Pennsylvania and parts of the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, and has disposed of billions of gallons of coal waste into the body of water. Several court cases have been brought against the company as a result of the damage caused by the company's practices at the site. [From Wikipedia.] URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/26/power-plant-residue-ponds-need- more-regulation-whether-active-or-inactive/>

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New “Workforce Hubs” to Focus on Advanced Technology & Clean Energy
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 25 May '23

25 May '23

# [New “Workforce Hubs” to Focus on Advanced Technology & Clean Energy](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/25/new-%e2%80%9cworkforce- hubs%e2%80%9d-to-focus-on-advanced-technology-clean-energy/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/1B8CDC8F-AC49-44DE-8DF2-83074EF607F2.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/1B8CDC8F-AC49-44DE-8DF2-83074EF607F2.jpeg) American Clean Power Association promotes sustainable jobs & electricity **Pittsburgh named 'workforce hub' in White House initiative** From a [News Report of WTAE News 4, Pittsburgh](https://www.wtae.com/article/pittsburgh-workforce-hub-biden- administration/43910256), May 18, 2023 PITTSBURGH — The Biden administration is creating five workforce hubs around the U.S. to help bolster the economy, and Pittsburgh has been named as one of those hubs. Each hub will work to expand apprenticeship programs, develop career and technical education programs, and provide support services to help under- represented students and workers succeed. **A statement from the White House noted Pittsburgh 's growth in advanced manufacturing, including robotics and biomanufacturing, as well as clean energy.** **The initiative begins this summer. Other regions chosen as hubs were Columbus, Ohio; Baltimore; Phoenix; and Augusta, Georgia.** "The goal here is for the administration to work closely with the state, and particularly local partners, mayors, community groups, unions, to make sure that workers are getting access to the workforce skills and training that they need, and really making sure that the communities are ready for all of this new investment that's going to be coming in and that they're helping to prepare the workforce to take advantage of these opportunities," said Heather Boushey, chief economist with the president's Investing in America agenda. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Appalachian solar developer and non-profit to bring 100 jobs to West Virginia](https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/02/20/appalachian-solar- developer-and-non-profit-to-bring-100-jobs-to-west-virginia/); Michael Schoek, PV Magazine, February 20, 2023 Following a recently announced award to the ACT (Appalachian Climate Technology) Now Coalition, two entities will collaborate on strategies to recruit, train and employ local workers in the growing renewable energy industry in West Virginia and around the Appalachian region. <https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/02/20/appalachian-solar-developer-and-non- profit-to-bring-100-jobs-to-west-virginia/> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/25/new-%e2%80%9cworkforce- hubs%e2%80%9d-to-focus-on-advanced-technology-clean-energy/>

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All Fossil Energy Projects Need to Follow the Environmental Laws
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 24 May '23

24 May '23

# [All Fossil Energy Projects Need to Follow the Environmental Laws](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/24/all-fossil-energy-projects-ne… to-follow-the-environmental-laws/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/6C592943-9A14-4802-9698-772CCA63F5F1-300x186.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/6C592943-9A14-4802-9698-772CCA63F5F1.jpeg) Joe Manchin puts coal & gas projects ahead of the public health & welfare **U.S. Senators Should Not Grant Exceptions Just For Oil & Gas Projects** _To: Residents of Appalachia & Concerned Citizens of WV, PA, OH, VA & NC_ . . **Joe Manchin is the fossil fuel industry’s favorite senator, and it’s no surprise why. After we stopped Manchin’s dirty permitting deal three times at the end of 2022, Manchin is back and trying to do it again. He wants to lock us into decades of fracking and fossil fuel use, and force the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.** It’s time to speak out again and oppose the Dirty Permitting Deal. [Will you send a message to your Senators and demand that they reject fossil fuel handouts in any must-pass legislation?](https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/act/tell-your-senators-n… deals-big-oil-0) Manchin and his allies in the Senate want to gut our bedrock environmental laws to make it easier for oil and gas to frack, drill, build pipelines, and export fossil fuels. This would limit tribal sovereignty and community input, and weaken protections for our air, water, and planet. Their goal is to make the country more reliant on coal, oil and gas, and ensure more profits for their corporate cronies. Manchin knows that his pro-pollution agenda is deeply unpopular and could never pass on its own. So after failing last year, Manchin is trying to attach his dirty permitting deal to must-pass legislation and force Congress’ hand. We can’t allow them to jeopardize crucial public programs with this dirty permitting deal. **[Send a message to your Senators and tell them to reject this dirty permitting deal.](https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/act/tell-your-senators- no-deals-big-oil-0)** Last year, Food & Water Watch, our volunteers, and supporters along with a huge coalition of climate, environmental justice, civil rights, and progressive organizations stopped this deal with people power because we know what’s at stake. We showed up in Washington, D.C. and in Congressional offices across the country, made thousands of calls to representatives and senators, and even went to jail to protest this awful deal. **But we’re not out of the woods yet.** To protect our communities and climate, we can't allow Senator Manchin and his fossil fuel industry backers to lock us into decades of more emissions that harm the planet and endanger our food, water, and health. **Your senators need to hear from you** — will you take a minute to send a message and tell them to reject the dirty permitting deal? [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/A761DEE4-F770-4479-95A9-E99CD56BACE3.png)](https://… content/uploads/2023/05/A761DEE4-F770-4479-95A9-E99CD56BACE3.png) >> _**Onward together, Thomas Meyer,** Strategic Organizing Projects Director, Food & Water Watch, 1616 P Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036 _ URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/24/all-fossil-energy-projects-need- to-follow-the-environmental-laws/>

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Drilling & Fracking of Horizontal Gas Wells in Monongalia County, WV
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 23 May '23

23 May '23

# [Drilling & Fracking of Horizontal Gas Wells in Monongalia County, WV](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/23/drilling-fracking-of-horizontal- gas-wells-in-monongalia-county-wv/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/07148664-BEAD-4097-B407-3D49819C5B2E-174x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/07148664-BEAD-4097-B407-3D49819C5B2E.jpeg) Also in Monongalia County, this is another application for drilling & fracking, etc. (click to enlarge) **Horizontal Natural Gas Well Work Permit Application Notice By Publication** >> **NOTICE** : _23613 April 5, 12 in Dominion Post Newspaper, Morgantown, WV_ **Notice is hereby given:** Pursuant to West Virginia Code 22-6A-10(e) prior to filing an application for a permit for a horizontal well the applicant shall publish in the county in which the well is located or is proposed to be located a Class II legal advertisement. **The following applicant intends to apply for a horizontal natural well work permit which disturbs three acres or more of surface excluding pipelines, gathering lines and roads or utilizes more than two hundred ten thousand gallons of water in any thirty day period.** **Applicant: Northeast Natural Energy, LLC. Well Number: Dolls Run 3H, 5H, 7H, 9H Address: 707 Virginia St. E, Suite 1200, Charleston, WV 25301** Business Conducted: Natural gas production. Location – WV. County: Monongalia. District: Clay. Quadrangle: Osage. UTM Coordinate NAD83 Northing: 3H - 4388829.9; 5H - 4388835.9; 7H - 4388817.8; 9H - 4388841.9 UTM coordinate NAD83 Easting: 3H - 577809.8; 5H - 577810.7; 7H - 577808.2; 9H - 577811.5 Watershed: Dunkard Creek Coordinate Conversion: To convert the coordinates above into longitude and latitude, visit: http://tagis. dep.wv.gov/convert/llutm_conus.php Electronic notification: To receive an email when applications have been received or issued by the Office of Oil and Gas, visit http://www.dep.wv.gov/insidedep/Pages/DEPMailingLists.aspx to sign up. **Reviewing Applications** : Copies of the proposed permit application may be reviewed at the WV Department of Environmental Protection headquarters, located at 601 57th Street, SE Charleston, WV 25304(304-926-0450). Full copies or scans of the proposed permit application will cost $15, whether mailed or obtained at DEP headquarters. Copies may be requested by calling the office or by sending an email to DEP.comments(a)wv.gov. Submitting Comments: Comments may be submitted online at: https://apps.dep.wv.gov/oog/comments/comments.cfm or by letter to Permit Review, Office of Oil and Gas, 601 57th Street, SE Charleston, WV 25304. Please reference the county, well number, and operator when using this option. Regardless of format for comment submissions, they must be received no later than thirty days after the permit application is received by the Office of Oil and Gas. (deadline - May 25) NOTE: For information related to horizontal drilling visit: www.dep.wv.gov/oil-and-gas/pages/default.aspx URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/23/drilling-fracking-of-horizontal- gas-wells-in-monongalia-county-wv/>

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Damaging El Niño Weather Predicted Costing $ Trillions
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 22 May '23

22 May '23

# [Damaging El Niño Weather Predicted Costing $ Trillions](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/22/damaging-el-nino-weather- predicted-costing-trillions/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/AEADC8BA-3745-4F6A-9C9F-84BB7439B353-300x201.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/AEADC8BA-3745-4F6A-9C9F-84BB7439B353.png) El Niño weather predicted for northern hemisphere **Study Warns El Niño Could Cost Global Economy $84 Trillion by 2100** . . From the [Article by Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/el-nino-climate-global-economy), May 19, 2023 . . **With experts anticipating El Niño will return in the months ahead, a pair of Dartmouth College researchers warned this week that the long-term cost to the global economy could be as much as $3 trillion by 2029 — which could be largely felt by poorer countries.** **The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate pattern that affects sea surface temperatures across the tropical Pacific Ocean, has three phases: the cooler La Niña; neutral, which the world is now experiencing; and the warmer El Niño that is expected soon.** **" El Niño triggers far-reaching changes in weather that result in devastating floods, crop-killing droughts, plummeting fish populations, and an uptick in tropical diseases," explained a Dartmouth statement about the study, published in the journal Science.** Doctoral candidate Christopher Callahan and Justin Mankin, an assistant professor of geography at the college, examined economic conditions for several years after the 1982-83 and 1997-98 El Niño events. They connected those two warm phases to $4.1 trillion and $5.7 trillion in global income losses, respectively — far higher than previous estimates. "El Niño amplifies the wider inequities in climate change, disproportionately impacting the least resilient and prepared among us.mWe can say with certainty that societies and economies absolutely do not just take a hit and recover," said Callahan, the study's lead author, noting that their data suggest an El Niño-related downturn could last up to 14 years or longer. "In the tropics and places that experience the effects of El Niño, you get a persistent signature during which growth is delayed for at least five years," he continued. "The aggregate price tag on these events has not ever been fully quantified — you have to add up all the depressed growth moving forward, not just when the event is happening." The pair found that the gross domestic product of the United States was roughly 3% lower in 1988 and 2003 than it would have been without the preceding El Niño events— and, for the latter phase, GDPs in coastal tropical countries were more than 10% lower. "The global pattern of El Niño's effect on the climate and on the prosperity of different countries reflects the unequal distribution of wealth and climate risk — not to mention the responsibility for climate change — worldwide," said Mankin. "El Niño amplifies the wider inequities in climate change, disproportionately impacting the least resilient and prepared among us." "The duration and magnitude of the financial repercussions we uncovered suggests to me that we are maladapted to the climate we have," he added. "Our accounting dramatically raises the cost estimate of doing nothing. We need to both mitigate climate change and invest more in El Niño prediction and adaptation because these events will only amplify the future costs of global warming." **Callahan and Mankin 's study was released the same day as research published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment that found human-caused global heating has likely made El Niños and La Niñas "more frequent and more extreme."** Models for the latter research showed that sea surface temperature extremes were about 10% more intense for the six decades after 1960, compared with the previous 60 years. Co-author Mike McPhaden, a senior research scientist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said that "the big events pack the most punch, so even though 10% doesn't sound like much, it juices up the strongest and most societally relevant year-to-year climate fluctuation on the planet." **" In practical terms, this translates into more extreme and frequent droughts, floods, heatwaves, wildfires, and severe storms, just like we observed during the recent triple dip La Niña that ended in March," McPhaden told The Guardian.** Given that observed trend and expectations it will continue, the Dartmouth researchers project that even if countries pursue their pledges to cut planet- heating emissions, global economic losses related to El Niño could reach $84 trillion for the 21st century. "Our welfare is affected by our global economy, and our global economy is tied to the climate," he said. "When you ask how costly climate change is, you can start by asking how costly climate variation is. We're showing here that such variation, as embodied in El Niño, is incredibly costly and stagnates growth for years, which led us to cost estimates that are orders of magnitudes larger than previous ones." The Associated Press reported that "some — but not all — outside economists have issues with the new research out of Dartmouth College, saying its damage estimates are too big." However, McPhaden welcomed the findings, telling the AP that he has long believed previous estimates were far too low and the "big loser during El Niño is the Global South." **While the Dartmouth projections suggest 2023 ′s looming warm phase could cost trillions of dollars, the NOAA scientist stressed that "the economic impacts of the El Niño that is predicted for later this year will depend on how strong it is."** "Monster El Niños" like the 1997-98 event "can be hugely damaging with lingering effects that carry over into following years," he said. "On the other hand, if it turns out to be a garden variety El Niño, the consequences may be more muted and the recovery time shortened." #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [ENSO: Recent Evolution, Current Status and Predictions ~ Update prepared by: Climate Prediction Center](https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/e… status-fcsts-web.pdf) / NCEP, 22May2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/22/damaging-el-nino-weather- predicted-costing-trillions/>

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Fracking Chemicals ~ 282 Million Pounds Used from 2014 to 2021 Not Regulated by Safe Drinking Water Act
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 20 May '23

20 May '23

# [Fracking Chemicals ~ 282 Million Pounds Used from 2014 to 2021 Not Regulated by Safe Drinking Water Act](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/20/fracking-chemicals-282-million- pounds-used-from-2014-to-2021-not-regulated-by-safe-drinking-water-act/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/C87EDA79-587D-4D8D-9E48-E4E96E8C384B.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/C87EDA79-587D-4D8D-9E48-E4E96E8C384B.jpeg) Frack Focus is now at Version 3, with Version 4 promised this year **How the “Halliburton Loophole” lets fracking companies pollute water with no oversight** From the [Article by Kristina Marusic, Environmental Health News](https://www.ehn.org/halliburton-loophole-2659983182.html/), May 18, 2023 Fracking companies used more than 282 million pounds of hazardous chemicals from 2014 to 2021 with no federal oversight, according to a new study. The study, published in Environmental Pollution, is the first to examine the “Halliburton Loophole,” which exempts fracking from federal regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The provision, passed by Congress as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, was endorsed by then-Vice President Dick Cheney, who formerly served as the CEO of Halliburton. The company patented fracking technologies in the 1940s and is still one of the top suppliers of fracking fluids in the world. The study found that from 2014 through 2021, 62% to 73% of reported fracking jobs each year used at least one chemical that’s categorized as harmful to human health and the environment under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These chemicals include carcinogens like formaldehyde, arsenic and benzene; possible carcinogens like acrylamide and naphthalene; and ethylene glycol, which can damage the kidneys, nerves and respiratory system. According to the study, the fracking industry reported using at least 250 million pounds of ethylene glycol, 10 million pounds of naphthalene, 1.8 million pounds of formaldehyde, 4.6 million pounds of acrylamide, 7.5 million pounds of benzene and 590 pounds of arsenic from 2014 to 2021, in addition to more than a dozen other chemicals regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, extracts natural oil and gas from the Earth by drilling deep wells and injecting huge volumes of water and chemicals at high pressure. Previous research has shown that fracking chemicals can wind up in drinking water and impact human health. Only a handful of the toxic chemicals used by the industry are regulated in drinking water, and those that aren’t may not be filtered or monitored by public water utilities. The Environmental Working Group, a public health advocacy nonprofit, estimates that current levels of contamination in drinking water — most of which meet legal standards — could cause 100,000 cancer cases in the U.S. “Because of the Halliburton Loophole and gaps in reporting, the environmental health and justice impacts of fracking aren’t being properly assessed,” Vivian Underhill, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at Northeastern University, told Environmental Health News (EHN). Underhill said the quantities of these chemicals are likely an underestimate, since not all states require disclosure of fracking chemicals, and most states requiring disclosure allow companies to keep some chemicals secret if they say the mixtures are proprietary. During the same time period, fracking companies reported using about 7.2 billion pounds of proprietary chemicals – more than 25 times the total mass of chemicals listed under the Safe Drinking Water Act that they reported. There’s no way to know what proportion of those chemicals are hazardous. “We saw proprietary chemicals in 77% of disclosures in 2015, and that number was up to 88% in 2021,” said Underhill. “The use of trade secrets is steadily increasing, and that’s definitely concerning.” **A backroom deal with public consequences** ~ The Safe Drinking Water Act regulates both public drinking water contaminants and the injection of toxic chemicals underground. “It was Halliburton’s CEO who first and most strongly lobbied for this loophole, and that company is indeed benefiting most from this exemption today,” said Underhill. Other industries that inject hazardous chemicals underground where they could contaminate water supplies, like mining and hazardous waste disposal, are subject to federal regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The fracking industry is exempt from these regulations. “The oil and gas program under the Safe Drinking Water Act was already weak, but the Halliburton Loophole gouged it even bigger for fracking specifically,” Erik Olson, an attorney, Safe Drinking Water Act expert and senior strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told EHN. “Oil and gas wells are basically to be regulated by the states under a much more flexible oversight scheme, and those programs are very weak in many states with a big oil and gas presence.” Previous research has demonstrated public health harms from this lack of oversight in states like Pennsylvania and Colorado. **The fracking industry agreed to publicly disclose some chemicals it uses in response to public concern about threats to water. But Underhill and Olson say those disclosures aren’t useful because of the trade secrets provision.** “This study shows us that there are a lot of very toxic chemicals being injected underground by this industry,” Olson said. “But it’s hard to say there’s any kind of meaningful disclosure if we still don’t know what most of these chemicals are or how toxic they are.” **Stronger fracking regulations** **~ In light of their findings, Underhill and her coauthors are urging Congress to repeal the Halliburton Loophole and regulate the fracking industry under the Safe Drinking Water Act.** Olson is also in favor of closing the Halliburton Loophole. “This loophole was a backroom deal folded into legislation with no public debate, and they’ve never justified to the public why it’s needed,” he said. “That’s because it’s not needed. It was just raw political power that enabled them to get it enacted.” Underhill and her coauthors are also urging Congress to pass a law requiring full disclosure of all chemicals used in fracking, including proprietary chemicals, and housing it in a centralized database with federal oversight. The American Petroleum Institute, a trade association representing the oil and gas industry, opposes that idea. The organization’s “issue paper” on chemical disclosures for the fracking industry notes that fracking fluid producers have agreed to disclose details about proprietary chemicals to health care professionals, emergency responders and regulatory agency representatives “when it is appropriate.” The paper acknowledges that trade secrets have caused concern, but concludes, “the compromise of limited disclosure when need is justified is a sound response. Protection of [intellectual property] rights is fundamental to the free market economy in which we all work and thrive.” **Making data on fracking chemicals more accessible** Researchers are just starting to figure out the cumulative impacts of the Halliburton Loophole because, until recently, it was difficult to obtain nationwide data on fracking disclosures. **The industry uses a site called FracFocus for public disclosures.** While it’s possible to look at chemical disclosures for individual wells through the site, it’s virtually impossible to obtain data in a format that allows for large-scale analysis. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/AA7F93B4-E6C6-4DC2-BC60-CDCC1276A486.png)](https://… content/uploads/2023/05/AA7F93B4-E6C6-4DC2-BC60-CDCC1276A486.png) Open-FF is now under development in the public interest **But a new, open-source program called Open-FF is changing that.** “I was trying to get information from FracFocus and I realized it’s not really a database,” Gary Allison, who developed Open-FF, told EHN. “It takes a lot of work to get the data to the point where you can actually use it.” One issue was that FracFocus uses non-standardized names for companies and chemicals. For example, Allison had to account for more than 80 variations of the word “Halliburton” including misspellings, typos and abbreviations to make it possible to search the database for all chemicals made by the company. “Before now, it was incredibly hard to download data from FracFocus that allows for systematic analysis or investigation,” Underhill said. “Now this data can finally be used effectively by researchers.” Allison noted that anyone can use the program — not just scientists and researchers. “Most people don’t have fluency in chemistry, so it can be really overwhelming to look at these data sheets and make sense of what’s happening,” he said. “I hope to get **Open-FF** to the point where members of the public can easily log into the site and find out what chemicals are being put into the ground near their homes.” #####++++++#####++++++###### [Information Released by Frack Focus on April 10, 2022](https://fracfocus.org/learn/about-fracfocus) August 2021 - FracFocus is used as the only national regulatory reporting system for 27 Oil and Gas States. It contains over 184,000 disclosures with over 5 million chemicals records coming from more than 1,600 registered companies. December 2021 - FracFocus design for the next version is ongoing with expected development of FracFocus 4.0 in 2022. 2023 - FracFocus 4.0 slated for release, enabling reporting of water used in hydraulic fracturing jobs by source and quality. **Note ~** “FracFocus is a victory for transparency and good governance, and an example of what is possible when the industry works with state regulators and environmental groups to solve urgent challenges in managing the local impacts of hydraulic fracturing. FracFocus remains one of the best national repositories of oil and gas data, and paves the way for a new era of open data in this field.” -– Adam Peltz, Environmental Defense Fund #####++++++##########+++++###### **Related** : [Fractured — The body burden of living near fracking](https://www.ehn.org/fractured-series-on-fracking- pollution-2650624600.html) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/20/fracking-chemicals-282-million- pounds-used-from-2014-to-2021-not-regulated-by-safe-drinking-water-act/>

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WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER) ~ What a Name!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 19 May '23

19 May '23

# [WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER) ~ What a Name!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/19/wvu-institute-for- sustainability-and-energy-research-wiser-what-a-name/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/401AF379-E5AF-431B-BD58-584C93BDE66F-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/401AF379-E5AF-431B-BD58-584C93BDE66F.jpeg) Sustainability and Energy Research are related but distinct …. **WVU Energy Institute transforming to serve emerging energy trends** . . From an [Article posted by WVU Today](https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2023/05/17/wvu-energy-institute- transforming-to-serve-emerging-energy-trends), May 17, 2023 . . West Virginia University, a leader in energy research and innovation, is repositioning the institutes within its Research Office to best meet industry- wide transitions. **The Energy Institute will transform into the WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research ( WISER), effective July 1, with Sam Taylor as its director. Taylor will build the new Institute on the foundation of the Energy Institute laid by James Wood.** Vice President for Research Fred King said the revamping of the Institute into WISER is more than just a name change. “This restructuring is part of the University’s transformation to stay ahead of trends in the real world,” King said. “It’ll better enable us to support and engage at an R1 level when it comes to sustainability and energy transition. While it appears we are evolving, we also still want to stay true to the history and tradition of energy in the state.” WISER will serve as the University’s coordinating institution for energy and sustainability research by collaborating with stakeholders across campus, the state and the globe to stimulate energy and environmental economic development in West Virginia and beyond. Taylor will assume his new leadership role after serving as assistant director of strategic partnerships and technology with the Energy Institute since 2017. As director of WISER, Taylor will also oversee the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium. In recent years, Taylor has worked with policymakers, government entities and environmental groups on pressing energy issues. “WISER will align the talents and efforts of the Energy Institute toward a vision of sustainability, including energy, while seeking to understand and respect what that means for residents of West Virginia and the larger region,” Taylor said. “As a West Virginia native, I understand that adaptation, resilience and independence are ‘core values’ of this region, and we need to structure our work, using the capabilities of West Virginia University, to support these values. To do this effectively, we must focus on relationships.” Taylor’s expertise covers energy development, energy geosciences including geothermal, hydrogen storage and carbon dioxide storage, transportation energy utilization, renewable and nonrenewable energy research, clean energy and advanced energy technologies. **In another restructuring move, the West Virginia Water Research Institute will shift from the Energy Institute and operate as its own entity reporting directly to the Research Office, also effective July 1.** For more than 30 years, WVWRI has focused on environmental restoration including mine land reclamation, brownfields redevelopment and watershed restoration. **WVWRI is led by Director Paul Ziemkiewicz, who has raised the profile of the group to an international level with its innovations in treating acid mine drainage and extracting rare earth elements.** Recently, a research team headed by Ziemkiewicz was awarded $8 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding to begin designing, constructing and operating a pre-commercial demonstration facility for separating and refining rare earth elements and critical minerals. Rare earth element technologies, which power everything from smartphones to the nation’s missile guidance system, could serve as a game changer for the environment and the domestic economy. “Since acid mine drainage is the principal pollutant in the state, we’ve devoted a lot of our attention toward making sure that agencies, citizen watershed associations and industry have the tools and policies in place to turn dead streams into recreational fisheries,” Ziemkiewicz said. “About seven years ago, with the help of the U.S. Department of Energy, we started developing a way to treat acid mine drainage while economically recovering rare earth elements and critical materials.” With DOE support and in collaboration with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, WVWRI has a full-scale demonstration facility near Mount Storm. Ziemkiewicz said he hopes to replicate that model across the country to eventually create a commercially viable rare earth supply chain that could provide the materials needed for advanced, green technologies and defense production. “The team at WVWRI is excited about this new organizational model which will streamline relationships with the WVU administration and the faculty,” he said. “We’ve built a successful organization and generate over $6 million in research funding each year. We look forward to developing new research lines for what, arguably, is one of the nation’s premier water research institutes.” -WVU- URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/19/wvu-institute-for- sustainability-and-energy-research-wiser-what-a-name/>

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Western Wildfires Resulting in Costly Damages & Widespread Air Pollution
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 18 May '23

18 May '23

# [Western Wildfires Resulting in Costly Damages & Widespread Air Pollution](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/18/western-wildfires- resulting-in-costly-damages-widespread-air-pollution/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/D58B4038-C032-473D-B47D-8EF8F6EA463C.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/D58B4038-C032-473D-B47D-8EF8F6EA463C.jpeg) Widespread fires do extensive local damages then regional disruption and long range pollution **A third of the West’s burned forests can be traced to fossil fuel companies** . . . From the [Article by Kate Yoder, The Grist Online Magazine](https://grist.org/accountability/study-a-third-of-the-wests-burne… forests-can-be-traced-to-fossil-fuel-companies/), May 16, 2023 . . . The American West has always had forest fires — just not like this. Blazes are spreading further and burning longer, incinerating towns and exposing millions of people to noxious smoke. While a century of fire suppression and other land management choices contribute to the severity, climate change is a key factor fueling these fires, roughly doubling the acreage burned over the last 40 years. A new study takes this connection one step further, making the case that a significant chunk of burned forests — nearly 20 million acres — can be traced back to major fossil fuel companies. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters on Tuesday, is the first to quantify how corporate emissions have made wildfires worse. Experts say the new research could help advance growing efforts to take polluters to court and hold polluters accountable for climate- fueled disasters. “These companies should be held accountable for their fair share of the damages that they’ve caused,” said Carly Phillips, a coauthor of the new study and a research scientist at the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “They lied and engaged in this orchestrated campaign of deception for years, and it didn’t have to be this way, right?” Researchers from the Union of Concerned Scientists and the University of California, Merced, found that 37 percent of forest burned across the western United States and southwestern Canada since 1986 can be linked to carbon pollution from 88 of the world’s largest oil, gas, and coal companies. That group includes Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell; state-owned oil producers like Saudi Aramco and Gazprom; and cement manufacturers. Researchers considered emissions directly emitted by these companies’ operations as well as the indirect emissions from the products they sold. Since 2017, cities and states have filed around 20 lawsuits against fossil fuel companies based on state laws that prohibit deceptive advertising, seeking money to adapt to the effects of climate change. The suits were set in motion by investigations showing that Exxon, Shell, and coal companies had known about the dangers of skyrocketing carbon emissions for decades, but publicly downplayed the threat. After years of delays, the Supreme Court declined to get involved in these cases last month, clearing the way for them to proceed — potentially to jury trials. The study comes as spring fires scorch western Canada during an unusually hot and dry spring, with about 1 million acres burning across the province of Alberta. An early heat wave pushed temperatures above 90 degrees in parts of the typically temperate Pacific Northwest over the weekend, with Seattle and Portland breaking heat records at least three days in a row. The same heat dome is expected to fan the flames of nearly 90 fires burning across Alberta. It’s hard to draw a direct line between global warming and wildfires. But recent advances in “attribution science,” the field that identifies climate change’s role in heat waves, droughts, rising seas, and other phenomena, have made it possible to quantify its effect on fires. The new study relies on a key risk factor called the “vapor pressure deficit,” a measure of how “thirsty” the atmosphere is. Hotter temperatures cause moisture to be pulled out of vegetation, turning forests into tinderboxes just waiting for a spark. To figure out how companies’ emissions contributed to fire-danger conditions in the West, researchers built on a previous study that linked emissions from 88 big fossil fuel producers to rising temperatures. Then they compared two models of how dry forests would be under different climate scenarios — one modeled on the real world, and the other excluding the emissions associated with the 88 companies. “The major contribution of this study is to connect all of the dots between specific sources of human-related carbon emissions and recent increases in forest fire activity,” said Philip Higuera, a professor of fire ecology at the University of Montana who was not involved in the study. “Most of the links have been well known for a long time, but this is the first study to connect the dots, quantitatively.” Exxon and BP did not respond to Grist’s request to comment in time for publication. Jessica Wentz, a fellow at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, thought the findings could be used to support existing lawsuits, or provide the impetus for other local governments to file their own. Wentz said the research might be relevant to a case in Colorado, where the city and county of Boulder, along with San Miguel County, sued Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil, seeking millions of dollars to update their infrastructure to withstand climate change. “That’s the one lawsuit where wildfire-related damages are forefront and central,” Wentz said. Translating the research to a specific court case could prove thorny, though. The study looked at a large region, the whole North American West, and the aggregate of 88 companies’ emissions. It’s possible that attorneys could use the new research to calculate wildfire risk over a smaller area — say, Boulder County — but it would require some extrapolation. For calculating damages, a court might want to see a more fine-grained analysis, Wentz said. “It’s really a totally open question of how courts will look at the evidence, and just how granular will plaintiffs need to be in terms of providing scientific data to support their claims. We just don’t know yet.” In a way, the long delays in these climate court cases have actually given some ammunition to cities and states looking to hold fossil fuel companies accountable. The extra time has allowed the science of climate attribution to mature, so that if these cases end up going to trials, cities and states have more evidence to support their case. “It’s sort of a weird silver lining,” Wentz said. xxx URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/18/western-wildfires-resulting-in- costly-damages-widespread-air-pollution/>

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Advanced Plastic Recycling is Highly Suspect of “Greenwashing”
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 17 May '23

17 May '23

# [Advanced Plastic Recycling is Highly Suspect of “Greenwashing”](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/17/advanced-plastic- recycling-is-highly-suspect-of-%e2%80%9cgreenwashing%e2%80%9d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/89DCC529-5B45-4289-84A8-7A8946645A72-300x156.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/89DCC529-5B45-4289-84A8-7A8946645A72.png) American Chemistry Council (ACC) promotes crazy stuff! **Stop chemical recycling, processes that can generate even more pollution** . . From the [Climate Reality Project](https://www.climaterealityproject.org/action/stop-chemical- recycling/), May 16, 2023 . . “Advanced recycling” and “chemical recycling” are the two new greenwashed terms in town. The process primarily involves converting plastic into fuel. A pretty expensive and roundabout way of burning fossil fuels, if you ask us. **The chemicals industry is lobbying hard to get two types of these plastic- to-fuel incinerators - pyrolysis and gasification - exempt from regulations under the Clean Air Act. And the American Chemistry Council (ACC) recently announced it would try to introduce legislation that would promote these false solutions to our plastic waste crisis.** This is incredibly dangerous, given that the US EPA reportedly found that pollution from an associated plastic-based fuel poses a one-in-four risk of cancer. Letting these incinerators escape the Clean Air Act would particularly harm the low-income communities and communities of color where most pyrolysis and gasification facilities exist, and where they are likely to be sited in the future. It would also set a terrible precedent, encouraging other polluting industries to pursue their own special exemptions. Take action now. Demand that your representatives call on the Biden Administration to reject these proposed exemptions under the Clean Air Act and vote NO on any such legislation that promotes these false solutions to our plastic waste crisis. >>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>> **See Also:** [RECYCLING LIES: “CHEMICAL RECYCLING” OF PLASTIC IS JUST GREENWASHING INCINERATION](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/chemical- recycling-greenwashing-incineration-ib.pdf), Natural Resources Defense Council [NRDC], February 2022 <https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/chemical-recycling-greenwashing- incineration-ib.pdf> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/17/advanced-plastic-recycling-is- highly-suspect-of-%e2%80%9cgreenwashing%e2%80%9d/>

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SPEAK UP NOW! ~ The Mountain Valley Pipeline is Dangerous & Unnecessary
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 16 May '23

16 May '23

# [SPEAK UP NOW! ~ The Mountain Valley Pipeline is Dangerous & Unnecessary](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/16/speak-up-now-the- mountain-valley-pipeline-is-dangerous-unnecessary/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/740FFEC0-875A-4660-B523-75515D6FDFDD-300x112.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/740FFEC0-875A-4660-B523-75515D6FDFDD.jpeg) At 42 inches in diameter, the MVP exceeds size of installed long distance gas pipelines **SUBMIT COMMENTS ON M.V.P. BECAUSE NOW IS THE CRITICAL TIME** From the [West Virginia Rivers Coalition](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/baesa/index.html?eType=EmailBlast…, May 16, 2023 Earlier this month, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin introduced The Building American Energy Security Act of 2023. This legislation changes how federal agencies handle energy projects and takes the dangerous and unprecedented step of requiring agencies to issue all permits within 30 days for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), without further public involvement and without judicial review. **Make no mistake: No project should be exempt from full protections afforded by cornerstone laws like the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, which the MVP has a long history of violating.** While there is much debate over the need for permitting reform to aid in our energy transition, this provision is reckless and unfair. Still, together, we can send a united message to our leaders to protect West Virginians and our right to fair and equal treatment under the law. **Today, we are calling on our supporters to contact President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to tell them that fast-tracking fossil fuel projects puts our communities and the planet at risk. Can we count on you to take action with us today?** [Tell our leaders in Washington: Reject the unjust approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.→](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/baesa/index.html?eType=EmailBlas… After you've signed your name and added your comments, could you forward the link to your family and friends to ask them to use their voices to stand with West Virginians’ rights to fair and equal protections? Together we have built a powerful coalition. With your continued support, we'll keep growing our numbers to protect access to clean water. [Thank you for taking action today. Add Your Voice!](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/baesa/index.html?eType=EmailBlastCon… >> _In Solidarity, WV Rivers Coalition_ [WEST VIRGINIA RIVERS COALITION](https://wvrivers.org) 3501 MacCorkle Ave SE #129 | Charleston, West Virginia 25304 304-637-7201 | wvrivers(a)wvrivers.org URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/16/speak-up-now-the-mountain- valley-pipeline-is-dangerous-unnecessary/>

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WASHINGTON POST: “Climate, Technology and Sustainability”
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 15 May '23

15 May '23

# [WASHINGTON POST: “Climate, Technology and Sustainability”](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/15/washington- post-%e2%80%9cclimate-technology-and-sustainability%e2%80%9d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/6E810319-1788-429B-904F-7377A9D6BA1C-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/6E810319-1788-429B-904F-7377A9D6BA1C.jpeg) Notice the time slot being 9:00 to 10:00 AM **UPCOMING EVENT ~ Washington Post Live ~ Tuesday, May 16 @ 9:00 to 10:00 AM** From “Coming Up This Week” in the Sunday Edition, May 14, 2023 Scientists, companies and governments worldwide are racing to find innovative solutions to limit carbon emissions. **On Tuesday, May 16 at 9:00 a.m. ET, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus, Evelyn Wang, director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and leading conservation experts join Washington Post Live for a series of conversations about the role of innovation, technology and federal policy in addressing climate change.** Watch Live: wapo.st/climatemay16virtual All Washington Post Live programs feature closed captioning. [BE SURE TO REGISTER HERE](https://washpostlive.splashthat.com/) (WaPo.st/wpl) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/15/washington- post-%e2%80%9cclimate-technology-and-sustainability%e2%80%9d/>

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MICRO-PLASTICS ~ Something Needs to be Done, Sooner not Later!
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 14 May '23

14 May '23

# [MICRO-PLASTICS ~ Something Needs to be Done, Sooner not Later!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/14/micro-plastics-something- needs-to-be-done-sooner-not-later/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/6BB43EAB-6386-4DEA-9488-7841635EF5D9.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/6BB43EAB-6386-4DEA-9488-7841635EF5D9.jpeg) Microplastics particles range in size to microns, literally invisible **70+ US Lawmakers Demand EPA Boost Regulation of Microplastic Pollution** From an [Article by Julia Conley, Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/epa-regulation-on-microplastics), July 11, 2023 "As plastic pollution saturates our planet and our bodies, the Biden administration should take every reasonable step to protect our environment and public health," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Citing extensive research which has shown recently that microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, more than 70 U.S. House members on Friday wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency to demand stronger regulation of the microscopic particles that are used in everyday household items and have been linked to respiratory diseases and cancers. **Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) led lawmakers including Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) in writing the letter, which notes that under the Clean Water Act, the EPA can and should "use its existing statutory authorities to address the growing prevalence of microplastic pollution" across the country.** Currently, the lawmakers said, it is largely being left up to individual states to decide whether to regulate microplastics, leading to "troubling disparities… regarding basic protections." In Doggett's home state, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality last year "quickly abandoned" a proposal to require "chemical companies to have internal processes restricting accidental releases of plastic pollution," while California residents are benefiting from a statewide effort led by the California Ocean Protection Council to reduce microplastics in marine environments. "Federal action should encourage high standards to mitigate microplastics in natural environments, which can ultimately make their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe," wrote the lawmakers. **The letter points to a 2020 study which found that scientists discovered microplastic pollution in some of the world 's most remote places, including Mount Everest, and research from 2021 which suggested the average adult ingests 320,000 microplastics each year.** **As Common Dreams reported last year, a team of researchers in the U.K. found tiny microplastic particles lodged in the lungs of 11 out of 13 patients at a hospital, with the most common microplastic found being polypropylene—commonly used in plastic packaging, textiles, and kitchen utensils.** A draft report on microfiber pollution from the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that microplastics "have the potential to impact human reproductive, respiratory, digestive, nervous, and urinary systems," noted Doggett and the other lawmakers on Friday. "Plastic pollution is not just affecting our oceans and marine life—it's flowing in our bloodstreams and lingering on nearly every object we touch," said Doggett in a statement. "Regulating microplastics as hazardous waste will protect our health and our environment." The lawmakers wrote that they are "encouraged" by the EPA and NOAA's draft report and accompanying federal plan for preventing microfiber pollution, but called on the agency to take steps under the Clean Water Act — whose "whole purpose is to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into our waters" — to mitigate microplastics in the environment. **The letter calls on EPA Administrator Michael Regan to:** >> Issue national drinking water regulations for microplastics modeled on proposed rules for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), using the Safe Drinking Water Act regulatory process to establish enforceable limits on the number of microplastics in water; >> Officially recognize microplastics as hazardous and toxic materials, rather than solid waste, so they can be regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; >> Establish effluent limitations for industrial and general stormwater runoff to contain zero microplastic; >> Publish the final version of the EPA/NOAA joint report on microfiber pollution and pursue the recommended actions with an urgent timeline; and >> Increase research and outreach within the EPA's Trash Free Waters program to improve our understanding of microplastics. "Plastics are riddled with toxic chemicals, but their tiny size allows microplastics to infiltrate our environment, our food chain, and our bodies unnoticed," said Anja Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy at Ocean Conservancy. "Who doesn't wish we had taken action on lead, DDT, or PFAS earlier? We need to be treating microplastics the same way we treat other pollutants." "These are actions that the EPA can and must take now," said Brandon, "to address this growing threat." >>>>>>>……………………>>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>> **See Also:** [Microplastics Research, US EPA](https://www.epa.gov/water- research/microplastics-research), April 14, 2023 Plastics have become ubiquitous in natural and built environments which has caused concern regarding potential harms to human and aquatic life. Microplastics (plastic particles ranging in size from 5 mm to 1 nm) and nanoplastics (plastic particles smaller than 1 nm) have been found in every ecosystem on the planet from the Antarctic tundra to tropical coral reefs. The wide range of particle sizes, densities, and compositions pose a challenge for researchers because there is not a single method that can be used to characterize the wide variety of micro and nanoplastic particles. There is a pressing need to develop and standardize collection, extraction, quantification, and identification methods for micro/nanoplastics to improve reliability, consistency and comparability across studies. EPA research addresses plastic pollution in the aquatic environment by establishing reliable and reproducible approaches for sampling micro/nanoplastics, separating plastics from organic and inorganic interferences found in environmental samples, and extracting plastics without harsh chemicals or heat that further degrade plastic. Using state-of-art analytical chemistry instrumentation, researchers are working to determine appropriate analytical methods to characterize and quantify total microplastics in sediment and water samples, as well as the different types of plastic polymers. This research helps inform recommendations for best practices and standardized methodologies to characterize and assess the extent of micro and nanoplastics pollution in water. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/14/micro-plastics-something-needs- to-be-done-sooner-not-later/>

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The Ohio River is Actually West Virginia But Who Cares?
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 13 May '23

13 May '23

# [The Ohio River is Actually West Virginia But Who Cares?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/13/the-ohio-river-is-actually- west-virginia-but-who-cares/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/44BCE0A7-41C1-4FFB-875E-604D261DF3D8.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/44BCE0A7-41C1-4FFB-875E-604D261DF3D8.jpeg) BEWARE ~ The Ohio River received over 16,000 tons of toxic chemicals last year! **Ohio River named Second Most Endangered River** From an Article by [Heather Sprouse, Ohio Rivers Coordinator at West Virginia Rivers Coalition](https://wvecouncil.org/ohio-river-named-second-most- endangered-river/), May 12, 2023 **The Ohio River has been designated as the second most endangered river in the country. Each year, American Rivers, a national nonprofit, releases a report of our nation’s most endangered rivers, naming those that stand before decisions that will determine their fate. The Ohio River stands before such a moment of great decision.** West Virginia Rivers worked to partner with organizations that share our values to amplify the need for urgent action: Three Rivers Waterkeeper, Ohio River Valley Institute and Ohio Environmental Council. We see an opportunity to use this designation as a springboard for the urgent action we need to protect human and ecosystem health. The upper Ohio River watershed in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and eastern Kentucky drains from areas affected by environmental pollution due to a legacy of heavy industrialization. This legacy includes coal mining, fracked gas development, chemical production, and durable goods manufacturing. These forms of industrialization have resulted in significant discharges of toxic chemicals, including both legacy chemicals (such as mercury and dioxins) and chemicals of emerging concern (especially PFAS and Gen-X chemicals) as well as acid mine drainage. The best science shows us that these toxic pollutants have harmful, serious health impacts both to humans and ecosystems. We believe that the people facing the worst impacts of pollution and climate change know the solutions that they need to thrive. Impacted communities have identified common priorities: a just transition to a low-carbon economy with abundant good paying family-supporting jobs, a clean and healthy environment, access to nature-based recreation on our waters and in our public lands, ecosystem restoration and affordable access to safe drinking water. Each year the federal government invests hundreds of millions of dollars to restore our nation’s great waters, including the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. Currently, the Ohio River is not on the list of waters that receive this funding. In 2020 alone, the Great Lakes received more than $300 million dollars in federal restoration funds. This type of annual investment is needed to achieve goals in the Ohio River watershed that will prevent shared problems from getting worse and more expensive to fix. The Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) has been working to develop an Ohio River Restoration Plan modeled after restoration successes in the Great Lakes. To inform the priorities of this plan, ORBA has partnered with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), of whom WV Rivers is the state affiliate. NWF has led listening sessions, virtually and in person, with community groups throughout the vast watershed- from New York to Alabama and onto the Mississippi River. In West Virginian, we have co-hosted 6 listening sessions: 2 virtually and 4 in-person (Wheeling, Parkersburg, Huntington and Williamson). ORBA intends to deliver a robust Ohio River Restoration Plan to Congress later this summer. The first draft is nearly complete. We are compiling the listening session data into a report that will be used to refine the priorities of the Restoration Plan. The Ohio River watershed is vast — it covers more than 200,000 square miles across 14 states and provides the primary source of drinking water for more than five million people. In addition to its cultural and historic importance, the river provides critical habitat for 150 species of fish and the watershed protects endangered species such as the candy and diamond darter, several species of mussels, and crayfish. The Ohio River is a vital, abundant resource for our communities and economies and yet, without federal investment, remains vulnerable. The recent chemical release resulting from the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio is a loud warning. The derailment resulted in harmful air pollution and hazardous butyl acrylate leaked into the Ohio River. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) led immediate monitoring efforts of the chemical plume as it made its way downriver, informing decisions by water utilities of how to respond. ORSANCO urgently needs additional federal funds to upgrade technical systems and increase staff capacity. Congress must act to protect human and ecosystem health by increasing funding for ORSANCO and adding the Ohio River to the list of our nation’s great waters that receive significant, sustained funding each year. These actions will provide communities with the resources they need to clean up and prevent pollution, increase tourism and small business development through nature- based recreation, rehabilitate ecosystems and safeguard clean, healthy drinking water for the millions who drink from the waters of the Ohio River watershed. [WHO CARES? Join the online Ohio Rivers listening session on May 24.](https://wvecouncil.org/events/on-line-ohio-river-listening-session/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/13/the-ohio-river-is-actually-west- virginia-but-who-cares/>

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“It Isn’t Easy Being Green!” ~ Blue Ammonia Isn’t Clean Ammonia!
by Frack Check WV: admin 12 May '23

12 May '23

# [“It Isn’t Easy Being Green!” ~ Blue Ammonia Isn’t Clean Ammonia!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/12/%e2%80%9cit- isn%e2%80%99t-easy-being-green%e2%80%9d-blue-ammonia-isn%e2%80%99t-clean- ammonia/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/05E9D3ED-0D26-4DD2-A29A-E6684BF19767.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/05E9D3ED-0D26-4DD2-A29A-E6684BF19767.jpeg) Gray, blue or green? Ammonia is being studied to reduce GHG as well as with hydrogen, methanol, wind and sunshine! **Clean ammonia sets sail into an ocean of fossil fuels** From an [Article by Ari Phillips, Oil & Gas Watch](https://news.oilandgaswatch.org/post/clean-ammonia-sets-sail-into-an- ocean-of-fossil-fuels), May 3, 2023 Ammonia is generally associated with a technological breakthrough of the past. As the key building block of nitrogen-based synthetic fertilizers, it played a critical role in feeding a rapidly growing global population over the twentieth century. Now, some see ammonia as having the potential to make a sizeable impact in the transition away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels. For that to happen, the current production process will have to change, as the overwhelming majority of ammonia is produced from natural gas. The world currently produces about 175 million tons per year of fossil-fuel based ammonia mostly for use as fertilizer, and this releases vast quantities of greenhouse gases. As the demand for low-carbon energy sources grows, clean ammonia – referred to by advocates as either green or blue ammonia, depending on how it is produced – is expected to dramatically increase in production. Developers in the U.S. have proposed the construction of 15 new ammonia plants, mostly in Texas and Louisiana, to produce ammonia for fuel, according to public records and data available in the Oil & Gas Watch database as of May 1, 2023. “Green ammonia” is created from water, nitrogen from the air, and renewable energy like solar or wind to produce the ammonia molecule, NH₃, and is thus virtually carbon free. However, this process requires vast amounts of very pure water and large, albeit renewable, energy inputs. So-called “blue ammonia” is ammonia produced with natural gas and nitrogen from the air, but with the carbon footprint allegedly reduced through the capture and storage of the carbon dioxide emissions. Because carbon capture and sequestration technology is largely untested and unproven on a large scale, “blue ammonia” produced with natural gas is less climate-friendly than “green ammonia” made entirely with solar or wind power. The focus for many clean ammonia advocates is to use the hydrogen in ammonia to help produce clean hydrogen fuel, which burns without releasing any greenhouse gases. Ammonia is easier to ship in liquid form than hydrogen, which must be supercooled to form a liquid (an energy-intensive process). So the idea is to transport liquid ammonia on ships or via rail to manufacturing plants or other end users, and then convert ammonia to hydrogen fuel. Clean ammonia advocates also argue that ammonia can also be used as a fuel itself. Power companies in Asia are proposing to burn ammonia along with coal in power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The shipping industry is also interested in using it as a lower-carbon fuel to burn at sea. No matter the color, ammonia production and use comes with environmental tradeoffs. “There’s no silver bullet here,” said Trevor Brown, Executive Director of the Ammonia Energy Association. “We’re looking at solutions for fuel molecules that don’t cause climate change.” **Ammonia fuel project announcements** ~ An estimated 88 percent of the ammonia produced at 30 industrial facilities in the U.S. in 2021 was used as fertilizer or to make nitrogen-based fertilizer. And the fertilizer industry is growingly rapidly in the U.S., with companies planning to build nine new ammonia plants and expand three more to produce nitrogen fertilizer, according to a new EIP report, “The Fertilizer Boom.” The growth of the US fertilizer industry can be attributed, in part, to the availability of inexpensive natural gas extracted through hydraulic fracturing. Additionally, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has resulted in higher costs for nitrogen fertilizers produced in Europe and Russia, further driving demand for domestically-produced fertilizers in the U.S. Incentives made available through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act have spurred several companies to take steps to build “clean” ammonia plants that would make fuel, not fertilizer. To date, 15 new plants have been proposed. If just 8 of the 15 projects are built, ammonia energy production capacity could reach 27 million metric tons per year by 2030. Total ammonia production capacity in the US could reach 58.4 million metric tons per year—nearly tripling today’s production—if all the ammonia energy and fertilizer projects come to fruition. A table in the Article shows the locations and status of the proposed ammonia fuel projects. **Ammonia as a shipping fuel** ~ Some of these proposed projects would use ammonia as a fuel to be burned directly in ships, as an alternative to petroleum-based “bunker fuel” to drive their engines. The term “bunker fuel” as ship fuel dates back to the days when steam-powered ships were powered by coal, which was stored inside coal “bunkers” onboard the ships. “While I think ammonia will play a very significant role as a bunker fuel, we need to be careful with it,” said Brown of the Ammonia Energy Association. “What’s appealing are things like better energy efficiency and electrification. But those solutions can’t decarbonize shipping by themselves.” Paul Wolfram with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who's been researching ammonia as a fuel source, said ammonia has about one third of the energy density of diesel fuel, so ships will sit lower in the water and require larger fuel tanks. He also said there’s significant potential for pollutant releases including ammonia (itself an air pollutant) and nitrogen oxides. He also worries about the leakage of ammonia from production facilities and during distribution, storage, and handling. “Powering all ships with ammonia, all else equal, would entail a quintupling of global ammonia production, and if even a small portion of this nitrogen escapes from the fuel production and use cycle, it could more than offset the global impacts of any agricultural nitrogen mitigation efforts,” he said. “Understanding the future for ammonia-energy will need dialogue between the various research communities to examine the relative importance of nitrogen vs. carbon mitigation, actual observed nitrogen releases in ammonia demonstrations and deployments, and other real-world data on costs and risks that will reduce some of the uncertainties we have today.” The shipping industry currently accounts for around three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The U.N.’s International Maritime Organization has called for curbing annual shipping-related emissions by at least 50 percent compared to 2008 levels by 2050. Ammonia advocates see ammonia bunker fuel as critical in lowering the industry’s carbon footprint because it is relatively energy-dense, does not require cryogenic temperatures to freeze (like hydrogen), and the global infrastructure already exists to produce, store, and transport ammonia. In the U.S., a Brooklyn-based startup company called Amogy is working to launch an ammonia-powered ship in New York that would be the first of its kind. The company recently secured $139 million in private venture capital funds to help work towards the commercialization of the company's ammonia-to- power technology, which cracks ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen and puts the hydrogen through a fuel cell where the chemical energy is converted into electricity. Amogy has used this technology to power a 300-kilowatt semitruck and is in the process of designing a 1-megawatt version to power a retrofitted tugboat that formerly ran on diesel. Seonghoon Woo, CEO and cofounder of Amogy, said the maritime industry has shown great interest in ammonia. But he said a lot still needs to be done to educate policymakers and the general public about how the safe and efficient use of ammonia can support energy security and decarbonization efforts. He said with the shipping sector emitting about 1,000 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, or 13 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from global transport, it is important to utilize solutions such as green ammonia. “While there are always risks in any industry, there are over 100 years of experience in the making, transporting, and storing of ammonia,” said Woo. “Plus, as one of the most widely used commodities on the planet, regulations are in place to ensure it’s used safely. For us, safety is our number one priority.” **Photo in Article. A tanker ship refuels at sea. Ammonia could replace heavy oil, also known as bunker oil, as a fuel for ships.** Safety is very important when it comes to ammonia. Ammonia is highly flammable and corrosive, making it potentially risky as a source of bunker fuel for ships. Ammonia, itself a toxic form of nitrogen pollution that can be harmful to aquatic life if released into waterways. An Environmental Integrity Project analysis recently found that in 2021, 22 U.S. ammonia plants that manufacture nitrogen fertilizer discharged an estimated 3.9 million pounds of ammonia from their wastewater outfalls. Eighty-six percent of this ammonia was discharged into waterways that are near communities where more than 30 percent of people are considered low income or more than 40 percent are people of color. Planned ammonia manufacturing plants could add a considerable amount of this pollution to waterways, especially if EPA fails to update and strengthen outdated pollution control standards for the industry. Ammonia also contributes to nitrogen-fed algae blooms and low-oxygen dead zones, like the one that has persisted in the Gulf of Mexico. Spills of ammonia at sea or at port could also harm aquatic ecosystems. **“Ammonia is toxic and there are still many gaps in knowledge that need to be filled in order to enable its safe use as a shipping fuel,” said Marie Cabbia Hubatova, Director of Global Shipping for the Environmental Defense Fund Europe.** “Much more research needs to be done to better understand the implications ammonia can have on the environment as well as human health. Moreover, ammonia engines are likely to produce NOx and nitrous oxide. A better understanding of the extent and technological options for its mitigation are imperative for its safe use.” She continued: “I think ammonia will play an important role in decarbonizing the shipping sector, but we need to fill the current gaps in knowledge in order to use it in a safe way.” **As this research plays out, new clean ammonia projects continue to pop up regularly. In early April, a blue ammonia project was announced for development on a reclaimed coal mining site in Mingo County, West Virginia. The proposed Adams Fork clean ammonia project will serve as the anchor for an Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, and could produce up to 2.16 million metric tons per year of ammonia while controlling its carbon dioxide emissions with carbon capture and storage.** **West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin praised the announcement** , saying it will ensure the “Mountain State continues to be a leader in American energy innovation and support good paying, West Virginia energy jobs.” Manchin thanked the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, both passed during the previous session of Congress under Democratic leadership, for making the ammonia project possible. The Inflation Reduction Act combines an array of clean energy tax incentives, totaling an estimated $369 billion, meant to address energy security and climate change over the next decade, including generous tax credits for carbon capture and storage projects. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/12/%e2%80%9cit-isn%e2%80%99t-easy- being-green%e2%80%9d-blue-ammonia-isn%e2%80%99t-clean-ammonia/>

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Growing LNG Awareness in Congress ~ Risks of Growth in Liquified Natural Gas
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 11 May '23

11 May '23

# [Growing LNG Awareness in Congress ~ Risks of Growth in Liquified Natural Gas](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/11/growing-lng-awareness-in- congress-risks-of-growth-in-liquified-natural-gas/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/FE3816E4-BA5C-43E2-B921-A426A90181A8.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/FE3816E4-BA5C-43E2-B921-A426A90181A8.jpeg) Join in with POWHR to limit dangerous pipelines in rugged terrain and thru rivers & streams **Some 44 Lawmakers 'Sound the Alarm' on Threat of LNG Expansion** . . From an [Article by Olivia Rosane, Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/lawmakers-sound-alarm-on-lng- expansion), May 8, 2023 . . Senators and representatives have signed a letter calling on the Biden administration's Council on Environmental Quality to give "greater scrutiny" to the LNG supply chain from wellhead to shipping overseas. More than 40 U.S. lawmakers signed a letter Monday to "sound the alarm" on the recent expansion of liquefied natural gas infrastructure and capacity and call on the Biden administration to give "greater scrutiny" to the LNG supply chain from wellhead to shipping overseas. The legislators letter to the **Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory** comes amidst an uptick in LNG exports from the U.S. to Europe in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Climate campaigners have warned that fossil fuel companies have used the war and subsequent energy crisis as an excuse to lock in more LNG infrastructure that could push the 1.5°C temperature goal out of reach and hasten more extreme climate impacts. "Our ability to combat the worst impacts of the climate crisis depends, to a significant degree, on whether the United States approves proposed LNG pipeline and export terminal projects on top of the already-substantial LNG infrastructure," the lawmakers wrote in the letter. "Even without including upstream leaks, the continued buildout of LNG infrastructure is at odds with the Paris climate goals and U.S. climate commitments." The CEQ is currently finalizing its **National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Guidance on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Climate Change** , which would advise federal agencies on how to assess proposed infrastructure projects' contribution to the climate crisis, The Washington Post explained. The administration of former President Donald Trump issued a rollback in 2020 mandating that federal agencies considering projects under NEPA should not take their "indirect" climate impacts into account. While the Biden administration has already reversed this rule, it is now working on more detailed instructions. The lawmakers want to make sure these updated instructions consider LNG's true impact both on the climate and on frontline communities. "Existing LNG infrastructure already has a disproportionate impact on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and poor communities; this will only be exacerbated with the addition of the proposed projects. That's why it is important that frontline communities are meaningfully and proactively engaged throughout environmental reviews for LNG infrastructure," the letter writers continued. The effort was spearheaded by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) along with U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.). The lawmakers were joined by 40 of their colleagues from both houses, all Democrats except for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Merkley tweeted Monday that he was joining with Huffman, Grijalva, and Barragán "to sound the alarm on the great threat that continued expansion of liquefied fossil gas (LNG) infrastructure poses to our climate and future." **One major concern raised by the lawmakers is methane.** Federal agencies are still approving projects based on a Trump administration public-interest determination that compares LNG to coal-fired electricity without considering methane leaks from LNG infrastructure, the lawmakers noted. However, since methane traps around 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere, these leaks could make LNG even more damaging for the climate than coal. "Even without including upstream leaks, the continued buildout of LNG infrastructure is at odds with the Paris climate goals and U.S. climate commitments," the lawmakers wrote. A recent Greenpeace investigation found that LNG projects approved in the U.S. could emit more than the 2030 carbon budget allocated by the International Energy Agency to the entire LNG trade if policymakers are to limit warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. "An expansion of U.S. liquified natural gas infrastructure threatens more damage to our climate and communities," Rep. Barragán tweeted. \u201cAn expansion of U.S. Liquified Natural Gas infrastructure threatens more damage to our climate & communities.\n\u00a0\nI co-led a letter w/ @RepHuffman & @SenJeffMerkley asking the Biden Admin to ensure LNG environmental reviews fully account for its impact in our neighborhoods.\u201d — Nanette D. Barrag\u00e1n (@Nanette D. Barrag\u00e1n) _The lawmakers called on CEQ to develop a review process just for LNG, with participation from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, the Department of State, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and others. This process should consider cradle-to-grave LNG impacts on both the climate and frontline communities._ In addition, they argued CEQ should make sure that agencies actually consider lifecycle emissions from LNG and set fair prices if it and the State Department decide to increase exports for emergency scenarios like the war in Ukraine. "We urge that the price of natural gas sold to our allies is sufficient to cover production and delivery costs, but no higher, so as to remove any potential for war-time profiteering and to remove the incentives to continue exports after the short-term foreign policy needs have expired," the lawmakers wrote. >>>>>…………………>>>>>>>………………>>>>> **See Also:** [POWHR ~ Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights ~ Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR)](https://powhr.org/) is an interstate coalition representing individuals and groups from Virginia and West Virginia dedicated to protecting water, land, and communities from harms caused by the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). <https://powhr.org/> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/11/growing-lng-awareness-in- congress-risks-of-growth-in-liquified-natural-gas/>

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WV Legislature of No Help ~ Toxic PFAS in Our Drinking Water
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 10 May '23

10 May '23

# [WV Legislature of No Help ~ Toxic PFAS in Our Drinking Water](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/10/wv-legislature-of-no-help- toxic-pfas-in-our-drinking-water/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/0C5B97A0-F6A3-404E-A3CF-E6FBBAC684BE.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/0C5B97A0-F6A3-404E-A3CF-E6FBBAC684BE.jpeg) Latency periods vary for PFAS compounds and type of cancer **Even with new legislation, it could be years before drinking water in West Virginia is free of toxic ‘forever chemicals’** From the [Article by Allen Siegler, Mountain State Spotlight](https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2023/05/02/pfas-west-virginia- water-contamination/), May 2, 2023 State lawmakers passed the PFAS Protection Act to start controlling pollution in drinking water. While a step in the right direction, many are concerned that it prolongs health hazards for West Virginians. In the 1990s, when **Chuck Crookshanks worked as a teacher at Parkersburg South High** , a student told him about her family’s farm and how dozens of their animals had grown physical deformities. “Not only the livestock, but also other animals near it,” Crookshanks recalled. “Deer, frogs and anything else that was around it. It was pretty remarkable.” He said she was one of the first people he remembers raising concerns with the Washington Works plant in Parkersburg; a few years later, these concerns led to a mid-2000s high-profile lawsuit against chemical company DuPont, a lawsuit which linked the factory’s hazardous chemical pollution to diseases like kidney and testicular cancer. Those chemicals are now often grouped with a broader group of cancerous, man- made concoctions called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. And PFAS, from both past and present polluters, continue to concern Crookshanks. His house, between Ravenswood and the unincorporated town of Murraysville, is about 25 miles down the Ohio River from Washington Works. Crookshanks said his wife, Tammy, worries often about what invisible chemicals are present in the water from their well. “She brought it up probably in the last couple of weeks, wanting to get the water tested,” Crookshanks said. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it had reached a deal under the Clean Water Act for the plant, now owned by the Chemours Company, to address PFAS pollution. But the so-called “forever chemicals” have already been found in drinking water systems around the state. While state lawmakers passed a bill in March to take steps toward identifying and contemplating action for affected public water systems, the bill does not require the state’s Department of Environmental Protection or any other group to remove the chemicals from drinking water yet. As a consequence, experts believe it could be years before many West Virginians can drink tap water and be assured that it won’t increase their risk of diseases like cancer. “Why do you need another year or two years to figure that out when that’s been known for 22 years?” said **Robert Bilott, an attorney with Taft Stettinius & Hollister** who has led many lawsuits related to the chemicals. **Some monitoring, and some prolonged unknowns** ~ Although there is scientific consensus that they increase health risks, PFAS are still used ubiquitously by manufacturing companies. The chemicals are effective at keeping liquids from seeping through material, and they are commonly used in products like candy bar wrappers and waterproof clothes. When manufacturing plants use PFAS in their products, they can release them into the soil, water and air. All three methods risk contaminating people’s drinking sources, as chemicals released into the air can be absorbed by rain clouds and solid waste can seep into groundwater. While the amount of PFAS in water is often highest at sites near polluting factories, it’s not uncommon for the chemicals to contaminate places far from the original source, meaning even West Virginians who live away from factories could still have the chemicals in their water. “The thing about these forever chemicals is that they don’t break down,” said **Angie Rosser, the executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition**. “They accumulate in our bodies and accumulate in the food chain.” The state’s new PFAS Protection Act intends to focus on contamination identified by a 2022 U.S. Geological Survey study of the state’s water treatment facilities. That study found nearly half of the facilities, many along the Ohio River or in the Eastern Panhandle, had at least one hazardous chemical above the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s recently-proposed regulations in their untreated water. For the sites with documented contamination, the bill tasks the DEP with coming up with action plans that identify the source of the pollution and propose ways to limit West Virginians’ exposure. It also lays out plans for the government agency to test the sites’ water after treatment. To combat future pollution, the bill requires West Virginia factories that discharge any PFAS into surface water to report that action to the DEP. It will limit the factories’ amount of pollution to the standards set by the federal government, and no more stringent, once they’re proposed and finalized. While the Legislature did not designate money for the effort, **DEP Deputy Director for External Affairs Scott Mandirola** said the department is applying for federal grants, like funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to develop the action plans. “Our focus is on doing what the Legislature is telling us to do,” Mandirola said. In the present, the bill doesn’t mandate any cleanup of PFAS in public drinking water. Some of that will likely come in the next two years, after the federal government finalizes its first-ever standards for the chemical under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Rosser worries about whether the action plans will prepare the WV-DEP to enforce the EPA’s future PFAS limits, but she thinks the bill will generate crucial data. “I would characterize it as a measured step,” she said. Others are concerned the step is too measured, missing key information about the ways in which PFAS can endanger West Virginians’ drinking water. While the bill will provide more information about public water sources, it won’t monitor private wells that many, like Crookshanks, depend on. In an email, bill lead sponsor Clay Riley, R-Harrison, said if the state was to test private water, it would have required an additional bill that involved the Department of Health and Human Resources. For Dr. Alan Ducatman, a WVU professor emeritus who has spent decades studying PFAS, that’s a big omission, as it’s how hundreds of thousands of West Virginians access water in their homes. “It’s hard to be confident that you know what’s going on if you’re worried about your personal water supply and can’t find that information,” Ducatman said. Aileen Curfman lives in Berkeley County and also uses well water in her home. As the co-chair of the Sierra Club’s Eastern Panhandle group, she’s aware of the impacts PFAS can have and of the high levels recorded near her. As such, Curfman recently paid hundreds of dollars to test her water for the poisons. “There would be a lot of folks who could not afford it,” Curfman said. It came back free from the hazardous chemicals. But if it hadn’t, she thinks she would have had to pay around $5,000 for a filter — something she thinks would have been necessary to ensure her water was safe to drink. **‘Getting the stuff out of the water’** ~ From Rosser’s understanding, the earliest that maximum PFAS drinking water contaminant levels would be enforced is 2025, meaning many West Virginians’ water will likely continue to be hazardous for the time being. Bilott, the attorney who has litigated many PFAS-related cases, believes West Virginia’s continued-prolonging of any chemical cleanup to be unnecessary and inhumane. “DEP was notified that these chemicals were getting into drinking water supplies 22 years ago,” he said. “They should already have been doing this.” Harry Deitzler, another attorney who has represented West Virginians harmed by PFAS, was dismayed that the state’s new oversight is limited to PFAS discharged directly into rivers and streams. From his experience in lawsuits he’s litigated, a major way the chemicals enter people’s drinking water is when they’re released into the air and enter the water cycle. Riley didn’t answer why the PFAS Protection Act didn’t address airborne pollution, instead responding that most air regulation comes from the federal government. When asked what state residents should do until enforcement takes effect, he said the “EPA is still trying to understand the science and impact related to PFAS. I recommend people educate themselves about the topic.” Bilott rejected the premise that the EPA is still trying to figure out the health impact of the chemicals, and he pointed to their health guidelines released last summer as evidence. He thinks rather than calling for West Virginians to educate themselves, the onus should be on the companies that caused the health hazards. “It shouldn’t be the burden of the impacted community to address that contamination,” Bilott said. To Ducatman, the professor emeritus with the WVU School of Public Health, there are many more steps both the WV-DEP and the state Legislature could take to protect residents’ health. Those include creating a robust effort to test private wells, prohibiting factories in the state from using PFAS unless the chemicals are essential and monitoring industrial pollution beyond self- reporting. Ducatman realizes that this type of effort could be costly, time-consuming and resource-intensive. But, from a public health standpoint, he sees it as crucial for West Virginians. “People’s health will improve,” Ducatman said. “Have no doubt about that. Getting the stuff out of the water is good for people.” **Support Mountain State Spotlight** ~ We are a nonprofit investigative newsroom that exists to give West Virginians the information they need to make our state a better place. As a nonprofit, we rely on your help to power our journalism. We are committed to lifting up voices that aren’t always heard and spotlighting solutions that are making a difference. >>>>>>>#######>>>>>>>#######>>>>>>>> **See Also:** [US EPA Takes Unprecedented Action to Tackle PFAS Water Pollution](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/06/us-epa-pfas- drinking-water-pollution-ohio-river), Tom Perkins, The Guardian, May 6, 2023 EPA has ordered chemical company Chemours to stop discharging high levels of toxic PFAS into the Ohio River at Parkersburg URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/10/wv-legislature-of-no-help-toxic- pfas-in-our-drinking-water/>

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Fraudulent Certification of Fracked Gas Pipeline Welding Results in Two Arrests in Western Penna.
by Frack Check WV: admin 09 May '23

09 May '23

# [Fraudulent Certification of Fracked Gas Pipeline Welding Results in Two Arrests in Western Penna.](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/09/fraudulent- certification-of-fracked-gas-pipeline-welding-results-in-two-arrests-in- western-penna/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/2FD65212-91C7-4470-A0F1-570A8B6B121A1.jpeg)](https:… content/uploads/2023/05/2FD65212-91C7-4470-A0F1-570A8B6B121A1.jpeg) SEPARATE INCIDENT IN LAWRENCE COUNTY ~ Pipe falls off truck killing worker in March 2019 **Two arrested in pipeline fraud in Lawrence County** From the [Article by Debbie Wachter, New Castle News](https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/two-arrested-in-pipeline- fraud-in-lawrence-county/article_7abfdfa2-eb72-11ed-b850-f3a033834ba1.html), May 5, 2023 The state Office of the Attorney General filed criminal charges in Lawrence County against two men accused of falsifying paperwork and endangering others while working on a natural gas pipeline. Joseph Berkich, 45, of Daisytown, Washington County, is charged with falsifying industrial radiologist certification documents to obtain X-ray examination work on a natural gas pipeline project for EnTech Energy of New Castle, then conspiring with Welton Darl Shipe to cover-up his deception. Shipe, 61, of Baker, West Virginia, a quality assurance manager on the project, is charged with providing false statements to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection about the pipe’s condition and repairs that he commissioned surreptitiously. The men are related by marriage and knew each other when they conspired to commit the crimes charged this week, according to information from the attorney general’s office. The pipeline involved was a 34-mile stretch of the Mark West Liberty Pipeline that transports natural gas liquids such as propane, normal butane, isobutane and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from natural gas processing plants that are located in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, to fractionation facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to the court papers and information from a news release from the attorney general’s office. EnTech Energy, located at 105 Mahoning Ave., manufactures components used in natural gas pipelines. A company principal informed state agents Berkich was the lowest bidder on a Mark West Energy Project. He and Steel City Gamma, his former company, began working for EnTech around Aug. 16, 2019, and were fired as a subcontractor around Nov. 1 that year. Berkich’s company performed six jobs for EnTech, the report said. Those jobs were to have been part of a Mark West pipeline located in West Virginia. A certified welding inspector had notified the agents that September he found a total of five bad welds Berkich deemed acceptable. Two were at the EnTech facility in New Castle, one was at a staging area before being placed in a field and two were on a job site right of way, awaiting installation, the report said. A sixth weld had to be shot in the field after installation, the report said. Berkich is charged with six counts of forgery, two counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property, tampering with public records, five counts of tampering with records or identification and one of conspiracy to commit tampering and risking a catastrophe. Shipe is charged with conspiracy to commit tampering with public records, tampering with public records or identification, risking catastrophe, and unsworn falsification to authorities and statement under penalty. They were taken into custody and arraigned Thursday afternoon by District Judge Melissa A. Amodie, who released them on unsecured bonds of $15,000 each, meaning if they fail to show for their court proceedings, warrants will be issued for their arrests and they will be liable for the entire bond amount. This case was investigated by the Office of Attorney General with support from the US Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. All charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Criminal complaints against both men detail their alleged offenses. While employed as a quality assurance manager at EnTech Energy, Shipe hired Berkich as an industrial radiographer to X-ray and interpret the welds on sections of the pipeline to evaluate their integrity and Berkich failed to provide the necessary certifications prior to starting the work, according to the paperwork. After EnTech repeatedly asked for the paperwork, Berkich provided certifications with multiple forged signatures. It was later discovered Berkich was neither trained nor certified to perform that type of work. As a result of Berkich’s lack of certification, EnTech was forced to hire another firm to re-examine all of the welds that Berkich had previously evaluated. That firm determined that some of the materials used by Berkich were not up to industry code and that Berkich signed off on a total of seven bad welds that threatened the integrity of the project and endangered the public, the state agency contends. Further investigation revealed Shipe later directed a welder and Berkich to come in on a weekend — when the project inspector was not on site — to cut out bad welds and repair them without reporting the repairs. Reporting repairs is critical because the applied heat can cause the metal to become brittle leading to increased risk of leaks and the potential for the weld to become an ignition source, the paperwork states. The investigation into the allegations began in April of 2020. The paperwork states that in addition to X-ray costs, a total of six bad welds were found that Berkich had deemed satisfactory. Repair costs for EnTech energy resulted in $20,000 in losses to repair the bad welds, the complaints state. As a result, the customer, Mark West Energy, severed all ties with EnTech and canceled six or seven upcoming jobs with that company, the court papers state. “These men allegedly put lives at risk by carelessly ignoring certifications and safety assurance requirements in an effort to profit from pipeline work,” Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a news release issued Friday. “Unfortunately, we have seen recently the devastating environmental impacts of such carelessness, and my office is committed to holding accountable those who put the environment and our citizen’s health and lives at risk. Thanks to the hard work of the Office of Attorney General’s environmental crime section and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, these men will now need to answer for their actions in a court of law.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/09/fraudulent-certification-of- fracked-gas-pipeline-welding-results-in-two-arrests-in-western-penna/>

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CENTER for COALFIELD JUSTICE ~ Public Health Report Needed Urgently
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 08 May '23

08 May '23

# [CENTER for COALFIELD JUSTICE ~ Public Health Report Needed Urgently](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/08/center-for-coalfield- justice-public-health-report-needed-urgently/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/81A57AE4-AF0C-4CB2-9EF2-6275D919FD98-300x168.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/81A57AE4-AF0C-4CB2-9EF2-6275D919FD98.png) Report overdue on Pitt PA Health & Environment Studies **Report on Public Health Issues Related to Drilling, Fracking, Pipelining is Way Overdue** From the [Request by Heaven Sensky, Center for Coalfield Justice](https://secure.everyaction.com/xK30mw82EkmKtD7LaE2p_A2?ms=email&=&… ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&emdi=fc96020e-b2ea- ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=2589511), 5/4/23 **It’s been almost four years since Governor Tom Wolf committed $3 million on a pair of studies to explore the potential health impacts of oil and gas development in our communities.** **The Department of Health chose the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to conduct the studies, and data collection concluded in September 2022.** **Families who have been impacted by rare childhood cancers demanded these studies, taxpayers funded the studies, but the public has not heard directly from the Department of Health since the studies began. ** **Residents of the eight-county region included in the studies deserve a status update.** (These counties border Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Monongalia Counties in West Virginia.) **We believe this update is an important step for community inclusion in the research process and that it will strengthen relations with the public, making it easier for researchers to communicate and conduct outreach around the studies ' results. Every day that our trusted health institutions do not provide information, residents and health providers are left in the dark.** **It is urgent that the Department issue an update as soon as possible. The timeliness of this status update is imperative, considering that more young people are being diagnosed with rare cancers in the studied communities, all the while the state continues to grant permits for pollution-emitting fossil fuel projects.** **We’ve worked with partners to draft an open letter to the Department asking for an update.** [Sign your name to be included in this open letter!](https://secure.everyaction.com/xK30mw82EkmKtD7LaE2p_A2?ms=email&=&… ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&emdi=fc96020e-b2ea-ed11-8e8b-00224832eb73&ceid=2589511) In November 2019, Governor Tom Wolf committed to spending $3 million on a pair of studies to explore the potential health impacts of oil and gas development after families impacted by rare childhood cancers demanded that the state investigate the cause of an apparent increase in rare childhood cancers in communities experiencing shale gas development. The Pennsylvania Department of Health chose the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to undertake the studies, which became known as the PITT PA HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT STUDIES. The data collection for these studies concluded in September 2022. The University of Pittsburgh's public-facing website for the studies has not been updated since then. In early October 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh publicly backed out of a public forum to discuss the progress and process of the studies. Unfortunately, the Department of Health has failed to provide any update on the status of the studies since it declined to participate in the forum. Meanwhile, residents had been led to believe that study results would be made available at the conclusion of the Wolf Administration, which never happened. Thus, we implore you to provide an update on the status of the studies to the public as soon as possible. Community members have yet to hear directly from either the University of Pittsburgh or the Department of Health since the studies were announced. [Given the importance of and the public interest in the results of these studies, the Department of Health must be transparent about their current status. Transparency is necessary to protect the credibility of the studies' results and taxpayers' investment.](https://news.yale.edu/2022/08/17/proximity-fracking-sites- associated-risk-childhood-cancer) The residents of the eight-county region included in the study deserve a status update regarding these taxpayer-funded studies designed to examine potential health impacts of human exposure to environmental risk factors, such as oil and gas development. We believe this update is an important step for community inclusion in the research process and that it will strengthen relations with the public, making it easier for researchers to communicate and conduct outreach around the studies' results. Every day that our trusted health institutions do not provide information, residents and health providers are left in the dark. It is urgent that the Department issue an update as soon as possible. The timeliness of this status update is imperative, considering that more young people are being diagnosed with rare cancers in the studied communities, all the while the state continues to grant permits for pollution-emitting fossil fuel projects. _[Heaven Sensky, Organizing Director, CCJ](https://centerforcoalfieldjustice.org/) heaven(a)centerforcoalfieldjustice.org 724-229-3550_ **[SUPPORT OUR WORK BY BECOMING A MEMBER TODAY!](https://centerforcoalfieldjustice.org/)** ~ We could not do this work without the continued support of our members and supporters. Please help us to continue our work to fight for environmental justice in Southwestern Pennsylvania by becoming a member of CCJ. Recurring monthly donations help to best support our work. Any gift made to the Center for Coalfield Justice is 100% tax-deductible. **[BECOME A MEMBER TODAY](https://centerforcoalfieldjustice.org/)** ~ [Center for Coalfield Justice](https://centerforcoalfieldjustice.org/), PO BOX 4023, Washington , PA 15301 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/08/center-for-coalfield-justice- public-health-report-needed-urgently/>

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Environmentalism is Not Just a Word Because We Only Have One Earth
by Frack Check WV: admin 07 May '23

07 May '23

# [Environmentalism is Not Just a Word Because We Only Have One Earth](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/07/environmentalism-is-not-just… word-because-we-only-have-one-earth/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/57ACD5A0-2510-436E-AD60-001FFFC988DC.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/57ACD5A0-2510-436E-AD60-001FFFC988DC.jpeg) Political changes and life-style changes are our future! **Radical conservative environmentalism?** From the [Letter to Editor by Wes Bergen, Morgantown Dominion Post](https://www.dominionpost.com/2023/04/29/april-30-letters-to-the- editor/), April 30, 2023 **Something new has to happen. In order to alter our current course, which has led and is leading to environmental devastation, we need nearly everyone to be involved. We need all hands on deck. This means that, in addition to a growing radical progressive environmental movement, we need a radical conservative environmental movement.** **There is nothing impossible about radical conservative environmentalism. Yes, much of current conservative leadership is heading full speed toward further destruction, but there is no reason that this has to be so.** **Our current governor and U.S. senators are not going to lead a radical environmental movement, because they are all living off the sale of fossil fuels. Their motivation appears to be mostly greed. And greed is not a conservative value. Traditionally, greed is a vice that needs to be discouraged or even punished. So they are not good leaders for conservatism in any case.** **Other leaders in the current conservative world are climate deniers and make all sorts of unscientific claims. This is not conservative either — this is just stupid. And stupidity is not a conservative value. There is an intelligent conservative position that needs to be part of the discussion, however unlikely it currently seems.** **So we need new leaders. We need leaders who understand the need to conserve what is of value in our heritage and our traditions. And we need those leaders to be guided by the best of our traditions, not the worst of them. We need these leaders to articulate a radical conservative environmentalism, because it will be impossible to conserve our society in the midst of environmental devastation.** [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/270C1E38-19EC-4D65-ABB3-1B98786890D4-150x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/270C1E38-19EC-4D65-ABB3-1B98786890D4.jpeg) The lessons for Earth also apply in West Virginia … >> Wes Bergen is a pastor of the Church of the Brethren and author of “You Are NOT Going to Heaven.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/07/environmentalism-is-not-just-a- word-because-we-only-have-one-earth/>

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New UK King Charles III May Resolve “Rosebank North Sea Oil” Question?
by Frack Check WV: admin 06 May '23

06 May '23

# [New UK King Charles III May Resolve “Rosebank North Sea Oil” Question?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/06/new-uk-king-charles-iii- may-resolve-%e2%80%9crosebank-north-sea-oil%e2%80%9d-question/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/42F19E0D-84AF-48AF- ACE4-EB53D2DEDE96.jpeg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/42F19E0D-84AF-48AF-ACE4-EB53D2DEDE96.jpeg) Some 40 Members of the European Union Congress say Foul! **Tory former net zero tsar calls for halt to Rosebank North Sea oil project** From the [Article by Fiona Harvey, The Guardian UK](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/25/tory-former-net-zer… tsar-chris-skidmore-calls-for-halt-to-rosebank-north-sea-oil-project), April 25, 2023 The UK government’s former “net zero tsar” has urged ministers to halt the development of the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea, or risk destroying the UK’s credibility on the climate crisis. Chris Skidmore, the influential Conservative MP who led the review of the UK’s climate goals, writes in the Guardian on Tuesday of his concern that the development could derail net zero. Skidmore told the Guardian: “There is no such thing as a new net zero oilfield. Approving Rosebank would undermine UK claims to climate leadership on the world stage, undermine what the climate science tells us and undermine our efforts to achieve a net zero Britain by mid-century. To enhance our energy security, the government must say no to Rosebank, and instead give the green light to energy efficiency, rooftop solar, onshore wind and other forms of clean energy supply.” Skidmore, a former energy and science minister, is the first Tory MP to openly oppose the Rosebank project. Rosebank is a massive potential North Sea development, three times bigger than the controversial Cambo field that was put on hold more than a year ago. It has the potential to produce 500m barrels of oil, which when burned would emit as much carbon dioxide as running 56 coal-fired power stations for a year. The Observer reported earlier this month that Rosebank would effectively blow the UK’s carbon budget in the next decade, as greenhouse gas emissions from its operations alone – not counting emissions from any oil produced – would exceed the guideline amounts for the oil and gas sector. Skidmore warned that going ahead with Rosebank could therefore be a problem for many UK industries beyond the North Sea, and inhibit the growth of green energy. “Other sectors of the economy, which are already playing their part to reach net zero, would have to cut their emissions further and faster to enable the UK to stay within its carbon budgets. Further, fields such as Rosebank may inhibit the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels due to competition for critical and limited supply chains that both industries share, including ports, vessels and the skilled workforce,” he wrote. A decision on whether Rosebank can go ahead is believed to be imminent, and the government could stop it, though the energy secretary, Grant Shapps, has repeatedly said the decision is not up to him. Equinor, the state-owned Norwegian company behind Rosebank, could receive an estimated £3.75bn of tax breaks and tax-funded incentives towards the estimated £4.1bn cost of the development, owing to loopholes in the government’s windfall tax on North Sea fossil fuels, according to estimates from the campaign group Uplift. About 80% of the fossil fuels produced by Rosebank are likely to be exploited, and the development could turn into a net loss of £100m to the UK taxpayer. A spokesperson from Equinor told the Guardian: “Rosebank is a project that can help counteract the decline in domestic UK oil and gas production. As long as there is a need for oil and gas, we think it is important that we continue to invest in fields that can contribute to energy security with a low carbon footprint, while creating jobs and value for society. In this time of energy crisis, we don’t think it is helpful if western democracies stop developing their resources.” He added that it is estimated by some that the Rosebank project will bring £26.8 billion to the UK through tax payments and investments into the UK economy. Tessa Khan, the founder and executive director of Uplift, said: “Approving Rosebank would be a disaster for Britain. UK taxpayers wouldn’t be any warmer or more secure, but Norway would be a lot richer. Every minute spent talking about Rosebank is a minute not spent scaling up renewables, insulating people’s homes and delivering economic opportunity in green industries for communities across the country.” Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green party are also opposed to Rosebank. Caroline Lucas, the Green MP, said: “When developing Rosebank would mean producing more emissions than 28 low-income countries combined, government approval would be morally obscene. The cross-party message from parliamentarians is clear: we must stop Rosebank.” Last month, before the government’s “energy security day” announcements, which included a massive investment in carbon capture and storage under the North Sea, a group of about 700 scientists wrote to ministers asking them to halt new oil and gas developments. The International Energy Agency warned before the UK-hosted Cop26 climate summit in 2021 that no new oil and gas exploration should take place, if the world was to limit global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures. This year, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, called on governments to halt new licences for oil and gas exploration and development. Khan said: “The government should heed the advice of leading scientists, the head of the UN, and the chair of their own net zero review, by saying no to Rosebank and yes to what people want: affordable clean energy.” A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “No decision has yet been made regarding the proposed Rosebank field. Development proposals for oil fields under existing licences are a matter for the regulators, who consider the impact on the environment when making their judgment.” =============================== **EU Lawmakers Call on UK to Scrap Rosebank Oil Field Plan** From an [Article by John Ainger, Bloomberg News Service](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-19/eu-lawmakers-ca… on-uk-s-sunak-to-scrap-rosebank-oil-field-plan#xj4y7vzkg), April 19, 2023 A group of 40 European Union lawmakers have called on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to scrap plans to develop the Rosebank oil and gas field ahead of an energy summit next week. This project is in breach of global climate agreements says the MEPs. Members of the European Parliament, led by Michael Bloss from the Green party, said in a letter seen by Bloomberg that development of the project operated by Equinor ASA threatens globally agreed climate targets. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/06/new-uk-king-charles-iii-may- resolve-%e2%80%9crosebank-north-sea-oil%e2%80%9d-question/>

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Introduction to the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2)
by Frack Check WV: admin 05 May '23

05 May '23

# [Introduction to the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/05/introduction-to-the- appalachian-regional-clean-hydrogen-hub-arch2/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/8F242A68-69CE-49BC-828F-02011D22A04A.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/8F242A68-69CE-49BC-828F-02011D22A04A.jpeg) Don’t be color blind! ARCH2 is gray, or blue, or ……. green? **NETL Director Outlines Lab’s Role in Transition to the Hydrogen Economy** From the [Address by Brian Anderson, National Energy Technology Laboratory](https://netl.doe.gov/node/12512), May 4, 2023 NETL Director Brian Anderson highlighted the expertise of the Lab’s researchers to advance innovations and scientific discoveries that support the development of regional clean hydrogen hubs across America, including a project planned through a partnership with the State of West Virginia, EQT Corp., the nation’s largest natural gas producer, and others. Speaking Tuesday, May 2, at the West Virginia Manufacturing Energy Growth Summit at the Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, Anderson explained that hydrogen energy has the potential to decarbonize multiple economic sectors, including heavy-duty transportation and steel manufacturing, create good-paying jobs and pave the way toward a grid powered by clean energy resources. “West Virginia could serve as an ideal location for a clean hydrogen hub due to its unique access to ample low-cost natural gas feedstock as well as its outstanding workforce and technology capabilities and carbon sequestration potential,” Anderson said during a panel discussion that focused on plans to establish ARCH2 — the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub. A network of clean hydrogen producers, potential clean hydrogen consumers and connective infrastructure located in close proximity, a hydrogen hub “can reduce emissions from multiple carbon-intensive sectors and open a world of economic opportunity to create clean energy businesses and jobs,” Anderson said. NETL has served as a participating entity in ARCH2 since it was established in September 2022. The ARCH2 team is composed of entities with operations across the Appalachian region spanning the hydrogen value chain as well as energy technology organizations, including NETL, that will provide commercial, technical and programmatic leadership for the development and buildout of the hub. Concentrated in Appalachian counties across West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, ARCH2 will leverage diverse regional resources to build a sustainable clean hydrogen hub that can scale and integrate into a national clean hydrogen network. In January, the ARCH2 team received notification from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations that it was among applicants encouraged to submit a full application for regional hydrogen hub funding. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established an $8 billion program to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only water, electricity and heat. However, most of the hydrogen produced in the United States comes from natural gas through steam methane reforming. Therefore, virtually all hydrogen currently used now is considered “gray,” meaning it’s extracted from natural gas. Turning it “blue” requires infrastructure to capture the greenhouse gas emitted in that process and store it in deep underground reservoirs or convert it into value-added products, which are areas of NETL expertise. “When paired with carbon capture projects, hydrogen power — sourced from our country’s vast fuel resources — presents exciting opportunities to decarbonize power plants and industrial facilities,” Anderson said. Clean hydrogen hubs are also a critical component to achieve DOE’s Hydrogen Shot goal of reducing the cost of clean hydrogen to $1 per 1 kg in one decade (1-1-1) while supporting the Biden Administration’s vision for a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/05/introduction-to-the-appalachian- regional-clean-hydrogen-hub-arch2/>

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The Financial Initiative of the United Nations Environment Program Adopts the 1.5°C Limit
by Frack Check WV: admin 04 May '23

04 May '23

# [The Financial Initiative of the United Nations Environment Program Adopts the 1.5°C Limit](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/04/the-financial- initiative-of-the-united-nations-environment-program-adopts- the-1-5%c2%b0c-limit/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/067E7866-AC36-4BA7-A44E-8CB3AD3FFE1B-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/067E7866-AC36-4BA7-A44E-8CB3AD3FFE1B.jpeg) Our transitions can be facilitated even if they involve many small steps **Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance sets expectations for oil and gas investments and calls on companies and policymakers to align with 1.5C pathways** From the [United Nations Environment Program Financial Initiative](https://www.unepfi.org/industries/net-zero-asset-owner-alliance- outlines-new-guidance-for-oil-and-gas-investments-while-calling-on-companies- policymakers-and-investors-to-align-with-1-5c-pathways/), March 29, 2023 1\. US$11 trillion Alliance expects members to develop and align individual oil and gas policies with this position and cover portfolio allocation, stewardship programmes, and policy engagement 2\. Oil and gas producers and their customers expected to set science-based, absolute- and intensity-oriented emissions targets covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions that are aligned with 1.5°C no or limited overshoot scenarios 3\. The Alliance calls for increased policy ambition to rapidly reduce oil and gas demand and increase the supply and availability of renewable alternatives **GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance today outlines new guidance for members regarding their approach to the oil and gas sector, calling on consumers and suppliers of oil and gas to set Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets while aligning their operations activities, including capital expenditure, with established 1.5°C pathways.** This Position on the Oil and Gas Sector underscores the Alliance’s recognition that unabated climate change poses significant economic and investment risks. Members are committed to mitigating these systemic risks on behalf of their clients and beneficiaries and, as such, should consider how economies can transition away from dependency on activities that contribute to climate change, including the combustion of oil and gas. **The Alliance’s view on this essential transition away from oil and gas dependency is guided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) 1.5°C no or limited overshoot scenarios, as well as on the One Earth Climate Model (OECM) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap (NZE 2050).** The numerous challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy are best mitigated by a position that considers all available options for concurrently reducing the supply and demand of oil and gas and in overall economic systems. Thus, the Alliance’s Position on the Oil and Gas Sector is expressed in the form of expectations for producers, consumers, policymakers, and investors. **Günther Thallinger, Allianz SE Board Member and Chair UN convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, says:** _“The world must achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, with a maximum 1.5°C of temperature rise. This is necessary to avoid the most extreme effects of climate change. How energy is provided and consumed must therefore dramatically change. This includes the need to phase out non-renewable sources like oil and gas in many, if not most, of its current uses. This challenge must be tackled while balancing the supply of oil and gas on the one hand, and society’s demand for affordable and reliable energy on the other. Investors want to support this transition and the Alliance Position on the Oil and Gas Sector describes how our members wil do that.”_ **Expectations of investors** ~ On private asset investment in new unabated oil and gas infrastructure, investors, including Alliance members, shall align with credible 1.5°C net zero scenarios. This cannot be achieved if there are new upstream insfrastructure investments in new oil and gas fields. Alliance members are expected to adopt policies that align with these positions on infrastructure investments, or show how existing policies already align. The Alliance does recognise that some net-zero committed investors have already put in place policies to cease financing of all oil and gas infrastructure. Others may choose to continue to invest in new oil and gas infrastructure in exceptional circumstances, where alternatives for affordable and reliable alternatives are not yet viable or where government-issued regional/national 1.5°C pathways and/other regional specificities may influence portfolio decisions. In all cases, the Alliance strongly advises against investment in long-lived assets that are likely to be stranded in a 1.5°C -aligned transition. Other specific guidelines for investors listed in the paper focus on direct stewardship for action—aligning science-based portfolio allocation and stewardship decisions with individual climate ambitions—as well as indirect options like supporting policy and regulatory efforts that address climate change. For asset owners in particular, the Alliance emphasises the need for engagement with the asset manager community so that climate action is recognised as supporting the best interests of managers’ clients. **Expectations of oil and gas companies** ~ According to the Alliance’s position, oil and gas producers and companies in intensive fossil fuel-using sectors are expected to set science-based, absolute- and intensity-based emissions targets that cover Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, in line with science-based, no- or limited-overshoot, 1.5°C-aligned pathways established by IPCC, OECM or IEA NZE 2050 roadmaps. As these scenarios make clear, a rapid scaling of zero-carbon energy, as well as the development of enabling technologies and policies, is needed to deliver a significant reduction in oil and gas demand. These scenarios also note that no new oil and gas fields must be developed to meet this declining demand. When engaging and setting expectations for these companies, the majority of Alliance members will take into consideration that the current oil and gas demand level is not yet in line with these scenarios, while other members will expect more immediate action, including no new oil and gas fields. Therefore, Alliance members should continue to set clearer expectations for them to set targets in line with the 1.5°C pathways, aligning their strategies and activities to be congruent with these targets. Alliance members should also pursue their own engagement strategies and other corporate activities to support reduced demand of oil and gas and increased supply of zero-carbon alternatives. **Expectations of policymakers and regulators** ~ For policymakers, the Alliance focuses on systemic interventions that can facilitate oil and gas demand reductions and increase alternative energy supply through economy-wide actions, such as implementing well designed and just carbon-pricing mechanisms and funding innovative technologies. These actions can help to incentivise decarbonisation, to unlock much-needed innovation, and to effectively harness the power of the capital markets by pricing externalities into the system and facilitating a transition to net zero. **About the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance** ~ The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance is a member-led initiative of 85 institutional investors, with over US$11 trillion in assets under management, committed to transitioning their investment portfolios to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Alliance members were the first in financial industry to set intermediate targets (aligned with the Paris Agreement schedule) and they report on their progress annually. The Alliance is convened by UNEP FI and PRI and is supported by WWF and Global Optimism. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/04/the-financial-initiative-of-the- united-nations-environment-program-adopts-the-1-5%c2%b0c-limit/>

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THURSDAY NIGHT ~ “Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow” (5/4/23)
by Frack Check WV: admin 03 May '23

03 May '23

# [THURSDAY NIGHT ~ “Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow” (5/4/23)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/03/thursday- night-%e2%80%9cinflation-reduction-act-roadshow%e2%80%9d-5423/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/2EA1E671-E925-4FED-A462-F363F19F7723-300x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/2EA1E671-E925-4FED-A462-F363F19F7723.png) Learn about this important legislation that affects all of us …. **Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow set for Thursday, May 4th @ 6 PM** [Dear Friends and Concerned Citizens ~ Calling all folks near Morgantown!](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow-morgantown- tickets-590271246187) This Thursday, May 4th at 6:00PM, come visit us at the IRA Roadshow! Join this free informational event to learn about how individuals, municipalities, and organizations in West Virginia can benefit from millions of dollars of investments contained in the Inflation Reduction Act. Last summer, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act which includes historic investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and community development initiatives. At these events, community members and elected officials will have the opportunity to learn from experts from around the state about how to put these investments to use in homes and communities. WHAT: FREE informational event WHEN: Thursday, May 4th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm WHERE: Sincerest United Methodist, 479 Van Voorhis Rd, Morgantown WV 26505 [RSVP now to engage in this opportunity in northern West Virginia](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow-morgantown- tickets-590271246187). **WV New Jobs Coalition is a coalition advocating for stronger communities for a brighter future here in West Virginia. Join us as we work to move state and federal policies to improve climate, healthcare, jobs and justice for all in West Virginia.** [Join our Mailing List - Donate - Volunteer - Share Your Vision for WV](https://www.newjobswv.org/) _WV New Jobs Coalition is a growing campaign made up of:_ American Friends Service Committee of WV, Common Defense of WV, WV Working Families Party, Sierra Club of WV, SEIU District 1199, West Virginia Citizen Action Group and more! URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/03/thursday- night-%e2%80%9cinflation-reduction-act-roadshow%e2%80%9d-5423/>

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The Climate Commitment Act in the Washington State Shows Great Promise
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 02 May '23

02 May '23

# [The Climate Commitment Act in the Washington State Shows Great Promise](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/02/the-climate-commitment-act- in-the-washington-state-shows-great-promise/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/4E8EEB32-07FD-4A67-9B0D-238AE1E7479D-300x150.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/4E8EEB32-07FD-4A67-9B0D-238AE1E7479D.png) State of Washington: outstanding record of climate crisis programs (Click to expand image) **The “Cap and Invest” Plan to Limit Greenhouse Gases Approved Under Gov. Inslee** Program [Summary from the Department of Ecology, State of Washington](https://ecology.wa.gov/Air-Climate/Climate-Commitment- Act#:~:text=The%20Climate%20Commitment%20Act%20\(CCA,path%20to%20lower%20carbon%20emissions.), 2021 & 2022 The Climate Commitment Act (CCA) caps and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Washington’s largest emitting sources and industries, allowing businesses to find the most efficient path to lower carbon emissions. This powerful program works alongside other critical climate policies to help Washington achieve its commitment to reducing GHG emissions by 95% by 2050. The CCA also puts environmental justice and equity at the center of climate policy, making sure communities that bear the greatest burdens from air pollution today see cleaner, healthier air as the state cuts greenhouse gases. Finally, funds from the auction of emission allowances will support new investments in climate-resiliency programs, clean transportation, and addressing health disparities across the state. **A market-based solution** ~ In the CCA, the Legislature directed us to design and implement a cap-and-invest program to reduce statewide GHG emissions. This program works by setting an emissions limit, or cap, and then lowering that cap over time to ensure Washington meets the GHG reduction commitments set in state law. Only the second such program in the U.S., cap-and-invest uses the powers of supply and demand to incentivize businesses to cut their emissions, using whatever strategy they think is best. **Building a sustainable market** ~ The Legislature also tasked Ecology with designing the program so that it could, potentially, be linked with similar programs in California and Québec, which already share a combined carbon market. Based on an independent economic analysis commissioned as part of our current rulemaking for Chapter 173-446 WAC, Ecology will begin a public process to explore the possibility of linking in early 2023. **Cleaner air for overburdened communities** ~ The CCA aligns with the requirements of the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act and includes provisions to ensure communities in Washington that are disproportionately impacted by climate change and air pollution benefit from cleaner air. In addition to the GHG reductions that will result from the cap-and-invest program, the CCA also directs us to reduce "criteria" air pollutants — such as ozone and particulate matter — in overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution. **Funding allocation and accountability** ~ The CCA also directs the Environmental Justice Council to make recommendations to the Legislature on how auction revenue should be used and requires agencies using funding from CCA accounts to report their progress toward environmental justice goals to the Council. **Investing in the future** ~ Under the law, proceeds from the CCA allowance auctions must be invested in critical climate projects focused on improving clean transportation options — increasing climate resilience in ecosystems and communities — and addressing issues of environmental justice and health inequity in Washington. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/673B1E47-E77A-471E-9F19-D26757FDCD0B-150x150.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/673B1E47-E77A-471E-9F19-D26757FDCD0B.png) **Importantly, the CCA requires that at least 35% of funds be invested in projects that benefit overburdened communities, and a minimum of 10% go to projects with tribal support.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/02/the-climate-commitment-act-in- the-washington-state-shows-great-promise/>

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Full Disclosure of Fracking Chemicals is Long Overdue ~ Legislation Needed
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 01 May '23

01 May '23

# [Full Disclosure of Fracking Chemicals is Long Overdue ~ Legislation Needed](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/01/full-disclosure-of-fracking- chemicals-is-long-overdue-legislation-needed/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/5D93D41D-80EE-4776-B194-6D696D13D56B-300x224.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/5D93D41D-80EE-4776-B194-6D696D13D56B.jpeg) These challenges exist in PA, OH, WV, CO, CA, ND, NM & TX (click to enlarge this image) **EDITORIAL: Implement reforms for drilling & fracking in Pennsylvania** . . From the [Republican & Herald Newspaper, Pottsville, PA](https://www.republicanherald.com/opinion/editorial/implement-reforms-fo… drilling-fracking/article_52934037-28d5-5ddf-b503-324be4a4dd44.html), on April 29, 2023 . . **Lawmakers were so eager to accommodate the natural gas industry nearly two decades ago that they opened the rich Marcellus Shale gas field without an adequate regulatory regime. Now, the state continues to play catch-up. It still does not require drillers to disclose all of the chemicals that they use to drill and hydraulically fracture gas wells, for example.** **Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has raised the question of long-term fracking-waste disposal, three years after a statewide grand jury identified major regulatory failures and recommended significant reforms to better inform and protect the public.** **That grand jury was convened by Attorney General Josh Shapiro. It followed up its findings of criminal wrongdoing against two drillers with a report on which the Governor — the very same Josh Shapiro — and the Legislature now should act.** **According to the EPA, the industry nationally produces about 1 trillion gallons of contaminated wastewater each year, about 2.6 billion gallons of which comes from deep wells in Pennsylvania.** To the industry's credit, it reuses most of the wastewater. But according to the PA Department of Environmental Protection, the industry still permanently disposed about 234 million gallons of the wastewater in deep injection wells in 2022. The industry also holds about 90 million gallons above ground at any given time, pending its reuse. **Because Pennsylvania has just 12 deep disposal wells, drillers ship most of the contaminated water by truck to Ohio, which has more than 200 such wells.Those wells themselves are controversial, partly because earthquakes have been attributed to them, including in Ohio. A consultant for a PA-DEP advisory board recently told the agency that the state would need between 17 and 34 more injection wells to handle the current wastewater volume.** Democratic state Sen. Katie Muth of Montgomery County has introduced a bill to implement the grand jury's recommendations, including full disclosure of fracking chemicals individually and in combination and labeling fracking waste as what it is rather than "residual waste" for transport purposes. **Because of its massive environmental and potential health impacts, all aspects of drilling and fracking should be an open book. Gov. Shapiro should push for reforms and the Legislature should adopt them.** ===================================== **SEE ALSO:** [Hydraulic Fracturing & Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)](https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/fracking/index.cfm), November 15, 2022 ===================================== **SEE ALSO:** [List of additives used for fracking - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_additives_used_for_frackin… In the United States, about 750 compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing, also known as ingredients of pressurized fracking fluid, in an industry report to the US Congress in 2011 after originally being kept secret for "commercial reasons". The following is a partial list of the chemical constituents in additives that are used or have been used in fracturing operations, as based on the report of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, some are known to be carcinogenic. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/01/full-disclosure-of-fracking- chemicals-is-long-overdue-legislation-needed/>

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Hydrogen Could Find More Uses, But Isn’t Practical as Our Primary Energy Medium
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 30 Apr '23

30 Apr '23

# [Hydrogen Could Find More Uses, But Isn’t Practical as Our Primary Energy Medium](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/30/hydrogen-could-find-more-us… but-isn%e2%80%99t-practical-as-our-primary-energy-medium/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/B61B463E-6529-4170-8745-D80CC6282C38-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/B61B463E-6529-4170-8745-D80CC6282C38.jpeg) Shell Oil Co. has this REFHYNE facility in Germany to produce hydrogen. **Is hydrogen a miracle solution for climate, or the new** From an [Article by Ivy Main, Virginia Mercury](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/04/25/is-hydrogen-a-miracle- solution-for-climate-or-the-new-ethanol/), April 25, 2023 **The hydrogen gold rush is on. Spurred by the urgency of the climate crisis, and attracted by generous incentives in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, companies ranging from oil majors to small start-ups are pouring money into the Next Big Thing in energy: a fuel that is flexible, transportable and carbon-free.** Is hydrogen a critical piece of the decarbonization puzzle that needs floods of new funding, or a[n over-hyped, not-ready-for-prime-time financial boondoggle? At this point the answer seems to be both](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/04/25/is-hydrogen-a-miracle- solution-for-climate-or-the-new-ethanol/). In his 2022 Energy Plan, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin touted hydrogen as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine Virginia’s future and meet energy needs through an abundant, dispatchable, and zero-emission fuel source where water is the only required input.” This statement has its problems, including the fact that water is actually not the only required input. Making hydrogen from water requires a lot of energy, which must come from some other fuel. Therein lies the rub. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/DAC105E4-0035-453F-82BC-43D3402EA734-300x163.png)](… content/uploads/2023/04/DAC105E4-0035-453F-82BC-43D3402EA734.png) (Click on image to enlarge it) **DIAGRAM ~ How the Department of Energy believes clean hydrogen could help decarbonize the U.S. economy. (U.S. Department of Energy)** One way to make hydrogen — and the method everyone is talking about — is using electricity to split water (H2O) into its components, hydrogen and oxygen, through electrolysis. Energy is lost in the process, so there is no point in using hydrogen for anything that can plug into the grid. Hydrogen is also more expensive and less efficient than battery storage, which explains why automakers are focusing on electric vehicles rather than ones that run on hydrogen fuel cells. Yet some kinds of transportation (aviation, long-haul trucking) and many industrial processes are hard or impossible to electrify, at least for now. Hydrogen, ammonia and other products can often replace fossil fuels for these uses, and perhaps also play a role in long-term energy storage for grid power. **Recognizing this potential, last year’s Inflation Reduction Act included a range of incentives to spur investment in so-called green hydrogen, defined as hydrogen made from renewable energy. Growing the supply of green hydrogen will require a massive buildout of wind and solar as well as years of technological refinement, but airlines, steelmakers and other customers are already either starting to use green hydrogen or say they want it for their operations.** **Unfortunately, any time the government dangles a subsidy, some businesses will look to exploit any opening to grab free money, even if the result is contrary to the whole point of the subsidy. Those businesses do find champions among politicians who are more interested in generating economic activity than in making sound public policy (or maybe they just confuse the two). But getting the rules right is critical for the climate, and for making sure customers get the carbon-free product they sign up for.** **Hydrogen is already used in many industrial processes and in the manufacture of fertilizers but today it is mostly made from methane gas, at half the cost of green hydrogen. Oil companies like Chevron have urged that to build the market quickly, making hydrogen green is “secondary” to making it affordable. This is all wrong. The great promise of hydrogen is the potential to make it from renewable energy once wind and solar have scaled up so much that there is a glut of cheap, emissions-free power.** **That is not the situation today.** Nationally, fossil fuels make up 60% of electricity generation, with all renewables together representing 21.5%. The regional grid that serves Virginia includes less than 10% wind and solar in the generation mix. Renewables are growing fast while coal shrinks, but few states have so much renewable energy that some of it occasionally goes to waste. California has experienced this under ideal conditions, and is likely to be the first to have surplus renewable energy on a predictable basis. **The challenge is that a company that invests in the capital costs of a hydrogen production facility may not want to run it only when there is surplus wind and solar. These companies will make the most money by running their systems around the clock; profitability might even depend on it. Their choices are to build new renewable energy and battery storage for their own purposes and cut back production when they have to, or manipulate the rules.** So as the U.S. Treasury Department writes the rules around eligibility for green hydrogen incentives, corporate America is asking for loopholes. NextEra, the world’s largest renewable power generator, wants to be allowed to use fossil fuels to fill in whenever there isn’t enough wind or solar energy on the grid, without losing the “green” designation and all the subsidies that accompany it. The company proposes buying carbon credits as an offset. The proposal makes climate advocates very uneasy. We have seen this movie before. When the federal government first offered subsidies for ethanol made from corn in the 1970s, the idea was that blending American-made ethanol into gasoline would reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Forty years later, the program still consumes some 30 million acres of corn every year, and is estimated to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars, all while actually harming the climate. But just try scaling back ethanol subsidies today. Any politician who proposes such a thing gets their head handed to them by the powerful farm lobby. **That makes it really important that rules set into place today for hydrogen and other “green” fuels do not compromise on the requirement that they be made from carbon-free sources. Make an exception once, and we’ll never close the loophole.** ### URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/30/hydrogen-could-find-more-uses- but-isn%e2%80%99t-practical-as-our-primary-energy-medium/>

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WVU Schedules Drilling for Geothermal Research Well in Morgantown Industrial Park
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 29 Apr '23

29 Apr '23

# [WVU Schedules Drilling for Geothermal Research Well in Morgantown Industrial Park](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/29/wvu-schedules- drilling-for-geothermal-research-well-in-morgantown-industrial-park/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/1820A1CB-62E8-4362-8A6A-3FC5FCB48669-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/1820A1CB-62E8-4362-8A6A-3FC5FCB48669.jpeg) **NNE Marcellus Well Pad @ Morgantown Industrial Park** ~ Drilling for the new WVU geothermal data-collection well is set to begin during the second week of May. **WVU announces drill date for first geothermal & carbon dioxide storage research well in West Virginia** . . [From the WVU News Service, Morgantown](https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2023/04/28/wvu-announces-drill- date-for-first-geothermal-carbon-capture-and-storage-data-collection-well-in- west-virginia), April 28, 2023 . . **Drilling will start on the West Virginia University geothermal and carbon capture data-collection well during the second week of May, marking a significant step forward in clean energy research in West Virginia.** The well is located at an existing well pad operated by Northeast Natural Energy in the Morgantown Industrial Park. Core samples at shallower depths will be collected to study the potential for underground carbon dioxide storage. [This will be the first-of-its-kind geothermal study in West Virginia and will collect core samples and temperature data down to a depth of 15,000 feet, critical to testing the potential of geothermal energy in the region. Data also will be gathered on the potential for underground carbon storage in the Appalachian basin — another scientific first in the state.](https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2023/04/28/wvu-announces-drill-dat… for-first-geothermal-carbon-capture-and-storage-data-collection-well-in-west- virginia) The project is a collaboration first spearheaded by the WVU Energy Institute with WVU faculty and experts at Northeast Natural Energy LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy, with support from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey and Hewitt Energy Strategies. **The DOE provided approximately $9.1 million in funding from the Geothermal Technologies Office and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Northeast Natural Energy, WVGES and WVU contributed $2.76 million in cost- share funding.** “The successful partnership between DOE, industry and academia to test the potential of both geothermal and carbon sequestration in the state is a significant step towards creating new economic opportunities in clean energy diversification,” said Shikha Sharma, geology professor in the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences and the project’s principal investigator. **Drilling will be located at an existing well pad at the Morgantown Industrial Park operated by Northeast Natural Energy, a West Virginia-based energy company.** “It’s exciting for Northeast Natural Energy to be able to use its scientific and operational expertise to help better understand the geothermal energy and carbon capture potential of our great state,” said B.J. Carney, vice president of Geoscience and Innovation at Northeast Natural Energy. **This is the second drilling research project that Northeast Natural Energy has partnered on with WVU. The first was the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory for which WVU coordinated with academia, government and industry partners that started in 2015. MSEEL scientists used multiple Northeast Natural Energy wells near Morgantown to research new technologies to improve well production and minimize environmental impacts during unconventional natural gas development projects.** “We look forward to partnering with the researchers at WVU and the DOE to lead the way in the Appalachian Basin toward establishing additional clean energy sources,” Carney said. “We are also eager to understand the feasibility of capturing and storing CO2 in the subsurface to ensure a sustainable future for our vast natural gas resources already in place. These types of projects fit with Northeast Natural Energy’s focus on providing energy of all types to serve our communities and improve their quality of life,” Carney added. “To be clear, instead of producing energy, this well will produce data,” said Sam Taylor, assistant director of Strategic Partnerships and Technology at the WVU Energy Institute. “The goal is to gather enough data to decide if geothermal reservoirs in the region can be a cleaner energy source for parts of West Virginia and mid-Appalachia, along with collecting data on possible carbon storage.” “We’re excited that the test well will provide WVU students with hands-on experience in the field, working with industry professionals while collecting data, providing them with invaluable, real-world experience as a part of their academic studies at WVU,” Sharma said. House Bill 4098 was passed in 2022 and gave the Department of Environmental Protection regulatory oversight on geothermal energy. Taylor was invited to provide expert testimony to state delegates when the bill was reviewed. “This project is a significant milestone in the testing of geothermal energy potential, not only in the state, but also in 70% of the U.S. where lower subsurface temperatures have prevented its use,” Sharma said. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/29/wvu-schedules-drilling-for- geothermal-research-well-in-morgantown-industrial-park/>

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Mountain Valley Pipeline ~ A 303 Mile “Uniquely Risky” & Unnecessary Experiment
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 28 Apr '23

28 Apr '23

# [Mountain Valley Pipeline ~ A 303 Mile “Uniquely Risky” & Unnecessary Experiment](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/28/mountain-valley- pipeline-a-303-mile-%e2%80%9cuniquely-risky%e2%80%9d-unnecessary-experiment/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/5BE0EFB3-D0B1-4BFB-B63C-3AC90D27D1C0-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/5BE0EFB3-D0B1-4BFB-B63C-3AC90D27D1C0.jpeg) PHOTO ~ MVP pipe in water near a home in Franklin County, VA: according to a local landowner, this pipe was left in a trench that sometimes filled with water up to 2 feet high, for more than a year, until the trench was dewatered ~ Source: Preserve Bent Mountain **Mountain Valley Pipeline: "Uniquely Risky" Due to Plastic Coating & Multiple Other Reasons** . . [Article by Amy Mall, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)](https://www.nrdc.org/bio/amy-mall/mountain-valley-pipeline-uniquely- risky-0), November 3, 2022 . . **Steel pipelines used to transport fossil fuels are prone to corrosion.** Contaminants in oil or gas, such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, can cause corrosion on the inside of the pipes. Rain and dew can cause corrosion on the exterior of pipes when they are stored outdoors. Soil constituents and groundwater can cause corrosion on the exterior of pipes when they are buried beneath the surface, with wet areas more susceptible to corrosion than dry areas. **Corrosion in a pipeline is extremely dangerous, leading to catastrophic explosions and death. Indeed, corrosion problems are the second greatest cause of pipeline failures.** Fortunately, coatings can be applied to pipes to help protect against corrosion. Ideally, pipes are coated both internally and externally to protect from both types of corrosion. Unfortunately, federal regulations only require external coatings for oil and gas pipelines. And pipe coating is not permanent or indestructible. It has to be carefully maintained to retain its protective qualities. If coated pipes are stored outdoors and exposed to the elements, the pipe coating can degrade due to rain, wind, and—especially—ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight. As coating degrades, its protective function also diminishes. Even a tiny imperfection in the coating can create a concentrated area of accelerated corrosion. The rate and extent of coating degradation will vary by the particular circumstances at a site, but according to the National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators: “Above ground storage of coated pipe in excess of 6 months without additional Ultraviolet protection is not recommended.” A 2020 study found that coated pipes that were not provided with additional protection and were exposed to UV rays for many years beyond the recommended six-month maximum “completely failed to retain their original properties and attributes” and were “no longer fit for purpose." (Ref. 1) **Mountain Valley Pipeline coatings not reliable** Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a partially completed pipeline that would have high explosive risk if it is completed and enters operation. Its large diameter and high pressure are enough to make it a higher risk pipeline than most other gas transmission pipelines. This risk is further increased by the steepness of the Appalachian mountain slopes it would traverse for long distances. MVP is designed to traverse 75 miles of the steepest slopes in Appalachia and more than 200 miles with “high landslide susceptibility,” which places it at higher risk for explosions. This has never before been attempted for a large gas pipeline. **Taking all of this into consideration, MVP is perhaps the riskiest new pipeline construction project in the country. Indeed, it’s been called “uniquely risky” by an environmental hydrologist. This is not a hypothetical risk. MVP has already caused dozens of “slips” where a slope has become unstable, including slopes outside of the pipeline’s right-of-way. And, in 2019, MVP itself reported that a landslide along the pipeline route “progressed to the point where a residence directly downslope is unsafe to be occupied.”** **PHOTO in Article** ~ MVP construction on a steep slope in the Adney Gap area of Franklin County, VA, with a home below ~ SOURCE: Preserve Bent Mountain **Pipes for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) were purchased years ago. From company testimony in a 2018 court hearing, it appears that they were ordered before the project had even obtained a certificate of approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ref. 2). The pipes are primarily coated with 3M Scotchkote Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) 6233 coating. Many are still being stored outdoors throughout the pipeline route in Virginia and West Virginia; some are sitting in trenches in the ground and some are stacked in storage yards. Each separate pipe is stamped with the “date of coating.”** **MVP pipe has coating date stamps from as long ago as December 2016 — six years ago. Local citizens report they have not come across any pipe dated later than 2017**. **PHOTO in Article** ~ MVP pipe with 2016 date stamp in Franklin County, Virginia ~ Source: Preserve Bent Mountain **According to the Pipeline Safety Trust, “There are significant concerns about the effectiveness of the FBE epoxy coatings on the pipeline segments that have been exposed to sun and weathering for far longer than recommended by the manufacturer.” MVP’s coated pipe has been exposed to the elements for up to six years because of the pipeline owner’s bullish decision to purchase and coat the pipes before resolving outstanding issues regarding the unlawfulness of its design and permits issued by federal agencies during the Trump Administration.** MVP claims that they will inspect the pipe and repair any damaged coating or thin spots on exposed pipe before installing it in the ground. But there aren't any federal regulations that specify standards for repair. According to the Pipeline Safety Trust, “The regulations are written to largely allow the operator to determine if the coating is appropriate as opposed to prescribing exactly what would make a coating safe or unsafe.” When pipes for the proposed (and now cancelled) Keystone XL pipeline were stored outdoors for approximately six years due to delay, a company representative stated that any pipe determined to need recoating would have to be transported back to a plant to be stripped and recoated. That requires time — and money. Given that MVP is already more than $3 billion over budget and more than five years behind schedule, the company has incentive to cut corners. **Leaving pipeline inspection and repair up to the pipeline company is simply wrong.** The communities along the route need to able to sleep at night with confidence that their lives and those of their loved ones are being considered — perhaps the most important purpose of the coatings. These pipes are sitting on private property that belongs to real people who live in what is known as the “blast zone”— the distance from an explosion where death or serious injury is likely. And they won’t be able to sleep at night knowing that a pipeline company that has been fined millions of dollars for hundreds of state alleged violations is allowed to decide how to address the risks associated with deteriorating pipe coating that has been exposed to the elements for far too long. Reference #1. Keith Coulson, James Ferguson, and David Milmine, “Study of stockpiled fusion bond epoxy coated pipe,” in Corrosion Management, Institute of Corrosion, January/February 2020. Reference #2. Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. Sharon Simmons, et al, Defendants, Civil Action Number: 1:17CV211, Proceedings had in the Motion Hearing on January 23, 2018. ### URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/28/mountain-valley- pipeline-a-303-mile-%e2%80%9cuniquely-risky%e2%80%9d-unnecessary-experiment/>

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U.S. Secretary of Energy is Misguided on Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)
by Frack Check WV: admin 27 Apr '23

27 Apr '23

# [U.S. Secretary of Energy is Misguided on Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/27/u-s-secretary-of-energy-is- misguided-on-mountain-valley-pipeline-mvp/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/E9EBED77-1927-4976-AFED-0AA34CBA40B7.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/E9EBED77-1927-4976-AFED-0AA34CBA40B7.jpeg) One of the rallies over the last eight years opposing the 42” MVP …. **Despite Environmental Justice Pledge, Pres. Biden Disrespects People Like Me in Path of Fracked Gas Pipeline** From the [Article by Maury Johnson (Monroe County, WV), Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/biden-administration-disrespec… mountain-valley-pipeline-impacted-communities), 4/26/23 **Secretary Granholm 's letter cheerleading the Mountain Valley Pipeline came the day after she promised to meet with me, a landowner impacted by Senator Manchin's pet fossil fuel project.** I am saddened by the depths that proponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) will go to advance a false narrative and spread inaccuracies. This time it is Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm who on Friday, April 21, 2023 wrote a cheerleader's letter rooting for the MVP, Joe Manchin's pet project. It is very ironic and even a bit disturbing that she wrote this letter one day after she appeared before the Senate Energy Committee and the very next day after she told me personally that she (or her staff) would meet with me in the next week or two. I am currently in Washington, D.C. where I attended the Senate Energy Committee meeting on Thursday, April 20. I spoke to the Secretary at the conclusion of the hearing and asked her to meet with me. She indicated that a meeting could be arranged this week or next. But in what appears to be a hastily prepared letter — even possibly dictated by the fossil fuel lobby — she expressed her desire to exert political pressure on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other federal agencies. **The Secretary apparently decided that she did not need to talk to those most affected by the project or even entertain an opposing viewpoint.** Like many agencies, she did not talk with or listen to any affected landowner and totally continued to perpetrate the social, racial, and environmental injustice concerns that President Joe Biden had just a few hours before expressed that his administration would take seriously. **You can 't have it both ways**: You either listen to impacted communities or you don't. This letter appears to be written to appease Senator Manchin and others in the MVP camp. It is also strange that this letter was filed just before Equitrans Midstream Corporation — the company behind the pipeline — had its shareholder meeting on Monday morning, April 24. You can't have it both ways: You either listen to impacted communities or you don't. **The MVP project is not necessary to support the nation 's energy security and energy supply.** Just because they say it is so, doesn't make it true. It actually would do just the opposite. It would lock us into decades of methane and carbon pollution that the nation or the planet can ill afford. As the lead federal agency for the project under the FAST-41 framework, I feel that the FERC has failed in its regulatory duty to be an independent agency by submitting to inappropriate industry-generated political pressure similar to that which is reflected in Secretary Granholm's letter. It appears to me to be an attempt to intimidate the commission. **In a letter I just completed and sent to the FERC, I requested that they do their job and follow their charter as an independent agency:** to evaluate all projects on their merits and with regard to their impact on climate change and to resist the political pressure placed on them by politicians like Senator Manchin, who would build more pipelines, mine more coal, drill for more oil and gas, despite the fact that it would put us on a fast track to total environment destruction. I do not believe that the MVP project would help ensure the "reliable delivery of energy that heats homes and businesses, and powers electric generators that support the reliability of the electric system," despite what Secretary Granholm may state in her letter. **This is a 42-inch diameter interstate transmission line which is most likely slated to transmit gas for export.** Infrastructure such as MVP destroys communities, pollutes water, harms our environment, and has no role to play in the clean energy transition. Unproven technologies such as "carbon capture" facilitated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are not something you should rely on to fix our climate emergency. With the severe problems we are facing, these proposals are too little, too late. No new pipeline infrastructure is needed. The rapid growth of hydrogen as an emissions-free fuel is also a misnomer, especially if the hydrogen is produced as a byproduct of more drilling. The transport of carbon dioxide through a pipeline might be the most dangerous thing we could ever do. I believe Secretary Granholm herself knows better than what she stated in her April 21 letter. As extreme weather events continue to put strain on the U.S. energy system, we must quickly transition to green energy and continuing to build pipelines cannot be part of that transition. The MVP project would, if completed, lock us into decades of climate-busting greenhouse gas emissions as it destroys communities and property across its entire route. **The MVP project would, if completed, lock us into decades of climate-busting greenhouse gas emissions as it destroys communities and property across its entire route.** **Now here is the hardly disguised, hard-hitting core message embedded in a (not so funny part of) Granholm 's letter:** _" While the Department takes no position regarding the outstanding agency actions required under federal or state law related to the construction of the MVP project, nor on any pending litigation, we submit the view that the MVP project will enhance the Nation's critical infrastructure for energy and national security. We appreciate the Commission's prompt actions to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities regarding natural gas infrastructure under the Natural Gas Act, and the interagency coordination it provides as the lead federal agency for the project under FAST-41. We look forward to continuing to work with FERC to ensure consumers have access to reliable, cost-effective, and clean energy."_ **That was a very strong armed tactic, if I ever saw one. I believe it is totally inappropriate to write such a letter, especially when just one day before she said she would meet with me and the president issued the Executive Order Revitalizing Our Nation 's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All on the morning before she wrote her letter to the FERC. The president said all executive branch agencies have a duty to pursue environmental justice. Apparently Secretary Granholm did not get the message.** Meanwhile, I am still in Washington D.C. waiting to hear from Secretary Granholm. Personally, I don't understand her rush to write her letter cheering for the MVP. It is also typical of how most government leaders have treated landowners and other citizens in the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/0ACD60AA-63B0-4B8D-BB39-431A6FAF1191-150x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/0ACD60AA-63B0-4B8D-BB39-431A6FAF1191.jpeg) Maury Johnson inspected a section of the plastic coated pipe here >>> Maury Johnson is a southern West Virginia landowner, whose organic farm has been impacted by the Mountain Valley Pipeline. He is a member of Preserve Monroe and the POWHR (Protect Our Water, Heritage, & Rights) Coalition, both have been fighting the MVP and other harmful projects across WV/VA&NC for 8 years. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/27/u-s-secretary-of-energy-is- misguided-on-mountain-valley-pipeline-mvp/>

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Our Methane Opportunity and Our Responsibility ~ Control Natural Gas ASAP — Part 2
by Frack Check WV: admin 26 Apr '23

26 Apr '23

# [Our Methane Opportunity and Our Responsibility ~ Control Natural Gas ASAP — Part 2](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/26/our-methane-opportunity-and- our-responsibility-control-natural-gas-asap-%e2%80%94-part-2/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/568EFB2E-2EA6-4B62-907E-156AB8AFACE4.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/568EFB2E-2EA6-4B62-907E-156AB8AFACE4.jpeg) When fracking is done just for petroleum, the excess gas is flared **Getting companies to cut methane emissions is the challenge** Continued [Article by Jim Krane (Rice University), Yahoo! News](https://news.yahoo.com/why-fixing-methane-leaks-oil-132702814.html), 11/17/22 **Motivating U.S. producers to act has been the big hurdle.** ~ The Biden administration is aiming for an 87% reduction in methane emissions below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. To get there, it has reimposed and strengthened U.S. methane rules that were dropped by the Trump administration. **These include requiring drillers to find and repair leaks at more than 1 million U.S. well sites.** **The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 further incentivizes methane mitigation, including by levying an emissions tax on large oil and gas producers starting at $900 per ton in 2024, increasing to $1,500 in 2026.** That fee, which can be waived by the Environmental Protection Agency and doesn’t affect small producers or leaks below 0.2% of gas produced, is based on the social cost to society from methane’s contribution to climate damage. Customers are also putting pressure on the industry. Regulatory indifference by the Trump administration to U.S. methane flaring and venting led to cancellation of some European plans to import U.S. liquefied natural gas. Reducing methane isn’t always straightforward, though, particularly in the U.S., where thousands of oil companies operate with minimal oversight. A company’s methane emissions aren’t necessarily proportional to its oil and gas production, either. For example, a 2021 study using data from the EPA found Texas-based Hilcorp Energy reporting nearly 50% more methane emissions than ExxonMobil, despite producing less oil and gas. Hilcorp, which specializes in acquiring “late life” assets, says it is working to reduce emissions. Other little-known producers have also reported large emissions. Investor pressure has pushed several publicly traded companies to reduce their methane emissions, but in practice this sometimes leads them to sell off “dirty” assets to smaller operators with less oversight. In such a situation, the easiest way to encourage companies to clean up is via a tax. Done right, companies would act before they had to pay. **Using technology to keep emissions in check** ~ Unlike carbon dioxide, which lingers in the atmosphere for a century or more, methane only sticks around for about a dozen years. So, if humans stop replenishing methane stocks in the atmosphere, those levels will decline. **A review of methane leaks in the Permian Basin shows the big impact that some regions can have.** ~ Researchers found that gas and oil operations in the Permian, in west Texas and New Mexico, had a leakage rate estimated at 3.7% in 2018 and 2019, before the pandemic. A 2012 study found that leakage rates above 3.2% make climate damage from using natural gas worse than that from burning coal, which is normally considered the biggest climate threat. Methane leaks used to escape detection because the gas is invisible. Now, the proliferation of satellite-based sensors and infrared cameras makes detection easy. **Companies such as GTI Energy’s Veritas, Project Canary and MiQ have also launched to assist natural gas producers in reducing emissions and then verifying the reductions. At that point, if leaks are less than 0.2%, producers can avoid the federal fee and also market their output as “responsibly sourced” gas.** >>> This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Jim Krane, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/26/our-methane-opportunity-and-our- responsibility-control-natural-gas-asap-%e2%80%94-part-2/>

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Our Methane Opportunity and Our Responsibility ~ Control Natural Gas ASAP — Part 1
by Frack Check WV: Dee Fulton 25 Apr '23

25 Apr '23

# [Our Methane Opportunity and Our Responsibility ~ Control Natural Gas ASAP — Part 1](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/25/our-methane-opportunity-and- our-responsibility-control-natural-gas-asap-%e2%80%94-part-1/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/7AF06D55-D86F-43EF- BF56-F54FA0C513B9-300x168.jpg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/7AF06D55-D86F-43EF-BF56-F54FA0C513B9.jpeg) OMG! Flaring adds carbon dioxide directly to the earth’s atmosphere **Why fixing methane leaks from the oil and gas industry can be a climate game-changer – one that pays for itself** From an [Article by Jim Krane (Rice University), Yahoo! News Service](https://news.yahoo.com/why-fixing-methane-leaks-oil-132702814.html), 11/17/22 **What’s the cheapest, quickest way to reduce climate change without roiling the economy? In the United States, it may be by reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.** Methane is the main component of natural gas, and it can leak anywhere along the supply chain, from the wellhead and processing plant, through pipelines and distribution lines, all the way to the burner of your home’s stove or furnace. **Once it reaches the atmosphere, methane’s super heat-trapping properties render it a major agent of warming. Over 20 years, methane causes 85 times more warming than the same amount of carbon dioxide. But methane doesn’t stay in the atmosphere for long, so stopping methane leaks today can have a fast impact on lowering global temperatures.** That’s one reason governments at the 2022 United Nations climate change conference in Egypt focused on methane as an easy win in the climate battle. So far, 150 countries, including the United States and most of the big oil producers other than Russia, have pledged to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas by at least 30%. China has not signed but has agreed to reduce emissions. If those pledges are met, the result would be equivalent to eliminating the greenhouse gas emissions from all of the world’s cars, trucks, buses and all two- and three-wheeled vehicles, according to the International Energy Agency. **There’s also another reason for the methane focus, and it makes this strategy more likely to succeed: Stopping methane leaks from the oil and gas industry can largely pay for itself and boost the amount of fuel available.** **Capturing methane can pay off** ~ Methane is produced by decaying organic material. Natural sources, such as wetlands, account for roughly 40% of today’s global methane emissions. But the majority comes from human activities, such as farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants – and fuel production. Oil, gas and coal together make up about a third of global methane emissions. In all, methane is responsible for almost a third of the 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) that global temperatures have risen since the industrial era. Unfortunately, methane emissions are still rising. In 2021, atmospheric levels increased to 1,908 parts per billion, the highest levels in at least 800,000 years. Last year’s increase of 18 parts per billion was the biggest on record. Among the sources, the oil and gas sector is best equipped to stop emitting because it is already configured to sell any methane it can prevent from leaking. Methane leaks and “venting” in the oil and gas sector have numerous causes. Unintentional leaks can flow from pneumatic devices, valves, compressors and storage tanks, which often are designed to vent methane when pressures build. Unlit or inefficient flares are another big source. Some companies routinely burn off excess gas that they can’t easily capture or don’t have the pipeline capacity to transport, but that still releases methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. **Nearly all of these emissions can be stopped with new components or regulations that prohibit routine flaring.** **Making those repairs can pay off.** Global oil and gas operations emitted more methane in 2021 than Canada consumed that entire year, according to IEA estimates. If that gas were captured, at current U.S. prices – $4 per million British thermal unit – that wasted methane would fetch around $17 billion. The IEA determined that a one-time investment of $11 billion would eliminate roughly 75% of methane leaks worldwide, along with an even larger amount of gas that is wasted by “flaring” or burning it off at the wellhead. **The repairs and infrastructure investments would not only reduce warming, but they would also generate profits for producers and provide direly needed natural gas to markets undergoing drastic shortages due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.** **See Part 2 tomorrow.** >>> Jim Krane is a Fellow for Energy Studies, Baker Institute for Public Policy & Lecturer, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in Houston, TX URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/25/our-methane-opportunity-and-our- responsibility-control-natural-gas-asap-%e2%80%94-part-1/>

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Pollution Incidents from Shell Cracker Plant are Recurring Problems
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 24 Apr '23

24 Apr '23

# [Pollution Incidents from Shell Cracker Plant are Recurring Problems](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/24/pollution-incidents-from- shell-cracker-plant-are-recurring-problems/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/A755C990-9BD3-4296-9FD7-250806D916B1-300x157.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/A755C990-9BD3-4296-9FD7-250806D916B1.jpeg) The Ohio River valley in Pennsylvania continues its challenging ways (Click image to expand) **Pennsylvania investigating Odor Events at Shell ethane cracker & cited for 3 separate violations** From an [Article by Reid Frazier, State Impact Penn.](https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2023/04/14/state- investigating-odor-event-at-shell-ethane-cracker/), April 14, 2023 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a release of odors from Shell’s Beaver County ethane cracker this week. Shell reported on Wednesday the odor came from its wastewater treatment facility, and said the smell could be detected outside of the facility’s boundaries. “Depending on wind direction, the odor was detected in certain areas offsite as well. We are working to resolve this matter as quickly as possible,” the company said. **Under the facility’s state air permit, the plant is not allowed to release “malodorous air contaminants” outside of the company’s property line.** Curtis Thomas, a spokesman for the company, said this happened after the company drained a tank for scheduled maintenance during a plant shutdown. As a result, he said, “a watery oil mix” entered the facility’s wastewater treatment plant, causing the release of odor. The company added water to the oily mix “with the goal of minimizing the odor,” Thomas said. The area nearby was closed off, he said, “and normal work that would have been done in the area was paused.” Contrary to statements on social media, there was no plant-wide evacuation, and no release of the carcinogen benzene, Thomas said, in an email. **Smells “like burning gas and maple syrup”** ~ Lexy Stawick of the nearby town of Beaver said her 7-year-old daughter first smelled the odor when she went outside before school on Wednesday morning. “She just went out in the backyard to get her shoes and she came in and told me it smells really bad outside,” Stawick said. “And she asked me to come outside to smell it, and it smelled like someone had come into our backyard and just like, doused it in gasoline. It reeked of gas.” Rosemary Rush, of Brighton, said her 8-year-old son first alerted her to the smell when she rolled the windows down while driving him to school in Beaver Wednesday morning. “He was like, ‘Mom, what is that smell? It smells so bad.’ And I didn’t really think anything of it at first, but we literally could not keep the window down,” she said. “I was like instantly nauseous, instantly had a headache.” Rush said she drove to different spots in Beaver to see if the smell, which she described as “like burning gas and maple syrup mixed together” was still present, and it was. “It was like this heavy, thick, almost like a cloud of something that I was breathing in that I could feel in my throat,” she said. **PA- DEP responds ~** DEP spokeswoman Lauren Camarda said agency personnel were at the plant Wednesday and Thursday investigating after getting numerous reports from the public and from Shell about the event. The DEP staff documented “on-and-offsite odors, which Shell reports were caused by oil entering its wastewater treatment plant,” Camarda said. Camarda said Shell had reported higher than normal readings for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the company’s fence line air monitors, and that local ambient air pollution readings reported higher than normal levels of particulate matter. But Camarda said these levels did not exceed federal health-based air standards. Camarda said the agency “has no evidence to date of any unpermitted materials being discharged to a waterway” from the plant. **Problems at the plant not new ~** The event follows a rocky few months of operations at the plant, which began in November, and includes a state notice of violation in December for high levels of flaring during startup operations. Three other recent violations in April were for visible emissions from flaring in February; exceeding its 12-month limit of nitrogen oxide emissions in January; and exceeding its 12-month emissions limits of both nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions in February. In March, a compressor failure led to another bright flaring event at the plant. Stawick said she is worried about the overall impact of the plant’s emissions on her children, 5 and 7. “It seems like Shell is having an issue almost monthly. So I worry about what that’s doing to our air, what our kids are being exposed to,” she said. The plant, which makes plastic out of ethane, a component of natural gas abundant in the Utica and Marcellus shale, opened in November and received a $1.65 billion Pennsylvania tax credit, the largest in state history. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/24/pollution-incidents-from-shell- cracker-plant-are-recurring-problems/>

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Air Pollution Fines from Natural Gas Processing @ $9 Million Dollars
by Frack Check WV: S. Tom Bond 23 Apr '23

23 Apr '23

# [Air Pollution Fines from Natural Gas Processing @ $9 Million Dollars](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/23/air-pollution-fines-from- natural-gas-processing-9-million-dollars/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/4E46125A-2321-41CA- BAE8-ACC1B21E46F21-231x300.jpg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/4E46125A-2321-41CA-BAE8-ACC1B21E46F21.jpeg) (Click to expand image) ~ Meet the Author ~ Michael Barrick to present book entitled ‘Fractured Sanctuary’ **Regional natural gas companies agree to more than $9 million in air quality fines** . . From an [Article by Logan Smith, Newsbreak, CBS Denver](https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3001608774822-regional-natural-gas- companies-agree-to-more-than-9-million-in-air-quality-fines), April 22, 2023 . . **Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday settlements with three natural gas processing companies for their alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act.** **The settlements total $9.25 million that will be shared among the federal agency, six states (Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming), and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. This includes $346,500 for Williams Companies facilities in Marshall County, WV.** **The agreements also require improvements to be made by the companies at 25 gas processing plants and 91 compressor stations across 12 states and two Tribal communities.** The settlement with one company is notable for its plants' proximity to the Denver metro area. WES DJ Gathering LLC, formerly known as Kerr McGee Gathering, LLC, operates three adjacent processing plants comprising the Fort Lupton Complex located 35 northeast of Denver. To resolve the allegations of state and federal clean air requirements at those facilities, WES DJ Gathering is paying the state and the EPA $1.75 million each. "The area where the Fort Lupton Complex is located does not meet EPA's 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone and is designated as 'severe' nonattainment," the EPA stated in its press release. Ground-level ozone has adverse affects on human health, according to the EPA. Methane, one of the primary components of natural gas, "substantially" contributes to greenhouse gases and climate change, the agency claims. The EPA and the Colorado Department Public Health and Environment filed a complaint about the Fort Lupton Complex violations on July 1, 2020. As part of the settlement, WES DJ Gathering agreed to replace older equipment with low- emission valves and connectors; repair leaking equipment; implement a leak detection and repair quality control program; use newer gas imaging technology to improve monitoring and detection of leaks; and improve equipment at a nearby Frederick Compressor Station, including the removal or replacement of two pre-1981 engines. "When fully implemented," the EPA's press release claimed, "the settlement will reduce ozone-producing air pollution in northern Colorado by an estimated 162 tons per year and greenhouse gases by 17,433 tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), including methane." A second settlement agreement was made with Williams and Harvest Four Corners (The Williams Companies, Inc.), the EPA announced Thursday. Williams is required to pay $3.75 million civil penalty due to alleged failures to control volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from natural gas processing plants. The penalty will be divided between the EPA ($2,227,500), the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in southwestern Colorado ($307,500) and the states of Colorado ($298,875) and Wyoming ($142,500). Williams is also required to strengthen its leak detection and repair (LDAR) practices at 15 natural gas processing plants, including those near Parachute, Rifle and Ignacio, Colorado, and Wamsutter and Opal, Wyoming. Williams must also perform leak monitoring and repair at 80 natural gas compressor stations across the U.S., including 10 throughout Wyoming. A third settlement agreement was announced with MPLX LP addressing noncompliance and strengthening air pollution controls at seven natural gas processing plants and three compressor stations in North Dakota, Wyoming, and the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah. **The consent decrees for the WES DJ, Williams, and MPLX settlements are available at U.S. Department of Justice websites. The public has 30 days to comment.** Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970. Major revisions were made to it in 1977 and 1990. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See Also:** [Book ‘Fractured Sanctuary,’ about the Grassroots Response to the Fracking Industry](https://appalachianchronicle.com/2023/02/28/book- fractured-sanctuary-a-chronicle-of-the-destructive-fracking-industry-in- appalachia-now-available/), **Now Available** – [The Appalachian Chronicle](https://appalachianchronicle.com/2023/02/28/book-fractured- sanctuary-a-chronicle-of-the-destructive-fracking-industry-in-appalachia-now- available/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/23/air-pollution-fines-from- natural-gas-processing-9-million-dollars/>

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West Virginia Ranks #8 in Drilling & Fracking Nationwide
by Frack Check WV: admin 22 Apr '23

22 Apr '23

# [West Virginia Ranks #8 in Drilling & Fracking Nationwide](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/22/west-virginia-ranks-8-i… drilling-fracking-nationwide/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/BAFC6764-CF61-4D9E-91C6-38AB86E2DD21-231x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/BAFC6764-CF61-4D9E-91C6-38AB86E2DD21.jpeg) (Click to enlarge) Open meeting on West Virginia community struggles with drilling & fracking **How prevalent is fracking in West Virginia?** [Update from the Stacker Service, Apr 10, 2022](https://www.wowktv.com/news/west-virginia/how-prevalent-is-fracking-i… west-virginia/) **Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a means of gas extraction that requires blasting large volumes of water, sand and chemicals into subterranean rock to drive out and capture natural gas. The first fracking occurred in the U.S. in the 1860s, followed almost a century later by what we recognize today as modern fracking.** Natural gas is significantly more productive than other fossil fuels, with a 92% efficiency rate between wellhead to home compared to 32% for coal. But opponents of fracking cite numerous environmental and health threats, from poisoned groundwater and the destruction of habitats to heightened ground- level ozone that can increase the risk of asthma and other respiratory issues. Stacker analyzed data from FracFocus, a national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry, to rank states with the most fracking wells. States are ranked by 2020 data, the most recent complete year available. Additional data on natural gas withdrawals from the Energy Information Administration is also provided, however, data on gas production exclusively from fracking is not available. On average, a fracking well can produce for 20 to 30 years, with some wells producing for far longer. During a fracked well’s lifetime, output often drops in the first few years from more than 1,000 barrels a day to 100 barrels. That dropoff means new wells have to be dug regularly to maintain supply. This constant demand can lead to boom towns left with rampant unemployment, wells running dry, and potential health and environmental hazards. Water contamination and air pollution, and even heart attacks and reduced fertility, have all been linked to fracking, studies have shown. **Between 2000 and 2015, the number of hydraulically fractured wells in the United States leaped from 23,000 to 300,000, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. These fracking wells represented about 67% of natural gas production and 51% of crude oil production across the nation.** **#10. Wyoming** – Number of wells, 2020: 4,701 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 1,655 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 3.6% Two of Wyoming’s biggest regions for fracking are the gas sand reservoirs in the Greater Green River and Powder River basins. Since 2010, the state has required disclosure of fracking chemicals by companies. Statewide polling data from the Petroleum Association of Wyoming in 2020 found a full 86% of Wyoming voters approve of oil and natural gas production there. Wyoming’s gas boom has provided plenty of power—over 2 million cubic feet of natural gas by 2013—but at the cost of its air quality. The state’s smog in 2011 was rated worse than Los Angeles. **#9. Ohio** – Number of wells, 2020: 6,741 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 2,245 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 2,190.9% Natural gas was extracted via fracking from more than 80,000 oil and gas wells in Ohio between the years 1952 and 2014, with natural gas production there ballooning more than 2,200% between 2012 and 2019. Much of the fracking in Ohio occurs along the central-eastern portion of the state over the Marcellus Shale and Point Pleasant-Utica Shale regions. A report released in February 2021 found that investments into the Ohio River valley to support the oil and gas industry instead resulted in 22 counties throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia experiencing documented job losses. Seven of those counties are located in Ohio; they collectively saw a net job loss in excess of 8% and a more than 3% drop in population. **#8. West Virginia** – Number of wells, 2020: 6,741 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 3,098 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 882.3% As coal mining loses steam in West Virginia, fracking has spread throughout the state. The natural gas boom began in 2011, with the state experiencing a 50% increase in extraction every year since. The Energy Information Administration reported that in the first half of 2021, 34% of dry natural gas production in the United States came from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. When mining operations were done with steam or even horses, the use of “split estates”—when landowners agree to relinquish their rights to the minerals below ground while maintaining ownership of everything at ground level—was widespread. As technology advanced, these old contracts have come to light as energy companies constructed wells and infrastructure for fracking sites in the otherwise remote countryside and towns. #7. Louisiana – Number of wells, 2020: 8,515 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 4,771 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 114.8% Oil and gas companies have long been drawn to Louisiana for its expansive tax incentives, with fracking primarily concentrated in the Haynesville Shale region in the northwestern part of the state. Natural gas is also extracted from the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale in central Louisiana. In 2014, St. Tammany Parish voted to ban fracking; in 2015, a state judge ruled that the town could not use zoning regulations to block fracking. In March 2017, new regulations in Louisiana stipulated that fracking operators must provide a chemicals list for their fracking processes—however, like in other states, those chemicals considered to be “trade secrets” do not have to be disclosed. #6. Oklahoma – Number of wells, 2020: 15,787 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 7,788 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 72.8% Oklahoma has seen a sharp rise in earthquake frequency—most of which are due to “wastewater disposal,” in which liquid waste from gas and oil production is shot deep underground. Roughly 90% of this injection in Oklahoma is to get rid of waste from oil extraction, not fracking. The oil and gas division within the Oklahoma Corporation Commission requires that fracking companies report any potential seismic effects of injecting fluids into wells. Oklahoma’s largest-known fracking-induced earthquake was a magnitude 3.6 in 2019. **#5. Pennsylvania** – Number of wells, 2020: 17,441 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 7,828 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 4,759.9% A historic measure was passed in February 2021 by the Delaware River Basin Commission as all four basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) voted to permanently ban fracking in northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York, citing evidence of polluted surface, ground, and drinking water. The vote affected two counties in northeastern Pennsylvania that comprise part of the Marcellus Shale. #4. New Mexico – Number of wells, 2020: 20,015 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 9,749 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 19.6% Oil and gas extraction has been touted as essential to the New Mexico economy, with proponents arguing that fracking has been conducted in the state for half a century without a single incident of groundwater contamination. Opponents to fracking made headway in 2021 with a bill that would put a four-year moratorium on new fracking contracts, claiming oil and gas extraction could cause irreparable damage to ecosystems and human health. #3. North Dakota – Number of wells, 2020: 20,364 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 9,533 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 1,663.3% Much of North Dakota’s oil and natural gas production occurs in the western part of the state, in the Bakken and Three Forks formations. In 2012, the state surpassed Alaska and became the #2 oil-producing state in the U.S., a rise in status widely attributed to its fracking operations. Many landowners got big payouts by signing property over to natural gas extraction, but they now face a sobering reality of potential water contamination that could affect farms, livestock, and residents. #2. Colorado – Number of wells, 2020: 20,955 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 14,509 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 164.5% One of the first large-scale American fracking operations began in 1973 in Colorado’s Wattenberg Gas Field. That field, located between Denver and Greeley and discovered in 1970, is the Colorado site where the most oil and gas extraction to date has occurred to date. Over the last half-century, wells have dried up and more have been dug, creating a patchwork of drill sites across rural Colorado that creeps ever closer to higher-density residential areas. Today, drillers have their sights set on populated areas north of Denver, queueing up heightened anxiety toward fracking regulations. **#1. Texas** – Number of wells, 2020: 136,342 – Number of wells, Jan.- Aug. 2021: 82,763 – Change in natural gas gross withdrawals, 2000-2020 (from both fracking and other extraction methods): 79.8% Texas is situated over parts of numerous basins (Anadarko, Palo Duro, and Permian) and shales (Barnett, Eagle Ford, and Haynesville-Bossier). At the end of the 20th century, when natural gas was giving Texas its second oil boom, Anadarko Basin provided the largest output of natural gas anywhere in the U.S. **Today, fracking is primarily done around Eagle Ford Shale. The first fracking ban in Texas was passed in 2014 in Denton, located along the northern edge of the Barnett Shale. The largest fracking-related earthquake in U.S. history took place in 2018 in Texas and was a magnitude 4.0.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/22/west-virginia-ranks-8-in- drilling-fracking-nationwide/>

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The West Virginia Hills & Valleys have Become ‘Fractured Sanctury’
by Frack Check WV: admin 21 Apr '23

21 Apr '23

# [The West Virginia Hills & Valleys have Become ‘Fractured Sanctury’](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/21/the-west-virginia-hills- valleys-have-become-%e2%80%98fractured-sanctury%e2%80%99/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/3017A998-CE42-44AE-B5BC-C78E883163A9-300x135.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/3017A998-CE42-44AE-B5BC-C78E883163A9.jpeg) Drilling and fracking on large Marcellus well pads continues in WV **Public lecture on grassroots activism in West Virginia** From the [Announcement by Betsy Lawson, Sierra Club](https://appalachianchronicle.com/), April 17, 2023 _Join us for this open presentation and discussion: “Fractured Sanctuary”_ **What** : Michael Barrick will discuss his new book; ‘Fractured Sanctuary’ **Where** : The public meeting room, Church of the Brethren, 464 Virginia Avenue (Wiles Hill), Morgantown. (COVID-19 masks are optional.) **When** : 3 pm, Sunday, April 23rd Our speaker Michael Barrick will describe reluctant citizen activists providing grassroots resistance against fracking, pipeline construction etc… in WV and beyond. Telling our stories helps encourage, empower and heal one another. Community preparedness and emergency management will be described to meet the threats to our communities from fracking, flooding or a major spill of hazardous chemicals, as recently happened in East Palestine, Ohio. Michael Barrick holds a postgraduate Certificate in Community Preparedness and Emergency Management from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He has extensive experience in these areas. He was born in Clarksburg and is a graduate of Glenville State. The co-sponsors of this event are the WV Sierra Club, WV Interfaith Power & Light, Morgantown Church of the Brethren, Morgantown Friends (Quaker) Meeting and the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Refreshments will be provided. Celebrate Earth Day by joining us. We hope to see you there, on Wiles Hill in Morgantown. >>> _Betsy Lawson, Secretary, Monongahela Group, Sierra Club_ **See also:** [The Appalachian Chronicle](https://appalachianchronicle.com/) ~ [appalachianchronicle.com](https://appalachianchronicle.com/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/21/the-west-virginia-hills-valleys- have-become-%e2%80%98fractured-sanctury%e2%80%99/>

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First Responders Challenged by Chemicals at Train Derailment(s)
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 20 Apr '23

20 Apr '23

# [First Responders Challenged by Chemicals at Train Derailment(s)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/20/first-responders- challenged-by-chemicals-at-train-derailments/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/10EFBD76-2B33-4D8A-BBE1-219BF4B004B81-300x168.jpg)]… content/uploads/2023/04/10EFBD76-2B33-4D8A-BBE1-219BF4B004B81.jpeg) Tank car chemicals intentionally set on fire to speed the “cleanup” process **East Palestine First Responders Faced Communications Gap With Railroad** Article by [Curtis Tate, West Virginia Public Broadcasting](https://wvpublic.org/east-palestine-first-responders-faced- communications-gap-with-railroad/), March 23, 2023 **Fire departments from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia responded to the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. At first, they didn’t have a lot of information to work with.** **Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that none of the first responders on the scene had access to an app that was created by the rail industry precisely for that kind of situation.** The AskRail app was created in 2014 to help first responders amid a series of derailments and fires involving trains carrying crude oil and ethanol. Ian Jeffries, CEO of the Association of American Railroads, the industry’s principal lobbying group, said the app needs to be in more hands. “There are a lot of first responders in this country,” he said, “and having 35,000 with the app is absolutely not sufficient, not where we need to be.” U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, a member of the Commerce Committee, said the railroad also needed to improve its communication. “They were pledging safety and funds to help train, and things of this nature,” she said, “but they still have missed the ball in terms of communications.” **The NTSB is investigating the East Palestine derailment and separately probing Norfolk Southern’s safety culture. Since the Feb. 3 derailment, other crashes have occurred in Michigan, Ohio and Alabama**. Homendy said advance notification of hazardous materials moving through communities is key. “Because they need to be prepared,” she said. “They need to be adequately trained, they need the right gear, and they need to have emergency response planning done in coordination with the railroads.” Capito said a bipartisan bill to improve rail safety was likely coming in the next several months. **Meanwhile, East Palestine first responders were among the first to enroll in a hazardous materials training class in Bellevue, Ohio, paid for by Norfolk Southern. The training class is (now) available to first responders in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The first class began the week of March 23rd (too late).** #######+++++++#######+++++++######### **See Also:** [The Appalachian Chronicle – Fiercely Independent Reporting & Analysis](https://appalachianchronicle.com/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/20/first-responders-challenged-by- chemicals-at-train-derailments/>

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The West Virginia Hills ~ How Majestic & How Grand!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 19 Apr '23

19 Apr '23

# [The West Virginia Hills ~ How Majestic & How Grand!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/19/the-west-virginia-hills-how- majestic-how-grand/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/6C4916F2-4795-4777-82C2-6AF747B3A631-232x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/6C4916F2-4795-4777-82C2-6AF747B3A631.jpeg) Click on this image to expand it. Hillsboro, Marlinton & Green Bank are in Pocahontas County, WV **Earth Day Open Forum: A Discussion of Emergency Preparedness to be held at Hillsboro Library** From [Michael M. Barrick, The Appalachian Chronicle](https://appalachianchronicle.com/), April 18, 2023 **Howdy Folks! Greetings to West Virginians in All 55 Counties!** This is a brief reminder that the Hillsboro Library Friends are hosting an Open Forum that I will be facilitating, based in part on by book, Fractured Sanctuary: A Chronicle of Grassroots Activists Fighting Pipelines of Destruction in Appalachia. [Details follow](https://appalachianchronicle.com/). Join us if you can and please share the word! Thanks, Pocahontas County is a great place to visit. I hope to see you there or in Morgantown on Sunday @ 3 PM. MMB #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **Hillsboro is Historic in the West Virginia Hills & Mountains** Brigadier General William W. Averell and his Federal troops encountered Confederate troops led by Brigadier General John Echols at Droop Mountain on November 6, 1863. The federal army had encountered Echols while on their second attempt to the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad located at Salem, Virginian. Echols and his troops positioned themselves on the high ground of Droop Mountain, a tactical advantage to the smaller army. However, despite using artillery to block the road, the Confederate troops were overwhelmed by Averell’s men. The Battle of Droop Mountain served as the final significant Civil War battle for the newly formed West Virginia. The site of the battle was declared West Virginia’s first state park on July 4, 1928. In 1892, famous author Pearl S. Buck was born in a large white two-story house at the northern end of Hillsboro. Shortly thereafter, her family, Presbyterian missionaries, returned to China, but her West Virginia roots nevertheless had a significant impact on Pearl through her mother Carrie. The Dutch-style "city house," now on the National Register of Historic Places, has been restored into a museum, The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace. It displays an array of antiques from the 1892 period, including many family originals. Also on the National Register of Historic Places are the Richard Beard House and Locust Creek Covered Bridge. Hillsboro is also featured in the movie Patch Adams, where Dr. Patch Adams purchased land to build a medical clinic based on his philosophy of doctor- patient interaction. A medical clinic is planned but has not yet been constructed, as fund-raising is still underway. Currently, the Gesundheit Institute host people at the facility to engage in learning and volunteering. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/19/the-west-virginia-hills-how- majestic-how-grand/>

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Michael Barrick will Speak on the Book titled “Fractured Sanctuary” on Sunday 4/23/23 @ 3 PM
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 18 Apr '23

18 Apr '23

# [Michael Barrick will Speak on the Book titled “Fractured Sanctuary” on Sunday 4/23/23 @ 3 PM](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/18/michael- barrick-will-speak-on-the-book-titled-%e2%80%9cfractured- sanctuary%e2%80%9d-on-sunday-42323-3-pm/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/50C62608-2BD2-4413-9E9C-C6F70E1244AF-300x169.png)](… content/uploads/2023/04/50C62608-2BD2-4413-9E9C-C6F70E1244AF.png) Co-sponsors are the Morgantown Friends (Quaker) Meeting, the Church of the Brethren, the WV Sierra Club and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Morgantown **PUBLIC MEETING: “Fractured Sanctuary” by Micheal Barrick, 3 PM on April 23rd** [ANNOUNCEMENT, Morgantown Dominion Post, Sunday, April 16, 2023](https://appalachianchronicle.com/2023/04/13/barrick-to-discuss-book- fractured-sanctuary-at-public-meeting-on-april-23-in-morgantown/) At 3 pm on Sunday, April 23rd our speaker will be Michael Barrick on his new book titled 'Fractured Sanctuary'. This open meeting is being held in the public meeting room of the Church of the Brethren, 464 Virginia Avenue, Wiles Hill Neighborhood, Morgantown. (COVID-19 masks are optional.) Our speaker Michael Barrick will describe reluctant, citizen activists providing grassroots resistance against fracking, pipeline construction and other activities in West Virginia and beyond. Telling our stories helps encourage, empower and heal one another, so an open exchange of experiences and ideas will take place. Also, community preparedness and emergency management will be described to meet the many threats residents face in their communities, whether it be fracking, flooding or a major spill of hazardous chemicals as recently happened in East Palestine, Ohio. Michael Barrick was born in Clarksburg and graduated from Glenville State. He holds a postgraduate Certificate in Community Preparedness and Emergency Management from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He has extensive experience in these areas. The co-sponsors of this event are the WV Interfaith Power & Light, Morgantown Church of the Brethren, WV Sierra Club, Morgantown Friends (Quaker) Meeting and the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. **See also:** [The Appalachian Chronicle ~ appalachianchronicle.com](https://appalachianchronicle.com/2023/04/13/barri… to-discuss-book-fractured-sanctuary-at-public-meeting-on-april-23-in- morgantown/) #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **NOTE: SPECIAL SERIES** ~ [HOW CLIMATE-DRIVEN ICE LOSS THREATENS EVERYONE](https://www.npr.org/series/1168056854/beyond-the-poles-ice-melt) ~ Beyond the Poles: The far-reaching dangers of melting ice, National Public Radio, Week of April 17, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/18/michael-barrick-will-speak-on- the-book-titled-%e2%80%9cfractured-sanctuary%e2%80%9d-on-sunday-42323-3-pm/>

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Chemical Pollutants from Norfolk Southern Train Wreck
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 17 Apr '23

17 Apr '23

# [Chemical Pollutants from Norfolk Southern Train Wreck](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/17/chemical-pollutants-from- norfolk-southern-train-wreck/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/B98233A8-7521-4003-AE0E-B605D98BF552.png)](https://… content/uploads/2023/04/B98233A8-7521-4003-AE0E-B605D98BF552.png) Dioxins are dangerous even in very low concentrations **[Dioxin: The deadly legacy of a toxic compound](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/17/norfolk-southern- derailment-east-palestine-ohio-carcinogenic-chemical-levels)** Article contributed by Randi Pokladnik (PhD), Tappan Lake, Ohio, April 15, 2023 On February 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying 51 cars had an [accident where 38 cars derailed](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/timeline-east-palestine- ohio-train-derailment-chemicals-evacuations/). Eleven of those that derailed were tanker cars carrying hazardous materials such as benzene residue, butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride. Five of the eleven cars carried vinyl chloride which is used to make PVC. Some estimates say 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride were in those five rail cars. The accident happened in the small community of East Palestine, Ohio; population around 4,000. **[Vinyl Chloride is a well-established animal and human carcinogen](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327051/) and is associated with liver cancer as well as brain and lung malignancies. It is polymerized into polyvinyl chloride, a plastic that is used to make pipes and packaging. Globally, 16 billion pounds are produced annually.** Since the derailment, the citizens of East Palestine and the rest of the world have been getting an education on how easily one industrial accident can change your life forever. One fact is obvious, no one, including local, state and federal officials and agencies, or the employees of Norfolk Southern, was really aware or prepared for the long-term consequences of accidents involving hazardous materials. “The [National Transportation Safety Board issued its preliminary report](https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/02/27/rail-f27.html) on the derailment which, even in its abbreviated form, made clear that the “accident” which has devastated the town was completely preventable and that through its actions Norfolk Southern ignored warnings for nearly an hour that one of the axles was overheating and would fail.” Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern said, “[the ‘vent and burn’ decision emerged from a unified command group led by a local fire chief](https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2023/03/20/east- palestine-norfolk-southern-pa-senate-chemical-release/stories/202303200077).” He added that local, state and federal officials including both Ohio and Pennsylvania Governors agreed on the decision that it was better to burn the vinyl chloride than risk an explosion. **On Feb. 6, vinyl chloride was intentionally released and burned. This resulted in a massive cloud of black smoke, resembling a mushroom cloud from a nuclear detonation, to rise above the surrounding area. It could be seen for miles as it blanketed the Ohio River valley.** This decision left the residents of the area with a much larger toxic mess because the combustion of this chlorinated organic compound (PVC) creates a group of some 400 compounds called “dioxins.” The first time I heard the term “dioxin” was in college during an environmental engineering class. Our instructor explained that no one intentionally makes dioxin, it is an unintended by-product of incomplete combustion. It also has the reputation of being one of the most toxic compounds known. **The[International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies dioxin as a human carcinogen](https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/chemicals/agent- orange-and-cancer.html). Dioxin was a contaminant in Agent Orange, the herbicide used as a defoliant during the Vietnam War. It was also found in contaminated oil that was sprayed over the roads to suppress dust in the now uninhabited town of Times Beach, Missouri. In 1976, an explosion at a chemical facility in Seveso, Italy resulted in the release of a cloud of dioxin. At the time, humans had never been exposed to this high a concentration of dioxin.** Most of human exposure to the compound is through foods, mainly meat and dairy products, as dioxins are very fat soluble. The half-life of dioxins once they enter the body is 7 to 10 years. Because they are present throughout the environment in small quantities, they accumulate in the food chain like DDT. Dioxins are classified as persistent organic pollutants or POPs because they persist in the environment, resisting breakdown. “Dioxin buried or leached under the surface or deep in the sediment of rivers and other bodies of water can have a half-life of more than 100 years.” **In 2001, The International Forum on Chemical Safety along with the United Nations Environmental Program developed a treaty, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This treaty is aimed at reducing POPs.** **Dioxins were in the first 12 listed POPs addressed by the Stockholm Convention in the category of “by-products” from incomplete combustion, especially the combustion of chlorine-containing carbon compounds. This type of combustion happens when hospitals burn wastes, when municipalities incinerate their wastes and when hazardous wastes are burned in kilns like those at the Thermal Heritage Incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio.** When I first learned about this incinerator in 1993 (it was then the WTI Incinerator), I was shocked as to the amount and types of toxic compounds it was being allowed to accept. The facility’s permit allowed it to emit over four tons of lead a year. At the time the facility was being permitted, citizens exposures to dioxin via the food chain were ignored. It was said that the incinerator would produce the most deadliest form of dioxin, 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8 TCDD). **The Ohio River Sanitary Commission or ORSANCO, monitors dioxin levels in the Ohio River.** Their data shows that incinerators, especially WTI, are a significant source of dioxin. In 2010, the Ohio Department of Health said that East Liverpool has a “strikingly high incidence rate of cancers (especially bladder, colon and rectum, esophagus, lung and bronchus, multiple myeloma, and prostate cancer) when compared to Ohio and the U.S.” Sadly, the facility was allowed to go online even though it failed to pass its test burn. “Its efficiency rating for removing mercury from emissions was only 7 percent, as opposed to the required 99.99 percent.” The United States lawmakers and agencies continue to cater to the petrochemical industry. Although the USA has signed the Stockholm Treaty, it has never officially ratified it or placed appropriate regulations in place that would require industries in the USA to adhere to it. So, companies in this country still produce POPs. PVC has a significant impact on human health and the environment from cradle to grave. Dioxin is not only released when PVC is burned but also when it is produced. [PVC is 60 percent chlorine by weight.](https://noharm- europe.org/sites/default/files/documents-files/6807/2021-06-23-PVC-briefing- FINAL.pdf) In years past, chlorine, a very toxic gas, was made via a process that used mercury to split salt into sodium and chlorine. Newer processes used today are just as dangerous and require membranes coated with the forever PFAS compounds. In Lake Charles, [Louisiana, a jury found one of the United States’ leading PVC manufacturers liable for “wanton and reckless disregard of public safety”](https://chej.org/wp- content/uploads/PVC%20&%20Environmental%20Justice%20-%20REP%20026.pdf), as it was responsible for one of the largest chemical spills in the nation’s history. The spill contaminated the groundwater underneath the surrounding community. Consumers are exposed to PVC via food contact containers and water pipes in their homes. Leaching of organic toxic compounds (carbon tetrachloride, toluene, chloroform, styrene, o-xylene, bromoform, dibromomethane, cis-1,3-dichloropropane, and trans-1,3-dichloropropane) from PVC water pipes has been reported. Sadly, some can coatings have replaced the bisphenol-A (BPA) with another toxic coating: PVC. Even at the end of its life, PVC continues to pollute because it releases vapors like dioxin when in landfills. If PVC is incinerated, dioxin is produced. Because PVC often has additives like the heavy metal cadmium, the waste ash from incineration is also toxic. Using plastics like PVC for a fuel source in cement kilns and incinerators is never a good way to dispose of the substance because of the emissions released. The **[recent fire at a recycling facility](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/11/us/richmond-indiana-recycling-plan… fire/index.html)** near the Indiana-Ohio border is an example of what happens when plastics are burned. The emissions are causing concerns for the residents and experts and recent tests show they contain benzene, chlorine, hydrogen cyanide, volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. Our dependence on so many petrochemicals places us in a precarious position. We need to embrace safer alternatives. This is especially true in health applications where patients can be exposed to high levels of toxins from plastics items like IV tubing and IV bags. Safer alternatives include ethylene vinyl acetate for IV bags, silicone or polyurethane for tubing, and PVC free nitrile gloves, which are stronger than PVC gloves. In construction, PEX or cross-linked polyethylene pipes are comparable to copper but cheaper. They can bend a bit more than PVC and will last up to 50 years. PVC coated fabric which is used for tents, tarps and protective clothing for fire-fighters can be replaced with Rivercyclon’s fabric called Rivertex which is UV resistant as well as waterproof and PVC free. **The bottom line is we, as consumers, need to demand safer products and alternatives to toxic materials. Every day we are being exposed to toxins from petrochemicals in our lives. The communities living around the toxic facilities as well as those who work in these facilities are suffering and dying from exposures that can be eliminated. Just say no to toxic petrochemicals and products made from them.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/17/chemical-pollutants-from- norfolk-southern-train-wreck/>

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Message for You and West Virginia and our Earth!
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 16 Apr '23

16 Apr '23

# [Message for You and West Virginia and our Earth!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/16/message-for-you-and-west- virginia-and-our-earth/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/A0D7115F-73E1-4C52-82BC-D99479FF5CC7-300x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/A0D7115F-73E1-4C52-82BC-D99479FF5CC7.jpeg) The authors continue to add meaning, advice and warnings! **Words Sometimes Provide Tremendous Meaning for the Future** From the [Announcement by Mary Anne Hitt, Author & Activist, Shepherdstown](https://www.nottoolateclimate.com), April 5, 2023 It’s publication day! I have an essay in this book edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young-Lutunatabua, and the title sums up everything I’ve ever tried to say about climate change in three words – “Not Too Late.”⁣ ⁣ I practically fell out of my chair when Rebecca reached out and asked me to contribute an essay to this new climate anthology. The full title of the book is “Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Conversation from Despair to Possibility,” and Rebecca is one of my favorite writers because she’s constantly changing important conversations from despair to possibility. In her work she reminds us the future has not yet been written, and persuasively makes the case that each one of us can be its author, inspiring us with the stories of those before us who built a better world against the odds, who are doing so alongside us even today. ⁣ ⁣ My essay is a love letter from our clean energy future, imagining a day in the all-important year of 2030 when we’re looking back at the better world we’ve created, because we actually stepped up and tackled the climate crisis. I think this is possible down in my bones, with every fiber of my being, and every morning I wake up trying to live and love and work from that place. We’re the last generation of people with the power and opportunity to turn this crisis around, if we can block out the cynical voices telling us nothing can be done.⁣ ⁣ I’m astounded by the amazing company I’m in here, writers and leaders I love and admire including Leah Stokes, Adrienne Maree Brown, Mary Annaïse Heglar, Nikayla Jefferson, Jacquelyn Gill, and many more. Thank you Rebecca and Thelma for bringing this vision to life, and for including me as part of it. I think it’s just what the world needs right now.⁣ ⁣ [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/F782FD4F-1D00-44A0-905A-EECC1D299111-150x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/F782FD4F-1D00-44A0-905A-EECC1D299111.jpeg) Mary Anne Hitt **You can pick up a copy at your local bookstore – it’s on the shelf in Shepherdstown at Four Seasons Books – or online.** More here: [www.nottoolateclimate.com](https://www.nottoolateclimate.com) #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See Also:** [Thirty (30) Best Spring Flowers to Plant in Your Garden ~ Weary of winter? Check out these spring bloomers](https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden- ideas/g31102712/early-spring-flowers/). Article by Arricca Sansone & Janece Maze, Country Living, March 23, 2023 ⁣ URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/16/message-for-you-and-west- virginia-and-our-earth/>

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Fracking In and Around Ohio State Parks Goes to Court
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Apr '23

15 Apr '23

# [Fracking In and Around Ohio State Parks Goes to Court](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/15/fracking-in-and-around-ohio- state-parks-goes-to-court/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/21FB202E-BF1B-4164-A426-0284FC5D8900.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/21FB202E-BF1B-4164-A426-0284FC5D8900.jpeg) Hocking Hills State Park is unusually popular for hiking in Ohio **Environmental groups sue to stop fracking in Ohio State parks** From an [Article by Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front](https://www.alleghenyfront.org/environmental-groups-sue-to-stop- fracking-in-ohio-state-parks/), April 14, 2023 **While Pennsylvania has a moratorium on new drilling leases in state parks and forests, a controversial new law in Ohio requires state agencies to lease land for gas drilling. The law went into effect on April 7 and is designed to accelerate gas drilling under state-owned lands, like state parks. State agencies have had the authority to do this since a 2011 law allowed for it, but the difference with this new law is the language. The previous law stated that agencies “may” lease state lands for gas production; the new law says they “shall” lease it.** Sponsors of the bill say they changed the language in response to requests by the gas industry because energy companies were frustrated by the lack of movement on their drilling requests. **Environmental groups sue to prevent “wild west” drilling permits** ~ Four environmental groups filed a lawsuit in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, trying to stop the law from going into effect until the state creates rules to regulate drilling on state lands. Those rules were not created after the 2011 law was passed. The Oil and Gas Land Management Commission recently started that process. According to attorney **Megan Hunter of EarthJustice** , the rules could cover how parcels would be put forward for leasing, how the state would decide which leases to grant, and which parcels and bidders to move forward with. Currently, she said, the law is in effect without rules to govern how drilling applications will be decided. “And that… process includes a certain number of protections… the commission would have to consider environmental issues, economic issues, impacts to tourism, the current uses of the public lands before they would make a decision on what lease is going to move forward,” **Megan Hunter** said. “There’s also a requirement that the leases would go to the highest and best bid.” Without rules in place, **Megan Hunter** doesn’t think that will necessarily happen. She described it as a “wild west” moment, meaning a time for the worst and most dangerous bids to come forward. According to the **Cleveland Plain Dealer** , even before the law was signed by Governor DeWine in January, Encino Energy offered the state the potential of nearly $2 billion to be the first to frack Salt Fork, Ohio’s largest state park. That offer was ultimately rejected. **The Environmental Groups’ Legal Argument** ~ While the environmental groups would like to prevent fracking in state parks altogether, concerned about the environmental impacts it could have, their lawsuit only seeks to stop the state from leasing state-owned lands until rules are in place to regulate it. When the Ohio House passed this bill, HB 507, last spring, it looked completely different. It was focused on poultry. The Senate added amendments last December, including the provision about gas drilling on state lands, and another that redefines natural gas as green energy. The lawsuit claims that this violates the Ohio constitution, which only allows one subject per bill. Each bill also is required to have three hearings in both the state Senate and the House. “Both of those rules are there in the Constitution to ensure a fair legislative process that people can understand so that people can really participate in the legislative process and have their voices heard,” **Megan Hunter** said. “And that just didn’t happen here.” She said citizens didn’t get a chance to speak to lawmakers about their concerns before the bill was passed. “The only provisions that the public gave comment on were the agricultural provisions of the bill,” **Megan Hunter** said. “There was never a public hearing once the additional language had been added to include the mandatory leasing provision and the green energy provision.” So far, the environmental groups lost their request for a temporary, immediate halt on the law. A Franklin County judge said there was no evidence to indicate risk of imminent and irreparable harm if the law stands while the court decides on the issues, and noted **Governor DeWine** said that no leases would be signed in the immediate future. The court will next consider the constitutional issues in the lawsuit, and whether to put the brakes on this law until rules are in place. [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/3114D1A9-8898-4F2B-8D87-CA42DA466643.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/04/3114D1A9-8898-4F2B-8D87-CA42DA466643.jpeg) Hocking Hills State Park [LISTEN to Julie Grant discuss her reporting with The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsopple](https://www.alleghenyfront.org/environmental-groups-sue-to-stop- fracking-in-ohio-state-parks/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/15/fracking-in-and-around-ohio- state-parks-goes-to-court/>

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Truck Accident Closes Marshall County Roads ~ Slippery Oily Sludge Spilled
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 14 Apr '23

14 Apr '23

# [Truck Accident Closes Marshall County Roads ~ Slippery Oily Sludge Spilled](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/14/truck-accident-closes- marshall-county-roads-slippery-oily-sludge-spilled/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/04AA91C9-8A69-4E37-9073-302F58545F8E-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/04AA91C9-8A69-4E37-9073-302F58545F8E.jpeg) Clay-based absorbent material applied to miles of highway **SPILL CLOSES PORTION OF ROBERT 'S RIDGE IN MOUNDSVILLE** From an [Article by Gianna Dapra, WCHS News 8 (WTOV News 9)](https://wchstv.com/news/local/spill-closes-portion-of-roberts-ridge-in- moundsville), March 13, 2023 **MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. —Multiple roads in Marshall County were closed throughout the day because of an oil spill. Around 10 o 'clock on Sunday night, a Tug Hill truck was transporting materials that included fracking, or drilling sludge.** Roberts Ridge Road from Lindsay Lane to Snedeker Drive are all closed for cleanup. The West Virginia Department of Highways is urging commuters to use alternate routes. "Nature's broom, or floor dry, is kind of the brand name for what it is material that we put down to provide traction and to absorb the oil," DOH District 6 Engineer Tony Clark said. But that is not all being done, as Tug Hill has committed to an environmental cleanup. Clark says its important a proper cleanup is completed before the roadways can be re-opened, as oil is more dangerous than you might think. ([Video clip is in the Article](https://wchstv.com/news/local/spill-closes- portion-of-roberts-ridge-in-moundsville).) "It’s extremely slick, so it's no different than driving on black ice, for instance, for where you don’t necessarily think it's going to be slick until you're sliding off the road," Clark said. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **Several roads in Marshall County remain closed following truck oil leak** From the [Article of WV Transportation News](https://transportation.wv.gov/communications/PressRelease/Pages/Sever…, March 13, 2023 The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) is assisting with the cleanup of several roadways in Marshall County following an oil mud leakage from an oil and gas truck on Sunday, March 12, 2023. **The truck traveled more than 14 miles, on WV 2 and county routes, while leaking drilling fluid.** The following roadways are closed on Monday, March 13, 2023, as a result of the spillage: Roberts Ridge Road (CR 21) from Fallen Timber Lane to Lindsay Lane Road (CR 88/5), all of Lindsay Lane Road and Round Bottom Hill Road (WV 2 ALT). WV 2 just south of Moundsville was impacted by the spill but crews have that 2.5-mile portion reopened. A clay and sand-based absorbent material was placed on that roadway to assist in drying it. The oil and gas company responsible for the spill is hiring a professional contractor to clean the closed roadways. The spill along with weather conditions has caused slippery roadways. WVDOH is monitoring the cleanup and advises motorists to avoid the areas. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has staff on site and no environmental impacts have been observed. The roads impacted are expected to be closed for the remainder of Monday, March 13, 2023. #######+++++++++#######+++++++++######### **See Also:** [Truck carrying toxic soil from East Palestine overturns in Ohio](https://www.wtrf.com/ohio/truck-carrying-toxic-soil-from-east-palesti… overturns-in-ohio/), Chelsea Simeon, WTRF News 7, April 11, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/14/truck-accident-closes-marshall- county-roads-slippery-oily-sludge-spilled/>

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The Icefin Instrument Goes Under Glaciers for Research on Melting
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 13 Apr '23

13 Apr '23

# [The Icefin Instrument Goes Under Glaciers for Research on Melting](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/13/the-icefin-instrument-goes- under-glaciers-for-research-on-melting/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/2E51FF92-C9A2-45CE-9A99-A956CCE80CAA-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/2E51FF92-C9A2-45CE-9A99-A956CCE80CAA.jpeg) Prof. Britney Schmidt studies planets including Earth in detail **Prof. Britney Schmidt named one of Time’s 100 most influential people** From an [Article by Linda B. Glaser, Cornell Chronicle](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/04/britney-schmidt-named-o… times-100-most-influential-people), April 13, 2023 **Time Magazine has named Britney Schmidt, associate professor of astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences and Earth and atmospheric sciences in Cornell Engineering, to the 2023 list of the world’s 100 most influential people.** Each year, the Time100 features people who have changed the world, scientific pioneers along with innovators, artists, leaders, titans and icons. Schmidt was recognized for her contributions to climate science, following the recent publication of surprise results about the melting of the imperiled Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. The lead author of the companion paper from the project, Peter Davis of the British Antarctic Survey, was also named. **The Thwaites Glacier is roughly the size of Great Britain or Florida and is particularly susceptible to climate and ocean changes. The total collapse of the glacier would contribute an additional 65 centimeters to sea-level rise, whilst also destabilizing surrounding snow and ice.** Schmidt and her team develop robotic tools and instruments and use spacecraft to study planets. By exploring Earth’s ice shelves and glaciers and the oceans beneath them, Schmidt’s team helps to capture the impacts of changing climate on the cryosphere, while understanding analogs for Ocean Worlds like Jupiter’s moon Europa. **Icefin, the underwater, under-ice robotic oceanographer she and her team developed, allowed the team from the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration to access to environments under ice shelves that had never been directly observed. Shaped like a torpedo, 13 feet long and 10 inches wide, Icefin carries cameras, sonar equipment, speed sensors, water column measuring tools and other devices. The team slips it into open water through a hole.** “Using Icefin, we could see for the first time how and where significant melt under the ice shelf is happening,” Schmidt said. “These new views show us how change is happening under the ice, revealing complex and intricate systems that are responding to climate change and driving sea level rise. Antarctica may feel distant and rugged, but the truth is that it is incredibly vulnerable, and that changes there affect every one of us. Understanding how the planet responds to our actions is critical for stemming the tide of climate change.” “If crisis is going to unite us, we must find within ourselves that same empathy,” TIME editor in chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal wrote in 2022. “The spectrum of leaders on this list, wielding influence in so many ways, is a reminder that we all have the option to use our power for good.” Schmidt received a B.S. in physics from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in geophysics and space physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She’s worked on numerous NASA projects, including the Dawn and Europa Clipper missions and the Europa Lander and LUVOIR Space Telescope mission concepts. >>>>>>>>……………………>>>>>>>>……………………………>>>>>>>>> **See also:** ”[The Female Scientist Who Discovered the Basics of Climate Science — and Was Forgotten By History](https://www.audubon.org/news/the- female-scientist-who-discovered-basics-climate-science-and-was-forgotten)” ~ By Tyler Santora, Reporter, Audubon Magazine, July 17, 2019 Celebrate Eunice Foote’s 200th birthday ++++ by learning how she predicted the effect of greenhouse gases before the man who gets the credit. Over two hundred years ago, on July 17, 1819, Eunice Foote was born. Thirty-some years later, the amateur climate scientist made the remarkable discovery that when sunlight shines on carbon dioxide in a closed container — our atmosphere, for example — heat builds up inside. [She was onto the ”greenhouse effect” of the Earth’s atmosphere.](https://www.audubon.org/news/the-female-scientist-who- discovered-basics-climate-science-and-was-forgotten) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/13/the-icefin-instrument-goes- under-glaciers-for-research-on-melting/>

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Chemical Analysis of East Palestine Railroad Derailment Contamination
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 12 Apr '23

12 Apr '23

# [Chemical Analysis of East Palestine Railroad Derailment Contamination](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/12/chemical-analysis-of- east-palestine-railroad-derailment-contamination/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/87DACBF6-45E5-4880-9373-3FAB34A7853C-300x171.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/87DACBF6-45E5-4880-9373-3FAB34A7853C.jpeg) Pollution came mainly from decision to burn off contents of tank cars **East Palestine Derailment Prompts Independent Testing** From the [Staff Report, Chemical Engineering Progress](https://www.aiche- cep.com/cepmagazine/april_2023/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1869680&…), April 10, 2023 **In the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment that released hazardous chemicals into the environment in East Palestine, OH, citizens are seeking out independent testing to determine what kind of contamination the town may be facing.** Both individuals and university teams have been conducting their own sampling of the area near the chemical release. These results are still being analyzed, but initial reports suggest that there are chemicals in streams and wells in East Palestine that state and federal agencies are not looking for. "One of the biggest issues with this response has been transparency," says Andrew Whelton, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Purdue Univ. who is leading some of the independent testing. "As things have become more visible, we’ve found out that officials haven’t been testing for the right chemicals." **For instance, governmental officials had not conducted indoor surface testing of homes near the spill site as of early March.** A contractor for Norfolk Southern did one-time air monitoring in some homes, but residents told reporters that they were not informed that the testers were hired by the rail operator, according to The Guardian. Experts also say that these one-time, short-term air sampling tests are not sufficient to show that indoor air is safe. The tests conducted can detect certain volatile organic compounds, but do not measure other potential pollutants from the spill, such as benzene. **Experts have also raised concerns about dioxins, which are carcinogenic and highly persistent in the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requiring Norfolk Southern to test for dioxins within two miles of the spill site, although details of the testing plan are unclear.** **The derailment occurred on Feb. 3, 2023, when dozens of freight train cars carrying hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, isobutylene, and butyl acrylate went off the tracks and caught fire near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Several days later, officials made the decision to flare off the vinyl chloride for fear of an explosion should the flammable chemical ignite. Residents complained of chemical smells, rashes, and headaches in the days following the crash and the controlled release.** A lack of interagency communication and communication with the public created a sense of mistrust among residents from the early days after the accident. The state and county environmental and health agencies did not immediately release their testing data, nor were they forthcoming about what chemicals they were testing for, Whelton says. As a result, residents who could afford it began to seek testing through independent laboratories, and volunteers from around the country have started working to build tools to help coordinate the sharing of the results. **Devon Oship, a neuroscientist in Buffalo, NY who has a platform on TikTok, began creating forms for residents to report health symptoms, an effort that has grown into a database for citizens to report their own independent testing data under a nascent organization called United for East Palestine**. "We have been racing against the clock to make a database that can keep up with all of the new influx of information and has a good data structure to allow for a really robust analysis," Oship says. The goal is to compare the citizen-science results with official testing results from the state and federal EPA, county health department, and other responding agencies. **Independent results are still rolling in, Oship says. Whelton and other researchers at Purdue Univ., Carnegie Mellon, and Texas A &M have also traveled to East Palestine to take air and water samples and screen them broadly. So far, Whelton and his team have found that two creeks near the derailment site, Sulfur Run and Lesley Run, are contaminated with acrolein, butyl acrylate, 1,2-butadiene, ethylene glycol, naphthalene, butyl acrylate, n-butyl ether, 2-butoxy ethanol, and 2-ethyl hexanol.** Upon the team’s first visit in late February, only data about surface water in the creeks had been released, showing low contamination, Whelton says. But locals weren’t warned about possible contamination in the streambeds. "We found that people were walking their dogs near the creek and the kids were playing near the creek because they were not told about the acute, immediate health risks the creeks posed to them," Whelton says. The testing revealed gaps in the official surveillance. For example, the federal EPA had found acrolein in the air after the chemical release but had not tested surface water or drinking water wells for the chemical, Whelton says. He and his team are now doing further analysis to determine whether the levels of these contaminants are dangerous. Whelton has conducted environmental testing in the wake of other disasters, including the 2022 Marshall Fire in Colorado, and says that communities and local agencies differ in their support of bringing in outside experts and providing transparency. The situation in East Palestine has been "markedly different" than the norm, he says, with agencies being slow to publicize what chemicals they were testing for and where. The usefulness of business and property owners testing their own soil, water, and air will likely depend on what testing is available from whichever commercial lab they choose, Whelton says. Comprehensive environmental monitoring is financially out of reach for most, he says. Even Whelton and his team are unsure if they will be able to afford to return to East Palestine for additional sampling, given that they are self-funding the effort. But citizens can continue to pressure politicians and environmental agencies to expand the testing agenda, he says. **" The only way [residents] can really support the response is by requiring and demanding that the officials that are supposed to be acting in their best interest do so," Whelton says.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/12/chemical-analysis-of-east- palestine-railroad-derailment-contamination/>

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COMMENTS DUE ~ Should the PLEASANT$ POWER $TATION be Bailed Out at This Time, in This Way?
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 11 Apr '23

11 Apr '23

# [COMMENTS DUE ~ Should the PLEASANT$ POWER $TATION be Bailed Out at This Time, in This Way?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/11/comments-due- should-the-pleasant-power-tation-be-bailed-out-at-this-time-in-this-way/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/04/60445583-0800-4D10-B23E-0D5402EDB465-300x172.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/04/60445583-0800-4D10-B23E-0D5402EDB465.jpeg) The cooling tower accident happened here in April 1978, 51 worker killed. It’s on the Ohio River near St. Mary’s in Pleasants County. **DON 'T LET FIRST ENERGY SELL US OUT! ~~~ TAKE ACTION BY APRIL 14TH ** From the [West Virginians for Energy Freedom](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/) & Others, April 7, 2023 **If you are a Mon Power or Potomac Edison customer, we need your voice now!** [Submit your comments to the West Virginia Public Service Commission opposing the Pleasants Power Station bailout before April 14th.](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/pleasants-power-station-bailout-acti… First Energy is scheming to keep Pleasants Power Station open by forcing it on ratepayers like you. Not only is it an out-of-date, coal-fired power station that was actually scheduled to close in 2019, but even First Energy acknowledges that the plant is expensive to operate. The worst part is that we don’t even need the plant – we have enough power being generated in-state already to meet our needs! First Energy has proposed that Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers pay more to keep the plant open another year while government officials decide whether the plant is to be permanently subsidized by ratepayers. If the plant doesn't operate during that year, most families' bills will go up by about $36 a year – but if the plant operates, bills will go up even more. The Pleasants plant can already sell power into a regional power market, where it has to compete with other power plants. But the plant is no longer competitive, and the plant is facing serious environmental liabilities. First Energy wants ratepayers to subsidize the plant even though customers don't need the plant, and even though First Energy’s own analysis acknowledges the plant's many problems. Worse, First Energy’s proposal would protect its own shareholders, while forcing West Virginia customers to bear all of the costs and risks. If First Energy’s scheme is successful, customers would be saddled with potentially massive costs and liabilities. We've been here before. In 2017, Mon Power requested to buy the plant from another First Energy subsidiary. The PSC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission both recognized the proposal as a risky deal for West Virginians. And as before, this current Pleasants bailout proposal would raise customer bills. [TAKE ACTION](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/pleasants-power-station-bailout- action) ~ _**Please sign the petition below and add some personal information* about how increased electric bills would affect your family or business.**_ [Personalize your letter: tell the Commissioners how increased rates will harm you and the people and businesses you love.](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/pleasants-power-station-bailout-acti… Tell them why this is important to you. *Data collected will be shared with the [West Virginians for Energy Freedom](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/) coalition. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/04/11/comments-due-should-the- pleasant-power-tation-be-bailed-out-at-this-time-in-this-way/>

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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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Federal & State Legal Proceedings for Mountain Valley Pipeline Continue Month After Month
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 31 Mar '23

31 Mar '23

# [Federal & State Legal Proceedings for Mountain Valley Pipeline Continue Month After Month](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/31/federal-state- legal-proceedings-for-mountain-valley-pipeline-continue-month-after-month/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/DD0FD160-DC8D-4F9C-957A-4CEA023C0F5C-223x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/03/DD0FD160-DC8D-4F9C-957A-4CEA023C0F5C.png) Mountain Valley Pipeline Traverses Incredibly Rough Terrain Crossing Rivers & Streams **Court Upholds Virginia’s MVP Water Permit, But Ruling Forthcoming on West Virginia Approval** From an [Article by Jeremiah Shelor, Natural Gas Intelligence](https://www.naturalgasintel.com/court-upholds-virginias-mvp- water-permit-but-ruling-forthcoming-on-west-virginia-approval/), March 30, 2023 . . **The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has upheld a crucial water quality permit issued to the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) by Virginia state regulators, keeping the project on track to potentially resume and complete construction later this year. However, a forthcoming ruling on a water quality permit issued by the state of West Virginia could bring fresh setbacks for the embattled 300-mile, 2 million Dth/d Appalachian natural gas export pipeline, according to analysts.** In a ruling published Wednesday, the Fourth Circuit denied a petition to review the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s decision to approve MVP under state water quality standards. In rebuffing the petition, filed by a coalition of opposition groups, the Fourth Circuit concluded, in part, that Virginia regulators had “considered a variety of factors in determining that the construction and operation of the pipeline would comply” with state water quality standards. Still, the state-level water quality permit issued to MVP by neighboring West Virginia may also have to withstand judicial scrutiny in order to keep the project on track. **The Fourth Circuit heard oral argument in a case challenging the West Virginia water quality permit back in October “but has yet to issue a ruling,” analysts at ClearView Energy Partners LLC said in a note to clients. “We explained then that we thought it is likely that the court would return the permit to West Virginia for additional work, but that the real question is whether the court remands it without vacating it, too.”** Whether or not the court vacates the West Virginia permit could prove critical for the timeline of the pending Army Corps of Engineers Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, which requires the state water-quality approvals to be in place, the ClearView analysts said. Information posted to MVP’s federal permitting dashboard indicates the Army Corps plans to issue the Section 404 permit by late April. “If a court believes that the agency can resolve the shortcomings in a permit and would likely arrive at the same decision (in this case approval), the court can remand the permit” but preserve its legal validity, the ClearView analysts said. “Most of MVP’s schedule delays have arisen from judicial challenges that resulted in permits being vacated.” MVP is a joint venture of EQM Midstream Partners LP; NextEra Capital Holdings Inc.; Con Edison Transmission Inc.; WGL Midstream; and RGC Midstream LLC. Project backers have said work on the pipeline is roughly 94% complete and that they plan to bring the pipeline into service in the second half of 2023. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/31/federal-state-legal-proceedings- for-mountain-valley-pipeline-continue-month-after-month/>

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Drilling & Fracking Threatens Our Allegheny Plateau and Its Biodiversity
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 29 Mar '23

29 Mar '23

# [Drilling & Fracking Threatens Our Allegheny Plateau and Its Biodiversity](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/29/drilling-fracking- threatens-our-allegheny-plateau-and-its-biodiversity/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/2EF1F57C-EBEE-46C0-A13A-00B9CB0B2759.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/2EF1F57C-EBEE-46C0-A13A-00B9CB0B2759.jpeg) Fracking waste disposal in Guernsey County, OH. (These activities are known risks of creating earthquakes.) **Protect This Place: Fracking Threatens the Allegheny Plateau in PA, N.W. WV & S.E. OH** [Environmental Essay by Lisa C. Lieb, Revelator Voices](https://therevelator.org/fracking-allegheny-biodiversity/), March 27, 2023 **Let’s Protect This Place: A region historically plagued by industrial pollution is overwhelmed with unconventional oil and gas development. The Allegheny Plateau is a lower-lying portion of the Appalachian Mountain Range that extends from southern and central New York to northern and western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky.** **Why it matters:** The plateau consists of areas of gently sloping hills in the north and west of the region as well as rugged valleys in the south and east. It overlies the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale, sedimentary rock formations. The region is rich in natural resources, including hardwoods, iron ore, silica, coal, oil and natural gas. The abundance of these resources supported development in the region and were integral to the local steel, glass, rail and extraction industries. Prior to widespread logging between 1890 and 1920, the area hosted old-growth forests containing red spruce, eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, sugar maple, black oak, white oak, yellow birch and American beech. But the forest’s makeup is now different, favoring oaks, maples, hickories, American beech and yellow birch. Though fragmented and much less mature than the old-growth forests, today’s forests continue to play a vital role in ecosystems, serving as habitats for the federally endangered Indiana bat as well as locally endangered or at-risk species such as little brown bats, northern flying squirrels and blackpoll warblers. The region hosts the Ohio River watershed and confluence, the Allegheny National Forest in New York and Pennsylvania, and the Wayne National Forest in Ohio. **The threat:** Unconventional oil and gas development has boomed in the region over the past decade. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Marcellus and Utica shale plays contain approximately 214 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, making the Allegheny Plateau a lucrative location for hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” Already more than 13,000 unconventional wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania. Fracking itself is a resource intense process, requiring between 2 and 20 million gallons of water per well. A 2014 study estimated that in Pennsylvania, 80% of the water used for fracking comes from streams, rivers, and lakes, thus potentially altering water temperature and levels of dissolved oxygen. This water is combined with sand and a mixture of hazardous chemicals, which may include methanol, ethylene glycol and propargyl alcohol. Between 20-25% of the water that is injected into the well returns to the surface. This flowback water often has higher salinity and has been known to contain barium, arsenic, benzene and radium. While recycling of flowback is becoming more common, other methods of disposal include underground injection, application to road surfaces, treatment at public waste facilities, and discharging it onto rivers, streams and lakes. Near fracking sites in West Virginia, elevated levels of barium and strontium were found in feathers of Louisiana waterthrushes, native songbirds who make their home in brooks and wooded swamps. In northwestern Pennsylvania, crayfish and brook trout living in fracked streams were found to have increased levels of mercury. Fish diversity is also reduced in streams that have been fracked. Fracking consumes land, too. Each fracking well requires 3-7 acres. In Pennsylvania over 700,000 acres of state forest land are leased or available for gas production. Well pads, pipelines and other fracking infrastructure fragment forests, alter their ecology, and reduce biodiversity. Appalachian azure butterflies and federally threatened northern wild monkshood — purple- flowering herbaceous perennials found in New York and Ohio — are both sensitive to forest fragmentation. In addition to the direct impacts of fracking, the availability of natural gas in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays attracts petrochemical development to the region. Shell Polymers Monaca initiated operations in November 2022 at a newly constructed 386-acre petrochemical complex in southwestern Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. The plant manufactures virgin polyethylene pellets, which will be largely be used for production of single-use plastic products. In addition to releasing hazardous air pollutants, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, this ethane “cracker” plant will emit 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. The plant’s existence will also fuel fracking in the region; it is anticipated that it will require between 100 and 200 new wells each year in order to supply natural gas for its productions. Other petrochemical companies, including Exxon, PTT Global and Odebrecht, have reportedly been considering building similar complexes in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. **My place in this place:** I was born and raised in the area, and my family’s roots in southwestern Pennsylvania go back several generations. Some of my most cherished memories involve Pennsylvania’s forests, rivers and streams. As a child I loved my family’s summer pilgrimages to our cabin, a rustic building that had been converted from a one-room schoolhouse in the Pennsylvania Wilds. At “camp” we fished for yellow perch, smallmouth bass and walleye in the Sinnemahoning Creek and caught crayfish by hand. We sunned ourselves on the rocks along the river bank when the water was warm. In the evenings we walked on quiet, narrow roads in hopes of spotting an eastern elk in a grassy field. I now live in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, one mile from the Shell cracker plant. I can observe the plant’s flaring from my kitchen window, which often creates an ominous orange glow in the night sky. To me the plant doesn’t symbolize job creation or a rebounding local economy, despite the assertions of local and state politicians. I see the plant as the perpetuation of a hopeless dependence on fossil fuels and corporate profit at the expense of ecological integrity. I worry that fracking and an associated petrochemical buildout will destroy already fragile ecosystems throughout my home in the Allegheny Plateau. **Who’s protecting it now:** There are a variety of environmental groups located in the region. No Petro PA is an organization that resists fracking and pipeline development in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. More locally the Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community in western Pennsylvania opposes fracking and seeks to protect local community members from its harmful effects. With the rise of the Shell cracker plant, the group also formed Eyes on Shell, a community organization that aims to hold Shell accountable for its activity and advocates for the surrounding communities’ health and safety. These are just three of the many grassroots organizations working to protect the air, soil, water, wildlife and communities in the region. The national organization, FracTracker, also provides extensive data on oil and natural gas wells, pipelines, legislation and environmental health. **What this place needs:** Ideally Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will follow in the footsteps of New York and institute a ban on fracking in light of the environmental and health risks associated with unconventional gas and oil development. However, given their strong ties to the fossil fuel industry, it is unlikely that this will occur. Banning fracking on public land in the region, such as in state forests and county parks, in a practical first step in combatting forest fragmentation and pollution. At a regional level, regulations should be put in place to protect the water quality of the Ohio River. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, a multistate organization working with the federal government, could ban fracking in the Ohio River Basin in order to protect the river and its watershed. The Delaware River Basin Commission has successfully prohibited fracking within the Delaware River Basin; the rules developed by the commission could be adapted for use by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission. Additional government oversight would help to protect water quality in the region. Presently fracking is exempt from the Safe Water Drinking Act and therefore isn’t regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ending this exemption could increase water quality and safety within the Allegheny Plateau. Increased transparency from oil and gas companies is also required to protect the region’s water. As of July 2022, California is the only state in the country that requires full public disclosure of all chemicals used in fracking. Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio must implement policies that require full public disclosure of chemicals used in all phases of the fracking process. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/29/drilling-fracking-threatens-our- allegheny-plateau-and-its-biodiversity/>

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WV Public Service Commission Should Serve the Public Interest
by Frack Check WV: admin 28 Mar '23

28 Mar '23

# [WV Public Service Commission Should Serve the Public Interest](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/28/wv-public-service- commission-should-serve-the-public-interest/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/8CED8432-1407-45ED-A88C-16018318915F.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/8CED8432-1407-45ED-A88C-16018318915F.jpeg) “Climate, Jobs & Justice” are the Three Pillars of the WV Climate Alliance **The choice and the burden of energy in West Virginia** From the [Letter to Editor of Perry Bryant, Charleston Gazette](https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/perry- bryant-the-choice-and-the-burden-of-energy-in-wv- opinion/article_e748f9d9-9db3-5c93-aeef-41be6cb16cf9.html), March 28, 2023 **Last year, Charlotte Lane, chairwoman of the West Virginia Public Service Commission, wrote an op-ed claiming that burning coal is cheaper than installing renewables, such as wind and solar. That really depends on what costs are included, and Lane failed to include the harm that burning coal causes — costs that renewables don’t incur. Plus, a lot has happened since she wrote her op-ed.** Lane’s basic argument is that solar and wind are intermittent sources of energy while coal is available all the time. The myth of coal’s super reliability was pierced recently when Standard & Poor’s reported that one of three coal-fired units at Harrison Power plant and two of three coal-fired units at John Amos were shut down during part or all of the frigid polar vortex in West Virginia last December — just when we needed their energy the most. Lane also dismissed battery storage as too expensive for storing solar and wind energy when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. However, battery storage technology is rapidly evolving. Form Energy, for example, recently announced that it is opening a battery manufacturing facility in Weirton to make batteries that can store, and then discharge, power for 100 hours at a cost of one-tenth of lithium-ion batteries, the type of batteries utilities currently use. If Form Energy can deliver on its claims, it will make renewables very reliable at a very reasonable price. I do agree with Lane that we should consider the cost of battery storage when comparing the cost of renewables versus the cost of coal. But we also should consider the cost of the harm that occurs from burning coal. **These costs are substantial. The West Virginia University College of Law’s Center on Energy and Sustainable Development found that almost 100 deaths can be avoided in West Virginia in 2035 by adopting renewable sources of energy, instead of relying on burning coal for our electricity.** What’s the cost of these avoidable deaths? And what are the additional costs associated with global warming caused primarily by burning coal and other fossil fuels — including increased severity of flooding, longer lasting and more extreme heat waves, more intense hurricanes, etc.? **The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that the social cost of carbon — that is the total amount of damages from emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere — is $190 per ton of carbon dioxide.** The five coal-fired power plants under the jurisdiction of the PSC emitted 38 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2021 according to the Energy Information Administration, and caused $7.2 billion in damage using the social cost of carbon. The John Amos plant in Putnam County alone emitted 11 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2021 causing $2.1 billion in damages. **The social cost and resulting damages from emissions from solar and wind? Zero. ~ It’s a lot easier to claim that coal is cheaper than wind, solar and battery storage when you don’t include $7 billion in annual damages that coal- fired power plants cause with their emissions.** To be fair to Lane, neither the emergence of Form Energy’s breakthrough on new battery development nor the EPA’s proposed social cost of carbon was available when she wrote her op-ed last year. **West Virginia is at a crossroads.** We can double down on burning coal, with all its adverse effects, or we can transition to clean energy. For the next 10 years, the federal government will provide tax incentives to partially offset the cost of utility companies installing solar, wind, geothermal and other carbon-free sources of energy. This window of opportunity shuts in 2032. After that, West Virginia utility customers will be stuck with the entire bill for developing new sources of electricity. To avoid huge cost increases to consumers, we need leadership from Lane and West Virginia’s utilities. The choice is theirs. But the cost savings from adopting clean energy or the true cost of burning coal will be ours. >>> [Perry Bryant lives in Charleston. He is a co-founder and leader of the West Virginia Climate Alliance.](https://www.wvclimatealliance.org/) #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **SEE ALSO:** [PSC orders audit of Mon Power, Potomac Edison lobbying expenses](https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/psc- orders-audit-of-mon-power-potomac-edison-lobbying- expenses/article_e30e9673-5fa1-5b65-94b8-5752c2fa9c3d.html), Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette, March 28, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/28/wv-public-service-commission- should-serve-the-public-interest/>

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Pennsylvania Now Has Crypto Mining Problems Including Sustained Noise & GHG Emissions
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 27 Mar '23

27 Mar '23

# [Pennsylvania Now Has Crypto Mining Problems Including Sustained Noise & GHG Emissions](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/27/pennsylvania-now-has- crypto-mining-problems-including-sustained-noise-ghg-emissions/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/7F294E9A-638F-466C-81E3-FBF86FCC6A85.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/7F294E9A-638F-466C-81E3-FBF86FCC6A85.jpeg) Consuming excess natural gas to run banks of computers, noise from cooling fans and GHG emissions **Crypto Mining at Gas Wells Sparks Regulatory Headaches, Outcry in Northwestern Pennsylvania** From an [Article by Audrey Carleton, Capital & Main News](https://capitalandmain.com/crypto-mining-at-gas-wells-sparks-regulato… headaches-outcry-in-northwestern-pennsylvania), March 22, 2023 . . **Before obtaining the required permits, Diversified Energy began installing cryptocurrency mining infrastructure on one of its thousands of well pads.** **Longhorn Pad C** is located about half a mile south of a small cemetery and a little over a mile north of a Methodist church in **Elk County, in northwestern Pennsylvania**. With a population of around 30,000, this county sits squarely in the center of the path the Marcellus Shale formation takes as it curves through the commonwealth. The lonely well pad houses four natural gas wells that records show were initially drilled in 2011 but sat inactive for years after that. Now, it also houses infrastructure designed to mine cryptocurrency, which, according to a comment filed by the surrounding township’s Board of Supervisors, hums loudly enough to have solicited numerous noise complaints from residents. Though it has applied for them, the company behind this operation has yet to receive the permits it is required by law to construct or operate the engines to power a cryptocurrency mine. **“After a recent inspection, the [Department of Environmental Protection] PA- DEP has determined that Diversified was in violation,” said Tom Decker, community relations coordinator at the PA-DEP’s Northwest Regional Office, “as it had installed equipment for its cryptocurrency operations prior to the issuance of a plan approval issued by the Department. “The company is required by law to obtain a plan approval from PA-DEP prior to installation and operation of the air contamination sources,” Decker said. “Installation of the equipment without a plan approval could lead to enforcement action by the PA-DEP.”** The pad is owned by a fossil fuel operator that’s come under fire in recent years for purchasing tens of thousands of low-producing oil and gas wells without a clear business motive and for making unrealistic budget projections that minimize the true cost of plugging, critics say. In doing so, it has amassed the largest portfolio of old, low-producing wells in Appalachia. That operator is **Diversified Energy Company PLC** , the parent company to Diversified Production LLC, which recently applied for a permit with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) to add five natural gas-powered engines and one generator to the well pad with the intention of mining cryptocurrency. What the operator’s permit application does not disclose is that Diversified would go on to prematurely install cryptocurrency infrastructure on the pad, and while the PA-DEP reported that it was not operational on the day of a March 1 site visit, the department confirmed that the operator had installed one engine and two trailers holding cryptocurrency mining computers in violation of environmental law. According to the township that houses the site, it’s already showing signs of running. **“We are aware that Diversified Production has installed small engines on the gas well sites to generate cryptocurrency,” Jay Township’s Board of Supervisors wrote in a comment to the PA-DEP in January. “We have received many complaints on the noise disturbance of these engines.”** The engines will power what’s called wellhead mining, in which a cryptocurrency data center is powered directly by an oil or gas well. This pad appears to be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania to go through a formal permitting process for the practice, which is gaining prominence throughout the Keystone State, home to hundreds of thousands of abandoned wells and rich methane stores. It is not clear when Diversified installed cryptocurrency equipment on the pad without a permit. A PA-DEP inspection report from June 2022 notes that “the operator is installing equipment to resume cryptocurrency mining operations using the production from four producing Marcellus shale wells on the pad.” Another one filed in August 2022 includes photos of large trailers that, according to the PA-DEP, currently house cryptocurrency equipment. A PA-DEP representative told Capital & Main that the department did not learn that the equipment was installed until mid-February. **“Given Diversified’s history, this is not a surprise,” said Charles McPhedran, a senior attorney with Earthjustice and co-author of a comment opposing Diversified’s cryptocurrency permit application to the DEP. “The question is whether PA-DEP can make a forceful response to rogue crypto operators.** ” This new use for old wells, which has in recent years proliferated in other major oil and gas states including Texas, could extend fossil fuel production in Pennsylvania — and threaten to stall progress toward its climate goals, including an aim to reduce the commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions by 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. The emissions intensity of Bitcoin, which is “mined” via data centers that can plug into the electrical grid or directly into energy sources, as Diversified proposes, is larger than that of some countries. As states grapple with the need to transition from fossil fuels, environmentalists fear that attaching new cryptocurrency operations to untapped or otherwise dying energy sources will only extend their life. Longhorn Pad C appears to be a perfect example, per Capital & Main’s review of public records relating to the pad. A handful of environmental groups in Pennsylvania first took note of Diversified’s proposal in December, when the PA-DEP announced in the state bulletin its intention to approve the operator’s request, soliciting public comments on the matter. In January, staff from the Clean Air Council, Earthjustice and PennFuture filed a comment arguing against issuing the permit entirely — in part because of discrepancies on the permit application; in part because of the noise pollution that such data centers are known to cause; in part because the emissions intensity of cryptocurrency data mining is threatening to set back decades of climate progress; but primarily because, by the operator’s own admission, it has unresolved environmental violations at 19 other oil and gas sites. What the commenters didn’t know at the time was that the operator had jumped the gun and installed cryptocurrency infrastructure while awaiting the proper permits. The pad also appears to follow the exact trend environmentalists fear when it comes to the use of stranded fossil fuel assets for cryptocurrency: It sat inactive for years before Diversified bought it, saw low production volumes once online and was primed for cryptocurrency a few months into its productive life. **According to the PA-DEP, Diversified acquired Longhorn Pad C in September of 2021 from another prominent Marcellus operator, EQT, with which the company has been accused of “playing hot potato” with abandoned oil and gas wells.** EQT was initially permitted for the well pad in 2010, DEP records show. But it was unproductive for nearly 10 years after being spud (in which the initial drillings for an oil or gas well are made) in 2011, according to records reviewed by Capital & Main but compiled by the Capitol Forum, an investigative news and analysis organization. Per the PA-DEP, the well pad was placed on “inactive status” for that duration. After it sat undrilled for all that time, the well pad came online in December of 2021, according to the PA-DEP, after Diversified acquired it three months earlier, and was active for about six months before its new owner applied for permits that would give it a second life as a cryptocurrency mine in May of 2022. The well pad’s production volumes have remained relatively low since Diversified began drilling from it, totalling less than 90,000 cubic feet of natural gas for all four wells over all of 2022, Capitol Forum’s records show. The Internal Revenue Service defines a marginal, or low-producing, natural gas well to be one that generates less than 90,000 cubic feet per day. The timing of Diversified’s permit application, coupled with the well pad’s years of inactivity and recent meager production volumes, could indicate that it might have otherwise been a good candidate for decommissioning — and has since been thrown a lifeline. **“That is Diversified’s business model. They acquire underperforming assets and try to squeeze as much value out of them as possible,” said Daniel Sherwood, an editor at the Capitol Forum whose meticulously compiled database of production and financial records on the fossil fuel industry has also informed several critical reports by the nonprofit environmental think tank the Ohio River Valley Institute arguing that Diversified is employing questionable, potentially climate-threatening business practices.** “[Diversified] describes its strategy as ‘acquiring low-cost, long-life, low- decline’ oil and gas wells that previous owners found uneconomic,” an April 2022 report from the Ohio River Valley Institute reads. Should the company find itself unable to plug these wells, “Taxpayers could be left with a massive bill for cleaning up the wells that Diversified leaves behind, as well as an ongoing discharge of climate-warming greenhouse gases.” Diversified’s installation of a cryptocurrency mine comes as the commonwealth reckons with its abandoned well crisis. Environmental groups have warned that the practices of companies like this one, which is buying stranded and low- producing assets and assuming liability for plugging them based on questionable calculations, will do little to lessen this crisis. In other parts of the state, cryptocurrency miners are plugging directly into natural gas wellheads, old coal mines and former steel plants — could orphaned or low- producing wells offer Bitcoin a new frontier? The cryptocurrency industry appears to be positioning itself to solve the abandoned well crisis by assuming liability for low-producing wells and their plugging costs — only after using them to mine cryptocurrency via the proof- of-work (POW) algorithm for the rest of their productive lives. Via the POW algorithm, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) miners mint new “coins” by competing with brute force guessing to solve a mathematical equation. This process is extremely energy intensive and, critics argue, wasteful by design. A small nonprofit lobbying group called the Satoshi Action Fund believes Bitcoin could, in fact, be an “environmental cleanup machine” for states with swaths of abandoned wells; by hooking up to wells that are already leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to power a revenue-generating task, places like Pennsylvania can begin to take small bites out of their orphaned well numbers, founder Dennis Porter told Capital & Main. The organization has drafted sample legislation for states endeavoring to streamline the process for doing so. Dubbed the Orphaned Well Bitcoin Mining Partnership Program, the bill — which can be tweaked between states — mandates that state departments of environmental protection create programs that partner with Bitcoin miners to offer them liability for the state’s abandoned wells, as well as federal funds from well-plugging initiatives created by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The bill has already been introduced in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas. Environmentalists caution that going this route will only extend the lifeline of fossil fuel assets that are in desperate need of retirement. In the long term, they argue, adding cryptocurrency facilities to dying oil wells will further entrench us in fossil fuel dependency by creating newfound demand for oil and gas. “Crypto has the specter of restarting fossil [fuel] in Pennsylvania,” McPhedran said. “We’re a state that has seen a lot of harmful effects from coal and gas, and we don’t need a new way to use fossil fuels.” A Diversified spokesperson told Capital & Main that the company endeavors to “minimize” its “environmental footprint” while “providing clean energy” to communities. The company told Capital & Main it believes it is in compliance with environmental law. “Diversified takes pride in the responsible stewardship model we have built, where we focus on improving and managing producing natural gas and oil wells from acquisition through retirement,” Diversified’s spokesperson said. **Robert Routh, public policy and regulatory attorney at Clean Air Council, who co-authored the comment with McPhedran and Rob Altenburg, senior director for energy and climate at PennFuture, notes that the true volume of cryptocurrency mining across Pennsylvania has proven difficult to track, because some miners avert the permitting process entirely, attaching data centers to wells in remote areas for varying lengths of time without regulators ever taking note. Perhaps the most famous local instance of this took place in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, in January 2022, when a DEP inspector stopped by a natural gas well site owned by Big Dog Energy only to find that the company had installed data centers and accompanying generators on it without authorization.** “The mobility and the remoteness of some of these operations occurring at well sites in Pennsylvania makes them and their pollution extremely difficult to quantify,” Routh says. But local communities around these sites are beginning to notice. Just 14 miles from Longhorn Pad C, the township of St. Mary’s recently adopted a zoning ordinance for future cryptocurrency projects that requires all future mines to be set at least 100 feet from a street or property boundary, to stay within a maximum sound level and to produce evidence that they won’t adversely affect the city’s electrical grid or Wi-Fi connections. A zoning officer with the city told Capital & Main that the City Council was prompted to pass the ordinance in part in response to Diversified’s cryptocurrency permit application. **And in Jay Township, the Board of Supervisors is urging the PA-DEP to account for noise limitations as it considers permits for Longhorn Pad C. “What efforts are being made to reduce the unreasonable noise beyond the property line?” they wrote in their comment.** The PA-DEP has yet to issue a permit for the well, but if it does, that would be against the law, argue the comment authors, who believe the operator’s unaddressed environmental violations would render it ineligible for new permits under the state’s Air Pollution Control Act. The PA-DEP’s Decker did not comment on how Diversified’s premature installation of equipment would affect its pending permit application. “We can only say that it is a violation and PA-DEP could take enforcement action in cases where it becomes known,” he said. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/27/pennsylvania-now-has-crypto- mining-problems-including-sustained-noise-ghg-emissions/>

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IPCC Says Fossil Fuels Must Be Closed Down ASAP To Avoid Catastrophic Events
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 26 Mar '23

26 Mar '23

# [IPCC Says Fossil Fuels Must Be Closed Down ASAP To Avoid Catastrophic Events](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/26/ipcc-says-fossil-fuels-must- be-closed-down-asap-to-avoid-catastrophic-events/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/FBF90FE8-3B44-4060-83A1-426E8EF4C13E-300x273.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/FBF90FE8-3B44-4060-83A1-426E8EF4C13E.jpeg) “Keep It In The Ground” where Mother Nature Put It! **TEN (10) POLICIES FOR LIMITING G.H.G. AND MEETING CLIMATE GOALS** From an [Article by Joseph Winters, Grist Magazine](https://grist.org/economics/the-ipcc-says-we-need-to-phase-down- fossil-fuels-fast-heres-how-the-us-could-do-it/), March 24, 2023 **The IPCC says we need to phase down fossil fuels, fast. Here’s how the US could do it. A new report lists 10 policies to constrain polluting infrastructure and achieve key climate goals.** On Monday, a panel of the world’s top climate scientists released a grave warning: Current policies are not enough to stave off the most devastating consequences of climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, climate pollution from the world’s existing coal, oil, and gas projects is already enough to launch the planet past 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming, and world leaders must abandon up to $4 trillion in fossil fuels and related infrastructure by midcentury if they want to keep within safe temperature limits. Instead, rich countries like the United States are going in the opposite direction. Just last week, President Joe Biden approved ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project, a so-called “carbon bomb” that could add some 239 million metric tons of carbon emissions to the atmosphere, about as much as the annual emissions from 64 coal-fired power plants. A new report released this week, “An Economist’s Case for Restrictive Supply- Side Policies,” argues that bans, moratoria, and similar measures are sorely needed to keep the United States from extracting more fossil fuels. It highlights 10 policies that can complement clean energy investments to help the country achieve the goals of the IPCC while also prioritizing the health and economic security of America’s most vulnerable communities. “The IPCC shows that restrictive supply-side measures have to be part of the policy mix,” said Mark Paul, a Rutgers University professor and a coauthor of the report. “We actually need to stop extracting and burning fossil fuels, there’s just no way around it.” Until quite recently, most American economists and policymakers have focused on demand-side solutions to climate change — primarily a carbon price that would leave curbing greenhouse gas emissions up to market forces. Supply-side policies, on the other hand, are concerned with suppressing the amount of fossil fuels available for purchase. They come in two flavors: supportive and restrictive. Supportive supply-side policies include some of the tax credits and subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate spending law that Biden signed last year, which support renewable energy to displace fossil fuels. Restrictive policies more actively seek to constrain fossil fuel development. Some of the most aggressive policies recommended in the new report would use congressional authority to stop new fossil fuel projects, whether by banning new leases for extraction on federal lands and in federal waters or by outlawing all new pipelines, export terminals, gas stations, and other infrastructure nationwide. Other measures would use economic levers to restrict fossil fuel development. For example, taxing the fossil fuel industry’s windfall profits could curtail supply by making oil and gas production less profitable. Requiring publicly traded companies to disclose their climate-related financial risks could also accelerate decarbonization by making polluters without credible transition plans unattractive to investors. The benefit of these policies, Paul said, is that they can directly constrain carbon-intensive activities and therefore more certainly guarantee a reduction in climate pollution. That’s not the case with demand-side policies, where lawmakers have to hope that consumers’ behavior will lead to less fossil fuel being produced and burned. (The Inflation Reduction Act included some of these policies, like consumer subsidies for electric vehicles and other low- emissions technologies.) Restrictive supply-side policies in the U.S. can also support international decarbonization. If the U.S. were to only reduce domestic demand for fossil fuels while keeping supply high, it could reduce the price of oil, gas, and coal abroad — incentivizing other countries to use more of those fuels. That said, not all restrictive supply-side policies are an easy sell. Some, like nationalizing the fossil fuel industry — which would effectively neutralize the sector’s outsize political influence and allow it to be dismantled in an orderly fashion — have not yet entered the political mainstream. Others, however, are closer to reality, and five have previously been introduced in congressional bills. The Keep It in the Ground Act, for example, introduced in 2021 by Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, from Oregon, sought to prevent public lands and waters from being leased for fossil fuel extraction. The 2021 Block All New Oil Exports Act, sponsored by Democratic Senator Ed Markey, from Massachusetts, proposed reinstating a ban on exporting U.S. crude oil and natural gas, which was in place for 40 years before Congress lifted it in 2015. Philipe Le Billon, a geography professor at the University of British Columbia who runs a database on restrictive supply-side policies to curtail fossil fuels around the world, said ending federal subsidies to the fossil fuel industry is the policy most likely to garner bipartisan political support. “It would be so easy to say, ‘Come on, you made $200 billion last year, so no more subsidies,’” he told Grist. The End Polluter Welfare Act, introduced in 2021 by Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, from Vermont, and Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, from Minnesota, sought to do just that, in addition to stopping public funds from being used for fossil fuel research and development. The fossil fuel industry gets somewhere between $10 and $50 billion in U.S. subsidies every year. Paul said it’s hard to imagine any of the policies being enacted while the House of Representatives is under Republican leadership, but he highlighted the climate-related financial risk disclosure policy as a candidate for bipartisan support, since it seeks to inform action from investors. “Even the staunchest capitalist should be on board with this,” he said. Outside of Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission, an independent federal agency that protects investors from financial fraud and manipulation, has proposed such a policy. Subnational “fossil-free zones” — areas that are off-limits to some or all types of fossil fuel development, like oil and gas drilling, gas stations, or export terminals — could be promising too; they’ve already been declared in many communities, and they demonstrate how combined demand- and supply-side interventions could play a role in a more comprehensive fossil fuel phaseout. To gain momentum for restrictive supply-side policies, Paul said it’s crucial to educate policymakers about “the actual math” behind U.S. and international climate goals. Investments in clean energy are a good start, Paul said, but they’re just “the first bite out of the apple. We need many more bites to limit emissions and preserve some semblance of a habitable planet.” ### URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/26/ipcc-says-fossil-fuels-must-be- closed-down-asap-to-avoid-catastrophic-events/>

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CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOW A CRISIS ~ “Time is Running Out” ~ Let’s Admit It!
by Frack Check WV: S. Tom Bond 25 Mar '23

25 Mar '23

# [CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOW A CRISIS ~ “Time is Running Out” ~ Let’s Admit It!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/25/climate-change-is-now-a- crisis-%e2%80%9ctime-is-running-out%e2%80%9d-let%e2%80%99s-admit-it/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/F8803F69-0E91-4FF0-9248-3793F51A3863.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/F8803F69-0E91-4FF0-9248-3793F51A3863.jpeg) Keeling Curve showing how carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere **' Time is Running Out,' American Petroleum Institute Chief Said in 1965 Speech on Climate** From an [Article by Sharon Kelly, DeSmog Blog](https://www.desmog.com/2018/11/20/american-petroleum- institute-1965-speech-climate-change-oil-gas/), November 20, 2018 The warning is clear and dire — and the source unexpected. “This report unquestionably will fan emotions, raise fears, and bring demand for action,” the president of the American Petroleum Institute (API) told an oil industry conference, as he described research into climate change caused by fossil fuels. **“The substance of the report is that there is still time to save the world’s peoples from the catastrophic consequence of pollution, but time is running out.”** ~~~ The speaker wasn’t Mike Sommers, who was named to helm API this past May. Nor was it Jack Gerard, who served as API’s president for roughly a decade starting in 2008. **The API president speaking those words was named Frank Ikard — and the year was 1965, over a half-century ago.** It was the same year that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Muhammad Ali felled Sonny Liston in the first round, and Malcom X was fatally shot in New York. The first American ground combat troops arrived in Vietnam and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law establishing Medicaid and Medicare. It would be another four years before American astronaut Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon — and another decade before the phrase “global warming” would appear for the first time in a peer-reviewed study. And 1965, according to a letter by Stanford historian Benjamin Franta published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature, was the year that President Johnson’s Science Advisory Committee published a report titled “Restoring the Quality of Our Environment,” whose findings Ikard described at that year’s annual API meeting. “One of the most important predictions of the report is that carbon dioxide is being added to the Earth’s atmosphere by the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas at such a rate that by the year 2000 the heat balance will be so modified as possibly to cause marked changes in climate beyond local or even national efforts,” Ikard presciently added, according to excerpts from his speech published in Nature. **Text of a speech by American Petroleum Institute leadership on climate change** ~~~ _“This report unquestionably will fan emotions, raise fears, and bring demands for action. The substance of the report is that there is still time to save the world 's peoples from the catastrophic consequence of pollution, but time is running out. “One of the most important predictions of the report is that carbon dioxide is being added to the earth's atmosphere by the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas at such a rate that by the year 2000 the heat balance will be so modified as possibly to cause marked changes in climate beyond local or even national efforts. “The report further states, and I quote: "..the pollution from internal combustion engines is so serious, and is growing so fast, that an alternative nonpolluting means of powering automobiles, buses, and trucks is likely to become a national necessity.”_ —- Exerpt of API President Frank Ikard’s 1965 speech on climate change and fossil fuels. **API Funded Early Research Linking CO2 and Fossil Fuels** That prediction was based in part on information that was known to the oil industry trade group for over a decade — including research that was directly funded by the API, according to Nature. In 1954, a California Institute of Technology geochemist sent the API a research proposal in which they reported that fossil fuels had already caused carbon dioxide (CO2) levels to rise roughly five percent since 1854 — a finding that Nature notes has since proved to be accurate. API accepted the proposal and funded that Caltech research, giving the program the name Project 53. Project 53 collected thousands of CO2 measurements — but the results were never published. Meanwhile, other researchers were reaching similar conclusions. Nuclear physicist Edward Teller became known in 1951 as the “father of the hydrogen bomb” for designing a thermonuclear bomb that was even more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Teller warned the oil and gas industry in 1959 about global warming and sea level rise in a talk titled “Energy Patterns of the Future.” “Carbon dioxide has a strange property,” Teller said in excerpts published earlier this year by The Guardian. “It transmits visible light but it absorbs the infrared radiation which is emitted from the earth. Its presence in the atmosphere causes a greenhouse effect.” A researcher at Humble Oil Co. (now known as ExxonMobil) checked results from a study of carbon isotopes in tree rings against the unpublished Caltech results, and found that the two separate methods essentially **And in 1960, Charles Keeling first published the measurements that became the famous “Keeling curve” — establishing one of the bedrock findings connecting climate change to fossil fuels. The CO2 measurements taken by Keeling back in the late 1950s showed levels of roughly 315 parts per million (ppm) at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii and rising.** **Those CO2 levels have since climbed upwards to 410.13 (ppm) on the day that the Nature letter was published — CO2 levels that scientists knew both then and now would be dangerously high, as carbon levels in the Earth’s atmosphere have not been over 410 ppm in millions of years.** **What the Oil Industry Knew, Then and Now (2018)** In his 1965 talk, the API’s Ikard described the role of oil and gasoline specifically in causing climate change. “The report further states, and I quote: ‘… the pollution from internal combustion engines is so serious, and is growing so fast,’” he told the API conference, “‘that an alternative nonpolluting means of powering automobiles, buses, and trucks is likely to become a national necessity.’” Three decades later, the API urged a different approach to climate science. “It’s not known for sure whether (a) climate change actually is occurring, or (b) if it is, whether humans really have any influence on it,” the API wrote in a 1998 draft memo titled “Global Climate Science Communications Plan,” which was subsequently leaked. It’s worth noting that since 1965, the science connecting climate change to fossil fuels has grown stronger and more robust. A scientific consensus around the hazards of climate change and the role that fossil fuels play in causing it has formed. “Rigorous analysis of all data and lines of evidence shows that most of the observed global warming over the past 50 years or so cannot be explained by natural causes and instead requires a significant role for the influence of human activities,” the Royal Society explains. **Today, the API continues to call for further research on climate change — and expanding the use of fossil fuels in the meantime.** “It is clear that climate change is a serious issue that requires research for solutions and effective policies that allow us to meet our energy needs while protecting the environment: that’s why oil and gas companies are working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,” the API’s webpage on climate change states. **“Yet archival documents show that even before Keeling published his measurements,” Franta’s letter published by Nature says, “oil industry leaders were aware that their products were causing CO2 pollution to accumulate in the planet’s atmosphere, in a potentially dangerous fashion.”** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/25/climate-change-is-now-a- crisis-%e2%80%9ctime-is-running-out%e2%80%9d-let%e2%80%99s-admit-it/>

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Major Event on the “IRA” @ Public Library in Wheeling, WV
by Frack Check WV: admin 24 Mar '23

24 Mar '23

# [Major Event on the “IRA” @ Public Library in Wheeling, WV](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/24/major-event-on- the-%e2%80%9cira%e2%80%9d-public-library-in-wheeling-wv/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/38322C17-C1B4-41FB- BE3A-BB0D9B1744DA-300x118.jpg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/38322C17-C1B4-41FB-BE3A-BB0D9B1744DA.jpeg) West Virginia is in the Spotlight of transition already (Click on this image to magnify it) **To All Local Citizens & Residents Able to Attend** From the Coalition of Regional Organizations, CCAN, SUN, WV Rivers, CAG, New Jobs & WV-EE **How can the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) help YOU save money?** [Join our FREE event on Saturday, March 25th in Wheeling, WV](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow-wheeling-tickets-590196582867). For nearly two years, we endured the many bumps and roadblocks traversing the long and winding road that led us to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Now this historic climate legislation has the potential to deeply impact our lives and the world around us by investing in clean energy, energy efficiency and community development initiatives. But you might wonder… [How will the IRA actually impact YOUR life? Let us tell you!](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow-wheeling-tickets-5901965828… **Join us Saturday, March 25, at 12:30 PM in Wheeling for an exciting FREE in- person presentation on how the Inflation Reduction Act can benefit YOU and your community!** The IRA is full of unprecedented investments and ambitious climate policies that can cut climate pollution 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2035 while creating hundreds of thousands of family sustaining jobs while advancing racial, economic and environmental justice. _Are you in?_ Join us March 25 in Wheeling to learn how to sort through this enormous bill and find out how you can personally save money, make energy efficient updates to your home, uplift your community and much, much more! **CCAN will be joining forces with Leah Barbor from Solar United Neighbors, Morgan King from West Virginia Rivers, Dani Parent from West Virginia Citizen Action Group, Brandi Reece from WV New Jobs Coalition and Morgan Fowler from West Virginians for Energy Efficiency to show how individuals, municipalities, and organizations can benefit from millions of dollars of investments contained in the Inflation Reduction Act.** [Click here to RSVP for March 25 and learn how you and your community can benefit from these investments.](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow- wheeling-tickets-590196582867) **If you want to learn more but can’t make it to Wheeling** , rest assured! We have many more IRA Roadshows planned for the upcoming months. [Click this link to learn more about our next stops in Morgantown and Huntington](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ira-roadshow-wheeling- tickets-590196582867). **Invite everyone you know and we 'll see you there!** >>> Prepared by Holly Bradley, Federal Team, Chesapeake Climate Action Network URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/24/major-event-on- the-%e2%80%9cira%e2%80%9d-public-library-in-wheeling-wv/>

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EXXON knew quite accurately ~ some 45 years ago ~ about the Climate Crisis!
by Frack Check WV: admin 23 Mar '23

23 Mar '23

# [EXXON knew quite accurately ~ some 45 years ago ~ about the Climate Crisis!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/23/exxon-knew-quite-accuratel… some-45-years-ago-about-the-climate-crisis/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/9F67D019-1B1B-43C8-8F41-5E46C00041B4-300x265.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/9F67D019-1B1B-43C8-8F41-5E46C00041B4.jpeg) EXXON knew more and pretended not …. **Exxon disputed climate findings for years & Its scientists knew better** From an [Article by Alice McCarthy, Harvard Gazette](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/01/harvard-led-analysi… finds-exxonmobil-internal-research-accurately-predicted-climate-change/), January 12, 2023 **Research shows that EXXON modeled and predicted global warming with 'shocking skill and accuracy' starting in the 1970s** GRAPH CITATION ~ Summary of all global warming projections reported by ExxonMobil scientists in internal documents between 1977 and 2003 (gray lines), superimposed on historically observed temperature change (red). Solid gray lines indicate global warming projections modeled by ExxonMobil scientists themselves; dashed gray lines indicate projections internally reproduced by ExxonMobil scientists from third-party sources. Shades of gray scale with model start dates, from earliest (1977: lightest) to latest (2003: darkest). Projections created internally by ExxonMobil starting in the late 1970s on the impact of fossil fuels on climate change were very accurate, even surpassing those of some academic and governmental scientists, according to an analysis published in Science by a team of Harvard-led researchers. Despite those forecasts, team leaders say, the multinational energy giant continued to sow doubt about the gathering crisis. In “ **Assessing ExxonMobil’s Global Warming Projections** ,” researchers from Harvard and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research show for the first time the accuracy of previously unreported forecasts created by company scientists from 1977 through 2003. The Harvard team discovered that Exxon researchers created a series of remarkably reliable models and analyses projecting global warming from carbon dioxide emissions over the coming decades. Specifically, Exxon projected that fossil fuel emissions would lead to 0.20 degrees Celsius of global warming per decade, with a margin of error of 0.04 degrees — a trend that has been proven largely accurate. **“This paper is the first ever systematic assessment of a fossil fuel company’s climate projections, the first time we’ve been able to put a number on what they knew,” said Geoffrey Supran, lead author and former research fellow in the History of Science at Harvard. “What we found is that between 1977 and 2003, excellent scientists within Exxon modeled and predicted global warming with, frankly, shocking skill and accuracy only for the company to then spend the next couple of decades denying that very climate science.”** “We thought this was a unique opportunity to understand what Exxon knew about this issue and what level of scientific understanding they had at the time,” added co-author Naomi Oreskes, Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science whose work looks at the causes and effects of climate change denial. “We found that not only were their forecasts extremely skillful, but they were also often more skillful than forecasts made by independent academic and government scientists at the exact same time.” Allegations that oil company executives sought to mislead the public about the industry’s role in climate change have drawn increasing scrutiny in recent years, including lawsuits by several states and cities and a recent high profile U.S. House committee investigation. Harvard’s scientists used established Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) statistical techniques to test the performance of Exxon’s models. They found that, depending on the metric used, 63-83 percent of the global warming projections reported by Exxon scientists were consistent with actual temperatures over time. Moreover, the corporation’s own projections had an average “skill score” of 72 percent, plus or minus 6 percent, with the highest scoring 99 percent. A skill score relates to how well a forecast compares to what happens in real life. For comparison, NASA scientist James Hansen’s global warming predictions presented to the U.S. Congress in 1988 had scores from 38 to 66 percent. **The researchers report that Exxon scientists correctly dismissed the possibility of a coming ice age, accurately predicted that human-caused global warming would first be detectable in the year 2000, plus or minus five years, and reasonably estimated how much CO2 would lead to dangerous warming.** The current debate about when Exxon knew about the impact on climate change carbon emissions began in 2015 following news reports of internal company documents describing the multinational’s early knowledge of climate science. Exxon disagreed with the reports, even providing a link to internal studies and memos from their own scientists and suggesting that interested parties should read them and make up their own minds. “That’s exactly what we did,” said Supran, who is now at the University of Miami. Together, he and Oreskes spent a year researching those documents and in 2017 published a series of three papers analyzing Exxon’s 40-year history of climate communications. They were able to show there was a systematic discrepancy between what Exxon was saying internally and in academic circles versus what they were telling the public. “That led us to conclude that they had quantifiably misled the public, by essentially contributing quietly to climate science and yet loudly promoting doubt about that science,” said Supran. In 2021, the team published a new study in One Earth using algorithmic techniques to identify ways in which ExxonMobil used increasingly subtle but systematic language to shape the way the public talks and thinks about climate change — often in misleading ways. These findings were hardly a surprise to Oreskes, given her long history of studying climate communications from fossil fuel companies, work that drew national attention with her 2010 bestseller, “Merchants of Doubt.” In it she and co-author, Caltech researcher Erik Conway, argued that Exxon was aware of the threat of carbon emissions on climate change yet waged a disinformation campaign about the problem. Despite the book’s popularity and the peer- reviewed papers with Supran, however, some continued to wonder whether she could prove the effect these campaigns had, if they indeed made a difference. “I think this new study is the smoking gun, the proof, because it shows the degree of understanding … this really deep, really sophisticated, really skillful understanding that was obscured by what came next,” Oreskes said. “It proves a point I’ve argued for years that ExxonMobil scientists knew about this problem to a shockingly fine degree as far back as the 1980s, but company spokesmen denied, challenged, and obscured this science, starting in the late 1980s/early 1990s.” **Added Supran: “Our analysis here I think seals the deal on that matter. We now have totally unimpeachable evidence that Exxon accurately predicted global warming years before it turned around and publicly attacked climate science and scientists.”** >>> The authors of this research were supported by a Rockefeller Family Fund grant and Harvard University Faculty Development funds. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/23/exxon-knew-quite-accurately- some-45-years-ago-about-the-climate-crisis/>

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EXXONMOBIL Completes Major Refinery Expansion in East Texas
by Frack Check WV: admin 22 Mar '23

22 Mar '23

# [EXXONMOBIL Completes Major Refinery Expansion in East Texas](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/22/exxonmobil-completes-major- refinery-expansion-in-east-texas/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/59C0A05F-3120-4E36-BDA4-676BBBD4CA60.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/59C0A05F-3120-4E36-BDA4-676BBBD4CA60.jpeg) Beaumont, Orange and Port Arthur form the Golden Triangle, the nickname of the 3 towns being the economic powers of East Texas. **ExxonMobil commissions Beaumont refinery expansion** . . From an [Article by Robert Brelsford, Oil & Gas Journal](https://www.ogj.com/refining- processing/refining/article/14291142/exxonmobil-commissions-beaumont-refinery- expansion), March 16, 2023 . . ExxonMobil Corp. has started up its long-planned project to expand light crude oil processing capacity by 250,000 b/d at ExxonMobil Product Solutions Co.’s integrated refining and petrochemicals complex along the US Gulf Coast in Beaumont, Tex. **Officially in operation as of Mar. 16, the $2-billion Beaumont expansion — completed on time and within budget despite difficulties posed by outbreak of the global pandemic following start of project construction in 2019 — increases the refinery’s overall crude processing capacity to more than 630,000 b/d, the operator said.** Proposed in 2018 and formally approved in early 2019, the expansion added a third crude unit and hydrotreaters to accommodate the operator’s growing Permian light crude production, to which the refinery is linked via pipeline. ExxonMobil said the Beaumont refinery’s new crude unit also will be well- positioned to further capitalize on segregated crude from the Permian’s Delaware basin. Delaware production will be delivered via the ExxonMobil Pipeline Co.-operated 650-mile, 36-in.Wink-to-Webster (W2W) pipeline that delivers to Webster, Baytown, and the Enterprise Crude Houston Oil terminal, in addition to providing connectivity to Texas City and Beaumont. An ExxonMobil spokesperson told OGJ the Beaumont refinery also has completed connecting pipeline additions at the site to accommodate the expansion’s increased intake and offtake of crude and finished products, respectively. “ExxonMobil maintained its commitment to the Beaumont expansion even through the lows of the pandemic, knowing consumer demand would return and new capacity would be critical in the post-pandemic economic recovery,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Product Solutions. “The new crude unit enables us to produce even more transportation fuels at a time when demand is surging,” McKee said, noting the recent expansion adds the equivalent capacity of a medium-sized refinery. Technip Energies (formerly TechipFMC PLC) provided engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of four units added as part of the expansion—including an atmospheric pipe still, kerosine hydrotreater, diesel hydrotreater, and benzene recovery unit—while KBR Inc. delivered EPC services for the project offsites and interconnecting units. **Permian oil-field growth continues** In its earnings presentation for fourth-quarter 2022 and preliminary results for yearend 2022, ExxonMobil said it increased year-over-year net production from the Permian by about 90,000 boe/d to about 550,000-560,000 boe/d, with overall production from its regional operations anticipated to reach more than 600,000 boe/d during 2023. By 2027, the operator said it plans to grow Permian output to about 1 million boe/d amid ongoing improvements in capital efficiency, lower costs, higher resource recovery, and better environmental performance. **ExxonMobil confirmed that by the end of fourth-quarter 2022 it had eliminated routine flaring from its Permian operations by 100% as part of the company’s efforts to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the region by 2030.** #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **SEE ALSO:** [Willow Oil Project in Alaska Faces Legal Challenges, Economic Doubts,](https://www.theenergymix.com/2023/03/19/willow-oil-project-in-alas… faces-legal-challenges-economic-doubts/) Gaye Taylor, The Energy Mix, March 19, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/22/exxonmobil-completes-major- refinery-expansion-in-east-texas/>

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Local Emergency Planning was Inadequate at East Palestine, OH
by Frack Check WV: admin 21 Mar '23

21 Mar '23

# [Local Emergency Planning was Inadequate at East Palestine, OH](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/21/local-emergency-planning-was- inadequate-at-east-palestine-oh/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/CE12BAE3-402A-4F62-82A6-8553D18249CA.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/CE12BAE3-402A-4F62-82A6-8553D18249CA.jpeg) Norfolk Southern Railroad train wreck involved the release of highly toxic chemicals **Ohio Train Derailment Raises Questions about Local Disaster Planning Across the USA** From the [Author ~ Michael Barrick, Appalachian Chronicle,](https://appalachianchronicle.com/2023/03/12/ohio-train-derailme… raises-questions-about-local-disaster-preparedness/) March 12, 2023 EAST PALESTINE, OHIO – As the people of East Palestine attempt to put their lives back together following the crash of a Norfolk Southern freight train full of hazardous chemicals in their tiny community on Feb. 3, 2023, politicians have expressed outrage. Lacking initiative, though, little if nothing will result from the faux anger of the politicians owned by corporate interests. So, it’s up to the local citizens to start asking some tough questions if they hope to have their community recover from this tragedy. In short, the last people needed in East Palestine are politicians. They are simply in the way of rescue and recovery efforts. What the citizens do need is greater awareness of how prepared local emergency response officials were for this predictable event. They are in the best position to know the community’s hazards and how response and recovery should unfold for them. Or are they? If, like far too many other communities across the nation, they have put emergency planning on the back burner, then they, too, have culpability in a disastrous incident. So, the people of East Palestine – and any community in the United States – need to first understand how community preparedness and response is supposed to work. Then, they need to start asking questions of their county leaders to see if their community is aligned with best practices. **All Disasters Begin and End Locally** It is a maxim among emergency preparedness officials that “all disasters begin and end locally.” Whether it is literally a local disaster because it impacts only a local community or segment of it, so it is also true with massive natural and man-made disasters. One never knows when or where the horribly unexpected – a tornado, a school shooting, or a train derailment – will happen in their own backyard. The recent disaster in East Palestine is the ultimate example of this principle. While there has been understandable community anger with Norfolk Southern officials, there are others who are also responsible for the response that happened when those cars left the track – local emergency officials. That is because, as we see from this disaster, it does not matter where the train originated or where it was headed. When it crashed, it impacted a local community. Indeed, as the news cycle moves on, the eventual final phase of the disaster management process – recovery – will be lead and done by local people. That community should have response plans in place for just such a potential disaster. As of this writing, I am not familiar enough to know exactly how well local emergency officials in East Palestine prepared, practiced and ultimately responded to the train derailment. Whatever the case there, it certainly raises a number of issues and questions for local citizens to be asking of their own community leaders. Those questions are beyond legitimate; they are essential. **Local Emergency Planning Committee** The first question to ask is, “Does our county have a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)? If the answer is “Yes,” then that leads to several follow-up questions (below); if the answer is “No,” then your community definitely has a problem. The lack of an LEPC calls into question why and how any decisions regarding emergency community preparedness (not to mention disaster response) are made. But it is one that can be solved by asking the right questions, ensuring that federal and state laws are being followed, and then working collaboratively to set up the structure and mechanisms to establish a functional and active LEPC. And, even if your community has an LEPC, it has a requirement to encourage citizen involvement, allowing for independent community input and probing questions to ensure that the safety of the citizens is being seriously considered and addressed by local emergency preparedness officials. **LEPC History** Initially LEPCs were set up to monitor one specific hazard in their communities – hazardous materials. In 1986, the U.S. Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). “Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Local or Tribal Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs or TEPCs) must develop an emergency response plan, review the plan at least annually, and provide information about chemicals in the community (emphasis added) to citizens. Plans are developed by these emergency planning committees with stakeholder participation.” Membership is to include elected state, local, and tribal officials; police, fire, civil defense, and public health professionals; environment, transportation, and hospital officials; facility representatives; and, representatives from community groups and the media. **The National Incident Management System (NIMS)** For 15 years, monitoring and developing emergency response and evacuation plans to hazardous materials incidents remained the only responsibility of LEPCs. All of that changed after September 11, 2001. In response to the terrorist attacks that day, President George W. Bush directed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish the National Incident Management System (NIMS). On March 1, 2004, DHS rolled out NIMS. The establishment of NIMS dramatically expanded the roles and responsibilities of LEPCs. After years of focusing on only one community hazard, they were now charged with considering every potential hazard their community faces. They are now charged with utilizing an “all hazards” approach. To accomplish that, the LEPC develops a Hazard Vulnerability Analysis. **Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)** From the HVA, an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is developed. It is the document guiding all planning, exercises, responses and recovery by local officials, often in collaboration with regional, state and national partners. According to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service, a “Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) is a systematic approach to identifying all hazards that may affect an organization, assessing the risk (probability of hazard occurrence and the consequence for the organization) associated with each hazard and analyzing findings to create a prioritized comparison of hazard vulnerabilities. The consequence, or vulnerability, is related to both the impact on organizational function and the likely service demands created by hazard impact.” For instance, potential hazards could be identified as human-related events, naturally-occurring events, technological/industrial events, and hazardous materials events. Together, emergency response officials from the county, first responders, hospitals, utility companies, police, fire and public health will collaborate, considering their community’s hazards. Some questions considered when compiling an HVA include: What is the probability an event will happen and what is its severity? What will be its magnitude? How it will impact human health and lives, the land, property and businesses? What capabilities does the community have to respond to these possibilities? Are there Mutual Aid Agreements in place to assist when a logistical need can’t be met locally? Evidence of a Functional and Active LEPC Without a functioning and active LEPC, your community is at greater risk than it should be when disaster strikes. It is also out of compliance with federal law. So, citizens interested in ensuring that their LEPC is up to its task need to find out the status of their LEPC. Start by asking if your county has an LEPC. If the answer is no, that needs to be addressed immediately. Offer to work with the commissioners to rectify the problem, but do not hesitate to reach out to state and federal authorities to see that the county commission establishes a functional and active LEPC. If the answer is yes, there will be evidence to support it. There will be minutes proving that it meets regularly, a list of members aligned with federal membership guidelines, a written HVA, and a written Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Ask to see copies of them. The EOP should include (at least): How to activate the plan, including identifying who has authority to do so; Guidelines for establishing an Incident Management Team (IMT) / Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with proper FEMA certifications; Guidelines for establishing Safety & Security measures A Crisis Communications plan; Staff Roles & Credentialing (One’s daily work may change quite dramatically during a disaster); Resources & Assets Evacuation Plans; Guidelines for Monitoring Vulnerable Populations; An Exercise & Evaluation program that includes a full range of community drills and exercises regularly; Mutual Aid Agreements & Memorandums of Understanding; Beware of Obstacles While you have the right to expect cooperation from county commissioners and Authorities Having Jurisdiction, you may, upon the rare occasion, find a person reluctant to honor their obligation to be transparent. In that event, ask the person what statute supports their decision to withhold information from you. Lacking one, you are entitled to the information gathered by the LEPC. Additionally, it is not uncommon for corporate interests to exercise a quiet but out-sized influence upon the decisions made by the LEPC. Remember that anything presented at an LEPC meeting is part of the public record, so to ensure that the voice of grassroots citizens are heard, ask the county commission to appoint you to the LEPC. © Michael M. Barrick, 2023. Barrick holds a post-graduate Certificate in Community Preparedness and Disaster Management from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. He also has experience as an EMT/Paramedic and served as the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and Safety Officer in two hospitals. An experienced teacher, Barrick provides training in developing, implementing, assessing and maintaining Emergency Operations Plans for community, emergency response agencies, hospitals, nonprofits and corporations. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/21/local-emergency-planning-was- inadequate-at-east-palestine-oh/>

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‘SYNTHESIS REPORT’ on Climate Crisis Coming Today from UNITED NATIONS
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 20 Mar '23

20 Mar '23

# [‘SYNTHESIS REPORT’ on Climate Crisis Coming Today from UNITED NATIONS](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/20/%e2%80%98synthesis- report%e2%80%99-on-climate-crisis-coming-today-from-united-nations/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/4A10F360-84B6-437E-8718-5357178C8005.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/4A10F360-84B6-437E-8718-5357178C8005.jpeg) The all-important ‘synthesis report’ will be the primary working document for the next 10 years **Nations approve key UN science report on climate change** News from Article by [Frank Jordans, ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/fight-science-holds-key- climate-report-97971652), March 19, 2023 **ASSOCIATED PRESS -- Governments gave their blessing on Sunday to a major new U.N. report on climate change, after approval was held up by a battle between rich and developing countries over emissions targets and financial aid to vulnerable nations.** **The report by hundreds of the world’s top scientists was supposed to be approved by government delegations on Friday at the end of a weeklong meeting in the Swiss town of Interlaken.** The closing gavel was repeatedly pushed back as officials from big nations such as China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the United States and the European Union haggled through the weekend over the wording of key phrases in the text. The report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change caps a series that digests vast amounts of research on global warming compiled since the Paris climate accord was agreed in 2015. **A summary of the report was approved early Sunday but agreement on the main text dragged on for several more hours** , with some observers fearing it might need to be postponed. The unusual process of having countries sign off on a scientific report is intended to ensure that governments accept its findings as authoritative advice on which to base their actions. At the start of the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called on delegates to provide “ cold, hard facts ” to drive home the message that there's little time left for the world to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) compared with preindustrial times. While average global temperatures have already increased by 1.1 Celsius since the 19th century, Guterrres insisted that the 1.5-degree target limit remains possible "with rapid and deep emissions reductions across all sectors of the global economy.” Observers said the IPCC meetings have increasingly become politicized as the stakes for curbing global warming increase, mirroring the annual U.N. climate talks that usually take place at the end of the year. Among the thorniest issues at the current meeting were how to define which nations count as vulnerable developing countries, making them eligible for cash from a “loss and damage” fund agreed on at the last U.N. climate talks in Egypt. Delegates have also battled over figures stating how much greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut by over the coming years, and how to include artificial or natural carbon removal efforts in the equations. As the country that has released the biggest amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since industrialization, the United States has pushed back strongly against the notion of historic responsibility for climate change. **The U.N. plans to publish the report at a news conference early Monday afternoon, March 20th.** ___ **SEE ALSO:** [What is the IPCC AR6 synthesis report and why does it matter?](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/19/what-is-the-ip… ar6-synthesis-report-and-why-does-it-matter) ~ Fiona Harvey, The Guardian UK, March 19, 2023 **Summary report by world’s leading climate scientists sets out actions to stave off climate breakdown** The fourth and final installment of the sixth assessment report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the body of the world’s leading climate scientists, is the synthesis report, so called because it draws together the key findings of the preceding three main sections. Together, they make a comprehensive review of global knowledge of the climate. The first three sections covered the physical science of the climate crisis, including observations and projections of global heating, the impacts of the climate crisis and how to adapt to them, and ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They were published in August 2021, February and April 2022 respectively. The synthesis report also includes three other shorter IPCC reports published since 2018, on the impacts of global heating of more than 1.5C above pre- industrial levels, climate change and land, and climate change and the oceans and cryosphere (the ice caps and glaciers). URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/20/%e2%80%98synthesis- report%e2%80%99-on-climate-crisis-coming-today-from-united-nations/>

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Chevron Seeks to Produce Safe Fuels from Plastics, But … (not so fast)
by Frack Check WV: admin 19 Mar '23

19 Mar '23

# [Chevron Seeks to Produce Safe Fuels from Plastics, But … (not so fast)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/19/chevron-seeks-to-produce-saf… fuels-from-plastics-but-%e2%80%a6-not-so-fast/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/867C24F8-D8E2-4432-AC7B-CD81E061271B.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/867C24F8-D8E2-4432-AC7B-CD81E061271B.jpeg) Fuels derived from plastics are generally toxic or worse! **This “Climate-Friendly” Fuel Comes With an Astronomical Cancer Risk** From an [Article by Sharon Lerner, ProPublica](https://www.propublica.org/article/chevron-pascagoula-pollution- future-cancer-risk), February 23, 2023 **The Environmental Protection Agency recently gave a Chevron refinery the green light to create fuel from discarded plastics as part of a “climate- friendly” initiative to boost alternatives to petroleum. But, according to agency records, the production of one of the fuels could emit air pollution that is so toxic, 1 out of 4 people exposed to it over a lifetime could get cancer.** **“That kind of risk is obscene,”** said Linda Birnbaum, former head of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “You can’t let that get out.” That risk is 250,000 times greater than the level usually considered acceptable by the EPA division that approves new chemicals. Chevron hasn’t started making this jet fuel yet, the EPA said. When the company does, the cancer burden will disproportionately fall on people who have low incomes and are Black because of the population that lives within 3 miles of the refinery in Pascagoula, Mississippi. ProPublica asked Maria Doa, a scientist who worked at the EPA for 30 years, to review the document laying out the risk. Doa, who once ran the division that managed the risks posed by chemicals, was so alarmed by the cancer threat that she initially assumed it was a typographical error. **“EPA should not allow these risks in Pascagoula or anywhere,” said Doa, who now is the senior director of chemical policy at Environmental Defense Fund.** In response to questions, an EPA spokesperson wrote that the agency’s lifetime cancer risk calculation is “a very conservative estimate with ‘high uncertainty,’” meaning the government erred on the side of caution in calculating such a high risk. Under federal law, the EPA can’t approve new chemicals with serious health or environmental risks unless it comes up with ways to minimize the dangers. And if the EPA is unsure, the law allows the agency to order lab testing that would clarify the potential health and environmental harms. In the case of these new plastic-based fuels, the agency didn’t do either of those things. In approving the jet fuel, the EPA didn’t require any lab tests, air monitoring or controls that would reduce the release of the cancer-causing pollutants or people’s exposure to them. **In January 2022, the EPA announced the initiative to streamline the approval of petroleum alternatives in what a press release called “part of the Biden- Harris Administration’s actions to confront the climate crisis.” While the program cleared new fuels made from plants, it also signed off on fuels made from plastics even though they themselves are petroleum-based and contribute to the release of planet-warming greenhouse gases. ** Although there’s no mention of discarded plastics in the press release or on the EPA website’s description of the program, an agency spokesperson said that it allows them because the initiative also covers fuels made from waste. The spokesperson said that 16 of the 34 fuels the program approved so far are made from waste. She would not say how many of those are made from plastic and stated that such information was confidential. All of the waste-based fuels are the subject of consent orders, documents the EPA issues when it finds that new chemicals or mixtures may pose an “unreasonable risk” to human health or the environment. The documents specify those risks and the agency’s instructions for mitigating them. But the agency won’t turn over these records or reveal information about the waste-based fuels, even their names and chemical structures. Without those basic details, it’s nearly impossible to determine which of the thousands of consent orders on the EPA website apply to this program. In keeping this information secret, the EPA cited a legal provision that allows companies to claim as confidential any information that would give their competitors an advantage in the marketplace. Nevertheless, one consent order covers a dozen Chevron fuels made from plastics that were reviewed under the program. Although the EPA had blacked out sections, including the chemicals’ names, that document showed that the fuels that Chevron plans to make at its Pascagoula refinery present serious health risks, including developmental problems in children and cancer and harm to the nervous system, reproductive system, liver, kidney, blood and spleen. **Aside from the chemical that carries a 25% lifetime risk of cancer from smokestack emissions, another of the Chevron fuels ushered in through the program is expected to cause 1.2 cancers in 10,000 people — also far higher than the agency allows for the general population. The EPA division that screens new chemicals typically limits cancer risk from a single air pollutant to 1 case of cancer in a million people. The agency also calculated that air pollution from one of the fuels is expected to cause 7.1 cancers in every 1,000 workers — more than 70 times the level EPA’s new chemicals division usually considers acceptable for workers.** In addition to the chemicals released through the creation of fuels from plastics, the people living near the Chevron refinery are exposed to an array of other cancer-causing pollutants, as reported in 2021. In that series, which mapped excess cancer risk from lifetime exposure to air pollution across the U.S., the highest chance was 1 cancer in 53 people, in Port Arthur, Texas. **The 1-in-4 lifetime cancer risk from breathing the emissions from the Chevron jet fuel is higher even than the lifetime risk of lung cancer for current smokers.** In an email, Chevron spokesperson Ross Allen wrote: “It is incorrect to say there is a 1-in-4 cancer risk from smokestack emissions. I urge you avoid suggesting otherwise.” Asked to clarify what exactly was wrong, Allen wrote that Chevron disagrees with the “characterization of language in the EPA Consent Order.” That document, signed by a Chevron manager at its refinery in Pascagoula, quantified the lifetime cancer risk from the inhalation of smokestack air as 2.5 cancers in 10 people, which can also be stated as 1 in 4. In a subsequent phone call, Allen said: “We do take care of our communities, our workers and the environment generally. This is job one for Chevron.” In a separate written statement, Chevron said it followed the EPA’s process under the Toxic Substances Control Act: “The TSCA process is an important first step to identify risks and if EPA identifies unreasonable risk, it can limit or prohibit manufacture, processing or distribution in commerce during applicable review period.” The Chevron statement also said: “Other environmental regulations and permitting processes govern air, water and handling hazardous materials. Regulations under the Clean Water, Clean Air and Resource Conservation and Recovery Acts also apply and protect the environment and the health and safety of our communities and workers.” Similarly, the EPA said that other federal laws and requirements might reduce the risk posed by the pollution, including Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s regulations for worker protection, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and rules that apply to refineries. But OSHA has warned the public not to rely on its outdated chemical standards. The refinery rule calls for air monitoring only for one pollutant: benzene. The Clean Water Act does not address air pollution. And the new fuels are not regulated under the Clean Air Act, which applies to a specific list of pollutants. Nor can states monitor for the carcinogenic new fuels without knowing their names and chemical structures. We asked Scott Throwe, an air pollution specialist who worked at the EPA for 30 years, how existing regulations could protect people in this instance. Now an independent environmental consultant, Throwe said the existing testing and monitoring requirements for refineries couldn’t capture the pollution from these new plastic-based fuels because the rules were written before these chemicals existed. There is a chance that equipment designed to limit the release of other pollutants may incidentally capture some of the emissions from the new fuels, he said. But there’s no way to know whether that is happening. Under federal law, companies have to apply to the EPA for permission to introduce new chemicals or mixtures. But manufacturers don’t have to supply any data showing their products are safe. So the EPA usually relies on studies of similar chemicals to anticipate health effects. In this case, the EPA used a mixture of chemicals made from crude oil to gauge the risks posed by the new plastic-based fuels. Chevron told the EPA the chemical components of its new fuel but didn’t give the precise proportions. So the EPA had to make some assumptions, for instance that people absorb 100% of the pollution emitted. Asked why it didn’t require tests to clarify the risks, a spokesperson wrote that the “EPA does not believe these additional test results would change the risks identified nor the unreasonable risks finding.” In her three decades at the EPA, Doa had never seen a chemical with that high a cancer risk that the agency allowed to be released into a community without restrictions. “The only requirement seems to be just to use the chemicals as fuel and have the workers wear gloves,” she said. While companies have made fuels from discarded plastics before, this EPA program gives them the same administrative break that renewable fuels receive: a dedicated EPA team that combines the usual six regulatory assessments into a single report. The irony is that Congress created the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, which this initiative was meant to support, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost the production of renewable fuels. Truly renewable energy sources can be regenerated in a short period of time, such as plants or algae. While there is significant debate about whether ethanol, which is made from corn, and other plant-based renewable fuels are really better for the environment than fossil fuels, there is no question that plastics are not renewable and that their production and conversion into fuel releases climate-harming pollution. Under the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard, biobased fuels must meet specific criteria related to their biological origin as well as the amount they reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with petroleum-based fuels. But under this new approach, fuels made from waste don’t have to meet those targets, the agency said. In its written statement, Chevron said that “plastics are an essential part of modern life and plastic waste should not end up in unintended places in the environment. We are taking steps to address plastic waste and support a circular economy in which post-use plastic is recycled, reused or repurposed.” **But environmentalists say such claims are just greenwashing.** Whatever you call it, the creation of fuel from plastic is in some ways worse for the climate than simply making it directly from fossil fuels. Over 99% of all plastic is derived from fossil fuels, including coal, oil and gas. To produce fuel from plastics, additional fossil fuels are used to generate the heat that converts them into petrochemicals that can be used as fuel. “It adds an extra step,” said Veena Singla, a senior scientist at NRDC. “They have to burn a lot of stuff to power the process that transforms the plastic.” Less than 6% of plastic waste is recycled in the U.S. Scientists estimate that more than a million tons of that unrecycled plastic ends up in the environment each year, killing marine mammals and polluting the world. Plastic does not fully decompose; instead it eventually breaks down into tiny bits, some of which wind up inside our bodies. As the public’s awareness of the health and environmental harm grows, the plastics industry has found itself under increasing pressure to find a use for the waste. The idea of creating fuel from plastic offers the comforting sense that plastics are sustainable. But the release of cancer-causing pollution is just one of several significant problems that have plagued attempts to convert discarded plastic into new things. One recent study by scientists from the Department of Energy found that the economic and environmental costs of turning old plastic into new using a process called pyrolysis were 10 to 100 times higher than those of making new plastics from fossil fuels. The lead author said similar issues plague the use of this process to create fuels from plastics. **Chevron buys oil that another company extracts from discarded plastics through pyrolysis. Though the parts of the consent order that aren’t blacked out don’t mention that this oil came from waste plastics, a related EPA record makes this clear. The cancer risks come from the pollution emitted from Chevron’s smokestacks when the company turns that oil into fuel.** The EPA attributed its decision to embark on the streamlined program in part to its budget, which it says has been “essentially flat for the last six years.” The EPA spokesperson said that the agency “has been working to streamline its new chemicals work wherever possible.” **The New Chemicals Division, which houses the program, has been under particular pressure because updates to the chemicals law gave it additional responsibilities and faster timetables. That division of the agency is also the subject of an ongoing EPA Inspector General investigation into whistleblowers’ allegations of corruption and industry influence over the chemical approval process.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/19/chevron-seeks-to-produce-safe- fuels-from-plastics-but-%e2%80%a6-not-so-fast/>

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West Virginia Interfaith Power & Light is worthy of support!
by Frack Check WV: admin 18 Mar '23

18 Mar '23

# [West Virginia Interfaith Power & Light is worthy of support!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/18/west-virginia-interfaith- power-light-is-worthy-of-support/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/C847BBB3-F755-46BA- BA88-F3FDCAF79F3B-300x169.png)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/C847BBB3-F755-46BA-BA88-F3FDCAF79F3B.png) WVIPL has performed important work here in WV over the past 20 years **[Dear Friends and Supporters](https://wvipl.org/),** **We are writing to you today with important information from the[West Virginia Interfaith Power and Light](https://wvipl.org/) (WVIPL).** **Faith Climate Action Week is coming up and Interfaith Power and Light has released some great planning materials. You can find them here:** <https://www.faithclimateactionweek.org/> The theme for this year is **" Living the Golden Rule: Just Transition to a Clean Energy Economy."** We hope you will check these resources out and utilize them in your faith community. The **WVIPL is on the verge of gaining independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit status**. We will be developing a Board of Directors with officers. If you have the time and interest in helping out, please contact Robin Blakeman at _rbrobinjh(a)gmail.com_ , and include “ **WVIPL leadership** ” in the subject line of your email. With spring just around the corner, a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, we thank you for your support and extend an ongoing invitation to be involved in the important work of caring for our common home. **Sincerely** , _[[WVIPL Steering Committee and Staff](https://wvipl.org/)](https://wvipl.org/)_ URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/18/west-virginia-interfaith-power- light-is-worthy-of-support/>

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American Conservation Film Festival was March 10 – 12 in Shepherdstown & Elsewhere
by Frack Check WV: admin 17 Mar '23

17 Mar '23

# [American Conservation Film Festival was March 10 – 12 in Shepherdstown & Elsewhere](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/17/american-conservation-fi… festival-was-march-10-12-in-shepherdstown-elsewhere/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/564B615D-9705-415D-9E03-616827D10C3E-205x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/564B615D-9705-415D-9E03-616827D10C3E.jpeg) Mary Anne Hitt was the Main Speaker on March 12th ……. (Click this image to read it) **@[American Conservation Film Festival 2023](https://conservationfilmfest.org/) @** **Evolve Shepherdstown** (106 W. German Street) is the festival’s pop-up headquarters, a place for guests to pop in and meet representatives from conservation groups like **Solar Holler, Sky Truth, Trout Unlimited, WV Rivers, Garden Stewards, and Oak Springs Garden Foundation.** Film stars and filmmakers were popping in throughout the weekend, including the on-screen personalities from Hellbent and Little Stream, Big Magic, and filmmaker Neil Losin of sym•bee•o•sis. At 1pm on Sunday afternoon, Shepherdstown resident **Mary Anne Hitt** , international climate advocate and activist, read an excerpt from her essay included in **”All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis”**. At 2pm, we learned more about West Virginia’s native brook trout and star of the film, “ **Little Stream, Big Magic** ” from **Than Hitt** , research biologist. Did you miss the art installation “ **School of Trout** ” created by fourth grade students at Shepherdstown Elementary School. Over 50 beautifully collaged trout greeted visitors to Evolve all weekend. Admission was free. Evolve was open Sat & Sun 11AM to 5PM. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **The[American Conservation Film Festival](https://conservationfilmfest.org/action-opportunities/) 2023** If you value exceptional filmmaking on stories that literally change lives and an organization devoted to the curation and presentation of those stories, please consider a donation to ACFF. We so appreciate your support and look forward to fulfilling our mission for years to come. And we send each of you our wishes for your well-being and continued engagement with the things that bring you joy and solace. **ACFF Environmental Efforts Throughout the Year** Whenever possible, our staff works from home offices in order to reduce fuel demand and pollution. To reduce environmental impacts, staff has reduced their intake of meat and dairy and some are vegetarian. Some of our staff has invested in zero emission, hybrid vehicles and walk to the office, weather permitting. For long distance business trips, carpooling or public transportation is utilized as much as possible. Meetings are often conducted using video conferencing with Zoom or via conference call to cut down on driving. There is more …. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/17/american-conservation-film- festival-was-march-10-12-in-shepherdstown-elsewhere/>

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Activities Underway in West Virginia to Address the PFAS Issues ~ Traces are Toxic
by Frack Check WV: admin 16 Mar '23

16 Mar '23

# [Activities Underway in West Virginia to Address the PFAS Issues ~ Traces are Toxic](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/16/activities-underway-in- west-virginia-to-address-the-pfas-issues-traces-are-toxic/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/8371E544-6E6F-47DA-A0CD-A616331F0876.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/8371E544-6E6F-47DA-A0CD-A616331F0876.jpeg) Delegate Evan Hansen provides leadership on this PFAS legislation **State will get $18 million in federal funds to deal with PFAS chemicals in drinking water** From the [Article by David Beard, Morgantown Dominion Post (Yahoo! News)](https://news.yahoo.com/state-18-million-federal-funds-023100710.html), March 15, 2023 **MORGANTOWN — West Virginia will receive more than $18 million in federal funds to address the presence of potentially toxic PFAS chemicals in drinking water.** State Health Officer Matthew Christiansen shared that news during Gov. Jim Justice's Wednesday administration update press briefing. Justice was reviewing legislation completed during the recent session, and HB 3189 — the PFAS bill — is awaiting his signature. **Christiansen reminded listeners that the U.S. EPA recently set maximum contaminant levels for two members of the PFAS family — PFOA and PFOS — at 4 parts per trillion. EPA also recommended calculations for four other PFAS compounds.** Expecting that to happen, the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection formed a working group to help local water systems develop plans to treat drinking water for PFAS. Christiansen's bureau is part of DHHR and he said, "The Bureau for Public Health is committed to ensuring safe water for the citizens of West Virginia." **The EPA announced that the $18 million will come to the state, Christiansen said. The money can be used for a wide variety of actions, including research, testing treatment, source water control, restructuring, consolidation and technical assistance.** The working group will offer support and avenues for communication, and help local systems with best practices and mitigation, he said. **HB 3189 is the PFAS Protection Act, targeting PFAS in drinking water. It follows on the heels of a Department of Environmental Protection Study ordered in 2020, performed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Under prior EPA drinking water advisory numbers, 37 of the state's 279 raw water intakes had PFAS levels above those set by EPA. Under the new thresholds, 100 more sites exceeded the level, for a total of 137.** **Now, DEP will go back, resample the finished (treated) water from those sites and try to determine the sources. Industries that use PFAS chemicals must report their usage to the DEP. And DEP will, to the extent data is available, consider ways to address the sources and mitigate the impacts on public water systems.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/16/activities-underway-in-west- virginia-to-address-the-pfas-issues-traces-are-toxic/>

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BLOOMBERG LAW: Limiting P.P.T. PFAS Quite Challenging But Necessary
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Mar '23

15 Mar '23

# [BLOOMBERG LAW: Limiting P.P.T. PFAS Quite Challenging But Necessary](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/15/bloomberg-law-limiting-p… t-pfas-quite-challenging-but-necessary/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/94B7B706-9D41-4187-A635-186781E2C8A0.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/94B7B706-9D41-4187-A635-186781E2C8A0.jpeg) PFAS are very stable organic chemicals, lasting “forever” … **US Plan to Limit PFAS in Water Draws Concern Over Cost, Science** From a [Review by Pat Rizzuto, Bloomberg Law](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/us-plan-to-limit- pfas-in-water-draws-concern-over-cost-science), March 15, 2023 The first-ever national drinking water limits for PFAS the EPA proposed Tuesday are raising concerns about the costs to utilities and ratepayers, questions from industry about the science the agency used, and predictions of more litigation over the health effects of the chemicals. The proposal also should spur controls on upstream sources of the chemicals, according to both a key lawmaker and the Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit environmental legal advocacy organization. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a 4 parts per trillion (ppt) enforceable limit on the amount of either perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) that could be in drinking water. It also proposed a strategy to limit four additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. VIDEO: PFAS: The ‘Forever Chemicals’ Water utilities would be required to monitor the PFAS, reduce levels exceeding the proposed limits, and notify their customers if the PFAS levels were above the EPA’s limits. The proposed limits, the lowest level many laboratories can reliably detect, are tighter than any states have proposed. Also known as forever chemicals, some PFAS persist in the environment for years and have been linked to an increase in the risk of various diseases including cancer. The plans “signal a more aggressive stance on the EPA on regulating these chemicals,” said Stephanie Feingold, a partner at law firm Morgan Lewis specializing in environmental regulations and litigation. Additional PFAS rules the agency is pursuing include designating two or more PFAS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or Superfund law; limiting industrial effluents of the chemicals; and collecting extensive information on PFAS that have been in commerce for more than a decade. The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) has serious concerns about the cost of this rulemaking, particularly as those costs will potentially fall to ratepayers, said association spokesman Brian Redder. **Cost Concerns** ~ The EPA offered treatment options to address the presence of PFAS in drinking water. Granular activated carbon (GAC), anion exchange, high-pressure membrane technologies, reverse osmosis (RO), and nanofiltration can remove the PFAS, the agency’s proposed rule said. The EPA’s estimated costs for water utilities to comply with its proposal range from $772 million to $1.2 billion, while its estimated benefits range from $908 million to $1.2 billion. Yet treatment expenditures utilities already have incurred suggest the costs could exceed the agency’s estimate, AMWA CEO Tom Dobbins said in a statement. “For comparison, AMWA member Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s estimated capital cost for its treatment was $43 million, and its annual operating cost was $3-5 million,” Dobbins said. “If about 16 utilities of similar size to Cape Fear nationwide had to implement comparable treatment techniques, the total cost would exceed EPA’s estimate,” of $772 million, he said. The 2021 infrastructure law provided $10 billion to address emerging contaminants including PFAS in drinking water. “But the costs of meeting the proposed standards will far exceed the additional funding, said the American Water Works Association (AWWA). More than an estimated 5,000 water systems will have to develop new water sources or install and operate advanced treatment; another 2,500 water systems in states with existing standards will need to adjust existing PFAS treatment systems, it said. A recent study requested by AWWA estimated the national cost for water systems to install treatment to remove PFOA and PFOS to levels required by the EPA’s proposal exceeds $3.8 billion annually, that association said. “The vast majority of these treatment costs will be borne by communities and ratepayers, who are also facing increased costs to address other needs, such as replacing lead service lines, upgrading cybersecurity, replacing aging infrastructure and assuring sustainable water supplies,” AWWA said. Both water associations stressed the need to make sure the EPA used sound science to underpin its proposed limits. “I think there will be litigation,” even before a final rule would be finalized, on both the science underpinning the EPA’s proposal and its strategy to limit the four PFAS, said Jessie Rosell, an environmental attorney with Lathrop GPM’s PFAS practice. **Litigation Outlook** ~ Rosell and Feingold described the “hazard index” strategy the agency proposed to use to regulate four PFAS as an unusual approach to limiting drinking water contaminants. The index, a mathematical calculation of whether people’s exposure to contaminants is close to levels that might cause health problems, is more often used as a tool for deciding whether some kind of cleanup or other regulatory action is needed, Feingold said. Rosell predicted there will be legal challenges to the EPA’s proposal similar to those chemical manufacturers mounted after the agency last June set interim and final health advisories for PFOA, PFOS, and hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid and its ammonium salt, referred to as the “GenX chemicals” due to the technology that produces them. The US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed for lack of standing the challenge the American Chemistry Council brought against the agency’s interim health advisories for PFOA and PFOS. But the Chemours Co.'s challenge to the agency’s final GenX health advisory is proceeding in the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Issues raised in those lawsuits are likely to be raised again, Rosell said. “We have serious concerns with the underlying science” that the EPA used to develop its proposals, ACC said in a statement. It pointed to draft guidance the World Health Organization issued that proposed much higher limits than did the EPA—100 ppt on PFOA and PFOS . The agency also has not completed its health assessment of two of the six PFAS, the chemistry council said. Those two are perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). The agency’s research office expects it will take until next year for the agency to complete its analysis and then have independent scientists critique it. “The maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) the EPA sets will become target cleanup levels at Superfund sites and de facto cleanup levels at other sites, which is another reason it’s so important to get the science right,” said Tom Flanagin, an ACC spokesman. Meanwhile, both Rosell and Feingold said attorneys representing individuals in toxic tort cases could use the science and standards in the EPA’s proposal to bolster their cases, as they’ve already been using the interim and final health advisories the agency set last June. Plaintiffs in a multidistrict case relating to PFAS in firefighting foam and the Department of Justice on Tuesday alerted the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina about the EPA’s proposal. “EPA determined PFOA and PFOS are likely carcinogens (i.e., cancer causing) and that there is no level of these contaminants that is without a risk of adverse health effects,” according to the filing. “Given that there is no higher regulatory authority than EPA, no prudent water provider can ignore this important safety information even prior to it becoming legally enforceable.” **Disposal, Upstream Releases** ~ The EPA’s proposal raises many questions including how drinking water utilities will dispose of spent filters and other equipment they use to remove the PFAS, Feingold said. The technologies the EPA named concentrate the PFAS they remove from drinking water, but then move them into other media, she said. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) said he plans to reintroduce his Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act this year to limit industrial discharges of PFAS into rivers, groundwater and other drinking water supplies. “States must act now using existing law to protect people and their drinking water,” said Geoff Gisler, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. Michigan has required pretreatment for 59 industrial and other facilities that release PFAS into sewers, according to information the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy previously provided Bloomberg Law. Colorado, Michigan, and North Carolina have taken some actions to reduce industrial sources of PFOS and some other PFAS, but not nearly as much as they should, Gisler said. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/15/bloomberg-law-limiting-p-p-t- pfas-quite-challenging-but-necessary/>

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The Hydrogen Boondoggle is an Enormous Slush Fund
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 14 Mar '23

14 Mar '23

# [The Hydrogen Boondoggle is an Enormous Slush Fund](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/14/the-hydrogen-boondoggle-is-an- enormous-slush-fund/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/A2E68673-9F5E-4C1F-9959-B25E3C12F627.png)](https://… content/uploads/2023/03/A2E68673-9F5E-4C1F-9959-B25E3C12F627.png) The Ohio River Valley Institute has studied these half-baked ideas! **Hydrogen Slush Fund Means More Dollars Wasted On The Green Energy Boondoggle** From a [Letter to Editor by Frank Lasee, Former Wisconsin State Senator](http://www.truthinenergyandclimate.com), February 25, 2023 Nearly 50 years ago in 1976, the US Congress authorized the Hydrogen Program managed by the National Science Foundation. Then in 1983, Bush and Congress threw more money at hydrogen as an alternative energy source. Last year Congress and Biden, in their infrastructure bill, created a $9.5 billion dollar hydrogen slush fund. The Europeans have also authorized $5.2 billion euros for their hydrogen slush fund. Since 1839, scientists have been working on hydrogen for energy and storage with little to show for it. The future of green hydrogen is just as dull. Brown and grey hydrogen, made from coal or natural gas (CH4), makes more reasonably priced hydrogen now. Hydrogen is not a fuel. It must be created and is only a way of storing and transporting energy. All of which are difficult, expensive and there is no infrastructure to support it. This $9.5 billion slush fund is a breeding ground for multiple Solyndras. (Solyndra was 1/3 of the 1.5 billion-dollar taxpayer loss on Obama’s solar revolution.) The Biden administration has authorized a half billion loan guarantee for a green hydrogen hub in Delta, Utah. Never mind that green hydrogen requires huge volumes of water and Delta is on the edge of the desert, and the entire southwest is chronically short of water. Or that Utah today only gets 4% of its electricity from wind and solar. There is no “excess” wind and solar to create green hydrogen in Utah. Building a green hydrogen hub in a very dry place with very little “renewable” energy is not wise; some would even call it stupid. The Biden administration needs a talking point to fix the recently admitted unreliability problem of wind and solar. So common sense and fiscal responsibility are unnecessary. Our electric grids need full-time demand matching electricity, or we have blackouts. There is a dawning realization by the climate religion, there isn’t enough lithium in the world, over the next few decades, to build tens of millions of electric vehicles and industrial scale grid batteries too. In addition, lithium batteries cannot store the abundant solar power California has in the sunny mild winter for use in hot July. The energy will have left those batteries long before July rolls around. Hence, the expensive talking point of green hydrogen was born. Making green hydrogen takes a lot of energy. About 35% more energy than the created hydrogen stores. Then you lose another 30% when you transport and use it. Hydrogen yields only 35% of the energy input. It is a real energy loser. Making green hydrogen requires 13 times more water, sea water has to be desalinated first, and additional water for cooling. Then heat the water to 2,000 degrees and electrocute it, freeing oxygen into the air and hydrogen into the factory. Then super chill to near-absolute zero. Then compress it to 10,000 psi, which is three times the psi of an average scuba tank. Super cold liquid hydrogen is born. It can be used for fuel cells and burned in electric producing power plants instead of natural gas. We get far more bang for our buck with natural gas rather than create electricity to make green hydrogen, only to burn it again, to make electricity using a process that costs 65% of the energy. The whole concept of using wind and solar to produce green hydrogen has an elephant-in-the-room type problem. The Industrial Four Step process of making hydrogen isn’t something that can be started on sunny mornings and stopped in the late afternoon. Or fired up when the wind starts blowing and then shut down when the wind stops. What will keep the hydrogen process flowing on dark windless nights? Does a green dreamer care to answer that? Do the facts matter? Heck, it is only federal borrowed money anyway. Hydrogen is just another form of political greenwashing at the American people’s expense. We need to stop the wasteful spending of taxpayer money — money we don’t have — on green boondoggles before it is too late. Before the communist Chinese, who use more than half of the 8 billion tons of coal as their primary fuel source (60% of total energy), eat our lunch and rule the world, Americans need to wake up to the dangerous threats of the green energy nightmare and the rising threat of the Red Chinese Dragon before it is too late! >>> Frank Lasee is a former Wisconsin state senator. The district he represented had two nuclear power plants, a biomass plant and numerous wind towers. He has experience with energy, the environment, and the climate. You can read more energy and climate information at www.truthinenergyandclimate.com which Frank leads. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/14/the-hydrogen-boondoggle-is-an- enormous-slush-fund/>

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German Natural Gas Grid Adding 30% Hydrogen For Regional Gas Network
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 13 Mar '23

13 Mar '23

# [German Natural Gas Grid Adding 30% Hydrogen For Regional Gas Network](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/13/german-natural-gas-grid- adding-30-hydrogen-for-regional-gas-network/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/0536C1E3-93ED-44C8-B755-84E1BD51938C.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/0536C1E3-93ED-44C8-B755-84E1BD51938C.jpeg) Research and planning bringing modern innovations **The Hydrogen Stream: German grid operator increases hydrogen blend in regional gas network** From the [Articles of Sergio Matalucci, PV Magazine](https://www.pv- magazine.com/2023/03/10/the-hydrogen-stream-german-grid-operator-increases- hydrogen-blending-in-regional-gas-network/), March 10, 2023 **German grid operator Netze BW, a unit of energy company EnBW Group, said it will increase the amount of hydrogen in its regional gas network in Oehringen, in the southwest of Germany, from 20% to 25%.** “In three weeks, we will reach 30% of hydrogen in the local gas grid,” Heike Grüner, project leader, told pv magazine. Netze BW will keep a 30% hydrogen blend for some months to generate better data on home heating in detached family homes. “In the following phase of the project, we will introduce oscillations from 0 to 30% hydrogen. Volatile mixtures will simulate real-life volatility typical of energy systems with an increase in renewable energies.” Netze BW, which operates the distribution grid in large parts of Baden- Württemberg region, said that 100% hydrogen in the grid in the future would be possible. The company will share the data coming from the Oehringen “hydrogen island” with all the European grid operators to show that gas grids can be used in the clean energy transition. Netze BW started to use a hydrogen blend for the company's appliances in November 2021, introducing a hydrogen-gas blend for customers in 2022. Last year, the company also tested all the appliances in the Oehringen network with a blend of up to 35% hydrogen. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **Toyota‘s new electrolysis equipment using the fuel cell stack and other technology from the Mirai vehicle will be put into operation this March at a Denso Fukushima Corporation plant.** “It will serve as a technology implementation venue to promote its widespread use going forward,” said the Japanese car manufacturer. Toyota added it would accelerate its efforts to build a model for the local consumption of locally produced hydrogen, using electrolysis equipment to produce clean hydrogen and combust it in one of the plant's gas furnaces. The **Climate Change Committee said that hydrogen is related to three of the ten priorities** to deliver a reliable decarbonized power system in the UK. The UK's independent adviser on tackling climate change underlined that the government should identify priority hydrogen investments by 2024, finalize by the end of the year ad-hoc funding mechanisms to support the development of 10 GW of low-carbon hydrogen production, and fast-track the development of new business models for hydrogen transportation. The report sees a limited role of hydrogen in heating. Researchers at **Australia 's Monash University have isolated an enzyme** that can convert minute concentrations of hydrogen in the atmosphere to produce a sustained electrical current, paving the way toward a future where devices are literally powered out of thin air. The research team, led by Rhys Grinter, Ashleigh Kropp, and Chris Greening from the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Melbourne, isolated and analyzed the genetic code of an enzyme that enables a common soil bacteria to consume hydrogen and extract energy from it. The **Atlantic Council said that green hydrogen could spur development in Sub- Saharan Africa** , especially in South Africa, Namibia, and Kenya. “Following the hydrogen valley model, the Southern Corridor Development Initiative is a partnership between the Namibian Green Hydrogen Council and the German firm Hyphen Hydrogen Energy. The project is expected to produce 300,000 tons of green hydrogen by 2030 from 5 GW to 6 GW of installed renewable energy capacity,” said the Atlantic Council. According to the report, the export potential depends on finding a solution to local energy poverty, inequities between nations, and energy networks within the region. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/13/german-natural-gas-grid- adding-30-hydrogen-for-regional-gas-network/>

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‘Farmers for Climate Action’ Program Searches for Solutions
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 12 Mar '23

12 Mar '23

# [‘Farmers for Climate Action’ Program Searches for Solutions](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/12/%e2%80%98farmers-for- climate-action%e2%80%99-program-searches-for-solutions/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/95195216-0C9C-4064-A7FF-026D2AD5F42A.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/95195216-0C9C-4064-A7FF-026D2AD5F42A.jpeg) Climate activists march to the U.S. Capitol after the ‘Farmers for Climate Action’: “Rally for Resilience” in Freedom Plaza on March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. **Farmer Activists ‘Keep Slugging’ at ‘Farmers for Climate Action’ Rally in D.C.** From an [Article by Thom Duffy, Billboard Magazine](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/john-mellencamp-perfor… farmers-climate-change-rally-washington-dc-1235281452/), March 7, 2023 America’s farmers came to Washington, D.C., more than 40 years ago to save their farms. On Tuesday (March 7), a new generation of farmers, ranchers, farmworkers and activists came to the nation’s capital to save the planet. John Mellencamp, co-founder of Farm Aid, sang Tuesday for those gathered before they marched up Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol building, calling for Congress to take action on climate change in the forthcoming Farm Bill. “Here’s all I can say – keep slugging,” said Mellencamp, recalling how he and Willie Nelson and Neil Young formed Farm Aid in 1985 to support family farmers — a commitment they have sustained for four decades, joined by Farm Aid board members Dave Matthews and Margo Price. “We’ve been slugging since 1985 and let’s keep slugging,” said Mellencamp. “Let’s try to improve the quality of the food that we eat, the air that we breathe and the people that we are.” Taking the stage midday at Freedom Park, Mellencamp looked at the crowd before him and remarked: “The faces are much younger than they used to be. And I think that’s great that there are younger people trying to improve the planet and the food that we eat. So it’s up to you guys to lead the way.” **With that, Mellencamp played a spare, acoustic rendition of “Rain on the Scarecrow,” his harrowing 1985 song about the farm foreclosure crisis that led to the creation of Farm Aid.** **_Rain on the scarecrow / blood on the plow This land fed a nation / this land made me proud And son, I’m just sorry there’s no legacy for you now_** Farm Aid’s own legacy is the rising awareness, since the mid-1980s, of the importance of a national system of agriculture that values family farmers, good food, soil and water, and strong communities. **In recent years, there also has been an increasing awareness that industrial agriculture practiced on large corporate farms is contributing to the climate crisis. In a report in August 2021, the National Resources Defense Council stated that industrial agriculture is a “significant source” of carbon in the atmosphere.** The farmers and activists in D.C. championed what is known as regenerative farming, agriculture methods that can hold carbon in the soil, enhance biodiversity and help mitigate climate change. Farm Aid, with its annual concerts each September, may be the highest-profile organization drawing attention to the state of American agriculture — and Willie Nelson is certainly the nation’s best-known champion of family farmers. But this week’s gathering dramatically demonstrated that the breadth and scope of the nation’s farm movement transcends Farm Aid. The “Rally for Resistance: Farmers for Climate Action” was organized under the umbrella of the **National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition** and involved some two dozen activist organizations and more than 30 delegations of farmers from across the country who converged on Washington to make their voices heard. Plans for this rally were revealed at the Farm Aid festival in Raleigh, N.C., in September and exclusively reported by Billboard. The spark for the gathering is the current debate over the contents of the Farm Bill, the multi- part, multibillion-dollar legislation that is passed by Congress about every five years and has a massive influence on how the nation’s food is grown. **The most recent Farm Bill was passed in 2018 and expires this year.** **In September, Farm Aid joined more than 150 organizations in co-signing a letter asking President Biden “to weigh in on the next Farm Bill and demand that Congress build even further on the administration’s actions to date to reduce economic inequality; bridge the nation’s racial divides; end hunger; confront the climate crisis; improve nutrition and food safety; and protect and support farmers, workers, and communities,” wrote Farm Aid communications director Jennifer Fahy.** The evening before Mellencamp’s performance, supporters gathered at Luther Place Memorial Church on Logan Circle, a site of social activism since it was built in 1873. Philip Barker, a Black farmer and longtime activist from North Carolina, summed up the focus of the days of action: farmer-led climate solutions, racial justice in the Farm Bill, and “communities over corporations.” Sessions during the rally began with land acknowledgements, statements recognizing that the land upon which the nation’s capital was built was taken from indigenous people. Other speakers addressed the particular hardships that BIPOC farmers have experienced through decades of U.S. farm policy. And still others called for immigration reform as a way to address the chronic shortage of labor on America’s farms. Throughout, the voices and crowd chants in Spanish testified to the changing demographics of the nation’s farms. This gathering in Washington had particular resonance for David Senter, founder of the American Agriculture Movement. In 1979, Senter was one of the organizers of the Tractorcade protest that drew thousands of farmers to the capital. They traveled by tractor, traveling across the U.S. at 15 miles an hour — ”we came in on every East/West interstate, 100 miles a day,” recalls Senter — to lobby Congress for a new Farm Bill to increase crop prices and to have greater influence in agriculture policy. (One farmer at Tuesday’s rally returned with the tractor he’d driven to D.C. in 1979). Senter then returned to Washington in 1987 to accompany Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp when the two artists testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee about the family farm foreclosure crisis. **Senter was one of the featured speakers Tuesday at the rally in Freedom Park.** Since his earlier trips, have the stakes become higher? “We continue to lose family farmers and the farms become larger and larger,” replied Senter. “But we have to figure out how to make place for the next generation of farmers, the young farmers that want to grow food for this country and the world, so that they can survive.” That “absolutely does” include addressing the climate issue, said Senter. “Because we live in an extreme climate situation. I mean, you have floods, tornadoes, wildfires, droughts. It’s just unbelievable the climate extremes we’re experiencing and, of course, farmers, they deal with that every day, trying to produce food. So it’s very important that we get involved with that.” When Willie Nelson and his fellow artists formed Farm Aid in 1985, he recruited Carolyn Mugar to run the organization. “The earliest Farm Aid files are all stained with spaghetti sauce since I did that work at my kitchen table,” she recalled Tuesday. Then she set off across the country, speaking to farmers at their kitchen tables. (Mugar was recognized for her work on Billboard’s Women in Music list in 2020, the 35th anniversary of Farm Aid). “What in the Farm Bill can people get behind? Really, the very bottom line of everything is farm viability,” said Mugar. “A farmer cannot really even start getting into regenerative agriculture [to address climate change] if that farm is not financially viable. “And that means that we’ve really got to look at how farming should be taking place in this country. And do we really want to continue corporate concentrated farming, where the land is toxic and ruined, into the future? Or do we want to support farmers who are trying to keep, maintain and build the soil?” In dealing with the nation’s lawmakers, said Mugar, “we’ve got to get smarter about what we demand.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/12/%e2%80%98farmers-for-climate- action%e2%80%99-program-searches-for-solutions/>

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Chemical Leaks, PFAS & Local Train Derailments Recently
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 11 Mar '23

11 Mar '23

# [Chemical Leaks, PFAS & Local Train Derailments Recently](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/11/chemical-leaks-pfas-local- train-derailments-recently/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/226C87B9-E5EB-4F5A-A4D4-6E6D58327CF7-300x173.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/226C87B9-E5EB-4F5A-A4D4-6E6D58327CF7.jpeg) Empty coal train derailment in the New River Canyon of West Virginia **CSX Train Derails In New River Gorge, Injuring 3 Railroad Workers** From an [Article by Curtis Tate, WV public Broadcasting](https://wvpublic.org/2-csx-workers-injured-in-new-river-gorge- derailment-released-from-hospital/), March 10, 2023 In a statement, CSX said an empty coal train struck a rock slide before 5 a.m. near Sandstone. [Sandstone is on the New River and WV Route 20 in Summers County, just South of the local interchange of I-64.] The train’s four locomotives derailed and one caught fire. Two of the three CSX workers injured in a Wednesday derailment in the New River Gorge have been released from the hospital, the railroad said Friday. Another injured worker continues to receive treatment. An engineer, conductor and engineer trainee were operating the westbound 109-car empty coal train early Wednesday when it struck large pieces of rock on the track near Sandstone. **All four locomotives and 22 cars derailed.** One locomotive came to rest in the river, and leaking diesel fuel caught fire. By Friday, CSX said the derailed locomotives and cars had been removed from the site. The railroad said it expected to resume rail service on Saturday. Amtrak’s Cardinal, which shares the affected track with CSX, was canceled in both directions for the remainder of the week. As part of its restoration effort, CSX said it would excavate any soil or rock that came in contact with diesel fuel and replace it with clean material. #######+++++++#######+++++++ **SEE ALSO:** [Confusion Reigned After Ohio Derailment, Hazmat Chief Testifies,](https://wvpublic.org/confusion-reigned-after-ohio-derailment- hazmat-chief-testifies/) Energy & Environment WVPB Staff, March 9, 2023 Eric Brewer, director of emergency services for Beaver County, Pennsylvania, said the decision to detonate five tank cars full of flammable vinyl chloride was poorly communicated. [~~ Continue Reading](https://wvpublic.org/confusion-reigned-after-ohio- derailment-hazmat-chief-testifies/) #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **SEE ALSO:** [A Look At Chemical Leaks, Train Derailments And PFAS On This West Virginia Morning](https://wvpublic.org/a-look-at-chemical-leaks-train- derailments-and-pfas-on-this-west-virginia-morning/), Energy & Environment WVPB Staff, Feb. 27, 2023 A serious train derailment and chemical release in Ohio has dominated the headlines for the past few weeks. West Virginia has seen its own share of disasters with hazardous materials, including an oil train derailment and fire in 2015. Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate spoke with Jesse Richardson of the West Virginia University Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic about those events. ~ ~ [Continue Reading](https://wvpublic.org/a-look-at-chemical-leaks-train- derailments-and-pfas-on-this-west-virginia-morning/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/11/chemical-leaks-pfas-local-train- derailments-recently/>

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PETITION ALERT ~ L.N.G. by Rail is Way Too Dangerous, Tell President Biden and the PHMSA
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 10 Mar '23

10 Mar '23

# [PETITION ALERT ~ L.N.G. by Rail is Way Too Dangerous, Tell President Biden and the PHMSA](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/10/petition-alert-l-n-g- by-rail-is-way-too-dangerous-tell-president-biden-and-the-phmsa/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/C1A9F04E-010D-4D21-A33C-57B655679B9A.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/C1A9F04E-010D-4D21-A33C-57B655679B9A.jpeg) You can help to prevent LNG accidents, fires and injuries … [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/D14A8541-7B32-4A38-ADC1-52D18D8BB68E-300x24.png)](h… content/uploads/2023/03/D14A8541-7B32-4A38-ADC1-52D18D8BB68E.png) **Stop Liquified Natural Gas by Rail in Your Community!** **MEMO** :[ To Regional Residents & Concerned Citizens, Mid-Atlantic States](https://cleanaircouncil.salsalabs.org/bombtrains_copy1?wvpId=3ba821…, March 9, 2023 **We are asking for your support to[sign a petition asking President Biden and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to take action to protect communities from the transport of dangerous liquified natural gas (LNG) by rail. LNG is natural gas that is chilled to -260°F.](https://cleanaircouncil.salsalabs.org/lngrailpetition/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=4760a265-1fd8-4eeb-8434-8d4fd0a8f4ce) It is highly flammable and explosive when exposed to air and can burn the skin if it makes contact.** PHMSA is a federal agency under the Department of Transportation that is responsible for regulating the nation’s pipeline infrastructure. In July 2020, PHMSA issued a rule that lifted a long-standing ban on transporting liquified natural gas (LNG) by rail. PHMSA also issued a special permit to specifically allow the transport of LNG by rail from a liquefaction plant in Wyalusing, PA to an export terminal in Gibbstown, NJ by a company called New Energy Solutions. This LNG would then be shipped overseas. **The proposed rail route for this project would expose almost 2 million people to the risks of LNG, many of whom are low-income and already overburdened by environmental injustice. The special permit allows the transport of LNG using rail cars that were not designed for LNG transport, adding to the potential for a catastrophic incident. And as LNG is made from methane gas, it’s a highly potent greenhouse gas, further exacerbating the climate crisis.** **[Urge PHMSA to suspend the rule that authorizes LNG to be transported by rail, to deny the renewal of the special permit for Energy Transport Solutions, and to permanently ban the transport of LNG by rail.](https://cleanaircouncil.salsalabs.org/lngrailpetition/index.html?eTy… Thank you for taking this important action. >>> _Sincerely, Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel_ CLEAN AIR COUNCIL, 200 FIRST AVE, SUITE 200, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/10/petition-alert-l-n-g-by-rail-is- way-too-dangerous-tell-president-biden-and-the-phmsa/>

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Traditional Values Under Threat in U.S. Congress: E.S.G. Plans Under Attack!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 09 Mar '23

09 Mar '23

# [Traditional Values Under Threat in U.S. Congress: E.S.G. Plans Under Attack!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/09/traditional-values-under- threat-in-u-s-congress-e-s-g-plans-under-attack/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/9E048C83-2E2F-4BD9-9264-6C42462F244D.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/9E048C83-2E2F-4BD9-9264-6C42462F244D.jpeg) Many investors say “ESG Is Here To Stay” **Conservative values cast aside, Congress wages war on ‘woke’** [Opinion Editorial of the Morgantown Dominion Post](https://www.dominionpost.com/2023/03/08/conservative-values-cast-asid… congress-wages-war-on-woke/), March 9, 2023 While we’ve been largely focused on what’s been happening in Charleston lately, we’ve also had our eye on Washington, D.C., and the culture war backlash happening there. **Last week, Congress passed a joint resolution “disapproving” a Department of Labor rule that allows investment firms to take into consideration environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. The resolution, if signed into law, would reverse the rule and forbid investment firms from using non-monetary factors when crafting portfolios for investors — even if it’s what investors want.** **The House of Representatives passed the resolution on a party-line vote. In the Senate, Sens. Joe Manchin and John Tester (D-Mont.) joined with Republicans to approve the disapproval.** (In an interview with Fox News about his support of the resolution, Manchin said, “E.S.G.s by itself could just kill our economy.” We assume he means the fossil fuel industry, from which he personally benefits.) **The resolution will go to President Joe Biden, who will have to decide whether or not to veto the bill. We hope he does. Because when it comes to ESG investing, also called sustainable investing, Congress has crossed the line with its resolution.** There are certainly cases where government interference in the market is warranted — like when monopolies kill competition and drive up prices, or when companies shirk their responsibilities to protect consumers. **The Department of Labor rule does not mandate that investment firms offer ESG, nor does it give any government-funded incentive for doing so — it merely gives financial institutions the ability to offer something that consumers increasingly want.** **Even within investment firms, not every client has to participate.** The vast majority — including big-name firms like Charles Schwab and Fisher Investments — offer optional ESG portfolios, traditional portfolios that give zero consideration to ESG or the ability to select a combination of ESG and regular investments. **In other words, Congress’ resolution is actually limiting the free market.** Individual investors increasingly want to know that their money is doing “good” and supporting companies that reflect their own personal values. Congress is essentially taking away investors’ say in what’s being done with their dollars, because conservatives view ESG as a form of “woke-ism” forcing progressive values onto Wall Street, rather than the market responding to consumer demand. **It boggles the mind how quickly conservatives abandon their small-government, free-market values in their endless pursuit of culture wars.** **If the government were to step in, it should only be to standardize the definition of ESG. What factors and benchmarks are considered ESG vary widely. In general, though, ESG considers things like companies’ environmental impact or green initiatives; diversity policies or human rights records; and political contributions or history of lawsuits. Some critics have raised the issue of “greenwashing” — companies claiming to be environmentally friendly or socially responsible — that make companies look more attractive for ESG investing than they actually are.** _[Sometimes government regulation of the financial industry is necessary — but this is not one of those times.](https://www.dominionpost.com/2023/03/08/conservative-values-cast- aside-congress-wages-war-on-woke/)_ URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/09/traditional-values-under-threat- in-u-s-congress-e-s-g-plans-under-attack/>

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Absolutely No Real Necessity to Build & Operate Nuclear Reactors
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 08 Mar '23

08 Mar '23

# [Absolutely No Real Necessity to Build & Operate Nuclear Reactors](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/08/absolutely-no-real- necessity-to-build-operate-nuclear-reactors/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/EBFB9A52-9CE8-4B27-9DC6-A269711BB14A.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/03/EBFB9A52-9CE8-4B27-9DC6-A269711BB14A.jpeg) Modular nuclear reactors will be incredibly expensive, quite dangerous when operating and generate high level radioactive waste **[Action Alert from the WV Environmental Council](https://wvecouncil.org/), March 8, 2023** At any time, **the Senate Finance Committee is set to consider HB 2896, which aims to** **designate West Virginia as an agreement state with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC). However, this move could result in a financial burden of at least 9 million dollars for our State over the next 4-8 years. (As per the US NRC 's estimation, becoming an agreement state takes around 4-8 years.)** **The financial impact of HB 2896 cannot be ignored. This amount of money is substantial, especially considering the current funding shortages faced by the WV Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP), which is already struggling to fulfill its regulatory obligations towards existing industries.** **Please contact Senate Finance Committee members and tell them you do not want West Virginia to take on the financial burden of HB 2896! Calls are most effective:** Senator Eric Tarr (Chair): (304) 357-7901 Senator Rupie Phillips (Vice Chair): (304) 357-7857 Senator Jason Barrett: (304) 357-7933 Senator Donna J. Boley: (304) 357-7905 Senator Charles H. Clements: (304) 357-7827 Senator Glenn Jeffries: (304) 357-7866 Senator Mike Maroney: (304) 357-7902 Senator Eric Nelson: (304) 357-7854 Senator Mike Oliverio: (304) 357-7919 Senator Robert H. Plymale: (304) 357-7937 Senator Ben Queen: (304) 357-7904 Senator Rollan A. Roberts: (304) 357-7831 Senator Randy Smith: (304) 357-7995 Senator Chandler Swope: (304) 357-7843 Senator Jack Woodrum: (304) 357-7849 >>> _[West Virginia Environmental Council](https://wvecouncil.org/), P.O. Box 1007, Charleston, WV 25324_ info(a)wvecouncil.org (304) 414-0143 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/08/absolutely-no-real-necessity-to- build-operate-nuclear-reactors/>

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SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS (SUN) issues their impressive Annual Report
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 07 Mar '23

07 Mar '23

# [SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS (SUN) issues their impressive Annual Report](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/07/solar-united-neighbors-issu… their-impressive-annual-report/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/9EAC5299-1403-404E-886B-B5D5070009F7-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/9EAC5299-1403-404E-886B-B5D5070009F7.jpeg) SOLAR UNITED NEIGHBORS are very active! **To: Everyone Interested & Concerned About Energy Supply and the Environment** From the [Solar United Neighbors, Washington, DC,](https://go.solarunitedneighbors.org/webmail/941793/251695294/638e32be6… March 6, 2023 I’m thrilled to share our [2022 Annual Report](https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Sol… United-Neighbors-Annual-Report-2022.pdf) with you. In it, you’ll find just a sampling of all of the incredible work our team accomplished last year. [Here’s a few highlights:](https://go.solarunitedneighbors.org/webmail/941793/251695294/6… A. Helped pass the largest federal solar policy in a generation (the Inflation Reduction Act). B. Rallied hundreds of solar supporters to successfully defend net metering against a utility-sponsored bill in Florida. C. Launched a new program in Puerto Rico. D. Helped more than 1,300 households go solar (our biggest year yet!), including 40 low- and-moderate income families. E. Hosted 379 community events to educate, organize, and celebrate solar! Thank you for being a part of the solar community. Together, we’re building a new energy system with rooftop solar at the cornerstone. >> _Best wishes, Anya Schoolman, Executive Director, Solar United Neighbors_ **P.S. Like what you see?** [Support our work and spread the SUN even further by giving today!](https://secure.givelively.org/donate/solar-united- neighbors/donate-now-and-support-solar-06385778-212c-4f22-95bd-3f32649c8ba0/) **NOTE** ~ [You can read the 2022 Annual Report here.](https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Sola… United-Neighbors-Annual-Report-2022.pdf) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/07/solar-united-neighbors-issues- their-impressive-annual-report/>

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CONSIDER West Virginians for Energy Freedom (WV4EF)
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 06 Mar '23

06 Mar '23

# [CONSIDER West Virginians for Energy Freedom (WV4EF)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/06/consider-west-virginians-fo… energy-freedom-wv4ef/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/17D28643-9250-4DD3-A12B-A07369A21732-300x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/03/17D28643-9250-4DD3-A12B-A07369A21732.png)**Community solar projects enable individuals, businesses, or organizations to purchase or subscribe to a “share” in a community solar project. Community solar participants receive a credit on their electric bill each month for the energy produced by their share.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/06/consider-west-virginians-for- energy-freedom-wv4ef/>

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TRAIN DISASTER in East Palestine Pollutes Eastern Ohio & Ohio River
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 05 Mar '23

05 Mar '23

# [TRAIN DISASTER in East Palestine Pollutes Eastern Ohio & Ohio River](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/05/train-disaster-in-east- palestine-pollutes-eastern-ohio-ohio-river/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/FEDCD3F5-C5F1-4158-ABFA-B46AD3EBF48C-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/FEDCD3F5-C5F1-4158-ABFA-B46AD3EBF48C.jpeg) Chemical pollution toxic to land, to fish, to animals and people. (Click image to enlarge it) **Environmental Disaster from East Palestine, OH Train Derailment** From the [Article by Leigh Martinez, PennFuture Blog](https://www.pennfuture.org/Blog-Item-2023-East-Palestine-Ohio-Train- Disaster), February 23, 2023 The East Palestine, Ohio train derailment disaster is shocking in its scale and potential effects. Unfortunately, we may not know this disaster's long- term health and environmental impacts for months or even years. The gradual release and burn of these chemicals increased the risk that they spread beyond the crash site. With butyl acrylate found in local surface water, testing the groundwater supply and subsoil is crucial. We encourage anyone concerned about pollution and the safety of their community to document their observations and request soil and well water testing from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The residents of East Palestine and neighboring communities deserve transparency around the EPA's plan for continued air quality monitoring and the data of air tests. Regardless of location and as a regular practice, residents should report any unusual odor or changes in environmental conditions to the appropriate state environmental agency. We encourage residents to do their best to document the changes they've observed so environmental threats can be tracked and mitigated. PennFuture continues to closely track developments and information coming from both locals and government agencies. **What We Know of the Accident** ~ On Friday, February 3, at 8:54 p.m. ET, a Norfolk Southern freight train heading to Conway, Pennsylvania, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, approximately 1.2 miles from the Pennsylvania state line. Thirty-eight rail cars went off the tracks and caught fire. According to the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB), the investigating agency, a resident's home surveillance video showed what appears to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheating failure moments before the derailment. The fear of a possible explosion forced the evacuation of 1,500 to 2,000 residents in a town of only 4,900. **An Explanation of the Environmental Disaster ~** The train towed 20 cars with hazardous material—11 of which derailed. Five overturned cars contained vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make PVC plastic and vinyl products. According to the National Cancer Institute, it is a flammable gas and cancer- causing. Norfolk Southern said some cars carrying vinyl chloride were at risk of exploding. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine authorized a controlled burn of the chemicals on Monday, February 6. This burn resulted in a massive smoke plume. **Vinyl Chloride ~** When burned, vinyl chloride breaks down into two chemicals: hydrogen chloride and phosgene. Phosgene is highly poisonous—used in chemical warfare during World War I and responsible for many deaths, according to the CDC. While long-term exposure to higher concentrations of the gas can be deadly, the gas released by Norfolk did not result in reports of injuries or fatalities. **Hydrogen Chloride ~** This strong acid gas can cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation and pain. **Other Chemicals Onboard ~** In addition to vinyl chloride, the EPA listed the following chemicals as also on the train: 3. Butyl acrylate — a liquid used for making paint, adhesives, and sealants, 4. Ethylhexyl acrylate — a liquid used for making paint, printing inks, and plastics, is toxic to the lungs and nervous system, 5. Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether — an industrial solvent that can be absorbed through the skin and is toxic to the liver and kidneys, 6. Isobutylene — a gas used in antioxidants, packaging, plastics, and high-octane plane fuel. **It 's currently known that the derailment caused the release of butyl acrylate and ethylhexyl acrylate, which leaked into the ground, nearby streams, and storm drains.** Another major cause for alarm is the areas of contaminated soil and free liquids that, according to the EPA, "were observed and potentially covered and/or filled during reconstruction of the rail line including portions of the trench /burn pit that was used for the open burn off of vinyl chloride." Having multiple chemicals released adds to the complexity of the situation. On Tuesday, February 21, EPA Administrator Michael Regan ordered Norfolk Southern Railway to pay for the contaminated soil and water cleanup and reimburse the EPA for the private cleanup of residential homes and businesses. This order enables the EPA to force Norfolk Southern to adhere to a plan set and managed by the EPA. **Health Impacts ~** The EPA monitored the air quality and tested East Palestine's municipal drinking water well. Private well water testing is ongoing and residents with wells are told to still use bottled water. The EPA did not yet release the data from air monitor testing. **Drinking Water ~** Ohio Gov. DeWine said on Wednesday, February 16, that the water in East Palestine's municipal system is safe to drink based on the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's results, however: 1. The Ohio EPA recommends people using private wells for drinking water schedule an appointment for well water testing. 2. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will conduct independent water sampling to monitor water contamination risks related to the train derailment closely. **Air Monitoring ~** Air quality monitors are a tool to measure exposure to air contaminants, but the technology has limitations. While the EPA has come out to say the air quality in and around East Palestine is safe for residents to return home, officials have not provided any data from the air tests. Depending on which types of air monitors the EPA is utilizing, they may not be providing the exact chemical breakdown and measurements in the air. How a healthy first responder reacts to a particular air quality measurement differs from an older adult or a child. The EPA needs to be transparent with community members on the technology used to test air quality, the limitations of the equipment, the chemical specificity found, and the measurements. **Environmental Impacts ~** The Norfolk Southern train carried 20 cars with hazardous materials. After the spill, chemicals—including an entire load of butyl acrylates—were seen running into storm drains and water sources. As of Tuesday, February 21—two weeks after the train derailment—Norfolk Southern reported the chemical spill contaminated at least 15,000 pounds of soil and 1.1 million gallons of water. Locals documented images of dead fish and an oily sheen along Ohio River tributaries days after the spill. Those streams are reintroduction sites for the hellbender salamander. Water pollution puts endangered amphibian species at risk. An official with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources told WKBN that it would take time to know the effects on the hellbender. The federal government's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry opened an investigation tracking the chemical exposure. **Water Contamination ~** According to the Ohio EPA, the Sulphur Run stream was the body of water most impacted by the derailment because of an "impoundment" on February 8 when officials rerouted the water with the damming and pumps. Environmental teams dammed a portion of Sulphur Run and rerouted it to protect water downstream. Teams will treat contaminated water with booms, aeration, and carbon filtration units. **What Are Dioxins?** Dioxins are highly toxic, persistent organic pollutants that take a long time to break down once in the environment. They are a contaminant formed during the production of some chlorinated organic compounds, released through waste incineration or burning fuels. Dioxins can travel long distances in the air or water; when they settle into the soil, it will take several years to break down. Once in the environment, they can accumulate in the food chain—primarily in animal fat, fish, and shellfish. Dioxins can cause cancer, disrupt hormones, lead to reproductive and developmental problems, and damage the immune system. In July 1976, a chemical plant explosion near Seveso, Italy exposed locals to the highest known levels of dioxin. Ohio's senators Sherrod Brown (D) and J.D. Vance (R) sent a joint letter requesting the state and federal EPAs to test the air for dioxins. [Follow EPA updates on the environmental impact of the Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster.](https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=15933) **What Pennsylvania Leaders Say About Railroad Safety ~** **On Tuesday, February 21, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said his office made a criminal referral against Norfolk Southern to the acting Pennsylvania attorney general for review. At a press conference with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Shapiro said: "The combination of Norfolk Southern's corporate greed, incompetence, and lack of care for our residents is absolutely unacceptable."** Shapiro previously said publicly and in a letter to Norfolk Southern's CEO: "You can be assured that Pennsylvania will hold Norfolk Southern accountable for any and all impacts to our Commonwealth." **Gov. Shapiro listed three critical things Norfolk Southern did wrong after the derailment:** 1\. Norfolk Southern made its own plan and did not implement a unified command which confused first responders and emergency management. As a result, state and local agencies had to react versus work in tandem. 2\. Norfolk Southern gave inaccurate information and conflicting modeling about the impact of the controlled release of chemicals. 3\. Norfolk Southern was unwilling to explore an alternative to burning chemicals and released and burned the chemicals without warning government agencies. **Pennsylvania 's senators Bob Casey (D) and John Fetterman (D) sent a joint letter with the Ohio senators requesting the EPA continue its monitoring of the land, air, and water in East Palestine, Darlington Township in Beaver County, and other impacted communities "until the long-term effects of the exposure are fully understood."** **Questions and Actions Post-Emergency Operations** [PennFuture believes environmental disasters are long-term public health disasters.](https://www.pennfuture.org/Blog-Item-2023-East-Palestine-Ohio- Train-Disaster) We should ask the following questions of Norfolk Southern Railway Company and Pennsylvania and Ohio leaders: 1\. What is the current plan for continued community engagement? How frequently will residents in East Palestine and the surrounding areas receive updates? Are there opportunities to comment on cleanup plans? 2. How is ambient air being monitored? What are those measurements? 3. Where are air samples being collected? 4. How frequently is the air quality being tested? 5. Do experts know how far the toxic plume traveled? 6. Which bodies of water are scientists sampling, and for which chemical constituents? 7. Are officials advising children and dogs not to play in streams? 8. Were surface wipes used on residents' homes and vehicles? If so, what were the results? 9. Where are soil samples being collected, and how deep are those samples? 10. What is the plan for dioxin testing? 11. What is the plan to notify the community of dioxin contamination? 12. Was the controlled release and burn the best way to control the chemicals? 13. What are the reasoning and safety around transporting various chemicals near one another? 14. Was the train adequately inspected? Are there plans to improve the inspections in the future? 15. How can the community engage with testing and ongoing monitoring? 16. Are we investing enough in environmental agencies' personnel and equipment to ensure the fastest and best response to the next disaster? **Notable Environmental Organizations to Follow ~ Ohio Environmental Council & Clean Air Council** The longer people go without answers and action, anxiety and fear grow in the community. We need to limit pollution's impact on the ecosystem and mental health. East Palestine and Beaver County residents deserve transparency in testing and cleanup and a clear plan for long-term environmental monitoring. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/05/train-disaster-in-east- palestine-pollutes-eastern-ohio-ohio-river/>

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Community Solar Petition Available Now ~ You Can Sign & Be Helpful!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 04 Mar '23

04 Mar '23

# [Community Solar Petition Available Now ~ You Can Sign & Be Helpful!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/04/community-solar-petition- available-now-you-can-sign-be-helpful/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/08167427-555A-43ED-893C-7CD8F306D0F2-300x46.jpg)](h… content/uploads/2023/03/08167427-555A-43ED-893C-7CD8F306D0F2.jpeg) Strength & progress result when our various groups work together **Sign the petition: Show your support for community solar ASAP** From the [Coalition Named “West Virginians for Energy Freedom”](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/community-solar) You can join with fellow West Virginians in support of allowing community solar in our State of West Virginia. Community solar will rein in energy costs, create jobs, and promote energy freedom. [Community solar projects](https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/community-solar) enable individuals, businesses, or organizations to purchase or subscribe to a “share” in a community solar project. Community solar participants receive a credit on their electric bill each month for the energy produced by their share. And, community solar ensures we have the right to choose where our electricity comes from. Also, **community solar** has the power to save West Virginia families millions of dollars per year through lower electric bills. It does so while encouraging local economic development throughout the State. This creates good jobs and attracts more employers to invest in West Virginia. **Let’s face it, community solar is a free-market way to generate electricity. Let’s secure energy freedom for West Virginia families now, i. e., as soon as possible.** #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **SEE ALSO:** “[Advocates Pitch Community Solar To State Lawmakers. Some Say No](https://wvpublic.org/advocates-pitch-community-solar-to-state-lawmakers- some-say-no/),” Curtis Tate, WV Public Broadcasting, January 10, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/04/community-solar-petition- available-now-you-can-sign-be-helpful/>

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PLEASE HELP OUT! ~ The WV Legislative Session End on March 11th!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 03 Mar '23

03 Mar '23

# [PLEASE HELP OUT! ~ The WV Legislative Session End on March 11th!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/03/please-help-out-the-wv- legislative-session-end-on-march-11th/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/38558B61-2C00-4EF1-96C9-24C72A504525-300x94.png)](h… content/uploads/2023/03/38558B61-2C00-4EF1-96C9-24C72A504525.png) WV Rivers Coalition is a not-for-profit organization in the public interest **[One Week to Go!](http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bulletin_Board/calendar/calendar_2023.cfm) What Policy Priorities Are Still in Play in the WV Legislature? ** . . . From the [West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Charleston, WV](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/marchenews?wvpId=1484761a-9d09-4d6b-911f…, March 3, 2023 **HB 3189, the PFAS Protection Act** , passed the House in a vote of 82-9. It’s now referenced to Government Organization Committee in the Senate. Contact your Senators and urge them to pass the PFAS Protection Act! [Learn more about the PFAS problem here](https://wvrivers.org/pfas/). [Contact Your Senator on PFAS](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/senatepfas/index.html?eType=EmailBlast… #####+++++#####+++++##### **HB 3110, which increases funding for inspectors with the WVDEP Office of Oil and Gas (OOG)** , passed the House unanimously. Unfortunately the bill that passed was weakened, leaving the state with less than 20 inspectors to oversee more than 75,000 wells. The Charleston Gazette-Mail has carried a discussion of the importance of this bill. It is now referenced to the Finance Committee in the Senate. Contact your Senators and encourage them to fully fund the WVDEP Office of Oil and Gas! [Read our fact sheet here.](https://fdfad2.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/OOG2.3.2023.pdf/) [Contact Your Senator on Office of Oil & Gas (OOG) Inspectors](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/oogfundingsenate/index.html?eTyp… #####+++++######+++++####### **SB 468, which permanently reauthorizes off-road vehicles in Cabwaylingo State Park** , passed the Senate on a vote of 29-4. A proposed amendment to open additional public lands to off-road vehicles was defeated in committee. [However, the amended bill does allow connector trails from public lands to private lands. It now goes over to the House.](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb… #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [GREEN Newsletter, Volume 33, Number 8, West Virginia Environmental Council](https://wvecouncil.org/), March 3, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/03/please-help-out-the-wv- legislative-session-end-on-march-11th/>

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Small Modular Nuclear Reactors ~ Bad Deal or Terrible Deal
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 02 Mar '23

02 Mar '23

# [Small Modular Nuclear Reactors ~ Bad Deal or Terrible Deal](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/02/small-modular-nuclear-reactor… bad-deal-or-terrible-deal/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/57B4AAB5-38E6-43BF- BA8A-5652F07CDB8F-232x300.jpg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/57B4AAB5-38E6-43BF-BA8A-5652F07CDB8F.jpeg) Small Modular Nuclear Reactors studied by Union of Concerned Scientists **Small modular nuclear reactors: A bad deal for Southwest Virginia! And all of us!** From the [Letter by Rees Shearer, Virginia Mercury,](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/02/16/small-modular-nuclear- reactors-a-good-deal-for-southwest-virginia/) February 16, 2023 **In announcing his 2022 Virginia Energy Plan, Gov. Youngkin said, “A growing Virginia must have reliable, affordable and clean energy for Virginia’s families and businesses.” The Governor’s plan to promote and subsidize Small Modular nuclear Reactors (SMnRs) in Southwest Virginia fails all three of the Governor’s own criteria:** >>> SMnRs can’t be reliable when they cannot reliably be built and brought on line in a predictable and timely fashion. >>> SMnRs can’t be affordable because nuclear power is close to the costliest of all forms of electric power generation. >>> SMnRs can’t be clean since they produce extremely toxic high and low-level nuclear waste, which has no safe storage or disposal solution. **Appalachia has long served as a sacrifice zone for rapacious energy ambitions of other regions.** Southwest Virginians have had reason to hope that would change as opportunities for low-cost solar development emerged in recent years. Instead, politicians like Youngkin are making too-good-to-be- true promises about SMnRs, sidelining opportunities to promote solar, which can produce power in a matter of weeks, not decades. Imposing SMnRs on Southwest Virginia is disturbing. My father worked for the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s. The promise the nuclear industry and the government touted then – “electricity, too cheap to meter” – never has been realized. TVA and other utilities abandoned nuclear plants under construction, leaving costly monuments to that folly and sticking electricity customers with the bill. **COSTS** : It’s not at all clear that SMnR technology will succeed, or when. Levelized cost charts of electric power generation rate nuclear as among the very most expensive means to generate electric power at utility scale. If nuclear waste management, insurance, and decommissioning costs are counted, actual costs are far higher. (Some of these costs are already socialized for nuclear power – e.g. insurance in the Price-Anderson Act.) The first commercial SMnR is not expected to be completed until 2029, but already its developers have raised the target price of its power by 53%. This is not a surprise; nuclear power construction history documents an extremely strong correlation between new designs and cost increases and project delays. Indeed, the Lazard research shows that nuclear is the ONLY grid-wide generation source to increase in price, 2009-2021. The increase was 36%! **NUCLEAR WASTE, TRANSPORT, AND REPROCESSING** : Nuclear waste and reprocessing are also serious concerns. Make no mistake, unreprocessed nuclear waste, for all practicable purposes, is FOREVER. The fact that we have become accustomed to risk does not, by any means, reduce risk. Nor will SMnRs generate less waste than their larger forebears. Indeed, a recent Stanford University study concluded that “small modular reactors may produce a disproportionately larger amount of nuclear waste than bigger nuclear plants.” Safeguarding this waste is already costing taxpayers and utility customers tens of billions of dollars. With the failure of the U.S. to designate a central storage facility, nuclear power plants are forced to continue to store the waste in pools on site. Yet nuclear waste recycling, known as reprocessing, is no panacea. In November, the Governor spoke in Bristol in support of recycling nuclear waste from SMnRs: “I think the big steps out of the box are the technical capability to deploy in the next 10 years and on top of that to press forward to recycling opportunities for fuel.” He may have had in mind BWX Technologies of Lynchburg, which is beginning reprocessing of uranium at its Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) plant just south of the Virginia border in Erwin, Tennessee, for nuclear weapons. It took over a decade, but in 1984, Congress finally killed the last proposal to reprocess nuclear waste into nuclear fuel. The reprocessing would have taken place at the Clinch River Breeder Reactor, also south of the Virginia border, near Oak Ridge, TN. The concern then was the potential for accidental highly toxic “spills” of nuclear wastes or purposeful diversion of plutonium into the international weapons market. I recall this clearly because I spoke at a public hearing in Abingdon about the transportation of nuclear waste that would be bound for the Clinch River plant. Transportation of SMnR nuclear wastes along Virginia mountain roads or railroads across the border to Erwin presents further risk of accident and contamination. Longstanding concerns about transportation and security of nuclear wastes have never been adequately addressed. In addition, Princeton University physicist, Frank N. von Hippel reported in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, charged with protecting U.S. citizens from reactor disasters such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, or Fukushima, has moved toward offering greater flexibility for a nuclear industry plagued by cost overruns and calls for safety improvements, rather than hewing to its primary responsibility for maintaining safety of nuclear generating facilities and the American people. The Bulletin also reports that, because of longstanding financial troubles experienced by the commercial nuclear power industry, state legislatures are increasingly being asked and are feeling compelled to subsidize nuclear power. Gov. Youngkin’s state energy plan would take Virginia down that road, a road that could be very long. **URANIUM MINING in VIRGINIA?** Because of toxic pollution risks, mining uranium in Virginia is currently prohibited under a moratorium enacted by the General Assembly. Coles Hill in Pittsylvania County contains the largest deposit of uranium in the U.S. Just a month ago, Consolidated Uranium, a Canadian company, announced its purchase of Virginia Energy Resources, which owns Coles Hill. It sounds like those executives think that another run at overturning the mining moratorium might be successful. That this purchase announcement comes so shortly after Youngkin’s announcement of SMnRs in his Virginia Energy Plan feels like more than coincidence. Uranium mining in a wet, eastern location would present a far higher opportunity for contamination than mining that has for years had problems affecting water and public health in the West. We Appalachians know the social and environmental costs of an extractive economy. We should not support any enterprise that forces that kind of exploitation upon our neighbors, especially mining with known, pervasive health, safety and environmental risks. **CORPORATE CRONYISM and POLITICAL BOONDOGGERY** : BWX Technologies of Lynchburg (formerly Babcock and Wilcox) is the nuclear contractor we can anticipate would be charged with Gov. Youngkin’s wish to reprocess nuclear waste into fuel. BWX has been on the ropes for years, since nuclear became so unpopular with utilities in the wake of the Three Mile Island accident. It has managed to stay afloat with military contracts and wants to develop the reactors it builds for subs and aircraft carriers for commercial power production. The SMnRs are its ticket, and Gov. Youngkin is playing both their salesman and the state’s purchasing agent. Some General Assembly members are angling to help their localities and favored industries cash in. #######+++++++#######+++++++######### **SEE ALSO ~** [INFOGRAPHIC: Small Modular Reactors | Department of Energy, 2018](https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/infographic-small-modular-reactors) #######+++++++#######+++++++######### **" Advanced" Isn't Always Better ~ Assessing the Safety, Security, and Environmental Impacts of Non-Light-Water Nuclear Reactors**, Edwin Lyman, March 18, 2021 If nuclear power is to play an expanded role in helping address climate change, newly built reactors must be demonstrably safer and more secure than current generation reactors. Unfortunately, most "advanced" nuclear reactors are anything but. The [Union of Concerned Scientists undertook a comprehensive analysis](https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/advanced-isnt-always-better) of the most prominent and well-funded non-light-water reactor (NLWR) designs. We asked: §- What are the benefits and risks of NLWRs and their fuel cycles ? §- Do the likely overall benefits of NLWRs outweigh the risks and justify the substantial public and private investments needed to commercialize them? §- Can NLWRs be safely and securely commercialized in time to contribute significantly to averting the climate crisis? Based on the available evidence, we found that the NLWR designs we analyzed are not likely to be significantly safer than today’s nuclear plants. In fact, certain alternative reactor designs pose even more safety, proliferation, and environmental risks than the current fleet. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/02/small-modular-nuclear-reactors- bad-deal-or-terrible-deal/>

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EYES ON THE SHELL ETHANE CRACKER FACILITY IN S.W. PA ~ Zoom 3/1/23
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 01 Mar '23

01 Mar '23

# [EYES ON THE SHELL ETHANE CRACKER FACILITY IN S.W. PA ~ Zoom 3/1/23](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/01/eyes-on-the-shell-ethane- cracker-facility-in-s-w-pa-zoom-3123/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/DCA61B84-F5D4-4F35-B3AD-A12BBD9DA24E-300x206.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/03/DCA61B84-F5D4-4F35-B3AD-A12BBD9DA24E.jpeg) The Shell Ethane Cracker Facility appears to have challenging performance due to complex startup activities **Eyes on Shell Monthly Meeting, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. March 1, 2023** From the [Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community, Ambridge, PA](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pdeGprj8qH9b1ZZrasEDVuwnYVxWpGtX8), 3/1/23 **All of us, no matter where we come from or what we look like, want to live in a safe, healthy environment where our families can thrive. But fossil fuel lobbyists and the politicians they pay for are once again sacrificing our health for their profits. We are coming together as a community to protect our families and hold Shell accountable for the damage they will do to our environment.** Connect with **Eyes On Shell** , and learn more about: -monitoring processes, -expected air contaminants, -water pollution, -health impacts …. Join us to learn about steps you can take to protect yourself, and your loved ones from harm. You can be part of the Eyes on Shell watchdog team. If you see, smell, or hear something that doesn’t seem right, let us know. eyesonshell(a)gmail.com ……. (724) 923-3244 Note: By registering for this event you give permission for the organizers to send related emails to you. **Time** ~ [You can choose to attend the following session](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pdeGprj8qH9b1ZZrasEDVuwnYVxWpGtX8). ~ Mar 1, 2023 07:30 PM <https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pdeGprj8qH9b1ZZrasEDVuwnYVxWpGt…> **Our mailing address is:** Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community P.O. Box 31, Ambridge, PA 15003 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/03/01/eyes-on-the-shell-ethane- cracker-facility-in-s-w-pa-zoom-3123/>

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WV Legislature ~ House Bill (HB-3110) To Add Oil & Gas Inspectors
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 28 Feb '23

28 Feb '23

# [WV Legislature ~ House Bill (HB-3110) To Add Oil & Gas Inspectors](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/28/wv-legislature-house-bi… hb-3110-to-add-oil-gas-inspectors/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/DF321E80-BB6F-4DFB-92BC-C21B309C099A.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/02/DF321E80-BB6F-4DFB-92BC-C21B309C099A.jpeg) Contact WV State Senators who can (might) do the right thing(s)? **WV Legislature HB-3110 for Oil & Gas Inspectors Passes House, Now in Senate Finance Committee** From an [Article by Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette](https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/wv-house- passes-bill-to-boost-funding-for-states-understaffed-financially-strained-oil- and-gas/article_c99c0b82-b975-514e-aba7-cbfd1f452b0d.html), February 23, 2023 **The West Virginia House of Delegates approved a bill that would increase funding for the state Office of Oil and Gas after rejecting an amendment from Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, that would have given the office a bigger financial boost.** The West Virginia House of Delegates passed the bill without opposition or debate Thursday that would bolster funding for the state’s understaffed, financially stressed gas and oil well inspection unit. **The House approved this HB-3110 in a 98-0 vote, sending it to the Senate.** **The state Department of Environmental Protection has estimated the bill would raise roughly $2 million annually to be allocated to the Office of Oil and Gas** , which is responsible for monitoring the exploration, drilling, storage and production of natural gas and oil in West Virginia. The office is in charge of monitoring 75,000 wells statewide. The bill would allocate 0.75% of oil and gas severance taxes and a tiered system of annual well oversight fees to benefit the Office of Oil and Gas. **HB 3110 would impose an annual $350 fee per well for an operator’s first 400 unplugged wells** that produce an average of 250,000 cubic feet of natural gas or more per day. The bill would impose an annual $75 fee per well for an operator’s first 400 unplugged wells that produce an average of between 60,000 and 250,000 cubic feet of gas per day. The legislation would impose a $25 fee for an operator’s first 4,000 wells that produce between 10,000 and 60,000 cubic feet of gas per day, with operators with 500 or fewer unplugged wells producing in that range of gas excluded from that fee. The House had rejected an amendment proposed by Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, that would have removed the 400- and 4,000-well caps on unplugged wells for which operators would have to pay oversight fees to support the Office of Oil and Gas. Hansen and environmental health proponents have argued that large producers can afford and should be required to pay more to support the state’s oil and gas regulators. **Stephanie Catarino Wissman, executive director of American Petroleum Institute Pennsylvania** , Appalachia Region, showed a lack of support for any fee-driven approach to supporting West Virginia environmental regulators. Wissman said the industry backs supporting the DEP through the existing severance tax. “[W]e need policies that enable investment in drilling and energy infrastructure, not additional taxes and fees,” Wissman said. **The DEP reduced the size of the Office of Oil and Gas from about 45 to 25 staff members in 2020 over a lack of funding stemming from a decrease in revenue from the one-time permit fees the office relies on for support.** **DEP Deputy Secretary Scott Mandirola has said HB 3110’s tiered fee system followed discussions with industry.** Mandirola told the House Energy and Manufacturing Committee prior to its approval of HB 3110 the Office of Oil and Gas’ 10 well inspectors are dwarfed by Pennsylvania’s 66 and Ohio’s 38. (West Virginia is the nation’s fourth-largest gas producer. The WV DEP has planned to bring back 10 inspectors to get back to the 20 the Office of Oil and Gas had prior to the 2020 cutbacks.) **West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization co-founder Dave McMahon** has urged state lawmakers to support around 40 well inspectors instead of going back to the 2020 status quo. Before the Energy and Manufacturing Committee earlier this month, McMahon cited a 2018 study of West Virginia well sites by Princeton and McGill university researchers that found active conventional wells are a significant source of methane emitted into the atmosphere. **Environmental, royalty and surface owner advocates have urged the Legislature to shore up funding for the Office of Oil and Gas in recent years** , citing lost royalties and harmful methane emissions due to gas leaks thriving with limited monitoring stemming from an understaffed inspection unit. **The study estimated that each active conventional well loses roughly 9% of production. Researchers found that the emission factor used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to project methane emissions from conventional active wells underestimates those emissions by 7.5 times.** Methane is typically released alongside other air pollutants that can cause cancer, asthma, premature birth and other devastating health outcomes. Also, methane traps at least 80 times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, accelerating climate change that is driving an increase in major floods and power outages — to which West Virginia is especially prone. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **HOUSE BILLS,** [HB-3110, “Relating to funding the Office of Oil and Gas in the Department of Environmental Protection”](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?IN…. West Virginia Legislature, February 28, 2023. HB-3110 assigned to Senate Finance Committee. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/28/wv-legislature-house-bill- hb-3110-to-add-oil-gas-inspectors/>

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VIRGINIA Should Stay in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative [RGGI]
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 27 Feb '23

27 Feb '23

# [VIRGINIA Should Stay in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative [RGGI]](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/27/virginia-should-stay-in-the- regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative-rggi/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/0FBF55F3-4D77-4538-98AC-48E0BABEA96F-300x168.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/0FBF55F3-4D77-4538-98AC-48E0BABEA96F.png) Most all the northeastern states are in the RGGI **ZOOM SESSION: Reminder ~ Join us Wednesday to save Virginia 's RGGI funding!** From the [Action Alert of Zander Pellegrino, Chesapeake Climate Action Network](https://actionnetwork.org/events/defend-rggi-public-comment-writin… party/), 2/25/23 **Bad news, Virginia! Governor Glenn Youngkin is moving forward on his extremely unpopular crusade to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).** A recent poll found that huge bipartisan majorities of Virginians, including a plurality of Republicans, want to stay in RGGI. Yet four appointees on the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board – all hand-picked by Governor Youngkin – voted to remove us from RGGI. **Virginia has already received over $523 million from RGGI.** But Governor Youngkin's scheme puts us at risk of losing vital funds to prevent flooding and would throw our state's carbon cap-and-trade market into chaos. **Now the decision to leave RGGI is up for public comment and we need YOUR voice! Join CCAN and fellow climate activists for a virtual comment-writing party on Wednesday March 1 at 6:30 PM.** [RSVP today!](https://actionnetwork.org/events/defend-rggi-public-comment-writing- party/) We’re hosting this comment-writing party to make sure Virginians like YOU are heard. The League of Conservation Voters, Appalachian Voices, Nature Forward, and Sierra Club will be joining us. **Our featured speakers – Megan Root and McKenzie Brocker – work for the city of Roanoke on climate adaptation and sustainability. They will share what RGGI funding can mean for their part of Virginia.** **Then we will go into breakout sessions** where organizers will coach you on how to craft a strong comment. By the end of the hour, your comment will be ready for submission on the online portal! We will even help you navigate the website to make sure yours gets in. Sign up today! Last fall, we submitted 838 comments and an overwhelming number were in favor of RGGI. Generating another immense outpouring of support for RGGI will not only build the case against the Air Board repeal, it will also bolster RGGI’s support with lawmakers in the VA state legislature – where RGGI’s fate is legally decided. **And we will keep fighting!** [So RSVP today to join us Wednesday March 1 at 6:30 PM for a public comment-writing party.](https://actionnetwork.org/events/defend-rggi-public-comment-writing- party/) _See you there, Zander Pellegrino, CCAN, 2/25/23_ <https://actionnetwork.org/events/defend-rggi-public-comment-writing-party/> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/27/virginia-should-stay-in-the- regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative-rggi/>

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Environment Day (E-Day) at the West Virginia Legislature is February 28th
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 26 Feb '23

26 Feb '23

# [Environment Day (E-Day) at the West Virginia Legislature is February 28th](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/26/environment-day-e-day-at-the- west-virginia-legislature-is-february-28th/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/CDE6A105-9438-48AC-9166-CE53C4B302F9-300x41.jpg)](h… content/uploads/2023/02/CDE6A105-9438-48AC-9166-CE53C4B302F9.jpeg)[![](http… content/uploads/2023/02/C7EB5141-EEA4-4D60-9803-57E2EF6FC09A-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/C7EB5141-EEA4-4D60-9803-57E2EF6FC09A.jpeg) **To the Residents of West Virginia’s 55 Counties, North South East & West!** From [Aileen Curfman, Conservation Chair, West Virginia Sierra Club](https://www.sierraclub.org/west-virginia) **[You’re invited to the annual Environmental Day at the West Virginia State Capital on February 28 from 9 AM to 2 PM.](https://wvecouncil.org/youre- invited-to-environmental-day/)** This event is organized each year by the West Virginia Environmental Council. It’s a great opportunity to connect with our legislators and to network with other environmentalists across the state. The Environmental Council has put together a short list of some legislation to address West Virginia’s long-standing environmental and economic woes. **Learn more here:** <https://wvecouncil.org/youre-invited-to-e-day-at-the-capitol-2/> If you would like to attend, or your group would like to have a table, please sign up here: <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLXTPELMQWdk63ZCrM7VjWrJWHQRGUuU4…> _The West Virginia Sierra Club is excited about attending. I hope to see you there!_ [Sign Up For E-Day!](https://wvecouncil.org/youre-invited-to-environmental- day/) #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **P.S. Mark the date! On June 10, 2023, the West Virginia Sierra Club will have a picnic at the Grandview area of the New River Gorge National Park. All members, family and friends are invited. Please join us for a fun day with your fellow Sierrans in our nation’s newest National Park. Mark your calendar! Details will be coming soon.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/26/environment-day-e-day-at-the- west-virginia-legislature-is-february-28th/>

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§ Shale Gas Drilling & Fracking Quite Active But Moderating ~ $-Natural Gas Much Cheaper
by Frack Check WV: admin 25 Feb '23

25 Feb '23

# [§ Shale Gas Drilling & Fracking Quite Active But Moderating ~ $-Natural Gas Much Cheaper](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/25/%c2%a7-shale-gas- drilling-fracking-quite-active-but-moderating-natural-gas-much-cheaper/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/4B5B7645-8E2F-42B0-97F6-7B0B52F2A982-300x147.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/4B5B7645-8E2F-42B0-97F6-7B0B52F2A982.png) Natural gas forecast doesn’t reflect the current volatility! **Chesapeake Energy to reduce drilling amid natgas price slump** From an [Article by Reuters, Business & Industry Connection](https://www.bicmagazine.com/industry/drilling- exploration/chesapeake-energy-to-reduce-drilling-amid-natgas-slump/), February 23, 2023 **(Reuters) U.S. natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp said it would pull back on drilling and completing wells this year as natural gas prices have crashed to a quarter of what they were last summer.** **Chesapeake** said it will drop two rigs in the Haynesville region that covers parts of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana this year, and one rig in Marcellus shale of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. "We certainly see that it's prudent to pull back capital, and we think we're seeing others do the same," Chief Executive Nick Dell'Osso said of energy firms pulling back in a shale gas play in Louisiana and east Texas. "We're making money on the capital that we are investing but the margins are not nearly on a full cycle basis what they were historically," he added. Other operators, primarily private firms, were also pulling back activity in that region, he said. Earlier this month, **Comstock Resources** Inc said it would cut drilling rigs to seven from nine this year. **Henry Hub natural gas futures on Wednesday briefly dipped below $2 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) for the first time since September 2020, and were down from last year 's $8 peak.** Shares of Chesapeake were up 2.3% to $79.77 in midday trading. Chesapeake, which previously announced plans to sell its oil position to focus on gas production, on Tuesday said it would sell oil assets in South Texas to chemical maker **INEOS** for $1.4 billion. That deal comes a month after it agreed to sell a separate part of its assets there to **Wildfire Energy** for $1.43 billion. Chesapeake expects to receive $1.7 billion in after-tax proceeds from those sales. Rival shale oil producer **Diamondback Energy** on Wednesday said it was increasing its non-core asset sale target to at least $1 billion by the end of this year, up from $500 million previously. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **Natural Gas Price Volatility ‘Simply Noise’ for Heavily Hedged CNX, Says CEO** From an [Article by Andrew Baker, NGI Shale Daily](https://www.naturalgasintel.com/natural-gas-price-volatility-simply- noise-for-heavily-hedged-cnx-says-ceo/), January 27, 2023 **CEO Nicholas Deluliis hosted a conference call to discuss fourth-quarter and full-year 2022 results for Canonsburg, PA-based CNX, formerly part of CONSOL Energy of Pittsburgh.** Appalachian Basin pure-play **CNX Resources Corp.** is aiming to lock in elevated natural gas prices and protect itself from market swings through an aggressive hedging strategy. Also, “from a macro perspective, we expect the recent pricing volatility to continue in 2023 as the US domestic markets continue to fluctuate with shifting weather expectations, uncertain domestic production levels,” and growing liquefied natural gas demand from around the world. “How gas prices unfold in 2023 will depend on a difficult to predict combination of those three core elements.” The CEO said “while the extreme volatility in the natural gas markets will significantly impact near term results, prices along the strip are still materially higher than in recent years and as such, the rates of returns on previous capital investments remain not just high, but improved in this environment…” As a result, “the future business plan not only remains intact, but even stronger,” he added. CNX is forecasting capital expenditures (capex) of $575-675 million in 2023, including $430-475 million for drilling and completions. Total capex in 2022 was $566 million. Plans are to run one to two drilling rigs and one continuous, all electric hydraulic fracturing crew throughout the year, Deluliis said. **‘Modestly Lower’ Output** ~ CNX is expecting “modestly lower” production in 2023 versus 2022, he said. Management expects production levels to be at their lowest during the first quarter, then to accelerate as the year progresses. Production “is a result for us, not an objective within our strategy and business model,” he told analysts. “Most importantly, we’re expecting to return to our 2022 production level run rate around mid-year 2023 plus or minus, and from there return to more elevated annual levels in 2024 and beyond,” the CEO said. Also, “this annual capital budget assumes a full year of the increased inflationary cost environment that we experienced during the latter part of 2022 and reflects our desire to use the highest quality crews and products and to make the best long-term focused decisions to help derisk our plan.” The company expects to bring online 30 wells for the year, including 27 in Southwest Pennsylvania (SWPA) and three in Central Pennsylvania. The SWPA wells would comprise 23 in the Marcellus Shale and four in the Utica Shale, with average lateral lengths of 14,500 feet and 13,600 feet, respectively. **Deluliis noted that “today’s higher capital costs are more than offset by the increased pricing outlook that we continue to hedge into.” The company has hedged 82% of its expected natural gas volumes for full-year 2023.** The company “will continue to add higher priced hedges in what is an elevated natural gas price environment compared to when a lot of the hedges were originally put on,” Deluliis said. He added, “Locking in these increased pricing levels translates to significant future margin expansion that will add material free cash flow compared to the original seven-year plan that we put out in 2020.” **In other words, “we believe that the volatility that we’re seeing in the commodity markets [is] simply noise as it relates to our sustainable business model and long-term plan,” said Deluliis.** “Despite the uncertainty in the gas markets we are currently seeing in 2023 along with the uncertainty around the broader economy, we are confident in the sustainable business model that we have created.” As to the potential for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Deluliis said, “I think the kind of bolt-on opportunities are fairly reduced at this point. There’s not a lot of private equity operators left and we always compare any potential M&A opportunity to the opportunity of doing M&A on ourselves through our buybacks, so it’s a pretty high hurdle when you come at it from that perspective. There’s currently nothing kind of on our radar from that perspective given where our share prices are trading.” CNX generated a company record $707 million of free cash flow in 2022, Deluliis highlighted. The company fetched an average realized gas price after hedging off $2.76/Mcf during 4Q2022, versus $2.54 in 4Q2021. The full-year average price was $2.92/Mcf in 2022, up from $2.57 in 2021. **Realized hedging losses totaled $360 million during the fourth quarter, compared to losses of $400 million in the corresponding 2021 period.** Production averaged 1.53 Bcfe/d in 4Q2022, down from 1.72 Bcfe/d in 4Q2021. Full-year 2022 production averaged 1.59 Bcfe/d, compared to 1.62 Bcfe/d in 2021. CNX reported net income of $1.17 billion ($6.64/share) for the fourth quarter of 2022, up from $630 million ($3.02) in 4Q2021. For full-year 2022, CNX posted a net loss of $142 million (minus 75 cents/share), versus a loss of $499 million (minus $2.31) in 2021. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/25/%c2%a7-shale-gas-drilling- fracking-quite-active-but-moderating-natural-gas-much-cheaper/>

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Some Growing Threats from Chemical Pollution ~ Frac Sand Sentinel #431
by Frack Check WV: admin 24 Feb '23

24 Feb '23

# [Some Growing Threats from Chemical Pollution ~ Frac Sand Sentinel #431](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/24/some-growing-threats-from- chemical-pollution-frac-sand-sentinel-431/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/11A73B7B-186F-4BC4-9769-E3B738027F22-300x180.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/11A73B7B-186F-4BC4-9769-E3B738027F22.jpeg) Cool & clear & clean water is wonderful and necessary …! **Growing Threats of Land Disturances, Water Contamination & Air Pollution** From the [Article of Patricia Popple, Frac Sand Sentinel #431](https://wisair.wordpress.com/), February 23, 2023 **Chemical additives of all varieties have been added to the hydraulic fracturing process along with frack sand and water to crack open fissures in the earth 's layers to allow oil and gas to leave the formation. In addition, various chemicals are added to the cleaning process when frack sand is blasted, crushed, washed and processed at facilities located throughout the United States. The additives are not disclosed to the public. Should we be concerned about our water, our soil, and our air and what has been added to our environment just to allow the fossil fuel industry to function without concern for life on this planet?** Other industries are known chemical pollutors too, and they have been doing so for many decades. It is not that we haven't known about it. We have been made aware of the issues over many years. Finding "forever chemicals" in our drinking water only serves to highlight the severity of the issues we face currently but also in the future for generations to come. This past week, I received a YouTube video link from a friend in St. Paul. It involved a discussion between a scientist and Nate Hagens known for his interest in health and environmental issues. I urge you to watch it. It may be longer than you would like, but it will give you an understanding of the issues we face and a challenge to all of us to take action to end the use of chemicals known to cause damages to all living things. Plastic use is also a topic of discussion. [The link is HERE!](https://youtu.be/2wgcCd7TOyo) ………. OR the same link below: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wgcCd7TOyo](https://youtu.be/2wgcCd7TOyo) #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE** : wisair.wordpress.com and for additional information, click here for panoramic aerial views of frac sand mines, processing plants, and trans-load facilities. FracTracker.org is also an excellent source of information and a picture source. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/24/some-growing-threats-from- chemical-pollution-frac-sand-sentinel-431/>

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The Climate Crisis Getting Worse ~ Faster & Faster, Dangerously So!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 23 Feb '23

23 Feb '23

# [The Climate Crisis Getting Worse ~ Faster & Faster, Dangerously So!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/23/the-climate-crisis-getting-wor… faster-faster-dangerously-so/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/9CA30C01-3C92-4DCF-997D-071821B39B93.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/02/9CA30C01-3C92-4DCF-997D-071821B39B93.jpeg) Plastics accumulation in the oceans, in rivers & streams, and in landfills is getting worse! **Some 27 feedback loops could accelerate climate crisis, warn scientists** From an [Article by George Hughes, Environment Journal (UK)](https://environmentjournal.online/articles/27-feedback-loops-could- accelerate-climate-crisis-warn-scientists/), February 21, 2023 Scientists are advising governments to take urgent action, as they have identified 27 global feedback loops which could lock the world into irreversible climate change. An international collaboration of Oregon State University researchers shared their findings in the One Earth journal and implored policymakers to avert the worst of the climate crisis. Feedback loops are climate-caused alterations which can trigger a process which causes even warming. For example, a melting Arctic could result in further warming, as sea water absorbs rather than reflects solar radiation. OSU College of Forestry postdoctoral scholar Christopher Wolf explained: ‘Many of the feedback loops we examined significantly increase warming because of their connection to greenhouse gas emissions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most extensive list available of climate feedback loops, and not all of them are fully considered in climate models. What’s urgently needed is more research and modeling and an accelerated cutback of emissions.’ The scientists recommends ‘immediate and massive’ emission reductions to minimise short-term warming which is already causing disasters, such as wildfires and coastal flooding. This could then help to avoid climate tipping points which could result in unavoidable and self-perpetuating climate change. Both biological feedbacks, such as forest dieback and soil carbon loss, and physical feedbacks, like reduced snow cover and increased Antarctic rainfall, were considered. Professor William Ripple who also led the study said: ‘Transformative, socially just changes in global energy and transportation, short-lived air pollution, food production, nature preservation and the international economy, together with population policies based on education and equality, are needed to meet these challenges in both the short and long term. It’s too late to fully prevent the pain of climate change, but if we take meaningful steps soon while prioritizing human basic needs and social justice, it could still be possible to limit the harm.’ Ripple and Wolf worked with co-authors from the University of Exeter, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Woodwell Climate Research Center and Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Associates on the research. They say that even modest warming will heighten the likelihood that the Earth will cross over tipping points which could fundamentally alter the climate system. ‘In the worst case, if amplifying feedbacks are strong enough, the result is likely tragic climate change that’s moved beyond anything humans can control,’ Ripple added. ‘We need a rapid transition toward integrated Earth system science because the climate can only be fully understood by considering the functioning and state of all Earth systems together. This will require large- scale collaboration, and the result would provide better information for policymakers.’ The scientists also identified seven dampening climate feedbacks which act to stabilize the climate system, such as carbon dioxide fertilization where rising CO2 leads to increasing carbon uptake by vegetation. However, the full effects of these seven feedbacks are still unknown. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/23/the-climate-crisis-getting- worse-faster-faster-dangerously-so/>

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13th National Monitoring Conference @ Virginia Beach on April 24 – 28
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 22 Feb '23

22 Feb '23

# [13th National Monitoring Conference @ Virginia Beach on April 24 – 28](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/22/13th-national-monitoring- conference-virginia-beach-on-april-24-28/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/AA8EB8AC-F13E-45B1-8316-FF30B17BAAC1-300x33.png)](h… content/uploads/2023/02/AA8EB8AC-F13E-45B1-8316-FF30B17BAAC1.png) Conference cosponsors are NOAA, US EPA, USGS, & NALMS **The National Water Quality Monitoring Council will host its 13th National Monitoring Conference during the week of April 24–28, 2023, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.** Monitoring for water quality/quantity and public and ecological health in all water resources will be represented, including lakes and wetlands, rivers and streams, coastal waters and estuaries, and groundwater. All federal, state, tribal and local water professionals, nonprofits, academia, water consultants and industry, and volunteer scientists are welcome at this important national forum. The conference will be offered in a hybrid format primarily in person, including a limited virtual format. Networking and opportunities to create new relationships will abound for attendees. Whether you seek to develop new skills, learn about the latest technologies, or simply exchange information on a wide variety of topics relevant to water resources, the National Monitoring Conference is for you. The conference attracts the highest quality professional papers and posters and is a destination conference for many in the field. Please look for the Call for Session Proposals and Call for Abstracts in Spring and Summer of 2022. **§§§ ~~~ 2023 Conference Themes Include:** **50 Years After the Clean Water Act and Similar Efforts** — a retrospective & prospective; lessons learned in water quality condition, assessment, justice & equity and long-term trend monitoring **Effectiveness Monitoring** — Are management actions working? Restoration results, best management practices, monitoring and education/outreach successes, inform priorities and track progress in protecting and restoring the condition of our nation’s waters **Protecting High Quality Waters** — monitoring to identify and evaluate waters; inform/implement protection strategies **Monitoring Collaboration** — national, tribal, regional, state and local initiatives, partnerships, and councils; inclusive stakeholder identification and engagement; Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion **Volunteer and Community-Based Monitoring** — volunteer monitoring, school & community groups and watershed associations, data to action, stewardship, increasing diversity & inclusion **Aggregating, Analyzing,Visualizing & Disseminating Data and Information** — Open data science tools and tool development; data portals; data equity; R-Shiny applications, story maps, and dashboards; communicating assessment, condition, and trends to decision makers and public **Hot Topics in Monitoring and Analysis** ~ Climate Change (impacts on quantity, quality, and biota), Harmful Algal Blooms (freshwater & marine), Persistent Toxic Contaminants (emerging and bioaccumulative contaminants, including PFAS), Nutrients (dynamics, impacts, monitoring, modeling, and analysis), Source Identification (nonpoint source, point source, stormwater, atmospheric deposition), New and Emerging Technologies (in situ and continuous monitoring, remote sensing, analytical methods, eDNA), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning **[FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION SELECT HERE](https://nalms.wildapricot.org/event-5071822?utm_source=Master+List&ut… URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/22/13th-national-monitoring- conference-virginia-beach-on-april-24-28/>

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HYDROGEN HAS TAKEN A ‘BOLD ROLE’ FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 21 Feb '23

21 Feb '23

# [HYDROGEN HAS TAKEN A ‘BOLD ROLE’ FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/21/hydrogen-has- taken-a-%e2%80%98bold-role%e2%80%99-for-future-development/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/6122058A-3639-4FD0-9857-CF2E974BC3E4-300x190.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/6122058A-3639-4FD0-9857-CF2E974BC3E4.png) Blue hydrogen involves the capture of carbon dioxide and its usage or storage **Hydrogen: The time has come for the simplest chemical substance, H2** From an [Article by Ropa Mugadza, Independent Community Intelligence Service](https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/hydrogen-the-time-has-come/) (ICIS) News Hydrogen has recently gained traction in government strategies, business plans and the media as a potential silver bullet for reaching net zero. But in reality, hydrogen has been considered as a potential aid to mitigating climate change for over 50 years. **So, why now?** What makes the attention given to hydrogen in the 2020s different from the 1970s? Firstly, political, environmental and economic landscapes have shifted. In the 1970s, there was a lack of policy and regulation to drive the hydrogen market forward. As well as this, the technology to bring low-carbon and renewable hydrogen would have required additional investment and research. All of this meant that there was no concrete economic benefit for decarbonised energy. However, the market has moved forward. Governments have set targets, regulators are establishing conditions for market participants and businesses are under pressure from investors, consumers and stakeholders to commit to net zero emissions. This shift can be seen across many developments that solidify the prospect of the hydrogen transition across the value chain. On July 15, the European Commission revealed funding for 41 hydrogen projects totalling €5.4 billion. The Indian government is currently holding consultations with stakeholders and is anticipated to launch a comprehensive renewable hydrogen mission that may announce purchase obligations for different industries. On the back of anticipated increased demand, the chemical company Johnson Matthey (JM) has announced a plan to build a manufacturing facility to produce hydrogen fuel cell components. The hydrogen movement is gaining momentum on a global scale, but where is this heading? **Navigating the hydrogen transition** As a means of reaching net zero by 2050, policymakers have set multiple targets for hydrogen market participants over the course of this decade. All over the world, countries have created roadmaps and policies to ensure that steps are continuously taken towards a decarbonised society. Many countries have issued official hydrogen strategies and roadmaps in order to increase their hydrogen consumption and develop the necessary infrastructure. The targets in these strategies indicate that they are on track to increase hydrogen production capacity to 400 times that of 2020 by the end of this decade. As of the end of May 2022, the industry had announced 680 large-scale hydrogen project proposals worldwide. Most recently, the UK government published a policy paper highlighting investment opportunity across the entire hydrogen value chain and providing information on the Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, which was established to support hydrogen deployment as well as hydrogen business models that provide revenue support to pioneer hydrogen projects. All of this indicates that hydrogen is becoming a more appealing investment. For the first time since hydrogen was coined as the energy of the future, market participants are facing concrete implementation plans at a scale hitherto unseen. **The roadblocks to hydrogen are substantial** Hydrogen is rarely found on its own, it needs to be manufactured. The production process usually requires purchasing electricity or natural gas, and the final cost of producing hydrogen can vary substantially depending on the type and environmental impact. In other words, producing hydrogen comes with a price tag. Alongside this, although hydrogen appears to offer numerous opportunities for future investment, demand for the commodity is not set in stone. It can be used in transport, industry, power and for heating – but governments are yet to finalise the targets for using certain volumes within these different areas. This means that market sizing is difficult for new entrants to understand. **Conclusion** ~ A strong government commitment to deep decarbonisation, supported by financial investment, regulation and clear hydrogen strategies and targets, has sparked unprecedented momentum in the hydrogen industry. If the initial goals set out by policymakers and legislators are to be fulfilled, momentum must now be maintained, and a long-term regulatory framework must be established. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/21/hydrogen-has- taken-a-%e2%80%98bold-role%e2%80%99-for-future-development/>

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‘Real Clean Energy’ Needed, Not Climate Crisis Causing Coal
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 20 Feb '23

20 Feb '23

# [‘Real Clean Energy’ Needed, Not Climate Crisis Causing Coal](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/20/%e2%80%98real-clean- energy%e2%80%99-needed-not-climate-crisis-causing-coal/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/A6515E27-416B-473C-B156-2A5BCD3DE205-300x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/A6515E27-416B-473C-B156-2A5BCD3DE205.jpeg) Carbon dioxide and methane are accumulating in the Earth’s atmosphere exponentially! **End taxpayer rip-offs; invest in real clean energy** From the [Letter to the Editor by Jim Kotcon, Morgantown Dominion Post](https://wvecouncil.org/), February 19, 2023 [West Virginia legislators are adopting one taxpayer rip-off after another.](https://wvecouncil.org/) For example, bills to subsidize uncompetitive coal companies or power plants are moving quickly (e.g., HB 3133). Nuclear power, the most expensive way to generate electricity, seems to be targeted for West Virginia. (HB 2896 allows radioactive waste dumps in West Virginia.) Bills to encourage a hydrogen hub are also being adopted. Building carbon capture and sequestration may make sense for biofuels, but it only throws good money after bad when trying to prolong fossil fuels (SB 162). If any of these had a legitimate role in combating climate change, I might be more supportive, but there is simply no way they will make a meaningful impact. There are better options. A report last month from Energy Innovation and University of California, Berkeley shows that building renewable energy such as wind or solar will generate electricity more cheaply than operating any existing power plant in West Virginia. Instead of gouging ratepayers or ripping off taxpayers, our political leaders should invest in the cheapest, cleanest, safest and fastest alternatives first. Why should we continue to subsidize the dirtiest and most expensive alternatives? If the free market has spoken, why are our political leaders so intent on subsidizing dinosaurs and ripping off the taxpayers? #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **NOTE** : _You are invited to E-Day at the West Virginia State Capitol Building on February 28th from 9 am to 2 pm._ [WV Environmental Council](https://wvecouncil.org/). URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/20/%e2%80%98real-clean- energy%e2%80%99-needed-not-climate-crisis-causing-coal/>

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Weekly Report for “Living on Earth” on Important News
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 19 Feb '23

19 Feb '23

# [Weekly Report for “Living on Earth” on Important News](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/19/weekly-report- for-%e2%80%9cliving-on-earth%e2%80%9d-on-important-news/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/AB6403B0-C4B4-4D47-8CBD-32DB983C9B95-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/AB6403B0-C4B4-4D47-8CBD-32DB983C9B95.jpeg) In February 1969, polar explorer and flier Bernt Balchen predicted that the Arctic pack ice is thinning and that the summertime ocean at the North Pole would become open water within a decade or two, something that actually happened by about the year 2000. (Photo: Kevin Lockwood, Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0) **LIVING ON EARTH** ~ [Beyond the Headlines: Air Date: Week of February 17, 2023](https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=23-P13-00007&segmen… Journalist Peter Dykstra joins Host Steve Curwood this week to discuss the recent Ohio train derailment, which sent 50 cars carrying toxic chemicals including vinyl chloride careening off their tracks. They also discuss the proposed more efficient energy standards for washing machines, refrigerators, and freezers. For a history lesson, they dive into a prescient 1969 paper warning that the Arctic pack ice is thinning and the summertime ocean at the North Pole would soon become open water. **CURWOOD** : It’s Living on Earth, I’m Steve Curwood. It's time now to take a look beyond the headlines with living on Earth commentator, Peter Dykstra. You there Peter, you got something for us today. DYKSTRA: Major story that got in my opinion minor treatment in the national news, I'm talking about the train derailment in Ohio on the Ohio Pennsylvania border. On February 7, 2023, members of the Ohio National Guard’s 52nd Civil Support Team started to assess hazards from the Feb. 3 derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals near East Palestine, Ohio. Tanker car after tanker car contained toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. Local residents were evacuated, there were no immediate injuries among the train crew or local residents, but possible health impacts are something that are still a mystery. Some local residents have taken it to court, including asking for the responsible parties to pay for testing of all local residents in this incident that forced people to leave town that started a huge fire that got very little notice. **CURWOOD** : Yeah, I mean, it was a really big deal. The governor of Ohio Mike DeWine asked the police to arrest people who refuse to evacuate they were so concerned how dangerous these chemicals are. And more and more of the petrochemical industry is interested in shipping chemicals around to make more and more plastic. DYKSTRA: Right, they view plastic, the petrochemical industry as their safety valve no pun intended for the days when oil and natural gas are in decline over climate change concerns if they begin to disappear as a vehicle fuel, all of those petrochemical products can help keep the oil and gas industry alive. And in the case of this train another concern is that the right to know laws that used to be so common on the state and local and federal level have been eroded. That's happened ever since 911, when it was viewed, that giving the public and local fire departments and local safety people all the information about what toxic chemicals were involved in factories or trains or ships would be an open door for terrorists to take that information and make some pretty bad things with it. So right to know, is something that isn't widespread anymore. So it took a long time for those people in East Palestine, Ohio and towns across the state line in Pennsylvania to know what they were exposed to. **CURWOOD** : Hey, what else do you have for us Peter? DYKSTRA: There's been a proposal by the Department of Energy to make washing machines and refrigerators much cheaper to power and much more efficient by the year 2027. Right now, it's estimated that the greenhouse gas emissions in the US from washers and refrigerators are equal to the entire greenhouse output of the nation of Argentina. This would help a lot toward meeting climate change goals in just a few years. **CURWOOD** : Talk to me about the numbers here, Peter. I'm sure the appliance manufacturers are saying wait, wait, wait, this is going to cost us a lot of money. DYKSTRA: It may cost a lot of money at first. It's estimated it could cost $2 billion for appliance makers to retrofit that's opposed to consumer savings of over $3 billion. Not one time, but every year. And those reduced energy bills also mean reduced climate risk. **CURWOOD** : And Peter at one point we unplugged an old freezer that we had and the thing was costing us maybe a buck or two a day to run, it was crazy. DYKSTRA: We had the same thing in our house. There was an old refrigerator that we used as a backup when the kids grew up and moved out. We didn't need two refrigerators. We got rid of the old one, and our electric bills suddenly declined by about 25%. **CURWOOD** : Hey, let's take a look back in history now, Peter. DYKSTRA: Last week you and I talked about how Lyndon Baines Johnson back in 1965 was the first American President to mention the potential risks of co2 and climate change. But just four years later, on February 20 1969, there's a Norwegian born Arctic explorer named Bert Balkan, who warned that the Arctic ice pack is thinning. And he said the North Pole could be open ocean, quote within a decade or two **CURWOOD** : Well, he was right and he was wrong. That took about 30 years before people like Jim McCarthy were in boats at the North Pole and open water. But he was right about the trend. Certainly, huh. DYKSTRA: He was right about it at the time. Someone else that was paying very close attention to the thickness of ice in the Arctic were the naval fleets of the United States of America and the Soviet Union. They kept very diligent measures of how thick the ice As was in case they ever needed to break through that ice with their submarines to fight a nuclear war, those numbers weren't revealed until after the fall of the Soviet Union. But they revealed something very alarming from all those tree huggers in the US Navy and the Russian Navy. **CURWOOD** : And just these last 40 years, apparently, we've lost three quarters of the volume of the Arctic sea ice. We are changing things on this planet rapidly. Well, thanks, Peter. Peter Dykstra is a commentator with Living on Earth. We'll talk to you again real soon. DYKSTRA: All right, Steve, thanks a lot. Talk to you soon. **CURWOOD** : And there's more on the stories on the Living on Earth webpage. That's LOE dot ORG. **Links to Further Reading ~** 1\. Grist | “The Ohio train derailment underscores the dangers of the plastics boom” 2\. Washington Post | “Washing machines and fridges could be much cheaper to power by 2027.” 3\. New York Times archives | “Expert Says Arctic Ocean Will Soon Be an Open Sea; Catastrophic Shifts in Climate Feared if Change Occurs Other Specialists See No Thinning of Polar Ice Cap” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/19/weekly-report- for-%e2%80%9cliving-on-earth%e2%80%9d-on-important-news/>

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A Sustainable Plan for the Budget ‘Surplus’ in West Virginia
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 18 Feb '23

18 Feb '23

# [A Sustainable Plan for the Budget ‘Surplus’ in West Virginia](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/18/a-sustainable-plan-for-th… budget-%e2%80%98surplus%e2%80%99-in-west-virginia/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/73F61A08-4C39-4AE8-957F-485CA6829C53-300x168.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/73F61A08-4C39-4AE8-957F-485CA6829C53.png) FrackCheck says that any surplus should go to the counties where the excess originates. **What’s a Sustainable Plan for West Virginia’s Budget “Surplus”?** From the [Weekly Post of the WV Center on Budget & Policy](https://wvpolicy.org/whats-a-sustainable-plan-for-west-virginias- surplus/), February 17, 2023 The 2023 state legislative session has seen both chambers heavily focused on turning the state’s revenue “surplus” into personal income tax cuts, despite the clear need for new spending after four years of austerity forced by flat budgets. We’ve covered at length the temporary factors driving the surplus, as well as the fallacy of calling it a surplus at all when much of that money is obligated to future budget spending based on decisions lawmakers have already made. This piece will take a look at West Virginia’s expected FY 2023 surplus and outline how we could spend it in equitable and sustainable ways while still meeting our budget obligations. Seven months into the fiscal year, West Virginia has a budget surplus of $995.3 million. Half of that, $497.8 million, is severance tax collections above estimates, which have resulted from temporarily high energy prices due to factors outside of West Virginia’s control. To put the historic severance tax collections into context, just seven months into FY 2023, we’ve collected 252 percent of the severance tax we estimated to bring in this year. If current revenue trends continue, we would expect the total FY 2023 surplus to be just over $1.7 billion, which is the amount state officials are projecting as well. Earlier this month, Senate Finance Chairman Eric Tarr identified in an interview that they used the budget hearing process as a workaround to understand each state agency’s upcoming spending needs. What the Senate Finance committee learned is that the state is already on the hook for “at least $917 million” in ongoing, base budget spending obligations based on legislation previously passed, which means that much of the surplus is simply not available to fund tax cuts without changing existing laws or drastically cutting the budget. Chairman Tarr noted that over $900 million is already obligated before lawmakers pass any additional legislation this year that has a price tag. That leaves about $800-850 million remaining of the FY 2023 surplus. If current trends continue, we can expect the severance tax portion of the surplus to be around $800-850 million. We’ve long cautioned that severance tax revenues are incredibly temporary as they are tied to volatile energy prices. A fiscally responsible practice would be to not use any temporary severance tax revenue toward permanent spending — either for the budget or for permanent tax cuts. That said, it’s important for the state to meet its legal spending obligations. With the $800-850 million of severance tax surplus remaining, these funds could be incredibly transformative in the coal and natural gas communities where these tax benefits derive from and which, in many cases, have seen underinvestment in recent years in both infrastructure and economic development. Last year, we called on lawmakers to create an infrastructure and development fund for counties that have coal and natural gas production and to place the FY 2023 severance tax surplus into that fund. With an $800-850 million pot of money, many meaningful projects could be pursued to improve economic opportunities in these communities for this and the next generation. That more than exhausts the FY 2023 surplus. However, some of the costs Chairman Tarr identified as upcoming base-building costs do not become part of the budget until FY 2025 or later. Additionally, the state still has about $500 million in unappropriated surplus funds from FY 2022 that could go to one-time needs, but again, it would be deeply irresponsible to base any ongoing spending or tax cuts on temporary surplus dollars—either those from the severance tax or from the remaining FY 2022 surplus. West Virginia could make some long-needed one-time investments with these dollars — for example, investing in child care subsidies for thousands of families who lost theirs at the end of last year, launching a paid family and medical leave program, and investing in education and workforce training programs. There are also equitable one-time ways to get money back into the pockets of West Virginians. The best option would be a child tax credit applied to all children in the state under the age of 18. For about $350 million, every child in the state could get a one-time $1,000 child rebate. If revenues continue to grow in future years, the legislature could come back and consider making the program permanent. West Virginia’s FY 2023 surplus does present significant opportunities to invest in our people—but most of that investment will need to be in the form of meeting our obligations for public services that serve all of our people. The plan laid out above to meet our spending obligations, invest temporary severance tax revenues back into our coal and natural gas communities, and get more money into the pockets of families with children is both a sustainable and an equitable approach. [Read Kelly Allen’s full blog post here](https://wvpolicy.org/whats-a- sustainable-plan-for-west-virginias-surplus/). <https://wvpolicy.org/whats-a-sustainable-plan-for-west-virginias-surplus/> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/18/a-sustainable-plan-for-the- budget-%e2%80%98surplus%e2%80%99-in-west-virginia/>

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Warning ~ The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is Melting (and Retreating)
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 17 Feb '23

17 Feb '23

# [Warning ~ The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is Melting (and Retreating)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/17/warning-the-thwaites- glacier-in-antarctica-is-melting-and-retreating/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/ACEBEC31-D6D6-402C-A093-79309624F0BC-300x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/ACEBEC31-D6D6-402C-A093-79309624F0BC.jpeg) The Thwaites glacier is seen here as part of Antarctica, for now! **Underwater robot helps explain Antarctic glacier’s retreat** From the [Article by James Dean, Cornell Chronicle](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/02/underwater-robot-helps- explain-antarctic-glaciers-retreat), February 15, 2023 **First-of-their-kind observations beneath the floating shelf of a vulnerable Antarctic glacier reveal widespread cracks and crevasses where melting occurs more rapidly, contributing to the Florida-sized glacier’s retreat and potentially to sea-level rise, according to a Cornell research team and international collaborators.** **Deploying the remotely operated Icefin underwater robot through a nearly 2,000-foot-deep borehole drilled in the ice, the team captured the first close-up views of the critical point near the grounding line where Thwaites Glacier in western Antarctica – one of the continent’s fastest changing and most unstable glaciers – meets the Amundsen Sea.** **Icefin is a small robotic oceanographer that allows researchers to study ice and water around and beneath ice shelves – and develop the technology to explore other oceans in our solar system.** From that area, the researchers concluded that Thwaites has retreated smoothly and steadily up the ocean floor since at least 2011. They found that flat sections covering much of the ice shelf’s base were thinning, though not as quickly as computer models had suggested. Meanwhile, the walls of steeply sloped crevasses and staircase-like features were melting outward at much faster rates. The findings, reported Feb. 15 in the journal Nature, provide new insight into melting processes at glaciers exposed to relatively warm ocean water, and promise to improve models predicting Thwaites’ potentially significant contribution to sea-level rise. “These new ways of observing the glacier allow us to understand that it’s not just how much melting is happening, but how and where it is happening that matters in these very warm parts of Antarctica,” said Britney Schmidt, associate professor of astronomy and earth and atmospheric sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and Cornell Engineering. “We see crevasses, and probably terraces, across warming glaciers like Thwaites. Warm water is getting into the cracks, helping wear down the glacier at its weakest points.” Schmidt, whose team developed Icefin, is the lead author of “Heterogeneous Melting Near the Thwaites Glacier Grounding Line,” and a co-author of “Suppressed Basal Melting in the Eastern Thwaites Glacier Grounding Zone,” whose first author is Peter Davis, an oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Additional co-authors from the Department of Astronomy (A&S) and Schmidt’s Planetary Habitability and Technology Lab include: Research Scientist Peter Washam; Senior Research Engineers Andrew Mullen and Matthew Meister; Research Engineers Frances Bryson ’17 and Daniel Dichek; Program Manager Enrica Quartini; and Justin Lawrence, a former doctoral student and visiting scholar. “Icefin is collecting data as close to the ice as possible in locations no other tool can currently reach,” said Washam, who led analysis of Icefin data used to calculate melt rates. “It’s showing us that this system is very complex and requires a rethinking of how the ocean is melting the ice, especially in a location like Thwaites.” Researchers collected the first close-up observations of the grounding line where the remote Thwaites Glacier, one of Antarctica’s fastest changing and most unstable glaciers, meets the Amundsen Sea. The robotic under-ice observations were collected in early 2020 as part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), the largest international field campaign ever undertaken in Antarctica, funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council. Complementing Icefin’s observations, partners on ITGC’s MELT project also collected data using radar, ocean moorings and other sensors at multiple sites. **Since the 1990s, the Thwaites grounding line has retreated nearly 9 miles and the amount of ice flowing out of the 75-mile-wide region has nearly doubled, according to ITGC. Because much of the glacier sits below sea level, it is considered susceptible to rapid ice loss that could raise sea levels by more than 1.5 feet. Collapse of the ice sheet behind Thwaites could add substantially more, “with profound consequences for humanity,” according to BAS.** The BAS team, which used hot water to drill the borehole Icefin accessed about 1 mile from the Thwaites grounding line, reported that over a nine-month period, the ocean in that area became warmer and saltier. Surprisingly, the vertical melt rate over much of the ice was less than previously modeled, averaging 6 feet to 18 feet per year. “Our results are unexpected, but the glacier is still in trouble,” Davis said. “If an ice shelf and a glacier is in balance, the ice coming off the continent will match the amount of ice being lost through melting and iceberg calving. What we have found is that despite small amounts of melting there is still rapid glacier retreat, so it seems that it doesn’t take a lot to push the glacier out of balance.” Covering an area larger than Florida or Britain, collapse of the Thwaites Glacier in western Antarctica could contribute significantly to sea-level rise, according to the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration. The researchers attributed the varying melt rates in different topography to water stratification and mixing. Along flat sections of ice, a thin layer of melted freshwater acts as a barrier to warmer ocean currents, suppressing upward melting. In contrast, water funneling through sloped crevasses and scalloped terraces transfers heat that promotes faster sideways melting, at estimated rates of up to 140 feet per year. Schmidt and her team of students and staff, including Meister, Dichek and Lawrence, began developing Icefin nearly a decade ago while at the Georgia Institute of Technology, to explore previously uncharted terrain including grounding lines. Designed to descend through narrow boreholes, the pencil- shaped vehicle – measuring less than 10 inches in diameter and more than 12 feet long – is equipped with thrusters, cameras, mapping instruments and sensors for measuring ocean current speeds, temperature, salinity and oxygen levels – information needed to estimate melt rates. **Icefin’s ongoing development – a fourth-generation vehicle is now under construction – has been supported by NASA. In addition to improving climate models, the space agency believes lessons learned in the Antarctic could inform eventual missions searching for life on the icy moons Europa and Enceladus.** The newly published research also includes co-authors from New York University; New York University Abu Dhabi; Georgia Institute of Technology; Oregon State University; University of Portland; Lewis & Clark College; Pennsylvania State University; University of Kansas; University of California, Irvine; California Institute of Technology; University of Gothenburg in Sweden; and the University of St. Andrews and University of East Anglia in the U.K. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **NOTE:** GLACIERS SOMETIMES ADVANCE BUT MAINLY ARE RETREATING ~ During years when more snow and ice are gained in the accumulation zone than what are lost in the ablation zone the glacier will move forward (advance). During years when more snow and ice are lost in the ablation zone than what are gained in the accumulation zone, the glacier will instead move backwards (retreat). URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/17/warning-the-thwaites-glacier-in- antarctica-is-melting-and-retreating/>

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The Sun Shines on Toyota in Putnam County! What About the Rest of West Virginia?
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 16 Feb '23

16 Feb '23

# [The Sun Shines on Toyota in Putnam County! What About the Rest of West Virginia?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/16/the-sun-shines-on-toyota- in-putnam-county-what-about-the-rest-of-west-virginia/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/B77C6ACE-5109-43E2-8CBC-8A65FD1305D0-300x180.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/B77C6ACE-5109-43E2-8CBC-8A65FD1305D0.jpeg) Is this for real or a scene from “Star Wars?” **Flower power: Solar arrays resembling flowers provide energy at Toyota Putnam plant** From an [Article by the Staff of WCHS- TV](https://wchstv.com/news/local/flower-power-solar-arrays-resembling- flowers-provide-energy-source-at-toyota-putnam-plant), February 6, 2023 PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS-TV) — New power sources that resemble flowers have sprouted up around the Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia plant in Buffalo in Putnam County. Five SmartFlower solar arrays were recently installed to help power the facility’s services buildings that house the uniform and footwear stores, credit union, clinic and pharmacy, according to a news release from Toyota. Three EV charging stations also are being powered by the solar arrays, the company said. Company officials said the solar arrays “bloom” at sunrise and follow the sun’s path throughout the day. With the arrays keeping a 90-degree angle to the sun, the power captured is optimized over traditional solar panels, the company said. The flowers fold back up at sunset. “This is just one more way Toyota West Virginia is embracing alternative energy and reducing our ecological footprint here in the Mountain State,” David Rosier, Toyota West Virginia’s president, said in the news release. Toyota said it also has the largest solar array in the state. Located behind the plant, the array can generate 2.6 megawatts – enough to power more than 400 homes. The company said the solar generation reduces the Buffalo plant’s CO2 emissions by an estimated 4 million pounds per year. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Smartflower Solar Review: Beautiful Solar That's Not Worth It,](https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/smartflower-solar-revie… beautiful-solar-sculpture/) Andrew Blok, CNET, May 5, 2022 Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. In the solar panel industry, one company has charted a different path. It's producing solar electricity, not with rooftop panels or a traditional ground mounted rack, but with solar powered sunflowers. **Smartflower Solar** offers what it calls "sculptural" solar: an array of panels that unfurls in the morning, tracks the sun across the sky and folds up at night. It looks like a large, mechanical flower. Smartflower turns solar into a statement as well as a conversation piece and does both with a pretty simple installation process. But while some customers may prefer Smartflower's look, it comes at a premium. Beautiful design with a high price tag are why most of the company's customers are organizations, not homeowners. [….. more ……](https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/smartflower- solar-review-beautiful-solar-sculpture/). URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/16/the-sun-shines-on-toyota-in- putnam-county-what-about-the-rest-of-west-virginia/>

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OMG! Some Short-Term & Chronic Health Effects of the Climate Crisis
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 15 Feb '23

15 Feb '23

# [OMG! Some Short-Term & Chronic Health Effects of the Climate Crisis](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/15/omg-some-short-term-chronic- health-effects-of-the-climate-crisis/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/83804959-2969-4186-81C5-5C062B5FC7F5.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/02/83804959-2969-4186-81C5-5C062B5FC7F5.jpeg) Coal miners ‘black lung’ and frackers ‘white lung’ are examples of such ailments **How Does Climate Change Affect Our Health?** From an [Article by Eglė Krištopaitytė, Health News](https://healthnews.com/news/how-does-climate-change-affect-our-health…, January 20, 2023 **Climate change impacts all aspects of our lives, including our health. From inflammation caused by wildfire smoke to diseases-carrying vectors migrating to new areas, the threats associated with changing climate are here to stay**. [[It can get worse! See Paul Brown’s challenge.](https://www.amazon.com/NOTES- DEAD-PLANET-Please-Prove-ebook/dp/B09QCZCX9V)] This past year 2022 was the world's 6th-warmest year on record since 1880, according to the latest report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Millions of Americans have experienced the consequences of climate change firsthand, as the country endured 18 separate disasters, including hurricanes and droughts, damages of which exceeded $1 billion. Moreover, these disasters resulted in the deaths of 474 people. In 2021, an international group of medical professionals suggested that rising temperatures due to climate change was the greatest threat to global public health. Scientists expect temperatures to continue increasing this year. In 2024, they could set a new global record. In an interview with Healthnews, Juan Aguilera, MD, PhD, MPH, a director of Translational Environmental and Climate Health at Stanford University, explains how climate change damages our mental and physical health. **Wildfire smoke causes inflammation; wildfires also cause public displacement and property damages.** Aguilera says that climate change impacts different aspects of our lives. For example, rising temperatures prolong drought periods, leading to the drying of the forests' soils. When weeds and bushes are not hydrated enough, the fires tend to expand and cover wider areas. "Smoke contains many different particles that are harmful to human health, with some being small enough to go into the respiratory system and even to penetrate deeply into the circulation," he told Healthnews. Once in blood circulation, particles cause inflammation which, in the long term, could lead to heart diseases, stroke, hardening of the arteries, and even cancer. According to Aguilera, scientists are now learning that wildfire smoke may also affect the immune system, making people weaker against any other types of diseases. The effects of climate change are also linked to mental health problems. For example, living in an area where wildfires may occur can be a source of anxiety. "You never know when a wildfire will occur, how big and wide it is going to be. You may be in danger and need to evacuate your home. Following the news also might be a source making anybody feel anxious," Aguilera, MD, added. Moreover, harmful particles from wildfire smoke may affect neurons and, therefore, mental health. "As we learn more about how these smaller particles affect our entire bodies, we can also explain issues related to mental health," he says. **Extreme climate events are more frequent now.** Climate change also exacerbates extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and thunderstorms, eventually leading to flooding. This causes more humidity within the homes, which can result in mold, Aguilera explains. For some, mold may cause mild symptoms, such as sore throat, coughing, or wheezing. However, those with asthma or people allergic to mold may have severe reactions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2022, flooding caused by Hurricane Ian led to a spike in potentially deadly infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, also known as "flesh-eating" bacteria. Over 60 cases of infections and 11 deaths were reported in Florida. "Mosquitos and other vectors are getting adjusted to conditions where the climate is changing. They reach areas where there usually aren't mosquitos, ticks, or any other vectors," Aguilera added. Researcher says that as climate changes, the pollen season is expanding to up to ten months; therefore, pollen allergies will become more frequent. **How to protect yourself from pollution?** Air pollution is one of the drivers of climate change. In 2021, about 67 million tons of pollution were emitted into the atmosphere in the U.S. Unsurprisingly, research reveals more or more harm of pollution to human health. For example, a study from last year found that unborn babies have black carbon particles in vital organs, such as the liver, lungs, and brain, as early as the first trimester. Another study demonstrated that women in their late 40s and early 50s who were exposed long-term to air pollution with nitrogen dioxide and ozone saw increases in their body size and composition measures. So how to protect ourselves from toxic pollutants? Aguilera says that while not everybody will be able to move out of regions that are exposed to air pollution, we can take some lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the steps is to follow the air quality index, which allows tracking of real-time air pollution conditions on a certain day. "Vulnerable groups, such as pregnant, elderly people, children, and people with asthma, may want to consider some personal barriers, such as wearing a mask. Depending on your situation, it might be an N95 mask," he says. In addition, air purifiers may help to trap these particles and reduce the amount of pollution inside the houses. Aguilera explains that in the United States, some low-income communities live closer to freeways and roads, meaning that there are higher levels of air pollution coming from the traffic. "Some homes don't have proper insulation, and because of impending climate change, people who live there may suffer from heat stress or heat stroke. Measures to protect themselves, such as better cooling devices or air purifiers, cost money and are not necessarily accessible to everybody," he adds. Researcher says that the first step in achieving health equity is an awareness that our actions do affect not only ourselves but also people in other countries. "In Africa, they deal with severe droughts and shortages of food because of how climate changes make soils less fertile in some areas," he says. **References & Sources ~ ** 1\. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2022 was world’s 6th- warmest year on record. 2\. The New England Journal of Medicine. Call for Emergency Action to Limit Global Temperature Increases, Restore Biodiversity, and Protect Health. 3\. The University of Aberdeen. Babies have air pollution in their lungs and brains before they take their first breath. 4\. The University of Michigan. Air pollution tips the scale for obesity in women. 5\. Kaiser Family Foundation. Climate Change and Health Equity: Key Questions and Answers. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/15/omg-some-short-term-chronic- health-effects-of-the-climate-crisis/>

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Take a Look at HYDROGEN ~ It’s Elusive from There to Here
by Frack Check WV: S. Tom Bond 14 Feb '23

14 Feb '23

# [Take a Look at HYDROGEN ~ It’s Elusive from There to Here](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/14/take-a-look-at-hydrogen- it%e2%80%99s-elusive-from-there-to-here/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/FC65A114-D602-40F6-AAB7-E4C1BAD2D0E5.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/02/FC65A114-D602-40F6-AAB7-E4C1BAD2D0E5.jpeg) Hydrogen is expensive and a safety risk regardless of the ‘color’ **A Huge, Uncharted Experiment on the U.S. Economy Is About to Begin** Letter to Editor by [Robinson Meyer, New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/12/opinion/economy-ira-infrastructur… clean-energy.html), February 12, 2023 **If you want to understand the immense windfall the Biden administration is about to bestow on green industries, take a look at HYDROGEN.** Engineers still aren’t exactly sure what role the gas will play in a climate-friendly economy, but they’re pretty sure that it will be useful for something. We might burn it to generate heat in factories, for instance, or use it to make high-tech chemicals. **And thanks to three laws Congress passed over the past two years — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the climate- focused Inflation Reduction Act — the industry will be very well taken care of.** Over the next decade, the government is going to invest **$8 billion on hydrogen “hubs” across the country,** special zones where companies, universities and local governments can build the machinery and expertise that the new industry needs. **Other hydrogen projects will qualify for a $10 billion pot of money in the I.R.A. or $1.5 billion in the infrastructure bill. Still others could draw from a new $6.3 billion program that will help industrial firms develop financially risky demonstration projects.** So that’s up to $25.8 billion before you get to the bazooka: an uncapped tax **credit for hydrogen that could pay out perhaps $100 billion or more over the next decades.** **Few Americans realize it yet, but the trifecta of the Biden-era laws amounts to one of the biggest experiments in how the American government oversees the economy in a generation.** If this experiment is successful, it will change how politicians think about managing the market for years to come. If it fails or misfires, then it will greatly limit the number of tools to fight climate change or a recession. The story of the 21st-century American economy is being shaped now. **I say “experiment,” but, really, there are two. The first concerns the economy.** Mr. Biden’s team believes that it can move the United States toward a more robust, high-capacity and even re-industrialized economy. Can it? And can it use policy moreover to make sure that innovative ideas don’t get lost in the research lab or patent office, but instead make their way to the factory floor and corporate showroom, generating jobs and economic value along the way? **The second experiment:** Can that same economy — which has, virtually since the abolition of slavery, derived a good deal of its industrial energy from extracting carbon from the ground and setting it on fire — find a new primary energy source? Even today, America generates 79 percent of its energy from fossil fuels. The administration is, in a sense, trying to conduct a high- stakes transplant on the heart of the economy while the patient remains alive and voluble on the table. **Don’t get me wrong: Some kind of climate boom is now all but assured**. The investment bank Credit Suisse predicted last year that the I.R.A. would put more than $800 billion into the economy by the end of the decade, galvanizing more than $1.7 trillion in climate-friendly public and private spending overall. The law will transform the United States into the “world’s leading energy provider,” the bank said. The American renewable industry alone could attract 78 percent more investment per year by 2031, according to the energy- research firm Wood Mackenzie. **But I worry that the federal government has started its experiments too haphazardly.** The I.R.A. did not emerge from careful study and bipartisan consensus building, but from intraparty haggling and a harried legislative process. Even the bipartisan CHIPS Act was more of a crisis measure than a strategic intervention. >>> **These shortcomings are forgivable; in the I.R.A.’s case, it’s not like Republicans were ever going to help pass a climate bill. But these constraints have deprived the government of the strong institutions, internal expertise and administrative capacity that have made similar experiments successful in other countries……..** **1\. For practical purposes, that means, first, that the government won’t be able to spend all this money in the right place.** The U.S. financial system persistently struggles to fund projects that take a long time to turn a profit and that can expect to have only modest returns. Unfortunately, the biggest and most important physical infrastructure — factories, transmission lines — often fall under that category. In other countries, industrial policy has entailed creating an agile, entrepreneurial agency that can get money to the right companies in the right ways — as a loan, as equity, as a purchase guarantee. Congress took some steps in that direction last year. The I.R.A. beefed up the Loan Programs Office, the Department of Energy’s in-house bank, and it established a new green lending office within the Environmental Protection Agency. But Congress has put these institutions on a short leash with a limited mandate. This means that the government can’t support as many risky investments as it should. **2\. Second, the government may lack the ability to coordinate its own actions.** Late last year, the Biden administration declined to help reopen a “green” aluminum factory in Ferndale, Wash., that was exactly the kind of low- carbon industry it wants to champion. The local union, electric vehicle makers and the state’s Democratic leadership all wanted to revive the factory. The project even has national-security relevance, since the United States currently imports aluminum from Russia. But Mr. Biden chose not to intercede with the local electricity provider, the Bonneville Power Administration, to supply the plant with enough cheap power to operate even though it is a federal agency ostensibly under the president’s control. Never mind the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing: The right hand couldn’t get the left hand to plug the cord in. **3\. Finally, the government may not understand enough about the companies it’s trying to help.** In Taiwan and South Korea, industrial-policy agencies don’t only hand out money; they constantly gather information from the private sector and use it to adjust goals and policies over time. The I.R.A. contains very few mechanisms for this kind of in-flight course adjustment. Its main incentives are tax credits, which are hard to repeal once they’re in place and hard to fix if they’re not working. They are an unusually mindless way to incentivize companies to change their behavior. **And this points to a related concern: that we have underestimated just how hard decarbonization will be. One of the most cherished and widely held ideas in climate activism is that we could have solved climate change by now if only we’d had the “political will.”** This idea, once true enough, may soon outlive its utility. Mr. Biden and his successors will discover that decarbonization is an inherently difficult and complex societal challenge that cannot be solved with money alone. Some important activities will be legitimately hard to do without emitting carbon pollution; there will be some trade-offs that flummox even the most committed progressives. **Which is to say: Even if the U.S. had an agency that could finance or approve any industrial project in the exact right way at the precise right time, it would still be legitimately unclear which projects it should support.** Will a new lithium mine create jobs and build political support for decarbonization, or will its local pollution effects provoke backlash? If a new hydrogen hub opens in your hometown, will you love the growth or hate the higher housing costs? The Biden experiments bear the mark of a particular set of lawmakers and White House staff members who needed to meet a particular set of goals. They sought to stimulate the pandemic-depleted economy, reduce carbon pollution in a durable way, respond to what they saw as the Chinese manufacturing juggernaut and — perhaps above all — revitalize the American working class to prevent the next Trumpian crisis. They stumbled on a germ of an idea, a climate-friendly “industrial strategy,” and after 18 months of excruciating legislative wrangling, they have somehow made it the law of the land. **But the lawmakers who wrote that policy are not charged with carrying it out, and many of the officials who championed it most — like Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council — are now leaving the White House. Will the next crew understand what they’ve inherited?** In order for Mr. Biden’s two experiments to have a chance of success, the officials must not go on autopilot or disarm the parts of the I.R.A. meant to build domestic political support. And they cannot assume that everything about the coming climate boom will work out in the end. More than just the country’s fate depends on it. >>> **Robinson Meyer is a climate change reporter** in Washington, D.C., and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/14/take-a-look-at-hydrogen- it%e2%80%99s-elusive-from-there-to-here/>

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Halliburton Loophole Under Study ~ Frack Fluid Safety?
by Frack Check WV: admin 13 Feb '23

13 Feb '23

# [Halliburton Loophole Under Study ~ Frack Fluid Safety?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/13/halliburton-loophole-under- study-frack-fluid-safety/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/383C8874-11FE-4A73-B183-0E2F378F9665.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/02/383C8874-11FE-4A73-B183-0E2F378F9665.jpeg) Vice President Cheney was the oil & gas industry inside government **Outcomes of the Halliburton Loophole: Chemicals Regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act in US Fracking Disclosures, 2014-2021** From an [Article by Vivian Underhill, et. al., Environmental Pollution](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026974912…, November 8, 2022 Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has enabled the United States to lead the world in gas and oil production over the past decade; 17.6 million Americans now live within a mile of a fracked oil or gas well. This major expansion in fossil fuel production is possible in part due to the 2005 Energy Policy Act and its “Halliburton Loophole,” which exempts fracking activity from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). To begin quantifying the environmental and economic impacts of this loophole, this study undertakes an aggregate analysis of chemicals that would otherwise be regulated by SDWA within FracFocus, an industry-sponsored fracking disclosure database. This paper quantifies the total disclosures and total mass of these chemicals used between 2014-2021, examines trends in their use, and investigates which companies most use and supply them. We find that 28 SDWA-regulated chemicals are reported in FracFocus, and 60-80% of all disclosures (depending on year) report at least one SDWA-regulated chemical. Of these, 19,700 disclosures report using SDWA-regulated chemicals in masses that exceed their reportable quantities as defined under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Finally, while the most common direct-supplier category is “company name not reported,” Halliburton is the second-most named direct supplier of SWDA regulated chemicals. Halliburton is also the supplier most frequently associated with fracks that use SDWA regulated chemicals. These results show the necessity of a more robust and federally mandated disclosure system and suggest the importance of revisiting exemptions such as the Halliburton Loophole. **See access to the full Publication here:** <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749122017663> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/13/halliburton-loophole-under- study-frack-fluid-safety/>

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Let’s Ban Fracking or Regulate It? The Time is Now to Limit Climate Change!
by Frack Check WV: admin 12 Feb '23

12 Feb '23

# [Let’s Ban Fracking or Regulate It? The Time is Now to Limit Climate Change!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/13/let%e2%80%99s-ban-fracking- or-regulate-it-the-time-is-now-to-limit-climate-change/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/EB935DA7-7700-4618-B31A-EAEBA2DCDBC8.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/02/EB935DA7-7700-4618-B31A-EAEBA2DCDBC8.jpeg) If the US Government will not actually regulate the Oil & Gas Industry, fracking should be banned! **US Department of Energy Releases Report on Economic & National Security Impacts of a Hydraulic Fracturing Ban** From the [Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management](https://www.energy.gov/fecm/office-fossil-energy-and-carbon- management), U.S. DOE, January 14, 2021 Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy delivered a new report to the President on negative impacts of the ill- conceived hydraulic fracturing ban some have proposed. [Economic and National Security Impacts Under a Hydraulic Fracturing Ban](https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2021/01/f82/economic-and- national-security-impacts-under-a-hydraulic-fracturing-ban.pdf) explains why a ban would have far-reaching and severe consequences, including the loss of millions of jobs, price spikes at the gasoline pump and higher electricity costs for all Americans—and the likelihood of increased CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions. A ban would end the U.S. role as the world’s largest oil and natural gas producer and would force the United States to become a net importer of oil and gas once again. It would weaken the Nation’s geopolitical influence and put our national security at risk. “Hydraulic fracturing tapped the great reservoir of America’s natural resources. That technology made the United States the world’s largest oil and natural gas producer, while also creating high-paying jobs and delivering great consumer savings,” said Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg. “This report to the President details just how devastating the economic and national security impacts of a ban would be. Banning this technology would derail our recovery from recent COVID-related economic disruptions and increase the risk of another recession.” During 2019, U.S. LNG exports helped to reduce the trade deficit and created $9.5 billion in revenue. But it is consumers, in particular, who would bear the impacts of a hydraulic fracturing ban. In recent years, increased domestic oil and natural gas supply has put significant downward pressure on consumer prices for gasoline and natural gas. In 2019, gasoline and diesel prices were 40 percent and 38.3 percent lower, respectively, compared to 2012, and average end-user prices for natural gas fell 24.3 percent in 2019 from 2008 levels. The report shows how consumers would bear the impacts of a hydraulic fracturing ban through higher electricity and natural gas costs. Retail electricity costs would increase by more than $480 billion between 2021 and 2025, and retail natural gas costs would increase by more than $400 billion between 2021 and 2025. And the report estimates how much higher gasoline and diesel costs could go if hydraulic fracturing were banned. Annual average gasoline prices would increase over 100 percent to over $4.20 per gallon in 2022 and 2023, and annual average diesel prices would increase 95 percent to $4.56 per gallon in 2022. Higher prices for gasoline, diesel, and petroleum products would amount to $1.9 trillion in additional, cumulative costs from 2021 to 2025 across all sectors. The shale revolution created by hydraulic fracturing and related technology is also responsible for a well-documented U.S. environmental success record: the reduction of carbon and other emissions to record-low levels. Natural gas is key to that environmental success because it fuels more than one-third of U.S. electric power plants and serves as an important enabler for integrating low- carbon intermittent renewables like wind and solar. “Taking away hydraulic fracturing technology from America’s oil and natural gas industry removes the primary technique needed to efficiently and responsibly extract abundant U.S. energy resources. Without new wells brought online, U.S. natural gas and oil production would rapidly fall, reversing the past decade's energy security gains,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas Shawn Bennett. From a national security and foreign policy perspective, significantly curtailing American natural gas and oil production increases global energy dependence on Russia and the member nations of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Currently, the U.S. exports natural gas—mostly in the form of LNG—to 39 countries on five continents. A decrease in LNG and crude oil exports would weaken our geopolitical standing globally and take away an important diplomacy tool. Given the interconnectedness of the global economy, higher energy costs would reverberate across the world, affecting economic growth and the outlook from Asia to Europe. With a weakened American economy, the U.S. would experience a national security setback, becoming reliant, once again, on other nations for its energy needs. The full extent of the economic, environmental and national security impacts of a ban on hydraulic fracturing is detailed in [the report that DOE produced at President’s direction](https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2021/01/f82/economic-and- national-security-impacts-under-a-hydraulic-fracturing-ban.pdf). To learn more about hydraulic fracturing, visit FE’s website. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Fracking Threatens America's Air, Water and Climate](https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/fracking/), Center for Biological Diversity ~ Fracking poisons our water, contaminates our air and emits massive greenhouse gas pollution. {+} #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Fracking Companies Exploiting Halliburton Loophole to Inject Toxic Chemicals,](https://eponline.com/articles/2014/10/23/fracking-companies- exploiting-halliburton-loophole-to-inject-toxic- chemicals.aspx?admgarea=ht.hydraulicfracturing) Environmental Protection Online, October 23, 2014 Despite a federal ban on the use of diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing without a permit, several oil and gas companies are exploiting a Safe Drinking Water Act loophole pushed through by Halliburton to frack with petroleum-based products containing even more dangerous toxic chemicals than diesel. Investigation finds at least 6 fracking fluids on the market with higher concentrations of benzene (a carcinogen) than diesel fuel, and at least 153 wells fracked with liquids containing ethylbenzene (a probable carcinogen) in 11 states. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/13/let%e2%80%99s-ban-fracking-or- regulate-it-the-time-is-now-to-limit-climate-change/>

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NEWS UPDATE ~ Coal Cost Crossover 3.0 says “Clean Energy is More Economical”
by Frack Check WV: S. Tom Bond 11 Feb '23

11 Feb '23

# [NEWS UPDATE ~ Coal Cost Crossover 3.0 says “Clean Energy is More Economical”](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/11/news-update-coal-cost- crossover-3-0-says-%e2%80%9cclean-energy-is-more-economical%e2%80%9d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/FDB08D4F-3EB7-431A-95BF-6D7DF9B188FF-300x115.png)](… content/uploads/2023/02/FDB08D4F-3EB7-431A-95BF-6D7DF9B188FF.png) Data from Clean Technia report of July 2022 **Coal Cost Crossover 3.0: Local renewables plus storage create new economic and reliability opportunities** From the [Coal Cost Crossover 3.0 dated January 28, 2923](https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Coal-Cost- Crossover-3.0-One-Pager.pdf) **NEARLY ALL U.S. COAL PLANTS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN NEW CLEAN ENERGY** _Coal powered the United States economy for decades, but that era is fast coming to a close. The cost of new clean energy technologies has plummeted over the past decade while coal costs have stayed flat or risen, creating a “cost crossover” between coal and renewables in 2020 when renewables provided more power to our grid than coal for the first time._ **Our first Coal Cost Crossover report, based on the 2017 coal fleet, found 62 percent of U.S. coal capacity was more expensive to run than to replace with renewables, while our second, based on the 2019 coal fleet, found 72 percent of capacity more expensive than renewables.** **The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) accelerates this coal cost crossover.** First, the IRA extends and expands the investment and production tax credits, significantly reducing wind and solar costs. Second, IRA funding for loan guarantees to refinance fossil fuel power resources and reinvest in new clean energy infrastructure, creates an economic opportunity to pay down coal debt and attract investment in new renewable resources. Our third Coal Cost Crossover report analyzes 2021 costs for 210 coal plants across the country (totaling 220 gigawatts of coal capacity), comparing them to actual costs for solar and wind in 2021, and incorporating the new tax credits. We find 99 percent of plants (209 out of 210) are more expensive to run than replacing their generation capacity with either new solar or new wind. The savings of using renewables would be significant: The cost of either new wind or solar is at least 30 percent cheaper than the cost of running more than three-quarters of existing U.S. coal plants. **LOCAL RENEWABLES CAN DRIVE $589 BILLION INVESTMENT IN COAL COMMUNITIES** The IRA created a bonus “energy communities” tax credit for building projects in areas that have historically depended economically on the fossil fuel industry. To capture the potential of this tax credit to generate new clean energy investment for these communities, we compared the cost of building new wind and solar resources within 30 miles of each coal plant to the cost of running the existing coal plant. **For 199 of the 210 coal plants, local solar replacement is less expensive than existing coal, and for 104 plants, local wind is less expensive. For 89 plants, both local wind and local solar were cheaper than coal, indicating a clean energy portfolio including local wind and solar is a viable replacement option for those plants, while providing additional grid reliability value.** Between solar and wind, our study finds replacing 204 coal plants with new local clean energy would generate up to $589 billion in new investment in energy communities across the country. Local replacement of coal plants with renewables offers several advantages, including preserving tax revenue and creating jobs in energy communities, qualifying projects for IRA-authorized funding and loans, and potentially avoiding the need to build new transmission to connect to the grid by using existing coal plant infrastructure. **PAIRING LOCAL RENEWABLES WITH STORAGE PROVIDES ADDED RELIABILIY** We also evaluated the cost of adding four-hour battery storage with local solar to provide additional reliability value and in some cases, higher market profitability. We find that the potential savings from switching from coal to local solar can finance 137 GW of four-hour battery capacity across the coal fleet, or more than 60 percent of the capacity of all 210 coal plants we studied. While reliability does not necessarily depend on adding storage, adding some amount of storage can help integrate renewables and accelerate clean energy adoption. For more than a third of the coal plants we studied, we find that in addition to replacing the electricity generation with local solar, 80 percent or more of the plant’s capacity can be replaced with four-hour batteries at a combined cost that is still lower than the cost of operating the coal plant. For the remaining coal plants, the percentage of capacity that can be economically replaced is still quite significant: Savings from renewable generation could fund battery storage at more than 50 percent plant capacity at 135 plants. **POLICIES TO SPEED THE COAL TO CLEAN TRANSITION** The economics are clear: Solar and wind offers much cheaper power compared to coal and without compromising the reliability of our electricity system. However, policymakers must act to unlock the cost savings, redevelopment, and human health benefits for coal communities. Several policies can hasten the coal-to-clean transition: • **Regulators should:** o Encourage utilities to utilize IRA financing programs from the Departments of Energy and Agriculture. o Enable competitive resource procurement. o Require reassessment of any utility investment plan, including integrated resource plans and market- based solicitation for renewable supply, completed prior to IRA as renewables costs will be out of date. • **State legislatures and energy offices should** plan and fund a coal community economic transition, where local clean energy resources anchor a more expansive economic transition plan. • **Regulators and system operators should:** o Improve methods to assess reliability and resource adequacy that reflect the reliability value of renewable portfolios and value the reliability attributes of a high-renewable grid. o Update interconnection study rules to leverage existing coal plant interconnection rights to speed grid connection processes for local renewable replacement resources. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Most Renewables Now Cheaper Than Cheapest Coal](https://cleantechnica.com/2022/07/21/most-renewables-cheaper-than- cheapest-coal-in-g20/) - CleanTechnica, July 21, 2022 <https://cleantechnica.com/2022/07/21/most-renewables-cheaper-than-cheapest- coal-in-g20/> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/11/news-update-coal-cost- crossover-3-0-says-%e2%80%9cclean-energy-is-more-economical%e2%80%9d/>

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PUBLIC NOTICE ~ U.S. ARMY CORPS ~ 15 Day Extension of MVP Comment Period
by Frack Check WV: admin 10 Feb '23

10 Feb '23

# [PUBLIC NOTICE ~ U.S. ARMY CORPS ~ 15 Day Extension of MVP Comment Period](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/10/public-notice-u-s-army- corps-15-day-extension-of-mvp-comment-period/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/E6262D77-9F21-4E69-B122-565A76256C00.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/02/E6262D77-9F21-4E69-B122-565A76256C00.jpeg) Huntington Branch of US-ACE has responsibility for stream protection **RE: Public Notice No. LRH-2015-00592-GBR, LRP-2015-798, NAO-2015-0898 ~ Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)** **From** [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Issuance Date: February 10, 2023 to Closing Date: February 25, 2023](https://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public- Notices/Article/3243440/lrh-2015-00592-gbr-lrp-2015-798-nao-2015-0898/) **STREAMS** : Elk, Gauley, Greenbrier, Roanoke, Blackwater Rivers (Section 10 waters) and other streams **NOTICE OF COMMENT PERIOD EXTENSION:** The United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published on December 12, 2022 for public comment a supplemental Public Notice to Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC’s proposal to discharge dredged and/or fill material into waters of the United States and work in and under navigable waters of the United States associated with the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and can be accessed on our website at: [https://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public- Notices/Article/3243440/lrh-2015-00592- gbr- lrp-2015-798-nao-2015-0898/](https://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regula… Notices/Article/3243440/lrh-2015-00592-gbr-lrp-2015-798-nao-2015-0898/) This Public Notice solicits comments related to supplemental information provided by the applicant. The public comment period on this proposal was extended until February 10, 2023 via public notice of December 20, 2022. The public comment period on this proposal is being extended an additional 15 days until February 25, 2023 to allow additional time for review of additional documents being provided for the benefit of public awareness and to inform any further comments on the proposed project. **DESCRIPTION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:** In addition to the supplemental information described in our December 12, 2022 Public Notice (see link above), revised and additional documents are being provided to the public as follows (month of receipt and/or last update of document in parentheses; documents marked with an asterisk (*) contain updated information from that previously provided via public notice, or impact information being presented in a new organizational format): • Summary of Impracticability of Using a Trenchless Crossing for the Blackwater River (original October 2021/updated November 2021); • Riffle and Pool Complexes Avoidance and Minimization Summary (received January 2022); • Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Responses to Additional Comments Provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (July 27, 2022) for the Clean Water Act Section 404 Individual Permit (received August 2022); • Hydrogeomorphic Functional Assessment Summary (received October 2022); • *Streams with Multiple Separate Crossings (received October 2022); • *Bent Mountain Resources Table (received October 2022); • *Table 15. Crossing Method Determination Summary (original February 2021/updated February 2023); • Updated Environmental Justice Screening Tool Results (original November 2021/updated February 2023); and • *Tables A-1 and A-3 West Virginia Stream Impacts and Summary (original February 2021/updated February 2023). [1] Corps staff have reviewed the applicant’s webpage to confirm the above listed documents are accessible. In the event the applicant’s webpage is not accessible, the public may contact Mr. Adam Fannin at (304) 399-5610 to schedule an appointment to view the information. The application, previously provided supplemental information described in our December 12, 2022 Public Notice, and the above described information may be accessed on the applicant’s webpage at: <https://www.mountainvalleypipeline.info/news-info/> Select “IP Applications Supplemental Information February 2023” from the menu on the right-hand side of the page[1]. **PUBLIC INTEREST REVIEW AND COMMENT:** This application will be reviewed in accordance with 33 CFR Parts 320-332, the Regulatory Program of the Corps, and other pertinent laws, regulations, and executive orders. The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts, of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concern for both the protection and the utilization of important resources. The benefit that reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors that may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those factors are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people. **SOLICITATION OF COMMENTS:** The Corps is soliciting comments from the public, federal, state and local agencies and officials, Indian Tribes and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the supplemental information provided by the applicant. Reference the text of the March 29, 2021 Public Notice and December 12, 2022 Supplemental Public Notice for additional details. The Corps will only consider comments pursuant to the scope of the supplemental information. **CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD:** The Huntington District has been designated as the lead Corps district, thus all comments pertaining to this Public Notice must reach their office on or before the close of the comment period listed on page one (1) of this Public Notice. If no further comments are received by that date, it will be considered that there are no additional objections related to the supplemental information. Comments should be submitted electronically to Mr. Adam Fannin by email at CELRP-MVP(a)usace.army.mil. If you do not have internet access, comments may be submitted through the United States Postal Service (USPS) to the following address: United States Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District ATTN: CELRH-RD-E, Public Notice: LRH-2015-00592-GBR, LRP-2015-798, NAO-2015-0898, 502 Eighth Street, Huntington, West Virginia 25701-2070. Copies should only be provided through the USPS when electronic transmission is not possible. Precautionary internal mail handling procedures may be instituted to protect our workforce, which may result in longer than normal times to process and receive hard copy submissions. To be considered in our evaluation, comments submitted through the USPS should have a postmark dated on, or prior to, the close of the comment period listed on page one (1) of this Public Notice. Please note names and addresses of those who submit comments in response to this Public Notice become part of our administrative record and, as such, may be available to the public under provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Thank you for your interest in our nation’s water resources. If you have any questions concerning this Public Notice, please contact Adam Fannin of the Energy Resource Branch at (304) 399-5610, by mail at the above address, or by email at: CELRP-MVP(a)usace.army.mil. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **Please address all comments and inquiries to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District ~ ATTN: CELRH-RD-E Public Notice No. (referenced above) 502 Eighth Street, Huntington, West Virginia 25701-2070 ~ Phone: (304) 399-5610** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/10/public-notice-u-s-army- corps-15-day-extension-of-mvp-comment-period/>

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Crypo Mining Noise Jars Mountain Community in North Carolina
by Frack Check WV: admin 10 Feb '23

10 Feb '23

# [Crypo Mining Noise Jars Mountain Community in North Carolina](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/10/crypo-mining-noise-jars- mountain-community-in-north-carolina/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/02/4CA9000D-73E7-43FE-815F-79E4DDFC0AF3-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/02/4CA9000D-73E7-43FE-815F-79E4DDFC0AF3.jpeg) Crypto mining computer banks generating high noise level 24/7 **How the blare of a crypto mine woke up this Blue Ridge Mountain town** From [News Report of Bill Weir, Cable News Network (CNN)](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/us/north-carolina-crypto-mine-noise- weir-wxc/index.html), January 19, 2023 **Murphy, North Carolina (CNN) ~** When Judy Stines first heard about cryptocurrency, “I always thought it was smoke and mirrors,” she said. “But if that’s what you want to invest in, you do you.” **But then she heard the sound of crypto, a noise that neighbor Mike Lugiewicz describes as “a small jet that never leaves” and her ambivalence turned into activism.** The racket was coming from stacks and stacks of computer servers and cooling fans, mysteriously set up in a few acres of open farm field down on Harshaw Road. **Once they fired up and the noise started bouncing around their Blue Ridge Mountain homes, sound meters in the Lugiewicz yard showed readings from 55-85 decibels depending on the weather, but more disturbing than the volume is the fact that the noise never stopped.** Mike Lugiewicz describes the noise generated by the nearby crypto mine as "a small jet that never leaves. “There’s a racetrack three miles out right here,” Lugiewicz said, pointing away from the crypto mine next door. “You can hear the cars running. It’s cool!” “But at least they stop,” Stines chimed in, “And you can go to bed!” **The word “mine” evokes pickaxes and coal dust in this region, so at first, the neighbors around Murphy, North Carolina, had no idea that mining a so- called “proof of work” crypto coin is more like playing a computer game with billion-sided dice. Instead of shovels, modern miners need enormous amounts of server power to roll the winning number faster than their competitors around the world.** **This unrelenting demand for electricity was one reason China banned cryptocurrency, touching off a virtual gold rush from Appalachia to New York’s Finger Lakes.** Crypto miners began putting down stakes in places where power is cheap and affordable, and if land use or noise regulations even exist, enforcement is weak. **The mine in Murphy is just one of a dozen in Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina owned by a San Francisco-based company called PrimeBlock, which recently announced $300 million in equity financing and plans to scale up and go public.** But a year and a half after crypto came to this ruby red pocket of Republican retirees and Libertarian life-timers, anger over the mine helped flip the balance of local power and forced the Board of Commissioners to officially ask their state and federal officials to “introduce and champion legislation through the US Congress that would ban and/or regulate crypto mining operations in the United States of America.” “I personally think that if we can get a bill into the system, other (North Carolina) counties will join,” newly elected Chairman Cal Stiles said after the motion was read. When it passed 5-0, the crowd cheered. “Oh boy, they wanted us so bad a year ago,” PrimeBlock co-owner Chandler Song replied via LinkedIn DM when asked about the move to outlaw his crypto mine. “It is unconstitutional, to say the least.” **In 2019, Song and his co-founder Ryan Fang made the Forbes “Big Money” 30 under 30 list which features young entrepreneurs with over $10 million in funding. According to the profile, they founded their first blockchain company, ANKR Network, in 2017 when they were in their early 20s.** ANKR was eventually folded into the umbrella company PrimeBlock and in the final quarter of 2021, they claimed “$24.4 million of revenue, and over 110 megawatts of installed data center capacity.” This came as Song and Fang teamed up with former Goldman Sachs investment banker Gaurav Budhrani to create a company with an “estimated enterprise value of $1.25 billion” with the hopes of selling public stock on the Nasdaq. A few weeks after that announcement, residents packed the Cherokee County Board meeting where representatives from the company were scheduled to appear, but soon learned that management had changed their minds after a power outage at another crypto site nearby. “When (the outage) was investigated, it was found out that the power outage occurred because someone shot, with a gun, one of the (service lines),” County Commission Chair Dan Eichenbaum told the room to groans. “As a result of that, the crypto mining people decided they weren’t going to come.” “They could have joined over video!” one resident said to the board in frustration after the clerk read the company’s statement explaining they canceled “for employee safety.” Months later, Song told The Washington Post that he had received no noise complaints from Cherokee County and said he would build noise insulation walls and install quieter water-based cooling systems. But after erecting walls on only two sides of the mine, construction stopped and the dashed hopes of the community only poured more fuel on local anger as they headed to the polls. **“I’m old. I’m a senior citizen. Social media is not really in my bailiwick,” Stines said as she explained how noise pollution transformed her into an activist. “I like to be behind the scenes and I like to stir the pot. But I knew that we needed to win an election.”** Chandler Song went silent when presented with follow-up questions on LinkedIn, but the mine on Hershaw Road roars on as the Cherokee County attorney searches for ways to put legal teeth into a newly passed law against continuous noise without rankling liberty-loving landowners. **“The Tennessee Valley Authority does not pursue cryptocurrency mines and it is not one of our target markets,” Scott Fiedler, a spokesman for the TVA told CNN. But he acknowledged that the federally owned utility that serves millions in seven states does not keep track of the mines using TVA power, and it’s up to local utilities like the Murphy Electric Power Board to decide who gets service and who gets cut in a blackout.** **That last contingency brought even more bad blood and lost trust during the brutal winter storm that gripped much of the South and forced some of the first rolling blackouts in TVA history. While residents were plunged into cold darkness, they say the power-hungry mine kept humming.** “They shut us down on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day every hour for anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to an hour,” resident Ron Wright told CNN. “Well, once your power goes down, your heat pumps go off and pipes freeze. But less than one mile away is crypto, allowed to run on the low end. As soon as the power came back, boom! They’re cranking before we are. **Back on Harshaw Road, Mike Lugiewicz pointed to the For Sale sign in front of his house. “September of 2021, I think, is when they turned this on and my wife and I just shook our heads, said, ‘No, we’re out of here.’” He hopes to stay in the area and keep fighting alongside neighbors like Judy Stines until the quiet comes back.** _“I don’t really care what folks invest in,” Stines said with a sigh. “I do care about this noise that affects us every day, all day, all night. It’s never-ending.”_ #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Video for Crypto mining noise ~** [This is the sound in front of Mike Lugiewicz’s garage. Source: CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/us/north- carolina-crypto-mine-noise-weir-wxc/index.html) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/02/10/crypo-mining-noise-jars- mountain-community-in-north-carolina/>

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

09 Feb '23

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

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

08 Feb '23

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

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

07 Feb '23

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

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

06 Feb '23

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

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

05 Feb '23

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

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

04 Feb '23

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

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

03 Feb '23

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

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

02 Feb '23

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

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

01 Feb '23

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

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BIG BREAKFAST ~ Blueberry Pancakes, Sausage & Maple Syrup — w/ Coffee
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 31 Jan '23

31 Jan '23

# [BIG BREAKFAST ~ Blueberry Pancakes, Sausage & Maple Syrup — w/ Coffee](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/31/big-breakfast-blueberry- pancakes-sausage-maple-syrup-%e2%80%94-w-coffee/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/B34E5757-0533-429E-B4D9-70B2383A203A-300x230.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/B34E5757-0533-429E-B4D9-70B2383A203A.jpeg) Young sugar maple trees are beautiful in the autumn **Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner: Maple syrup season approaches – but for how much longer?** From the [Opinion Editorial of Rebecca Phillips, Parkersburg News & Sentinel](https://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/local-columns/2023/01/mid- ohio-valley-climate-corner-maple-syrup-season-approaches-but-for-how-much- longer/), January 21, 2023 **If you are like me, you look forward to each year’s maple syrup crop. After tasting the real thing, the artificially flavored and colored substance that passes for syrup in most grocery stores is a sad imitation. Ohio has a long history of maple syrup production, going back to its indigenous peoples, and is the fourth-largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S.** **With more than 900 producers, mostly small businesses, the maple industry adds about $5 million to our state’s economy each year, according to the Ohio State University — not bad for a niche crop that can live for over 300 years. In West Virginia, maple products are helping small farmers succeed while preserving woodlands on their property, as witnessed by the state’s annual Maple Days.** Unfortunately, this long tradition and the economic boost it provides are endangered by our changing climate. The sugar maple requires specific conditions to thrive, and even more specific conditions for peak sap production. Scientists are warning that those conditions may cease to exist in our region within the next few decades. During the growing season, maple trees store starch, a process that ends with leaf fall. The starch stored over the summer and fall converts to sugar when the temperature of the tree’s wood reaches 40 degrees or so, and the sap rises. In Ohio, the tapping of maple trees generally begins in late January when, historically, conditions have been right for optimal sap flow — daytime temperatures in the low 40s and nights slightly below freezing. The tapping ends when the trees bud out, something that is happening earlier in the season than it once did due to earlier spring thaws. A shorter season means less maple syrup and reduced income for producers. Higher temperatures also result in reduced sugar content in the sap, making it not as good for syrup production. **Erratic weather is also bad for the trees themselves.** Early extreme cold such as the Christmas freeze we recently experienced can damage roots and slow tree growth, especially when there is no snow pack. Early warmth and late frosts can kill the year’s first leaf buds, forcing trees to expend energy growing a new set of leaves. These combined stresses, besides reducing sap production, can harm the long-term health of the trees. **Climate change is harming maple forests in other ways.** Sugar maples evolved in relatively cool climates with abundant rainfall; they do not tolerate heat or drought well. Unfortunately, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Ohio River Valley is likely to see heavier rainfall over short periods of time interspersed with summer drought. All predictions are for more days exceeding 90 degrees. Increased temperatures mean that insect seasons are longer, and while insects are a vital part of all ecosystems, a warmer climate is allowing certain invasive species to thrive. Pear thrips, tiny insects originally from Europe, are thriving in the northern half of the U.S. and, despite their name, damaging millions of acres of maple forest, over a million in Pennsylvania alone. It is true that we are unlikely to see a massive sugar maple shortage in the near future, these trees being as long-lived as they are. Recent studies from several universities and the Department of the Interior, however, indicate that seed germination is likely to decrease, and the range of these magnificent trees will slowly move north, possibly vanishing from the southern part of their range (Virginia, West Virginia, and southern Ohio) by 2100. It is likely that the cool overnight temperatures required for optimum sap movement will decrease, and that our region may not be able to sustain syrup production for more than a few more decades. This is bad news, but at least for now, we can enjoy this gift of the forest while supporting the small farmers who produce it — before a changing climate takes it away from us. ***#####***#####***#####***#####***##### >>> **Rebecca Phillips is a retired professor from WVU Parkersburg.** A member of [Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action](http://main.movclimateaction.org/), she is also on the coordinating committee for the [Fort Street Pollinator Habitat](https://fuusm.org/index.php?page=gs-projects-programs) in Marietta, OH. $$$$$$$@@@@@@@$$$$$$$@@@@@@@$$$$$$$@@@@@@@ **SEE ALSO:** [Sugar Maple Research to Save the Trees & Syrup Industry](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2017/10/04/sugar-maple-research-to- save-the-trees-syrup-industry/) ~ _Climate research on maple tree sap ~ Maple Watch has its focus on the color of the maple tree sap_ , From a Bulletin of Forest Watch, Univ.of New Hampshire, October 2017 $$$$$$$@@@@@@@$$$$$$$@@@@@@@$$$$$$$@@@@@@@@ **SEE ALSO:** ['This is our forest': Climate change means uncertain future for maple trees, syrup season](https://phys.org/news/2022-05-forest-climate- uncertain-future-maple.html), Dinah Pulver, Phys-dot-org News, May 16, 2022 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/31/big-breakfast-blueberry- pancakes-sausage-maple-syrup-%e2%80%94-w-coffee/>

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COLUMBIA MAGAZINE ~ Can the World’s Religions Help Save Us from Ecological Peril? Part 2
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 30 Jan '23

30 Jan '23

# [COLUMBIA MAGAZINE ~ Can the World’s Religions Help Save Us from Ecological Peril? Part 2](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/30/columbia-magazine-can- the-world%e2%80%99s-religions-help-save-us-from-ecological-peril-part-2/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/27A6DB66-39E5-4481-877A-4B68748160F7-300x224.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/27A6DB66-39E5-4481-877A-4B68748160F7.jpeg) Back Bay and False Cape State Park adjoin Virginia Beach as the ideal locations to observe the life cycle of turtles **A spiritual connection to nature is essential for environmental recovery** From the [Article “Sacred Trees, Holy Waters” in Columbia Magazine](https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/can-worlds-religions-help- save-us-ecological-peril), Winter Edition 2022 – 2023 **Kareena Gore, who is from Tennessee, grew up immersed in American politics.** Her grandfather, Albert Gore, was a US senator, and her father, Albert Gore Jr., was a US senator (1985–1993), vice president (1993–2001), and author of the 1992 book Earth in the Balance, which warned of the global- warming catastrophe (the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth chronicled his campaign to educate people about climate change). Raised in the Baptist tradition, Gore is a remarkably selfless, compassionate advocate who calls her own spirituality “private and ever-unfolding” and whose respect for the power and insights of Indigenous spiritual beliefs is a guiding force in her faith- based environmental work. At Columbia Law School, Gore took a course in copyright law and was absorbed by the concept of intellectual property and, ultimately, she says, of property itself. Being in Manhattan, she thought about the “sale” of the island by the Lenape people to the Dutch colonizers and how the two sides had very different notions of what that transaction meant. And she thought about how we treat the land, and how social norms have blinded us to the environmental impacts of our consumer lifestyle. “We get confused,” she says, “because much of what’s driving ecological destruction is perfectly legal and socially encouraged.” **Karenna Gore graduated from law school in 2000** , which was also the year her father ran for president on a strong environmental platform, winning the popular vote but conceding the race to George W. Bush after the Supreme Court denied a manual recount in Florida. In 2002, President Bush opened previously off-limits federal lands near national parks to oil and gas development, initiating a push for energy independence that has since triggered numerous conflicts over land, water, and air as woods are cleared, roads are built, pipes are laid, and animals are driven from their homes. “We see nature as property rather than as a commonly held or even inhabited community of life,” Gore says. “That we recognize a cathedral as a sacred site but not a rainforest reveals a lot about our thinking.” **James Hansen could not have picked a better day to make his point to Congress.** It was June 23, 1988, and the temperature in Washington was ninety-eight degrees. As director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which is housed at Columbia, Hansen, now an adjunct professor at the Columbia Climate School, had come to address the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on the topic of “global warming,” a term popularized by Columbia geochemist Wallace Broecker ’53CC, ’58GSAS in his 1975 paper “Climatic Change: Are We on the Brink of a Pronounced Global Warming?” “The global warming is now large enough,” Hansen told the senators, “that we can ascribe with a high degree of confidence a cause-and-effect relationship to the greenhouse effect” — the process by which carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels collects in the atmosphere, trapping heat. “The first five months of 1988 are so warm globally that we conclude that 1988 will be the warmest year on record.” As if on cue, that summer was unlike any other in living memory. The US saw long, intense heat waves, drought, wildfires, and hundreds of human deaths, even as humans were pumping billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere annually, with no end in sight. **That same year, Thomas Berry published The Dream of the Earth,** a seminal meditation on human–earth relations. Guided by a profound reverence for the beauty and genius of nature, the book articulates a vision of a living earth whose complex life systems, developed over billions of years, are being severely altered, degraded, and extinguished through deforestation, extraction, contamination, and plunder. “If the earth does grow inhospitable toward human presence,” Berry wrote, “it is primarily because we have lost our sense of courtesy toward the earth and its inhabitants, our sense of gratitude, our willingness to recognize the sacred character of habitat, our capacity for the awesome, for the numinous quality of every earthly reality.” Thirty-five years later, with global carbon emissions near record highs, the earth does seem to be growing inhospitable. The effects are spiritual as well as physical. Ecological anxiety is deepening, especially for children and teenagers, and faith communities have had to find new strategies to address an existential dilemma without precedent. “The psychological breakdown and despair around climate change is so strong that young people are studying for eco-anxiety ministry,” says Tucker. “The next generation gets that climate change is real and caused by human activity. They don’t have to be convinced. Along with religious communities, they are advocating for eco-justice — a concern for the most vulnerable being affected by climate change.” _At the Center for Earth Ethics_ (CEE), **Kareena Gore teaches** that faith leaders can approach the climate crisis in three main ways: **prophetic, pastoral, and practical.** “Prophetic means telling the truth about real value versus GDP-measured value, and about costs that aren’t being counted. Pastoral deals with issues of grief and anxiety as climate impacts — floods, fires — increase. The practical can be things like faith communities greening their land, buildings, and schools and pressuring banks to stop financing fossil fuels.” **Polls show that most religious Americans see climate justice as a political priority, and new expressions of eco-spirituality have appeared, such as the Wild Church movement, in which congregants meet in natural settings, where a pastor might cite the book of Job (“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you, or speak to the earth, and it will teach you”) or repeat a quote attributed to the conservationist John Muir, who fought for the creation of national parks (“I’d rather be in the mountains thinking of God than in church thinking about the mountains”).** _“Churches are looking to new ways of being both relevant and in their best forms spiritually,” says Tucker. “The hope is that that ecological anxiety is going to put us back in touch with awe, wonder, and beauty.”_ **>>> A month after Hurricane Ian, as scientists tested the sewage-choked waters of southwest Florida and determined that waterways would be polluted for months, the _Center for Earth Ethics_ hosted a forum at Union Theological Seminary (UTS) on religious freedom for Indigenous people.** >>> **Karenna Gore** , standing in James Memorial Chapel in front of the copse of tall pipes of the Holtkamp organ, opened her remarks by reading the text of a plaque that was to be installed on the seminary grounds, honoring the surroundings as “the homeland and territory of the Lenape people as well as the habitat and dwelling place of the many beings they have been in relationship with.” She then introduced Ahmed Shaheed, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, who spoke about his report to the UN General Assembly describing how the nature-based ways of life of Indigenous peoples had been violated by forced displacement, intrusion of industry, and disregard for their spiritual practices. >>> **Betty Lyons,** the CEE advisory board co-chair from the **Onondaga Nation,** spoke of “our sacred relationships to the natural world” and argued that the Indigenous value system — a sense of responsibility, respect, and reciprocity with nature — holds the key to survival for everyone. “We see all living beings as relatives and not merely resources,” she said. “The Creator exists in all living beings.” >>> **Bernadette Demientieff of Gwich’in Nation,** who calls herself a “land, water, and animal protector,” appeared via video from her home in Fort Yukon, Alaska, and expressed anguish over the vote of the US Congress, in 2017, to lease land in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil exploration to feed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. ANWR is one of the last unspoiled areas on the planet, a critical habitat for many animal species, including caribou, waterfowl, and polar bears. Its coastal plains are so hallowed to the Gwich’in that they won’t even set foot on them. “When we were being told we were going to be rich if we opened up our sacred land to oil and gas development,” Demientieff said, “our elders told us we are already rich: rich in our culture, rich in our way of life. And all we have to do is protect it.” Though the Biden administration has suspended the leases, the threat of future development remains, and the pain was audible in Demientieff’s voice. “Our land that we consider extremely sacred is being turned into an oil field,” she said. “Can you imagine a church that you attend, a place that you hold very sacred, being bulldozed over? That is how we feel about this area. This is not a place we built. This is a place we were blessed with. We hold this place to the highest standard. Our connection to the land, water, and animals — it’s all interconnected. There is no one or the other. This is our survival. This is our entire way of life.” >>> **Mona Polacca, a spiritual elder of Hopi, Havasupai, and Tewa lineage,** spoke of the “original instructions” — the ancient teachings of spiritual interconnectivity with creation that have sustained Indigenous people in the Americas for thousands of years — and stated her purpose: “It’s our responsibility as Indigenous people to be gentle reminders to all people about these basic original instructions,” she said. “We made a covenant with the Creator when we first came into this world to live here. We made a promise that we would take care of it. So that’s what we’re doing. We’re making every effort to now be that gentle reminder about that instruction that all people were given — that we are all related, and that our basic survival needs are not any different from each other’s. It’s all the same.” >>> When the program ended, Gore, the speakers, and the audience members exchanged greetings and chatted. Then they made their way down the halls and went outside, where, in the night sky, a waxing crescent moon hung over the spired city, over the churches, mosques, and synagogues, the temples and shrines, and the ancestral land of the Lenape, where bears and wolves once roamed; and for a moment it was possible to believe that it was all the same, that all religions had something to contribute, and that a re-enchantment with creation was within reach, the one humanity needed in order to tackle the great work ahead. >>> **[For further resources, see:](https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/can- worlds-religions-help-save-us-ecological-peril)** 1\. Thomas Berry, The Sacred Universe: Earth, Spirituality and Religion in the Twenty-First Century, 2. Kimberley Patton and Paul Waldau, A Communion of Subjects: Animals in Religion, Science and Ethics, 3. Online Courses in Religion and Ecology. **This article appears** in the [Winter 2022-23 print edition of Columbia Magazine](https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/can-worlds-religions-help- save-us-ecological-peril) with the title “Sacred Trees, Holy Waters.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/30/columbia-magazine-can-the- world%e2%80%99s-religions-help-save-us-from-ecological-peril-part-2/>

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COLUMBIA MAGAZINE ~ Can the World’s Religions Help Save Us from Ecological Peril? Part 1
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 29 Jan '23

29 Jan '23

# [COLUMBIA MAGAZINE ~ Can the World’s Religions Help Save Us from Ecological Peril? Part 1](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/29/columbia-magazine-can- the-world%e2%80%99s-religions-help-save-us-from-ecological-peril-part-1/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/2B3D0C7A-E2E7-4B84-8183-790632524286-300x193.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/2B3D0C7A-E2E7-4B84-8183-790632524286.jpeg) Mother Nature has many lessons for us! DGN **A spiritual connection to nature is essential for environmental recovery** From the [Article “Sacred Trees, Holy Waters” in Columbia Magazine](https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/can-worlds-religions-help- save-us-ecological-peril), Winter Edition 2022 - 2023 **On the morning that Hurricane Ian approached southwest Florida with 155-mile-per-hour winds and a twelve-foot storm surge, Karenna Gore ’00LAW, ’13UTS stood at a lectern in Brooklyn Borough Hall and invoked the divine. Addressing a local interfaith conference on preparing for climate emergencies, Gore said, “When I was a child, my own faith tradition taught me that God looks directly at us through the eyes of someone who is in need: someone who is hungry, thirsty, needs clothes — much like someone affected by a disaster.”** **She acknowledged recent flooding in Pakistan and Puerto Rico, noting that “those who suffer the most from this crisis have done the least to cause it.” She equated climate action with social justice and summoned the civil-rights movement, which inspired people of all religions to transcend their differences and answer a call of conscience. “This,” Gore told the assembled, “is what must happen today around the climate crisis.”** **Gore is the director of the Center for Earth Ethics (CEE), which she founded in 2015 at the Columbia-affiliated Union Theological Seminary (UTS). Its purpose, she says, is to “draw on the world’s faith and wisdom traditions to confront the ecological crisis.” Poised at the crossroads of spirituality, social justice, and environmentalism, CEE is part of a movement known as “religion and ecology,” a new academic field — and a growing moral force in society — that brings people into closer communion with the planet and focuses on honoring and protecting the earth’s life systems. The center grew out of a conference called Religions for the Earth, which Gore and one of her mentors, Kusumita Pedersen ’76GSAS, who is co-chair of the Interfaith Center of New York, organized in conjunction with the 2014 UN Climate Summit.** Gore, who had just gotten her master’s from UTS, was interested in the root causes of the climate problem. She identified two: the widespread belief that humans are separate from, and superior to, all other beings; and a value system that favors profit over environmental health. Wanting to elevate voices outside this worldview, Gore, for CEE’s first academic course, invited a range of Indigenous speakers, including Betty Lyons (Onondaga Nation), the president of the American Indian Law Alliance and co-chair of the CEE advisory board; and Tiokasin Ghosthorse (Cheyenne River Lakota Nation), founder and host of First Voices Radio, who spoke eloquently of the earth as something alive, energy-filled, and communicative. **“We are nature. The air in our lungs, the water we drink, the soil, the sunshine that nourishes the life forms that comprise the food that we eat. "** “Throughout human history,” Gore told the clergy in Brooklyn, “people have understood their relationship with water, wind, fire, and land in the context of their relationship with God or some divine being or beings. This is deep, it’s ancient, sometimes it is unnamed, but it is not to be underestimated.” She echoed UN Secretary General António Guterres, who days earlier had called the climate crisis “a case study in moral and economic injustice” caused by “a suicidal war on nature.” “We are nature,” Gore said. “The air in our lungs, the water we drink, the soil, the sunshine that nourishes the life forms that comprise the food that we eat. We all depend on the health of the biosphere.” As climate-linked weather events intensify and carbon emissions continue to rise globally, faith-based communities and institutions are emerging as pivotal players in the bid for environmental salvation. In 2019, CEE became an affiliate center of the Earth Institute, which is now part of the Columbia Climate School, and brings a moral and spiritual angle to discussions conducted largely among scientists, engineers, businesspeople, lawyers, and policy wonks. In November 2021, the Biden administration formally recognized “Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge” — ways of life that foster respect and care for the environment — as vital to federal science policymaking. This past August, the National Association of Evangelicals, representing a religious group traditionally opposed to climate action, released a hundred- page report laying out the biblical basis for ecological protection, stating, “We worship God by caring for creation.” And a wave of legislation worldwide has granted legal personhood to entities like the Whanganui River in New Zealand, seen by Indigenous Whanganui Maori tribes as a living being. Such laws allow human advocates for these ecological systems to sue for protection on their behalf. Inside Borough Hall, Gore emphasized the need to consider all the planet’s inhabitants in any climate discussion. “A friend of mine from the Church of Sweden, Reverend Henrik Grape, said once that in any room where decisions are being made about climate policy there should be three empty chairs, representing those who are most impacted and least likely to have a voice: the poor, future generations, and all nonhuman life,” Gore said. “If we had been making decisions with those three perspectives in mind, we would not be in this perilous situation. “Realizing this, we can see the connection between Dr. King’s famous statement that ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’ and the words of Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh when he said that ‘we are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness.’” By the end of the conference, at around 3:15 p.m., a thousand miles away, Hurricane Ian made landfall on the barrier island of Cayo Costa, Florida, as one of the strongest storms ever to strike the United States. “The ecological situation requires the moral force of all the world’s religions,” says Mary Evelyn Tucker ’85GSAS, a historian of religion who holds a dual appointment at the Yale School of the Environment and the Yale Divinity School. She and her husband, John Grim, lead the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology and are recognized as the founders of the field, which began as a series of conferences at Harvard in the late 1990s and today includes sixteen graduate programs nationwide. “We all understand that the awe and wonder of the natural world is something that captivates every human — we see it expressed in art, music, poetry — and if we leave that aside, we lose a sense of motivation, joy, engagement, and all the dynamizing energy that’s needed for ecological movements,” Tucker says. “The energy must come from a love of the earth community in all its complexity and beauty.” There’s no shortage of energy to be tapped. Of the world’s eight billion people, some 85 percent claim religious affiliation. According to the Pew Research Center, Christians are the largest group (2.3 billion), followed by Muslims (1.8 billion), Hindus (more than a billion, around the same number as Confucians, who, says Tucker, are often not counted as a religious group), and Buddhists (500 million). Another 400 million practice traditional folk religions. There are fourteen million Jews, and millions of others follow such faiths as Sikhism, Bahaism, and Jainism. Tucker notes that all the world’s religions have ecological components, from Hindu principles of asceticism and loving devotion toward nature to Buddhist concepts of interconnection and compassion to Jainism’s emphasis on nonviolence to Western traditions valuing creation. And she observes that all religions are broadening their teachings and practices in order to meet the ecological challenge. “Their theologies need to be expanded,” she says. “We call it retrieval, reevaluation, and reconstruction. All religions have something to offer, and that’s really the foundation for this new and emerging field.” The field, like Tucker, has deep Columbia roots. Tucker was raised on Claremont Avenue, in the shadow of Riverside Church. Her grandfather, the historian Carlton Hayes 1904CC, 1909GSAS, 1929HON, taught at Columbia from 1907 to 1950 and was ambassador to Spain during World War II. She lived steps from UTS, at 121st and Broadway, where Reinhold Niebuhr ’54HON preached a gospel of social justice. And across Broadway stood Corpus Christi Church, where Father George Barry Ford counseled Thomas Merton ’38CC, ’39GSAS and Wm. Theodore “Ted” de Bary ’41CC, ’53GSAS, ’94HON when they considered becoming Catholics. Tucker came of age during the civil-rights movement and the war in Vietnam, and after graduating from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) in 1971, she set out for East Asia, starting with teaching in Japan. “My disillusionment with Western assumptions was so great that my attraction to a culture that was so different was very strong, and it absolutely transformed my life,” Tucker says. “Buddhism has this tremendous sense of the interdependence of all life, and that’s where I started.” She returned two years later and got her master’s in world religions at Fordham under Thomas Berry, a Catholic monk, cultural historian, and scholar of Eastern and Indigenous religions whose passionate, prophetic writings on what he termed “human-earth relations” inspired a generation of environmentalists. For her doctorate at Columbia, Tucker studied Confucianism with de Bary. “To me, Confucianism has an even more comprehensive philosophy,” she says. “The human is not an isolated individual but is embedded within concentric circles of family, friends, school, society, politics, nature, earth, and the cosmos itself. The most important thing is the triad: cosmos, earth, and human. The human completes this trinity of universe processes, earth fecundity, and human creativity.” Tucker’s two mentors, de Bary and Berry, met on a ship to China in the late 1940s — de Bary was starting a Fulbright scholarship at Beijing University, Berry was a teacher at Fu Jen Catholic University in Beijing — and both were attracted to Chinese religious traditions, especially Confucianism. De Bary went on to pioneer the field of Asian studies in the West, while Berry preached an ethics based on a deep regard for the natural world. In the 1960s, they started the Oriental Thought and Religion Seminar (later the Asian Thought and Religion Seminar) at Columbia. For both scholars, as for Tucker, Confucianism was central. “We were all looking for something beyond the West — a sense of how culture engages people in a feeling of meaning and purpose,” Tucker says. In the late 1970s, de Bary arranged for Berry to teach one of the country’s first courses in Native American religion at Barnard. Tucker eagerly attended those classes, and she and Grim (who were married by Berry in 1978) became Berry’s editors and continued to promote his work after his death in 2009 at age ninety-four, including the book and Emmy-winning PBS film Journey of the Universe. They also coauthored Thomas Berry: A Biography, published by Columbia University Press in 2019. “Berry saw how the destruction of the environment for massive materialism had spread around the world, and how our institutions — politics, education, economics, and religion — are invested in this economic system and therefore inadequate to address the problem,” Tucker says. As Berry wrote, “The reenchantment with the earth as a living reality is the condition for our rescue of the earth from the impending destruction that we are imposing upon it … Our sense of reality and of value must consciously shift from an anthropocentric to a biocentric norm of reference.” If Berry helped plant the seeds of the movement that Tucker and Grim brought forth, it was Martin S. Kaplan ’61CC who delivered the rain. In 1996, Kaplan, a Boston-based lawyer and partner at the firm of Hale and Dorr, was thumbing through the Harvard Gazette when he saw an announcement for a series of three conferences being held at Harvard Divinity School on world religions and ecology, organized by Tucker and Grim. Speakers would discuss Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism. Intrigued, Kaplan decided to attend. One of the speakers was Thomas Berry. “His entire philosophy just blew me away,” Kaplan says. “I was especially taken with his quiet passion for considering the entire earth as a living organism. He was gentle and compelling; you felt his presence. You sensed this was a person of great moral power.” At the conference, Kaplan, exhilarated by what he’d heard, introduced himself to Tucker and told her he was the managing trustee of the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, a philanthropic fund with an environmental bent. He invited Tucker to a grant-making meeting, and the trustees were so impressed with her pitch that they provided money to increase the number of conferences on religion and ecology from three to ten. Those conferences marked the birth of the field. "To make progress on climate you need more than policy and science — you need a commitment to human life and all the life on the planet." Kaplan, who received the Columbia Alumni Medal in 1992 and the John Jay Award in 2000, has directed support to a host of Columbia initiatives, including the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (known today as the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability), which led to the creation of Columbia’s Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology. But when it came to dealing with climate change, Kaplan, like Tucker and Gore, felt that something was missing from the conversation. “To make progress on climate you need more than policy and science — you need a commitment to human life and all the life on the planet,” Kaplan says. “That’s essential. We want this idea to be accessible to the people I call the ministering class — current and future clergy — so that they speak of these issues in their religious events and not just on Earth Day. They need to do this in a meaningful fashion and on a continuing basis.” On September 26, 2009, three months after Berry’s death, a memorial service for the self-described “geologian” was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The service featured readings from Thomas Aquinas, who wrote that “the whole universe together participates in and manifests the divine more than any single being whatsoever,” a key idea for Berry. Toward the end of the service, Kaplan ascended to the high pulpit. The Thomas Berry Foundation, founded in 1998 by Berry, Tucker, Grim, Kaplan, and Berry’s sister, Margaret Berry, had honored Kaplan with the 2009 Thomas Berry Award, and now Kaplan offered an address on the “Great Work,” as Berry called it, of reestablishing our connection with nature. “Berry believed that we must expand the scope of religious and humanist concerns to embrace the larger life systems and all species of the planet,” Kaplan told the gathering. “As a lawyer, I am intrigued by Berry’s call for a broader vision of rights.” Kaplan then quoted Berry’s statement that there can be no sustainable future “unless these inherent rights of the natural world are recognized as having legal status.” For the past twenty-five years, Kaplan has been trumpeting Berry’s message. At a UN panel on religion and the environment held in 2000, Kaplan examined the crucial passage in the book of Genesis in which God tells humans to “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” The King James Version translates the Hebrew word radah as “have dominion,” implying domination — resulting, as Berry saw it, in our indifference to nonhuman life, since it has no inherent rights. “Only in this detached situation,” Berry wrote, “could we have felt so free to intrude upon the forces of the natural world.” **As Kaplan told the UN panel, “dominion” is just one translation. “Another is ‘stewardship,’ which is very different,” he says. “Stewardship means that, given our power, we humans have a responsibility to take care of God’s creation.”** This idea, radical in its implications, has reached the highest echelons of organized religion. In 2015, Pope Francis published Laudato si’: On Care for Our Common Home, a 184-page encyclical that blends science and spirituality and warns of “desolation” if humanity does not change its ways. Says Gore, “One of the main contributions of Laudato si’ — although not explicit — was to unravel that toxic theology of seeing dominion as this domination. Pope Francis says there has been a mistake in interpretation.” The encyclical, which environmentalist Bill McKibben called “probably the most important document yet of this millennium,” was extolled in eco-spiritual circles. Through CEE, Gore convened an interfaith working group around Laudato si’ with Rabbi Burton Visotzky, a professor of interreligious studies at Jewish Theological Seminary, also a Columbia affiliate. Visotzky brought in theologian Hussein Rashid ’96CC, who was exploring similar questions from a Muslim ethical standpoint. The scholars, who had spun off from a larger interfaith study group at Fordham Law School, decided to examine the issue of water as a way to focus their work, and for World Water Day 2017 they published a series of tracts around water-related themes. That got them invited to the Vatican to meet with the pope about Laudato si’. “For me, reading the encyclical made me think of an eighth-century figure named Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq,” says Rashid, who teaches at the New School and UTS. “There’s a work attributed to him where he says for a believer there are four relationships that keep you in balance: to God, to yourself, to other people, and to the rest of creation. My understanding of what Pope Francis was doing really resonated with that.” It was a far cry from another influential Vatican tract, one that Gore learned about as a student at UTS and which supplied an “aha” moment that reshaped her understanding of current social and environmental iniquities. On May 4, 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued a papal bull that was part of a body of papal edicts known as the doctrine of discovery. These statements decreed that the lands encountered by Columbus on his voyages, populated by “Saracens, infidels, or pagans,” were Spain’s for the taking. “They proclaimed that the original peoples of Africa and the Americas were merely part of the flora and fauna to be ‘conquered, vanquished, and subdued,’” says Gore, adding that this was occurring just after the crusades against Muslims and during the expulsion of Jews from Spain. “Racism, colonization, exploitation — it all ties together. The military forces and economic interests of those European nation- states were being wed to theology that sees certain people as being subhuman, an interpretation that can be heard in the white Christian nationalism of today.” **TO BE CONTINUED AS “PART 2” ….** **This article appears in the[Winter 2022-23 print edition of Columbia Magazine with the title "Sacred Trees, Holy Waters."](https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/can-worlds-religions-help- save-us-ecological-peril)** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/29/columbia-magazine-can-the- world%e2%80%99s-religions-help-save-us-from-ecological-peril-part-1/>

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United Nations Foundation Seeks to Protect Species Diversity Globally
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 28 Jan '23

28 Jan '23

# [United Nations Foundation Seeks to Protect Species Diversity Globally](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/28/united-nations-foundation- seeks-to-protect-species-diversity-globally/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/D08DC6F5-7568-477C-B257-E3C8E4E0D014.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/D08DC6F5-7568-477C-B257-E3C8E4E0D014.jpeg) The Fourth Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) covered 2011 to 2020 **Biodiversity Explained: Facts, Myths, and the Race to Protect It** From the [Blog Article by M. J. Altman, United Nations Foundation](https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/biodiversity-explained-facts- myths-and-the-race-to-protect-it/), January 4, 2023 **Biodiversity is the interconnectedness of all forms of life on our planet — is in jeopardy as ecosystems and habitats degrade and disappear. On the heels of a landmark global agreement to protect our lands, ocean, and waters, discover what biodiversity really means and what it will take to preserve life on Earth.** From microscopic fungi to mega forests, “biodiversity” is the collective term for the variety of life on Earth in all its forms. It is 4.5 billion years of evolution, embodied. Biodiversity is responsible for our food, our soil, our water, our weather, even the air we breathe. Yet despite being a crucial foundation for our collective future, biodiversity is often lost amid conversations on climate change — until recently. In December 2022, leaders from nearly 200 nations adopted a landmark UN agreement to reverse nature’s rapid decline before it’s too late. Known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, it calls for protecting 30% of the planet’s land, ocean, and inland waters and includes 23 other targets to help restore and protect ecosystems and endangered species worldwide. **§§§ ~…Here are 12 things you should know:** **1\. Biodiversity is more than just the total number of species on Earth.** “It is actually more complex than that,” Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, the late ecologist, told the United Nations Foundation in 2018. “It’s about the genetic diversity within species, the diversity of habitats, and the large biological units known as biomes.” This includes the interactions that occur between species within ecosystems – primordial relationships that shape our environment in countless, often unseen ways. “Without biological diversity, there is no other life on Earth — including our own,” he explained. “Even though we are often oblivious to it, this diversity of life is what provides clean water, oxygen, and all other things that end up being part of our diet, as well as clothing and shelter. It provides a lot of psychological benefits too, which are not much appreciated.” **2\. We’re only just beginning to understand biodiversity’s influence and importance in our lives.** Earth’s many ecosystems rely on a delicate, complicated, and fascinating tangle of life that, in many ways, remains a mystery. In fact, the term “biological diversity” wasn’t introduced to the scientific community until 1980 in a research paper on species loss by Dr. Lovejoy. Scientists still haven’t identified all forms of life on the planet. New species are discovered every year. Take kelp, for example. These undersea forests provide sustenance and shelter for marine species like chinook salmon, which, in turn, serve as a staple food for orcas. And kelp also absorb excess carbon dioxide, which can help mitigate climate change. **3\. The planet’s biodiversity holds enormous, untapped potential for medical and scientific breakthroughs.** Lovejoy described each species on the planet as a unique set of solutions for a particular set of biological problems. “Whoever would have thought a bacterium from a Yellowstone hot spring would revolutionize forensic and diagnostic medicine, make the human genome project possible, and confer benefits in the trillion-dollar range?” he wrote as a Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation, citing a previously unknown and seemingly inconsequential microbe discovered in 1966 that revolutionized genetic testing and immunization development, including the COVID-19 vaccine. Today, one-fourth of all modern medicines are derived from tropical plants, and 70% of all cancer drugs are natural or bio-inspired products. In the past decade, researchers in Nova Scotia found a soil fungus that can disarm antibiotic-resistant bacteria — a discovery that could transform the fields of medicine and agriculture. The possibilities for discovery and innovation are monumental. **4\. Climate change and biodiversity are interconnected.** Climate change is causing biodiversity loss, and biodiversity loss is causing climate change. Here’s how: Destroying and degrading ecosystems release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than burning fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the consequences of burning fossil fuels — rising global temperatures, an increase in wildfires, and ocean acidification, to name a few — are devastating to the planet’s biodiversity by destroying habitats and animals alike. In late 2019 and early 2020, for example, more than 60,000 koalas were killed by wildfires in Australia so massive that nearly 3 billion species died or were displaced. Earlier this year, the Australian government officially listed koalas as an endangered species. At COP 27 last year, world leaders reached a historic agreement to create a “loss and damage” mechanism to support vulnerable communities that are already feeling climate change’s disastrous impact, including biodiversity loss and the resulting impact on livelihoods. **5\. Biodiversity can help us adapt to climate change.** The UN considers biodiversity our strongest natural defense against climate change. Land and ocean ecosystems currently absorb 60% of human-caused emissions, and they are the planet’s only way of storing massive amounts of carbon dioxide. Coastal wetlands, for example, protect against storm surges and flooding during extreme weather while also storing carbon dioxide and creating oxygen. According to a joint estimate by the UN Development Programme and the Government of Papua New Guinea, every dollar invested in environmental protection generates more than $2,500 in so-called ecosystem services — water regulation, coastal protection, carbon storage, and other invisible functions that nature provides. It’s one of the reasons that Papua New Guinea launched the first-ever national, independent Biodiversity and Climate Fund to protect its status as one of just 17 “megadiverse” countries. **6\. Less biodiversity means a higher risk of disease.** For decades, the scientific community has warned that biodiversity loss increases the spread of infectious disease. Why? Because extinction upsets the ecosystem in unpredictable ways, and the destruction of natural habitats increases interaction between humans and wildlife. Biodiversity essentially acts as a barrier between humans and animal-borne disease. Species that tend to survive logging, farming, mining, wildlife trade and consumption, and other human activities behind widespread biodiversity loss are often “vectors of disease” like mice and mosquitoes, which host pathogens that are able to make the jump to humans. It’s one of the reasons that cases of Lyme disease in the northeast United States have spiked in recent decades: With fewer mammals to prey on, ticks are increasingly seeking out people. In fact, roughly 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. It’s also why researchers like Dr. Alessandra Nava and her team of virus hunters at Brazil’s Fiocruz Amazônia are tracking the spread of disease in bats, monkeys, and rodents in the world’s largest rainforest. Their goal is to stay a step ahead of future pandemics by better understanding the pathogens contained within the jungle’s creatures before they come in contact with humans — encounters that become more likely as the human footprint expands. **7\. Biodiversity on land depends on biodiversity in water.** Maintaining the ocean’s ecological balance is crucial for protecting biodiversity on land, as well as maintaining our ability to feed future generations. The ocean plays a vital role in regulating the planet’s weather and water and the air we breathe. It is also the planet’s largest source of protein, feeding more than 3 billion people every day who rely on fish as a staple food. Yet the ocean remains a vastly unexplored ecological frontier. While scientists have identified 200,000 marine species, the actual number is estimated to be in the millions. Unsustainable fishing practices, pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction are threatening creatures that may vanish before we even knew they existed. **8\. Our planet’s biodiversity is on the brink.** Some 1 million species are threatened with extinction right now. That’s more than any other time in history, and they’re disappearing at a rate that is 1,000 times the norm. The culprit is the way most humans consume, produce, travel, and live. A 2019 UN report found that we have altered 75% of the planet’s terrestrial environment, 40% of its marine environment, and 50% of streams and rivers. Nearly three-fourths of our freshwater resources are devoted to crop or livestock production, which often means using pesticides, fertilizers, fuels, and antibiotics that pollute our rivers, streams, seas, and soil. Every day we are destroying habitats and degrading massive amounts of soil and water through industrial manufacturing and agriculture while jeopardizing precious natural resources that could be lost forever in our lifetime; in the past two decades, we’ve lost half of the planet’s coral reefs. Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest hit a record high last year; some 18% is gone already, with scientists warning that we’re approaching a tipping point toward potential collapse. **9\. Sustainability is the only way forward.** Such irresponsible production and consumption of our natural resources come at a catastrophic cost. We are destroying our planet at an unprecedented rate and losing a vast number of plants, animals, insects, and marine life in the process — to the detriment of our own future. Humanity’s health and well-being are dependent on a biodiverse planet. Fortunately, examples are emerging of a greener, more sustainable way of doing business. Circular economic models are becoming more common as companies realize the economic and environmental value of reducing, reusing, and recycling their supply chain. At the same time, more citizens are demanding sustainable sourcing and socially just labor practices from their consumer goods. In 2022, the founder of the outdoor retailer Patagonia announced plans to invest all of the company’s profits toward combating climate change. “If we have any hope of a thriving planet — much less a business — 50 years from now, it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have,” Yvon Chouinard wrote. **10\. Indigenous communities are crucial.** For thousands of years, Indigenous communities have served as the planet’s most effective environmental stewards. Today, according to the UN, Indigenous people manage more than 20% of the planet’s land and 80% of its biodiversity. “For us, it is not a passion, or a job,” Hindou Ibrahim of the Mbororo tribe in Chad, an SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) Advocate and Indigenous rights activist, told the UN last year. “It is our way of living. And that’s what we have done for all generations.” In 2015, the UN created the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform to ensure their formal participation in global negotiations on climate change. **11\. Conservation is critical.** One of our most promising solutions is preservation. Restoring degraded ecosystems alone could provide up to one-third of the climate mitigation needed to keep the Earth from warming too far above preindustrial levels. This means creating protected areas, curbing extractive capitalism, and restoring the planet’s enormous amount of degraded land. People across the globe are leading efforts to do just that. One inspiring example is Rita Mesquita, who expanded the amount of protected rainforest in Brazil by 76% during her time in the country’s Ministry of the Environment. Today, she oversees programs that encourage residents and visitors alike in Manaus to interact with the surrounding Amazon rainforest. **12\. We need cooperation — and revolution — at all levels.** We need partnerships among countries, communities, consumers, and corporations. And we’re seeing signs of progress every day. In fact, at COP 27, the Governments of Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia announced an alliance to protect their respective rainforests. Their historic agreement could pave the way for more multilateral action and impact. Coming just a month later, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework represents an enormous and long-awaited step toward halting extinction rates that some scientists are calling an existential crisis akin to climate change. A huge part of the solution to the biodiversity challenge will be transforming how we approach the natural world and our place within it. As Dr. Lovejoy told the UN Foundation in 2018, “There needs to be a major shift in perception from thinking of nature as something with a fence around it in the middle of an expansive, human-dominated landscape … to thinking about embedding our aspirations in nature.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/28/united-nations-foundation-seeks- to-protect-species-diversity-globally/>

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Projects Aim to Remove CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Directly from the Atmosphere
by Frack Check WV: S. Tom Bond 27 Jan '23

27 Jan '23

# [Projects Aim to Remove CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Directly from the Atmosphere](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/27/projects-aim-to-remove- co2-carbon-dioxide-directly-from-the-atmosphere/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/770AA86B-BABE-4690-8725-7E361B5E0CF5-300x220.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/770AA86B-BABE-4690-8725-7E361B5E0CF5.jpeg) Oxidential Petroleum plans to build the world’s largest “direct air carbon” removal facility **Direct air carbon capture sets up shop in the oilfields of Texas** From the [Article by Ari Phillips, Oil and Gas Watch](https://news.oilandgaswatch.org/post/direct-air-carbon-capture-sets-… shop-in-the-oilfields-of-texas), January 24, 2023 **A subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum is planning to build the world’s largest plant designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air in the oil and gas fields of West Texas, with a start-update sometime in 2024.** **Once fully operational, the plant will capture up to 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, with the capability to scaleup to 1 million metric tons per year. Direct air capture is a nascent technology that extracts CO2 directly from the atmosphere and stores it underground (or uses it to make fizzy drinks or other products).** **While many carbon sequestration experts see the technology as a promising, if expensive, process to remove climate-warming greenhouse gases from the air, major concerns remain about how much of the captured carbon will be pumped back down into the Permian Basin to help Occidental to extract more oil or gas from difficult-to-reach reserves. Critics also wonder how trustworthy the monitoring will be, and how communities and the environment might be impacted by its large-scale application.** **For now, Occidental – one of the largest petroleum producers in the country – has a subsidiary, called 1PointFive, that is taking advantage of billions of federal decarbonization dollars up for grabs under new government subsidies to invest in climate tech solutions to global warming. Meanwhile, Occidental will still be pumping out oil and gas responsible for heating the atmosphere. It will be simultaneously profiting from fossil fuel extraction and carbon capture.** The oil and gas company is also attracting revenue from corporate partners. These partners claim that it is good for the climate that they will be paying Occidental to “offset”– or make up for – their greenhouse gas emissions through direct capture while the partners continue to pollute. For example, the National Football League’s Houston Texans recently announced that they have selected Occidental’s subsidiary as a “preferred carbon removal partner” to offset their flight emissions. Occidental is marketing not only carbon credits but also what they call “net-zero oil” to NFL teams and airlines. According to Occidental, net-zero oil will be attained by removing, via direct air capture, enough emissions to offset all the emissions associated with the oil’s lifecycle from extraction to consumption. **In November, Occidental announced plans for an even bigger direct air capture site in Texas. Occidental has leased 106,000 acres of the 825,000-acre King Ranch, located in South Texas near the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas field. The company says the land can support up to 30 direct air capture projects that could potentially remove up to 30 million metric tons of CO2 per year, storing up to up to 3 billion metric tons of CO2 in the geologic reservoirs below the ranch.** **This storage capacity would be orders of magnitude larger than that provided by the 18 existing direct air capture plants around the world, which capture just 0.01 million metric tons of CO2 each year.** While the latest United National Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate report calls carbon removal essential to meeting climate targets, it also warns of over-relying on notions like direct air capture, which may lull policymakers and perhaps the general public into a false sense of security as to the necessity of deep cuts to emissions now. Anthony R. Kovscek, a professor of petroleum engineering at Stanford University who studies carbon sequestration, worries that the public might reach a different misunderstanding relating to direct air capture. “My most substantial concern about direct air capture is that lack of public understanding of the capture process will lead to negative opinions and the withdrawal of government support before the technology is fully developed and evaluated,” said Kovscek. Currently, initiatives taken through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are providing the incentive to advance carbon sequestration projects and for businesses to seek out credits. Federal tax credits within the Inflation Reduction Act designate direct air capture projects a $180-per-metric-ton credit, far above the previous $50 allotment. Kovcek believes Occidental’s efforts to be aimed at developing a technology that allows them to use their existing engineering and geosciences expertise as well as sequestration storage space that the company already has rights to use. "If it’s successful, they will have a new business that potentially outlasts hydrocarbon production and performs a necessary service,” said Kovcek. “Because they are trying to develop a new business, I don’t think that what they are doing is greenwashing.” **Greenwashing or not, for the time being direct air capture and carbon sequestration overall face no shortage of obstacles on the road to contributing significantly to decarbonization. The process remains very expensive and energy intensive and could divert resources and attention from renewable energy projects with more clear-cut benefits. Furthermore, the geologic reserves capable of sequestration are often located far away from carbon emitters such as steel plants and might require substantial investment in new pipelines.** Kenneth B. Medlock III, Senior Director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, said he believes even if Occidental is not generating truly “net-zero” oil, it is still resulting in a net CO2 reduction, which can buy time for other technologies. “It is an intriguing step in the multitude of options being presented for reducing the net carbon footprint of energy,” Medlock said. “It also can leverage existing infrastructures and business models, which can bode well for its future as the technology develops.” **The Infrastructure Bill designated $3.5 billion towards the establishment of large-scale, regional direct air capture hubs across the U.S. In response to the announcement, the Climate Justice Alliance released a letter calling direct air capture, “an unproven technology that allows fossil fuel extraction and use to continue, resulting in ongoing harm to frontline communities.”** “To have any significant effect on global CO2 concentrations, DAC would have to be rolled out on a vast scale, demanding very large amounts of water and energy, and raising environmental justice concerns about the toxic impacts of the chemical absorbents used in the process,” the letter states. Medlock believes that environmental justice (EJ) concerns about Occidental’s direct air capture are minimal, since the projects are set in remote locations, but that going forward they must be kept front-and-center in the discussion. “As with all new energy infrastructure, EJ assessments are critical to siting and operation,” he said regarding Occidental’s plans. “So, it is incumbent on the industry to internalize EJ asit moves forward, which requires direct engagement with communities and a conscious effort to avoid injustices.” ‍ **Erin Burns, Executive Director of Carbon180** , a climate nonprofit organization focused on carbon removal solutions, said that direct air capture is “an effective means of removing emissions that drive climate impacts and injustice.” But she added that, more broadly: “carbon removal can’t slow efforts to rapidly decarbonize and can't be an excuse to keep using fossil fuels in the US.” **Because of this, Burns believes that federal government should not fund enhanced oil recovery projects in which the sequestered CO2 is used to extract more fossil fuels , such as the Occidental Permian Basin project, and Carbon180 has advocated for its specific exclusion from key federal direct air capture projects.** Burns said trust underpins the success of this field and the ability to achieve gigaton scale carbon removal by 2050. “But before we can build trust in direct air capture, robust monitoring, reporting, and verification – MRV – is a fundamental prerequisite,” Burns said. “MRV is the process of accounting for all the emissions, energy use, environmental and public health impacts associated with a carbon removal project to determine its net climate impact. It tells us if the work was done safely and effectively and provides receipts.” According to Occidental’s agreement with the Houston Texans, the carbon credits purchased will not be linked to any new oil and gas extraction. Instead, the CO2 will be sequestered in reserves not associated with fossil fuel production. However, this agreement is specific to a carbon offset agreement with one NFL team. And it is not clear how much independent verification there will be, or if – in other business agreements or contexts -- Occidental will use captured carbon to inject into shale formations to help extract oil and gas. Aside from the two Texas direct air capture projects, Oil & Gas Watch is also tracking the Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub, a proposed direct air capture project in Wyoming that would consist of modular carbon capture units capable of removing 12,000 tons of CO2 per year from the air. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See Also:** [Direct Air Capture: 5 Things You Need to Know About This Climate Scam](https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2023/01/19/direct-air-capture- climate-scam/) ~ Oakley Shelton-Thomas & Mia DiFelice, Food & Water Watch, January 25, 2023 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/27/projects-aim-to-remove- co2-carbon-dioxide-directly-from-the-atmosphere/>

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Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “Z” for Zero
by Frack Check WV: admin 26 Jan '23

26 Jan '23

# [Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “Z” for Zero](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/26/alphabet-of-climate-change-fr… a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cz%e2%80%9d-for-zero/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/F03A135B-21BB-496D-A77C-FD855AFE7E35.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/F03A135B-21BB-496D-A77C-FD855AFE7E35.jpeg) Lake Mead was formed by the Hoover Dam in the Colorado River in AZ & NV **“Z” = Zero …… Lake Mead as Ground Zero of Ground Zero!** >>> From a Compilation of [Articles by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), 11/28/22 **Not long ago, I rented a car in Las Vegas and drove out to Hoover Dam. There I signed up for a tour that began with an educational video.** Construction of the dam, the narrator of the video intoned while grainy black- and-white footage jittered across the screen, entailed pouring more than three million cubic yards of concrete. Put to a different use, this much concrete could pave “a four-foot-wide sidewalk around the earth’s equator.” When the dam was completed, in the middle of the Depression, it “gave new life to the desert Southwest” as well as “to the nation’s spirit.” The Colorado River began backing up behind the massive structure to form Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, which can store enough water to “cover the entire state of Pennsylvania to the depth of one foot.” After the video, my tour group took an elevator down thirty stories, into the dam’s hydroelectric plant. Here we were regaled with more facts: **Hoover Dam is equipped with seventeen generators — eight on the Nevada side of the river and nine across the border, in Arizona. Each generator can produce enough electricity — a hundred and thirty (130 MW) megawatts — to power sixty-five thousand homes. Each contains five miles’ worth of copper wire and a hundred and sixty tons’ worth of electromagnets. The tour ended on an observation deck where an audiotape of yet more dam-related facts — the structure weighs 6.6 million tons and is twelve hundred and forty-four feet long** — was issuing from a loudspeaker. The narrator of the audiotape sounded an awful lot like the narrator of the video. “It has been said that in the shadow of Hoover Dam one feels that the future is limitless, that we have in our grasp the power to achieve anything, if we can but summon the will,” he concluded. Then the tape started over. **The Colorado River basin has been called “ground zero for climate change in the United States.”** If this is the case, then Hoover Dam might be described as **ground zero’s ground zero.** Since 1998, the basin has been stuck in a drought; this drought has lasted so long and grown so deep that it’s now routinely referred to as a megadrought. From the observation deck, the drought’s effects are scarily apparent. An abandoned dock lies, in pieces, high above the lake’s edge. Instead of being submerged, the power plant’s four intake towers stick up into the air, like lighthouses. The steep walls of the reservoir, which in pre-dam days formed Black Canyon, are lined with an enormous white stripe — a geological oddity known as the bathtub ring. The ring, composed of minerals deposited by the retreating water, runs as straight as a ruler, mile after mile. At the start of the drought, the stripe was as high as a giraffe. By 2015, it had grown as tall as the Statue of Liberty. This past summer, it had reached the height of the Tower of Pisa. I had wanted to talk about the dam, the megadrought, and the future of the Colorado basin with a representative of the Bureau of Reclamation, which built and still operates Hoover Dam. But when I got in touch with the bureau’s office in Boulder City, Nevada, a town created to house the workers who erected the dam, I was told that no one there was giving interviews. **I was, of course, welcome to take a public tour. I ended up taking two.** On the first, no mention was made of the drought; on the second, I tried to force the issue. I asked the guide whether she got any questions about Lake Mead, which is now only about a quarter full. She said she did, but she wasn’t supposed to answer them. “We’re not to comment too much on it,” she told me. “You know, I haven’t been on the lake at all this year,” she added. “It’s just sad when I go out there. It’s a little depressing. To save my sanity, I don’t go.” Lake Mead used to be lined with boat launches; most of these are now closed. The construction of Hoover Dam was authorized in 1928, just a year after Svante Arrhenius died. The project reflects the same faith in progress that he held to — a faith in humanity’s power to improve on nature. This is still the faith that the Bureau of Reclamation is pushing even as the logic of the dam comes undone. In April, the reservoir dropped so low that one of the intake pipes for Las Vegas, which gets practically all its water from Lake Mead, poked above the surface. In August, the Interior Department announced what’s officially called a Tier 2a shortage; the shortage means that Arizona’s water allotment for next year will be cut by almost two hundred billion gallons and Nevada’s by eight billion gallons. **Owing to the shortage, the dam’s seventeen turbines operate only sporadically.** Following my second tour, I climbed back up to the observation deck for a last look around. It was almost noon, and the desert sun was high overhead. A couple of tour groups came and went as the tape played in the background: “In the shadow of Hoover Dam, one feels that the future is limitless . . . limitless . . . limitless.” What I felt standing in the dam’s shadow was something different. **Climate change isn’t a problem that can be solved by summoning the “will.” It isn’t a problem that can be “fixed” or “conquered,” though these words are often used. It isn’t going to have a happy ending, or a win-win ending, or, on a human timescale, any ending at all. Whatever we might want to believe about our future, there are limits, and we are up against them.** ♦ ~ Published in the print edition of the November 28, 2022, issue of The N _ew Yorker magazine with the headline “A Vast Experiment.”_ #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **[Subject: Lake Mead& Hoover Dam | Scenic Drive Along Shrinking Lake Mead & Lakeshore Drive to the Hoover Dam 4K](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuK5AqVsKY) - YouTube** One hour & ten minutes. <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuK5AqVsKY> Scenic driving in Nevada and Arizona through Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Lakeshore Drive along the shrinking Lake Mead to the Hoover Dam in 4K/5K. Along the way we stop at the scenic overlooks and beaches, and see how far Lake Mead's water level has dropped in the last 22 years. We then head to the Hoover Dam, stopping and walking on the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge and soaking in the magnificent views of the Hoover Dam and Colorado River, then driving and walking on the Hoover Dam. (Apologies for the wind noise, filming was done in very windy conditions) >>> **Click here for our complete scenic drive on Northshore Road through Lake Mead National Recreation Area:** <https://youtu.be/xvtmJtNROD0> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/26/alphabet-of-climate-change-from- a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cz%e2%80%9d-for-zero/>

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Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “Y” for Yourself
by Frack Check WV: admin 25 Jan '23

25 Jan '23

# [Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “Y” for Yourself](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/25/alphabet-of-climate-chang… from-a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cy%e2%80%9d-for-yourself/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/54762CCF- DFEB-4B20-949A-ADFD4BAF0A15.jpeg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/54762CCF-DFEB-4B20-949A-ADFD4BAF0A15.jpeg) You can have a role in the community solar program? Locally & Globaly! **You Are Significant as Climate Change Becomes a Climate Emergency** From the [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New York Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 **So far, average global temperatures have risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius — two degrees Fahrenheit — and the budget for 1.5 Celsius is nearly gone. How hot will it get? Will temperatures climb two degrees Celsius? 2.5? Three?** **A study published a few years ago, by Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution, and Yangyang Xu, of Texas A &M, defined a temperature increase of 1.5 C degrees as “dangerous,” an increase of three C degrees as “catastrophic,” and an increase of five C degrees as “unknown, implying beyond catastrophic.”** **A second study, by a group of American and European researchers, determined that, if we were to burn through all known fossil-fuel reserves, global temperatures could rise by as much as eleven degrees Celsius, or twenty degrees Fahrenheit. (How humanity could keep the oil flowing even as the world drowned and smoldered was a question the researchers did not address.)** **There are good reasons to opt for optimism. ([See “narratives.”](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert)) It could be argued that the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act this past summer was possible only because so many people believed in a better future.** **At the same time, there are good reasons to wonder whether optimism lies at the heart of the problem. For the last thirty years — more if you go back to 1965 — we have lived as if someone, or some technology, were going to rescue us from ourselves. We are still living that way now.** **“You can’t just sit around waiting for hope to come,” Greta Thunberg observed in a speech scolding E.U. politicians. “Then you’re acting like spoiled, irresponsible children. You don’t seem to understand that hope is something you have to earn.”** #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **See Also:** [West Virginia Environmental Council](https://wvecouncil.org/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/25/alphabet-of-climate-change-from- a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cy%e2%80%9d-for-yourself/>

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Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “X” for Xcel or Not
by Frack Check WV: admin 24 Jan '23

24 Jan '23

# [Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “X” for Xcel or Not](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/24/alphabet-of-climate-change-fro… a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cx%e2%80%9d-for-xcel-or-not/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/C91CDD10-0B04-46EE- BA5D-68FA0D262E39-300x199.jpg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/C91CDD10-0B04-46EE-BA5D-68FA0D262E39.jpeg) Looking for the future takes some mighty fine binoculars **“Xcel” Names Outstanding Green or Blue or Brown Things or Not** From the Desk of Duane G. Nichols, FrackCheckWV.net, January 24, 2023 **[XCELPLUS INTERNATIONAL ~ About our company …](https://xcelplusint.com/)** In 1999, XcelPlus was started as a private label distributor for a line of specialty chemicals and lubricants. Along the way, we found reducing energy consumption just wasn’t enough, so we set out to find technologies to help satisfy an increasing demand for energy from waste streams. We discovered ways to make ethanol from garbage, and used biodiesel waste glycerin to make turbine fuels and coal plant fuels. When Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. in 2005, we sought ways to turn the resulting waste into electricity or fuels, including synthetic diesel fuels, gasoline and ethanol. The issue we faced was that technology had not been developed to the commercial and industrial standards we needed. In 2007, we had to suspend our projects. A chance encounter in 2017 changed everything, and since then we have been working diligently to bring our solution to fruition in the form of plasma gasification. We became a public company in 2004 on the OTC Markets under the trading symbol XLPI. [The most recent quote lists the stock price at 6 cents per share.] **We 've been searching for years ~** We spent years searching out and vetting technologies that would improve our quality of life on planet Earth. We consider these to be legacy technologies that will figuratively change the world. We identified a line of energy-reducing lubricants, discovered ways to convert plastics and tires into synthetic diesel fuel, unearthed the technology to turn fuel-injected cars into Flex Fuel vehicles, and created gasifiers that use plasma technologies to dissociate molecules into atoms. Those dissociated atoms are recombined to make syngas. [Such processes generate carbon dioxide, not discussed here.] We’ve already done the hard part, now we can do the innovative part of bringing these new technological solutions to market today. [MISSION STATEMENT](https://xcelplusint.com/about-us/) ~ Using our access to sustainable and innovative technology, we seek to use waste as a resource to provide clean, affordable, pollution-free energy to communities around the world in order to improve the global environment. **We 've Seen the Future of Energy** ~ We have been looking into the future of energy and we are ready to unveil that future right now. Today, the power for electric cars is primarily derived from coal and some energy from natural gas. While cleaner than coal, natural gas is still a polluting energy source. Unless we find new ways to produce clean, sustainable energy – not only for electric cars but other applications – it will be no better than petroleum- powered vehicles. Our technologies can fuel and power the hydrogen highway, electric cars, aircraft, diesel trucks and cars, all while simultaneously using and reducing our world’s waste. Take a look at that future with us. We have developed a better form of energy production. **XCELPLUS PLASMA GASIFICATION OF WASTE ~ 50-Ton-Per-Day Gasifier** We were able to build upon an already solid foundation. We've hired engineers to take a proven, viable technology and propel it to a whole new level. Fifty tons of material from waste streams allows our gasifier to produce up to 5 megawatt of power, 1,900 gallons of diesel fuel, 2,100 gallons of gasoline or ethanol, or about 1,250 to 6,000 kg of green hydrogen. Whatever your energy needs are, we can accommodate you. We will be manufacturing gasifiers and selling them to global customers and Build-Own-Operate (BOO) customers with access to capped-off landfills. [NOTE ADDED ~ The claims above of subject to verification. The claim is that XcelPlus provides “green” technology. This conventionally means that no carbon dioxide or methane will be emitted. What to believe Xcel or Not? DGN] URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/24/alphabet-of-climate-change-from- a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cx%e2%80%9d-for-xcel-or-not/>

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Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “W” for Weather
by Frack Check WV: admin 23 Jan '23

23 Jan '23

# [Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now “W” for Weather](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/23/alphabet-of-climate-change- from-a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cw%e2%80%9d-for-weather/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/08EB5151-DC5D-4CD0-874E-602D8384C104-300x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/08EB5151-DC5D-4CD0-874E-602D8384C104.jpeg) Predictions from the IPCC Report ~ Click to expand this graph **WHAT? ~ Whether the Weather is Winding for Wicked Wretchedness?** >>> Adapted from the [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tracks weather-related disasters in the U.S. that cause more than a billion dollars’ worth of damage. According to NOAA, in the nineteen-eighties the U.S. saw an average of three such disasters per year. In the nineteen-nineties, the average was five per year; in the two-thousands, it was six; and in the twenty-tens it jumped to twelve. (The figures have been adjusted for inflation.) In 2020, a record-shattering twenty-two disasters costing more than a billion dollars struck the country. This year is nearly on pace to match that record, with fifteen such disasters by October, including Hurricane Ian, which is likely to prove one of the most expensive storms in American history. Adam B. Smith, a NOAA researcher, has written that a disastrous number of disasters “is becoming the new normal.” The rise is partly a function of more people living in vulnerable areas, such as floodplains. But increasingly it’s a function of climate change. **In the future, the costs may climb steeply or they may climb precipitously. All our infrastructure has been built with the climate of the past in mind. Much of it will have to be rebuilt and then, as the world continues to warm, rebuilt again.** To protect the Houston area (and its many petrochemical plants) from rising seas and storm surges, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to erect a huge system of gates at the mouth of Galveston Bay. The price tag for the project, known as the Ike Dike, is estimated at thirty billion dollars. Norfolk, Virginia, is hoping to stave off the water with a $1.5-billion series of barriers, levees, and tidal gates, and Charleston, South Carolina, is looking to build a billion-dollar flood wall. Some places — large swaths of Miami, for instance — may prove impossible to defend, meaning that real estate now valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars will have to be written off. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **~. ~. The Accelerating Frequency of Extreme Weather ~. ~.** From an [Article by Carmen Ang, Visual Capitalist](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-accelerating-frequency-of- extreme-weather/), January 13, 2022 _The world is already witnessing the effects of climate change._ A few months ago, the western U.S. experienced one of the worst droughts it’s seen in the last 20 years. At the same time, southern Europe roasted in an extreme heatwave, with temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F)in some parts. But things are only expected to get worse in the near future. Here’s a look at how much extreme climate events have changed over the last 200 years, and what’s to come if global temperatures keep rising. **A Century of Warming & More of Same Going Forward** The global surface temperature has increased by about 1°C (1.8°F) since the 1850s. And [according to the IPCC](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf), this warming has been indisputably caused by human influence. **As the global temperatures have risen, the frequency of extreme weather events have increased along with it. Heatwaves, droughts and extreme rainstorms used to happen once in a decade on average, but now:** Heatwaves are 2.8x more frequent Droughts are 1.7x more frequent Extreme rainstorms are 1.3x more frequent **By 2030, the global surface temperature is expected to rise 1.5°C (2.7°F) the Earth’s baseline temperature, which means that:** Heatwaves would be 4.1x more frequent Droughts would be 2x more frequent Extreme rainstorms would be 1.5x more frequent **The Ripple Effects of Extreme Weather** **Extreme weather events have far-reaching impacts on communities, especially when they cause critical system failures.** Mass infrastructure breakdowns during Hurricane Ida this year caused widespread power outages in the state of Louisiana that lasted for several days. In 2020, wildfires in Syria devastated hundreds of villages and injured dozens of civilians with skin burns and breathing complications. As extreme weather events continue to increase in frequency, and communities become increasingly more at risk, sound infrastructure is becoming more important than ever. [The importance of net-zero projects cannot be over emphasized. [WiN = When is Now!](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf)]. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/23/alphabet-of-climate-change-from- a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9cw%e2%80%9d-for-weather/>

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Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now ”V” for Vehicles
by Frack Check WV: admin 22 Jan '23

22 Jan '23

# [Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now ”V” for Vehicles](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/22/alphabet-of-climate-chang… from-a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9dv%e2%80%9d-for-vehicles/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/527E2E84-CFAD-4400-B553-C055AFA7D6C4-300x192.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/527E2E84-CFAD-4400-B553-C055AFA7D6C4.jpeg) The term “tipping point” is applied here to Archimedes lever in contrast to tipping points in which ice melting accelerates beyond expectations **Current Climate: Tipping Points To Net Zero, Smarter Train Tracks And Greenland’s Accelerating Melt** >>> From the [Forbes Article by Alex Knapp & Alan Ohnsman](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2023/01/21/current-climat… tipping-points-to-net-zero--smarter-train-tracks-and-greenlands-accelerating- melt/?sh=6d37f4a036f1), January 21, 2023 [This information is from the **“Current Climate” from Forbes** , which every Saturday brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability. [Sign up to get it in your inbox every week.](https://www.forbes.com/newsletter/currentclimate/)] Ancient Greek mathematician and engineer Archimedes is said to have one said, “Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world” – highlighting the power of simple machines to magnify effort. This principle is limited to ancient Greece. **This week, a[report presented to the World Economic Forum](https://www.systemiq.earth/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-Breakthrough- Effect.pdf) meeting at Davos argues that there are points like this that can accelerate the world’s transition to an economy that’s built around more sustainable principles in order to slow climate change. The researchers behind the report identified three potential “tipping points” that can be pushed in order to accelerate some of these changes.** 1\. The first is the **transition to electric vehicles** , as “government policies and better infrastructure increasingly [are] making electric vehicles more attractive than petrol and diesel cars,” according to a press release around the report. 2\. A second tipping point is swapping out **methods of producing ammonia for fertilizers** in a manner that’s more sustainable, which the researchers say could have a side benefit of bringing down the costs of green hydrogen. 3\. The third tipping point is moving towards more **alternatives to animal- based proteins** , which could help reduce emissions from livestock farming and slow down rates of deforestation. All of these areas, the report argues, can produce ripple effects that reach further into the economy in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “This non-linear way of thinking about the climate problem gives plausible grounds for hope,” the report’s lead author aid in a statement. “The more that gets invested in socioeconomic transformation, the faster it will unfold – getting the world to ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions sooner.” **The Big Read ~ Greenland Ice Sheet Warmest In At Least 1,000 Years As Scientists Warn Melting Ice Will Accelerate Sea-Level Rise** Recent temperatures in Greenland’s ice sheet—one of the primary culprits behind rising seas—were the warmest they’ve been in at least 1,000 years, according to a new report, as scientists warn the melting of Greenland’s ice could threaten coastal communities around the world. [Read more here.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/01/18/greenland-ice- sheet-warmest-in-at-least-1000-years-as-scientists-warn-melting-ice-will- accelerate-sea-level-rise/) **More Concerns for Our Earth** Human-caused light pollution has made the night sky nearly 10% brighter each year, according to new research, obscuring astronomical observations and posing a threat to migrating birds that rely on the position of stars and the moon to travel. Nearly two-thirds of coral reef shark and ray species worldwide are threatened with extinction, [reports a new study](https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2023/01/17/most- coral-reef-sharks-and-rays-may-be-at-risk-of-extinction/?sh=1770e5713c74). **Sustainability Deals Of The Week ~ ~ ~** **Durable Batteries:** California-based Noon Energy has raised a $28 million series A round, which is geared towards growing its team and accelerating the commercialization of its carbon-oxygen battery for long-term energy storage. **Carbon Removal:** Financial services firm Rothschild & Co has entered into a multi-year agreement with French startup NetZero to purchase carbon credits for NetZero’s biochar, which sequesters carbon by being mixed with topsoil, which also reduces the need for fertilizers in agriculture. **Electrification:** The city of San Jose has entered into a $489,000 contract with BlocPower to electrify 250 residential buildings. **On The Horizon, Ugggh!** Last week, areas of Northern California featured days worth of rainfall and high winds, causing large amounts of damage to the area. And if sea levels continue to rise, it’s likely that more storms are in the works for the region, according to new research published this week. **Green Transportation Update** When it comes to moving people and goods, even all-electric vehicles can’t match the environmental benefits of trains. And when you think “advanced rail technology,” bullet trains or magnetic-levitation systems might come to mind. But what about the steel rails freight and passenger trains run on? It turns out that machine learning, big data collection and voice-recognition tools that have transformed manufacturing, cars, retail and social media are also being leveraged to make vital rail operations safer and much more efficient. **The Big Transportation Story ~ Cheap, Utilitarian Electric Cars Would Trigger Big Sales Without Subsidies** Dozens of new electric vehicles models are rolling out but most of them are still too pricey for most carbuyers. What if automakers slashed EV prices, weight and battery size and concentrated on the short-range applications electric cars do best? [Read more here.](https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2023/01/17/cheap- utilitarian-electric-cars-would-trigger-big-sales-without-subsidies/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/22/alphabet-of-climate-change-from- a-to-z-now-%e2%80%9dv%e2%80%9d-for-vehicles/>

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Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now U for United Nations Programs
by Frack Check WV: admin 21 Jan '23

21 Jan '23

# [Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now U for United Nations Programs](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/21/alphabet-of-climate-chang… from-a-to-z-now-u-for-united-nations-programs/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/DCE1AD06-5150-406A-A87B-C6C5FD5D9AA5-300x135.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/DCE1AD06-5150-406A-A87B-C6C5FD5D9AA5.jpeg) People protest for reparations for stolen land at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt **United Nations Doggedly Pursues International Climate Agreements Amid Global Turmoil (2022 Year in Review)** >>> From [Collected News by Duane Nichols, FrackCheckWV.net](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/), January 21, 2023 **SUMMARY ~ Despite strong evidence that human activity played a role in catastrophic weather events, and the emergence of a fuel crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise. Nevertheless, the UN kept the climate emergency high on the international agenda, reaching major agreements on financing and biodiversity.** At the end of 2021, when the UN climate conference (COP26) wrapped up in Glasgow, none of those present could have suspected that a war in Ukraine would throw the global economy into turmoil, convincing many nations to suspend their commitments to a low carbon economy, as they scrambled to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas supplies, and secure fossil fuel supplies elsewhere. Meanwhile, a host of studies pointed to the continued warming of the Earth, and the failure of humanity to lower carbon emissions, and get to grips with the existential threat of the climate emergency. Nevertheless, the UN continued to lead on the slow, painstaking, but essential task of achieving international climate agreements, whilst putting sustained pressure on major economies to make greater efforts to cut their fossil fuel use, and support developing countries, whose citizens are bearing the brunt of the droughts, floods and extreme weather resulting from man-made climate change. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **[Breakthrough agreements reached at UN climate conferences](https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/12/1131972)** _The year 2022 was punctuated by three important climate-related UN summits – the Ocean Conference in June, the COP27 Climate Conference in November, and the much-delayed COP15 Biodiversity Conference in December – which demonstrated that the organization achieves far more than simply stating the dire climate situation, and calling for change._ At each event progress was made on advancing international commitments to protect the environment, and reducing the harm and destruction caused by human activity. The Ocean Conference saw critical issues discussed, and new ideas generated. World leaders admitted to deep alarm at the global emergency facing the Ocean, and renewed their commitment to take urgent action, cooperate at all levels, and fully achieve targets as soon as possible. More than 6,000 participants, including 24 Heads of State and Government, and over 2,000 representatives of civil society attended the Conference, advocating for urgent and concrete actions to tackle the ocean crisis. They stressed that science-based and innovative actions, along with international cooperation, are essential to provide the necessary solutions. #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **[‘Loss and damage’ funding agreed, in win for developing countries](https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/12/1131972)** **COP27** , _the UN Climate Conference, which was held in Egypt in November, seemed destined to end without any agreement, as talks dragged on way beyond the official end of the summit._ Nevertheless, negotiators somehow managed to not only agree on the wording of an outcome document, but also establish a funding mechanism to compensate vulnerable nations for the loss and damage caused by climate-induced disasters. These nations have spent decades arguing for such a provision, so the inclusion was hailed as a major advance. Details on how the mechanism will work, and who will benefit, will now be worked out in the coming months. However, little headway was made on other key issues, particularly on the phasing out of fossil fuels, and tightened language on the need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. **See this** [Extensive Article](https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/12/1131972) **explaining the various aspects of climate change in which the United Nations is involved:** <https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/12/1131972> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/21/alphabet-of-climate-change-from- a-to-z-now-u-for-united-nations-programs/>

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The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now T for Temperatures on Earth
by Frack Check WV: admin 20 Jan '23

20 Jan '23

# [The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z, Now T for Temperatures on Earth](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/20/the-alphabet-of-climate-chan… from-a-to-z-now-t-for-temperatures-on-earth/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/F334E3C1-2033-40BC-B188-21EB77B7FA79.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/F334E3C1-2033-40BC-B188-21EB77B7FA79.jpeg) The highest temperature in WV was 115 F, in CA up to 134 F. **T = Temperatures are Rising Locally and Globally** From the [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 The **Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, in Dallas** , offers a hyperbaric chamber where divers can recover from the bends, a pool equipped to continuously measure swimmers’ oxygen use, and a **climate-controlled vault that can be programmed to test the limits of human endurance**. Not long ago, I swallowed a thermometer the size of a pill and had myself sealed in the vault. **Formally known as the environmental chamber, the vault resembled a walk-in freezer, with metal walls and a pressed-metal floor. Pretty much every available surface was occupied by machinery — computer screens, thermocouples, an electrocardiogram monitor, a treadmill, and a sort of stationary bicycle that looked like a suitcase with pedals. In the center sat a lawn chair, which a technician indicated I should take.** With me in the chamber was a researcher named Josh Foster. Before he allowed me to enter the vault, Foster had asked for a urine sample —a first in my reporting career. He’d also stuck some electrodes on my chest and performed an ultrasound scan of my heart, which, he said, was unusually low and hard to find. Foster, who is British, is interested in the effects of extreme heat on the body. To this end, he creates miniature heat waves and solicits volunteers to sweat their way through them. **On the day I volunteered, the temperature in the vault was a hundred and six degrees and the humidity forty per cent.** “Temperature regulation is one of the most important variables the body will try to protect,” Foster told me. “Because as soon as you start to stray from what’s normal, outside of a given quite small range, our ability to tolerate that is very, very low.” **Once a topic of marginal academic interest, the physiology of heat stress is now a subject of widespread practical concern. According to a recent study, two hundred and seventy-five million people around the globe are subjected to life-threatening temperatures at least one day a year, and this number could easily grow to eight hundred million by the middle of the century.** According to another recent study, the incidence of “extreme humid heat” has doubled in the course of the past forty years. Some parts of the world, particularly in South Asia and around the Persian Gulf, are already experiencing temperatures close to the human “survivability limit.” **This past summer, heat record after heat record fell. In Pinhão, in northern Portugal, temperatures topped a hundred and seventeen (117) degrees. In Sacramento, California, the mercury hit a hundred and sixteen (116) degrees. Yanjin City, in southwestern China, saw a hundred and eleven (111); Abilene, Texas, a hundred and ten (110); and London a hundred and four (104).** The human body reacts to such temperatures by sweating and directing more blood toward the skin. Problems arise when people become dehydrated, or their hearts get overtaxed, or it’s just so sweltering that they can’t dissipate enough heat. **The elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat stress, Foster told me, because they sweat less than young people, and their hearts don’t pump as efficiently.** (Humidity impedes the evaporation of sweat, which is why extreme humid heat is so dangerous.) One consequence of prolonged heat exposure can be a kind of blood poisoning. “Increased blood flow to the skin means that less blood is being directed toward the gut,” Foster explained. “And, if that happens for a long enough time, it can damage the cells that line the gut, and bacteria that are normally housed in the gut can leak out. It’s basically the same as having sepsis.” **The heat wave that affected most of Europe this past summer is estimated to have killed more than fifteen thousand people.** Sitting in the environmental chamber, with the pill-size thermometer in my stomach, would, I hoped, be edifying without being too edifying. Until the U.S. and the other big emitters reach net zero — indeed, until the entire world reaches net zero — the planet will continue to warm. What is the future we’re creating actually going to feel like? Every quarter of an hour, I was supposed to ride the stationary bicycle for five minutes; this was to simulate the sort of effort a person would have to make in the course of completing ordinary household chores. I started off strong but after a few rounds began to flag. The humidity made the air seem strangely solid. I tried to imagine what it would be like to perform real work under these conditions but found it difficult to hold on to a thought. **A few days later, when I got back home, Foster sent me the data that had been collected by the various instruments. I had sweated out almost a pint of water every hour. My heart rate had increased by thirty beats a minute and the blood "ow through my brachial artery had more than tripled. Despite all the (admittedly involuntary) effort I had made to thermoregulate, my core temperature had risen to a hundred degrees.** #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis | (Sixth IPCC Report)](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/) Results from a wide range of climate model simulations suggest that our **planet 's average temperature** could be between 2 and 9.9°F (1.1 to 5.7°C) warmer in 2100 than it is today. The main reason for this temperature increase is carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases that human activities produce. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/20/the-alphabet-of-climate-change- from-a-to-z-now-t-for-temperatures-on-earth/>

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The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z ~ Now S for Sand & Sixth Mass Extinction
by Frack Check WV: admin 19 Jan '23

19 Jan '23

# [The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z ~ Now S for Sand & Sixth Mass Extinction](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/19/the-alphabet-of-climate- change-from-a-to-z-now-s-for-sand-sixth-mass-extinction/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/4713BA97-EEA5-448A-9F73-25CB893A104D-233x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/01/4713BA97-EEA5-448A-9F73-25CB893A104D.png) Frac Sand Sentinel is crying out for sanity ~ “sand sanity” for Earth’s sake! **Frac Sand Sentinel #427 ~ “Sixth Mass Extinction”** From the [Newsletter by Patricia Popple, Frac Sand Sentinel](https://wisair.wordpress.com/frac-sand-sentinel/), January 15, 2023 If the Planet is Warming, Why am I Freezing? ~ Scientists for a long time have been looking at the causation of changing weather patterns and climate and how these two elements are instrumental in making changes for us all. Take a look at [this 5 minute link](https://youtu.be/Pe9SbC1D-sk) to help resolve this question in your mind. <https://youtu.be/Pe9SbC1D-sk> Once you have viewed the response to the question above, the concerns regarding the [Sixth Mass Extinction](https://youtu.be/6TqhcZsxrPA) become even clearer by watching this clip from the 60 Minutes broadcast: <https://youtu.be/6TqhcZsxrPA> Paul Ehrlich was on the 60 Minutes show (I could not believe he is 90) but immediately friends recalled seeing him several times on the Johnny Carson Show, beginning in the early 70s. [Paul Ehrlich on Johnny Carson ~ YouTube](https://youtu.be/29PwAu-6oGA) “Who is going to change their living habits?” There are some folks out there who deny and obstruct science of any kind. Those of us who have been involved in fighting the frac sand issues realize the value of our experiences with the hazards of this activity as well as the political differences that divide and conquer us whenever issues of this nature arise. Yet we do have a planet to protect and preserve and make healthier, not only for ourselves but for those who come after us. **NOTE** ~ _Patricia Popple is the Editor_ of the Frac Sand Sentinel in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The web site is [wisair.wordpress.com](https://wisair.wordpress.com/) and for additional information, [click here for panoramic aerial views](https://lookdownpictures.com/) of frac sand mines, processing plants, and trans-load facilities. [FracTracker.org](https://www.fractracker.org/home/) is also an excellent source of information and a picture source. FRAC SAND SENTINEL | 561 SUMMIT AVENUE, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 **See Also:** [Climate Change and the New Age of Extinction,](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/20/climate-change-a… the-new-age-of-extinction) Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine, May 13, 2019 People easily forget “last of” stories about individual species, but the loss of nature also threatens our existence. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/19/the-alphabet-of-climate-change- from-a-to-z-now-s-for-sand-sixth-mass-extinction/>

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The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z ~ Now R for Republicans
by Frack Check WV: admin 18 Jan '23

18 Jan '23

# [The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z ~ Now R for Republicans](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/18/the-alphabet-of-climat… change-from-a-to-z-now-r-for-republicans/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/A8B0AEB9-E0CD-439F-9E2C-97D58E8895DC.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/A8B0AEB9-E0CD-439F-9E2C-97D58E8895DC.jpeg) Republicans seem to be going from bad to worse! **The Letter R for Republicans ~ Republicans Show No Concern for Global Climate Change** From the [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/11/28/climate-change-from… to-z), November 28, 2022 **Reaching net zero in the U.S. will require putting such wrangling aside. It will require building out the transmission system while, at the same time, expanding its capacity so that hundreds of millions of cars, trucks, and buses can be run on electricity.** It will require installing tens of millions of public charging stations on city streets and even more charging stations in private garages. Assembling the electric cars and trucks will, in turn, necessitate extracting nickel and lithium for their batteries, which will mean siting new mines, either in the U.S. or abroad. The new cars and trucks will themselves have to be manufactured in an emissions-free manner, which will involve inventing new methods for producing steel or building a new infrastructure for capturing and sequestering carbon. **The list goes on and on.** The fossil-fuel industry will essentially have to be dismantled, and millions of leaky and abandoned wells sealed. Concrete production will have to be reëngineered. The same goes for the plastics and chemicals industries. Currently, ammonia, a critical and water heaters that now run on oil or gas, commercial and residential, will have to be replaced. So will all the gas stoves and dryers and industrial kilns. **The airline industry will have to be revamped, as will the shipping industry.** Farming is responsible for roughly ten per cent of America’s greenhouse-gas emissions, mostly in the form of nitrous oxide and methane. (Nitrous oxide is a by-product of fertilizer use; methane is released by rotting manure and burping cows.) Somehow, these emissions, too, will have to be eliminated. All of this should be done — indeed, must be done. **Officially, the U.S. is committed to reaching net zero by 2050. But a task of this scale has never been attempted before. Zeroing out emissions means rebuilding the U.S. economy from the bottom up. Perhaps Americans recognize this, perhaps not.** In early July, at a time when much of the country was baking in ninety-five- degree-plus heat, the Times took a poll of registered voters. Asked to name the most important problem facing the nation, twenty per cent of the respondents said the economy, fifteen per cent said inflation, and eleven per cent said partisan divisions. Only one per cent said climate change. Among registered Republicans, the figure was zero per cent. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Despite Net-Zero Vows, Wall Street 'Climate Arsonists' Still Pumping Billions Into Fossil Fuels](https://www.commondreams.org/news/wall- street-fossil-fuels), Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, January 18, 2023 It is business as usual for most banks and investors who continue to support fossil fuel developers without any restrictions, despite their high-profile commitments to carbon neutrality. Top banks in the United States and around the world have made a show of embracing net-zero emissions pledges, portraying themselves as allies in the fight against the global climate emergency. But a [new analysis entitled “Throwing Fuel on the Fire”](https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Throwing- fuel-on-the-fire-GFANZ-financing-of-fossil-fuel-expansion.pdf) by a group of NGOs makes clear that the world's leading financial institutions — including major Wall Street banks such as Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America — are still pumping money into fossil fuel expansion, bolstering the industry that is primarily responsible for worsening climate chaos. According to the report, 56 of the largest banks in the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) — a coalition convened by the United Nations — have provided nearly $270 billion in the form of loans and underwriting to more than 100 "major fossil fuel expanders," from Saudi Aramco to ExxonMobil to Shell. Additionally, 58 of the biggest members of the Net-Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative — including the investment behemoths BlackRock and Vanguard — held at least $847 billion worth of stocks and bonds in more than 200 large fossil fuel developers as of September. Both the NZBA and the NZAM are under the umbrella of the **Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net-Zero (GFANZ)** , a campaign launched in 2021 with the goal of expanding "the number of net zero-committed financial institutions." Climate advocates have long argued that net-zero pledges are fundamentally inadequate to the task of stopping runaway warming. "The science is very clear: we need to stop developing new coal, oil, and gas projects as soon as possible if we want to meet our climate goals and avoid a worst-case scenario," said **Lucie Pinson, the executive director and founder of the watchdog group Reclaim Finance**. "Yet, it is business as usual for most banks and investors who continue to support fossil fuel developers without any restrictions, despite their high-profile commitments to carbon neutrality." URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/18/the-alphabet-of-climate-change- from-a-to-z-now-r-for-republicans/>

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The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z ~ Now Q for Quagmire
by Frack Check WV: admin 17 Jan '23

17 Jan '23

# [The Alphabet of Climate Change from A to Z ~ Now Q for Quagmire](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/17/the-alphabet-of-climate- change-from-a-to-z-now-q-for-quagmire/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/2E5C74AD-1F0E-4251-913C-66A8E1E6481F-300x157.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/2E5C74AD-1F0E-4251-913C-66A8E1E6481F.jpeg) High voltage electrical transmission lines operate up to 765,000 volts, for example. (Click image to expand). **The Letter Q for Quagmire ~ The National Electric Transmission Grid System** From the [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 Take what’s been called the “transmission quagmire.” To clean up America’s grid, it’s not enough to build new generating capacity, or even new generating capacity plus new storage capacity. Power has to be transported from places that have a lot of wind and sun to urban centers that use a lot of electricity. Decarbonizing the grid will, by one estimate, demand more than a million miles of new transmission lines, and the cost of stringing all these lines will, by another estimate, come to more than two trillion dollars. Managing such a gargantuan project would be difficult enough if someone were in charge. But thanks to the way the grid was put together — bit by bit, over many decades — jurisdiction over transmission lines is divided among an electoral map’s worth of competing authorities. **Whenever lines cross state borders, this Q-mire becomes particularly quaggy. In that case, each state’s utility commission has to sign off. In some states, every affected county does, too. Then there are the local utility companies, which may, officially or unofficially, hold veto power.** “Let’s say I’m a local utility, and you tell me all this low-cost power is going to come in from out of state with a new transmission line,” Steve Cicala, an economics professor at Tufts, said to me. “My reaction is ‘Absolutely not. It’s a threat to my business model.’ And a lot of public- utility commissions are pretty much captured by the local utilities.” The seven-hundred-and-twenty-mile (720 miles) Plains and Eastern Clean Line was supposed to link wind farms in Oklahoma to customers in Tennessee; it was killed by opposition from Arkansas. The Grain Belt Express was designed to run from southwest Kansas to Indiana; it’s been delayed for a decade thanks to resistance from Missouri. The TransWest Express is intended to bring wind power from Wyoming to cities on the West Coast; construction has been held up for years, in good part owing to a single litigious family in Colorado. Northern Pass was a transmission line designed to bring hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts via New Hampshire. After New Hampshire rejected the project, in 2018, Massachusetts announced that it would try going in a different direction. It would build a line, dubbed New England Clean Energy Connect, that would cut through Maine instead. Work on NECEC was already under way when, in the fall of 2021, Maine voters approved a referendum effectively killing it. Much of the money spent on campaigning in favor of the referendum — and against NECEC — was supplied by NextEra, which owns the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, a potential competitor to the hydro project. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** **[“Tracking Transmission Reform”](https://stateimpactcenter.org/insights/tracking-transmission-refor… The State Energy & Environmental Impact Center,** New York University, School of Law, January 13, 2023 Hear from state attorneys general about why transmission reform is a critical aspect of climate response and what’s at stake, learn about the broad reform needs in this space, and keep track of opportunities to engage in pushing towards more equitable transmission policy. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/17/the-alphabet-of-climate-change- from-a-to-z-now-q-for-quagmire/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now P!
by Frack Check WV: admin 16 Jan '23

16 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now P!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/16/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-p/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/88569E3E-F61A-4B17-98F0-D9CD1B502281.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/88569E3E-F61A-4B17-98F0-D9CD1B502281.jpeg) The ACP and MVP at 42 inches and 300 miles were too damaging to hills, valleys, farms, forests, rivers, creeks and wetlands **“P” = Pipelines Making News About Fossil Fuels** >> **RE** : [“Fractured Sanctuary: A Chronicle of Grassroots Activitists Fighting Pipelines of Destruction in Appalachia”](https://appalachianchronicle.com/book-fractured-sanctuary/) by Michael Barrick, January 12, 2023 **‘From Almost Heaven to Almost Hell’** ~ Containing articles written between 2014 and 2022, it is an account of reluctant, citizen activists who rose up organically in grassroots resistance to the natural gas industry as it has attempted to complete two, 42” pipelines carrying natural gas hundreds of miles through the Appalachian Mountains from the fracking fields of northern West Virginia, southwest Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. It is a first draft of a chapter in a history that is old. The fossil fuel industry has siphoned off billions of dollars of wealth – timber, oil, coal, gas – from Appalachia for well over a century, benefiting corporations, but devastating people and the earth. Indeed, the experience of dealing with the gas companies and dangers of the pipelines led one longtime resident of Lewis County, West Virginia to leave the state. When doing so, she said the state had gone “from Almost Heaven to Almost Hell.” Thousands of people agree with her. This books captures just a few of their stories. Their fight is not over. The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) intends to complete construction by the second half of this year. Powerful interests and people have invested far too much on the project to surrender just yet. The same is true with the activists; they have lost far too much to the MVP to surrender now. So, these accounts, taken together, can be used as a playbook for citizens wishing to ally themselves with MVP opponents and other grassroots activists working to mitigate the effects of the climate emergency in Appalachia – while there is still time. We will soon share additional details regarding signings, town hall-style meetings and other ways to hear the stories, and if you wish, purchase the book. So, please check back soon or go ahead and subscribe so that you can receive every article we publish. There is no cost for the subscription. [Simply enter your email address in the “Follow” box at the top right hand side of the page.](https://appalachianchronicle.com/book-fractured-sanctuary/) January 12, 2023 – MMB. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **Update Article:** [Amended Forest Service guidelines could remove Mountain Valley Pipeline roadblock,](https://roanoke.com/news/local/amended-forest- service-guidelines-could-remove-mountain-valley-pipeline- roadblock/article_a23f0bb0-82e1-11ed-be34-3351f7d5d1e9.html) Roanoke Times, December 23, 2022 The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests have issued a revised environmental impact statement that could remove a major obstacle to completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The U.S. Forest Service has proposed new construction guidelines that, if adhered to, would enable the 303-mile intrastate natural gas pipeline to traverse a 3.5-mile section of the Jefferson National Forest in Giles and Montgomery counties, the project’s final missing link. The revised environmental impact statement considered two alternatives. One would have taken no action to revise the regulations, which could have dealt the controversial project a potential death blow. It would have required the project to remove sections of pipe currently stored above ground and to restore soil and vegetation altered by digging or timbering. The second alternative, which the Forest Service has recommended, would “allow for the construction, operation, and maintenance” of the pipeline. (This would permit a 600 foot long borehole under the Appalachian Trail.) …. **more at** ….. <https://roanoke.com/news/local/amended-forest-service- guidelines-could-remove-mountain-valley-pipeline- roadblock/article_a23f0bb0-82e1-11ed-be34-3351f7d5d1e9.html> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/16/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-p/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now O!
by Frack Check WV: admin 15 Jan '23

15 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now O!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/15/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-o/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/E22C77E5-45BB-4234-9299-CFF865A71F08-234x300.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/E22C77E5-45BB-4234-9299-CFF865A71F08.jpeg) The objections & limitations to technological solutions necessitate human interventions **OBJECTIONS or Limitations to Progress for Tech Solutions!** . . >> From an [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 . . **“SEEKING NETZERO”** . . . **“The gap between wishful thinking and reality is vast. “So observes Vaclav Smil, a professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba.** The observation could apply to almost anything; Smil, who has written more than a dozen books about energy and society, is concerned with the gap between the aspiration to fight climate change and the immense on-the-ground effort entailed in actually doing so. Studies that purport to show how the world could radically reduce or eliminate its carbon emissions by one date or another tend, he argues, to presuppose what they claim to be proving. To arrive at their foregone conclusions, many tech projects are based on a variety of unreliable assumptions — that project renovations can take place very rapidly, or that nonexistent technologies will be deployed at fantastic rates, or that humanity’s ever-growing appetite for energy will suddenly be curbed, or some combination of all three. Smil labels such studies “the academic equivalents of science fiction.” **Everything I have written, from “despair” onward, is vulnerable to Smilian objections.** Consider “flight.” It’s possible that, in a few years, Alias ferrying pallets of cargo will zip between regional airports. It’s also possible that electric passenger planes will one day make short hops, between, say, Boston and Hyannis. But that could be the limit. The world’s best-selling passenger plane, the Boeing 737, can transport some two hundred people coast to coast. To electrify such a "flight would require more than eight hundred tons’ worth of current-generation lithium-ion batteries, or four hundred tons of lithium-ion batteries functioning at their maximum theoretical capacity. To get off the runway, though, a 737 can’t weigh more than eighty tons, passengers and crew included. **A recent paper by researchers at Carnegie Mellon concluded that the demands of larger aircraft lie beyond the “feasibility limits” of known battery technologies.** **Or consider “green concrete.” As promising as CarbiCrete may be, the niche it fills, much like the Alia’s, is a narrow one. Since it has to be cured in chambers filled with concentrated CO2, CarbiCrete can’t be poured at a work site; it can be used only for pre-cast products, such as cinder blocks or patio tiles.** Meanwhile, though the blocks and tiles absorb CO2 as they harden, a great deal of CO2 is released in the process of producing the slag that went into them; globally, the steel industry is responsible for roughly the same number of tons of emissions as the concrete industry — around three billion. **To say that amazing work is being done to combat climate change and to say that almost no progress has been made is not a contradiction; it’s a simple statement of fact.** At the time of the Rio summit, fossil fuels provided roughly eighty per cent of the world’s primary energy. Thirty years later, fossil fuels still provide roughly eighty per cent of the world’s primary energy. In the meantime, total global energy use has increased by almost two- thirds. As Smil puts it, “The inertia of large, complex systems is due to their basic energetic and material demands — as well as the scale of their operations.” #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See also:** [Tech Can’t Fix It - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/10/technology/tech-solutions.html), Shira Ovide, New York Times, October 14, 2022 Climate Change and other big problems won’t be solved by technology alone. Think about some of the big issues that Americans are facing, in no particular order: the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, disagreements over the appropriate role of government, a reckoning over systemic racism, inequality in wealth and health, increases in homicides and other public safety threats and educational and social safety systems that fail many people. Technology didn’t cause these problems, nor should we put too much faith that technology can solve them. I worry that when we vilify or glorify what technology and tech companies do, it makes us lose focus on what’s actually important. Technology is part of the solution, perhaps, but mostly we have to find the answers through collective human will and effective action. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/15/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-o/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now N!
by Frack Check WV: admin 14 Jan '23

14 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now N!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/14/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-n/) [![Professor Sarah Marie Wiebe addresses the Climate Emergency](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/CAAD2B22-275E-48E8-BB8A-9322FA6D2694.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/CAAD2B22-275E-48E8-BB8A-9322FA6D2694.jpeg)**“N” = Narratives as Spoken or Written Accounts of Connected Events, Now the Climate Change Emergency** [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 **Narratives are socially constructed ‘stories’ that make sense of events,” thereby lending “direction to human action.” So observes a paper published recently in the journal Climatic Change by a team of European researchers.** Climate-change **narratives** , the team notes, typically foreground “doom and gloom.” Often they emphasize risk. If they’re not retailing the latest warming-related disasters (fires, floods, food shortages), they’re predicting a future !lled with even grimmer warming-related disasters (bigger fires, more severe "flooding, famines that threaten entire regions). This approach, the researchers argue, can be counterproductive: “ **Narratives** of fear can become self-fulfilling prophecies.” If people believe that things will only get worse, they feel overwhelmed. If they feel overwhelmed, they’re apt to throw up their hands, thus guaranteeing that things will only get worse. A diet of bad news leads to paralysis, which yields yet more bad news. What’s needed instead, the paper goes on, are **narratives** that “empower people to act.” Such narratives tell a “positive and engaging story.” They “articulate a vision of ‘where we want to go’ ” and outline steps that could be taken to arrive at this metaphorical destination. **Positive stories** can also become self-fulfilling. People who believe in a brighter future are more likely to put in the effort required to achieve it. When they put in that effort, they make discoveries that hasten progress. Along the way, **they build communities** that make positive change possible. Particularly compelling, by the researchers’ account, are “win-win” speech pressing for a “ **global green new deal** ,” Achim Steiner, then the administrator of the U.N.’s Environment Programme, described the “enormous economic, social, and environmental benefits likely to arise from combatting climate change.” One of the key proponents of the Green New Deal in the U.S., Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, has argued that a crucial step toward building a more just, more environmentally sustainable future is **imagining** what this future would look like. “We can be whatever we have the courage to see,” she has said. “ **Optimism** is a choice,” notes Christiana Figueres, the Costa Rican diplomat who led the effort to get the Paris climate accord approved. “Do you know of any challenge that mankind has had in the history of humankind that was actually successful in its achievement that started out with pessimism, that started out with defeatism?” Figueres asked at a conference a few years ago. “There isn’t one,” she said, answering her own question. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [**What Does it Mean to Declare a Climate Emergency?**](https://climate.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/a_Sarah- Climate-Change-Conference-Lightening-Talk-January-14-2020.pdf) [Why Narratives Matter in the Movement to Address Climate Change](https://climate.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/a_Sarah-Clima… Change-Conference-Lightening-Talk-January-14-2020.pdf) Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe, Department of Political Science | Assistant Professor January 14th 2020 | Hā o ke kai Climate Change Conference East-West Centre, University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/14/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-n/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now M!
by Frack Check WV: admin 13 Jan '23

13 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now M!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/13/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-m/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/E89128C9-A01A-4DAF- BAB3-B2729E2BD587.jpeg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/E89128C9-A01A-4DAF-BAB3-B2729E2BD587.jpeg) OMG! Have you seen the most recent Lancet Countdown on the climate — code red! **Math Matters to Climate Crisis ~ Why do small degrees of warming matter?** From an [Article by Seth Borenstein & Dana Beltaji, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment), November 6, 2022 On a thermometer, a tenth of a degree seems tiny, barely noticeable. But small changes in average temperature can reverberate in a global climate to turn into big disasters as weather gets wilder and more extreme in a warmer world. In 2015, countries around the world agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and pursue a goal of curbing warming to 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) as part of the Paris Agreement. Two degrees of difference might not be noticeable if you’re gauging the weather outside, but for global average temperatures, these small numbers make a big difference. “Every tenth of a degree matters,” is a phrase that climate scientists around the world keep repeating. The Earth has already warmed at least 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, giving the world around 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.7 Fahrenheit) of more heating before passing the goal and suffering even more catastrophic climate change events, scientists have said. These tenths of a degree are a big deal because the temperatures represent a global average of warming. Some parts of the world, especially land mass and northern latitudes like the Arctic have already warmed more than the 1.1 Celsius average and have far surpassed 1.5 Celsius, according to estimates. It’s helpful to look at temperatures like a bell curve, rather than just the average which doesn’t reveal “hidden extremes,” said Princeton University climate scientist Gabe Vecchi. “On the far end where the bell shape is very narrow, that is telling you the odds of very extreme events,” he said. “If you have a slight shift of the average of the peak of that bell to the warming direction, what that results in is a substantial decrease in the odds of extremely cold temperatures and a substantial increase in the odds of extremely warm temperatures.” It’s a similar picture with sea level rise, where the average obscures how some places are seeing much higher sea level increases than others, he said. Most nations — including the world’s two largest emitters, the U.S. and China — aren’t on track to limit warming to 1.5 Celsius or even 2 Celsius, according to scientists and experts who track global action on climate change, despite promises to cut their emissions to “net zero”. If temperatures increase by about 2 more degrees Celsius by the end of the century, the world will experience five times the floods, storms, drought and heat waves, according to estimates by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “All bets are off” when it comes to how climate systems will respond to more warming, warned Brown University climate scientist Kim Cobb. The threat of some irreversible changes and feedback loops that amplify warming, such as the thawing of permafrost that traps massive amounts of greenhouse gas, could trigger even more heating. “It’s just staggering to think about how many people will be under immediate threat of climate-related extremes in a two degree world,” Cobb said. >>> Follow Associated Press (AP) climate and environment coverage at <https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment> #######+++++++#######+++++++####### [**The 2022 Global Report of the Lancet Countdown**](https://www.lancetcountdown.org/2022-report/) The health of people around the world is at the mercy of a persistent fossil fuel addiction. People around the world are increasingly feeling the impact of climate change on their health and wellbeing and these compounding crises are amplifying those harms. Yet governments and companies in both high- and low-income countries continue to prioritise fossil fuel interests. This year’s report launches as countries and health systems grapple with the health, social and economic implications of climate change, which now compound the impacts of the the global energy crisis, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our 2022 Report tracks the relationship between health and climate change across five key domains and 43 indicators, revealing that the world is at a critical juncture. While a renewed overreliance on fossil fuels could lock in a fatally warmer future with exacerbated health impacts, a health-centred, low-carbon response offers a renewed opportunity to deliver a future in which world populations can not only survive, but thrive. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/13/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-m/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now L!
by Frack Check WV: admin 12 Jan '23

12 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now L!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/12/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-l/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/DF1587F0-5A0D-4228-9A79-F72DF124718B-300x300.png)](… content/uploads/2023/01/DF1587F0-5A0D-4228-9A79-F72DF124718B.png) African and Asian countries should leapfrog to renewable energy **“L” is for Leapfrogging! India is Overdue to Leap Forward!** >> From an [Article on Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), Nov. 28, 2022 In 1947, the year India gained its independence, telephones were a rarity in the nation; there were fewer than a hundred thousand in the entire country. In the decades that followed, they remained scarce; as late as 1989, India had just four million phones for eight hundred and fifty million people. Three- quarters of rural villages lacked any phone connection at all; the official wait time for a line was almost four years, and, when one was finally installed, service was often dismal. Then, practically all at once, phones were ringing everywhere. In 1994, the country auctioned off its first round of cellular licenses. The auction process was deemed “a mess”; nevertheless, cell service exploded. By 2010, six hundred million Indians were subscribers. (The country’s 2011 census revealed that more households had phones than had toilets.) In 2015, cell subscriptions hit a billion. **India effectively skipped fixed-line phones and went straight to wireless, a process that’s become known as leapfrogging.** **Today, India is home to 1.4 billion people. They consume a thousand watts per person, less than one-tenth of what Americans use. Were India to follow the fossil-fuel-slicked development path pursued by China, Europe, and the U.S., the result would be planetary disaster. Yet asking India to forgo prosperity on the ground that prosperous nations have already consumed too much is obviously impossible.** Fewer than half of all households in the country own a refrigerator. Only one in ten owns a computer. And, even though temperatures in Delhi reached a hundred and twenty-one degrees this past spring, just one in four has air- conditioning. **Leapfrogging represents a way — maybe the best way, maybe the only way — out of this dilemma. India is sun-drenched. Instead of building out a grid that relies on coal and natural gas, it could shift to one that relies on solar power and iron-air batteries.** Most Indians have never owned a car, so the country could skip over gas- guzzlers and go straight to E.V.s. Ditto for flying. The vast majority of Indians have never been on a plane; the first one they board could be an electric aircraft like the Alice. The same holds true even for stoves. More than five hundred million people in India still cook with wood or dung; instead of transitioning through gas, they could jump straight to induction. In other words, electrify everything! “India is in a unique position to pioneer a new model for low-carbon, inclusive growth,” the International Energy Agency recently declared. And what goes for India, the I.E.A. noted, also goes for “a whole group of energy- hungry developing economies.” India “hasn’t contributed much to the climate problem,” Ashish Gulagi, a researcher at Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology, told me. “But it can contribute to the solution.” #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **[Light Pollution ~ National Geographic Society](https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution), World Wide Web, January 2023** **People all over the world are living under the nighttime glow of artificial light, and it is causing big problems for humans, wildlife, and the environment. There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, and everyone can help.** <https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/12/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-l/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now K!
by Frack Check WV: admin 11 Jan '23

11 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now K!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/11/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-k/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/03C1535E-D2CF-4034-A3D6-4ABDD9A4693F-300x249.png)](… content/uploads/2023/01/03C1535E-D2CF-4034-A3D6-4ABDD9A4693F.png) KEELING CURVE ~ Carbon dioxide has increased worldwide from 315 ppm in 1958 to over 420 ppm in just 64 years **[The Keeling Curve on the National Geographic Society Website](https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/keeling-curve)** The Keeling Curve is a graph that represents the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s atmosphere since 1958. The Keeling Curve is named after its creator, Dr. Charles David Keeling (1928 to 2005). Keeling began studying atmospheric carbon dioxide in 1956 by taking air samples and measuring the amount of CO2 they contained. Over time he noticed a pattern. The air samples taken at night contained a higher concentration of CO2 compared to samples taken during the day. He drew on his understanding of photosynthesis and plant respiration to explain this observation: Plants take in CO2 during the day to photosynthesize—or make food for themselves—but at night, they release CO2. By studying his measurements over the course of a few years, Keeling also noticed a larger seasonal pattern. He discovered CO2 levels are highest in the spring, when decomposing plant matter releases CO2 into the air, and are lowest in autumn when plants stop taking in CO2 for photosynthesis. Keeling was able to establish a permanent residence at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawai'i, United States, to continue his research. At Mauna Loa, he discovered global atmospheric CO2 levels were rising nearly every year. By analyzing the CO2 in his samples, Keeling was able to attribute this rise to the use of fossil fuels. Since its creation, the Keeling Curve has served as a visual representation of Keeling’s data, which scientists have continued to collect since his death in 2005. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### [**The Keeling Curve Hits 420 PPM, Scripps Institution of Oceanography,**](https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/2022/05/31/2114/) May 31, 2022 Levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide eclipsed 420 parts per million for the first time in human history in 2021. Scripps Institution of Oceanography updated this animation, which explains the rise of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere over the past 300 years and the measurement our researchers collect at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, known as the Keeling Curve. When Scripps Oceanography scientist Charles David Keeling first began taking measurements in 1958, CO2 levels were at 315 parts per million. [Check out more details at Scripps Oceanography:](https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/2022/05/31/2114) <https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/2022/05/31/2114> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/11/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-k/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now J!
by Frack Check WV: admin 10 Jan '23

10 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now J!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/10/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-j/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/52437564-6989-4BCC-A6CA-76115F87160F.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/52437564-6989-4BCC-A6CA-76115F87160F.jpeg) Community solar projects provide solar energy directly to individual users. **“J” is for Jobs. Get a Job and Work for Yourself, Your Family & Your Community** >> From an [Article on Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), Nov. 28, 2022 **Jobs, jobs, jobs ~ Six years ago, Beta and Form didn’t exist, and CarbiCrete consisted of four men holding meetings at a Starbucks. Today, more than four hundred people work for Beta, three hundred work for Form, and forty work for CarbiCrete. Ørsted’s operations in North America employ more than six hundred people directly and thousands indirectly, through contracts for components, shipping, and logistical support.** Study after study has concluded that cutting emissions creates jobs. Recently, a Princeton-based team issued a report detailing how the U.S. could reduce its net emissions to zero by 2050. The researchers considered several possible decarbonization “pathways.” Consider the extreme case. The pathway labelled “high electrification” would, they projected over time, eliminate sixty-two thousand (62,000) jobs in the coal industry and four hundred thousand (400,000) in the natural-gas sector. But it was expected to produce nearly eight hundred thousand (800,000) jobs in construction, more than seven hundred thousand (700,000) in the solar industry, and more than a million (1,000,000) in upgrading the grid. **“For too long, we’ve failed to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis,” President Biden declared last year. “Jobs, jobs, jobs. For me, when I think climate change, I think jobs.”** #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [West Virginia Looks at Community Solar as Legislative Priority,](https://www.governing.com/next/west-virginia-looks-at-community- solar-as-legislative-priority) Mike Tony, The Charleston Gazette-Mail, November 7, 2022 **(TNS) —West Virginia 's leaders, from Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito to Gov. Jim Justice and members of the state Public Energy Authority, have a pet phrase for their preferred approach to energy policy: “All of the above.”** **Community solar allows customers to receive solar energy without having to install their own systems, allowing them to benefit from energy generated offsite, and could save residential customers about 10 percent in electricity costs.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/10/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-j/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now I!
by Frack Check WV: admin 09 Jan '23

09 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now I!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/09/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-i/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/FA4BD6B9-A45E-4A10-A026-A4EADDF7A737-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/FA4BD6B9-A45E-4A10-A026-A4EADDF7A737.jpeg) WTAP News reports new battery plant for Weirton, WV on 12/26/22 **“I” is for Iron, I is for Imagination and Intention and Innovation!** [Rusty Batteries Could Greatly Improve Grid Energy Storage](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rusty-batteries-could- greatly-improve-grid-energy-storage/) >> _From an Article by John Fialka, E &E News, December 21, 2022_ A U.S. company is designing a large battery that it says could help decarbonize the nation’s power sector more cheaply than lithium-ion storage systems — and with domestic materials. Iron-air batteries have a “reversible rust” cycle that could store and discharge energy for far longer and at less cost than lithium-ion technology. The concept, known as the “iron-air battery,” has impressed U.S. experts. Unlike current lithium-ion batteries that require expensive materials mostly from other countries such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite, the proposed battery stores electricity using widely available iron metal. It operates on what scientists call the principle of “reversible rusting.” The low cost and high availability of iron could allow iron-air batteries to store electricity for several days during periods of low solar and wind power generation. One such iron-air battery is being designed by Form Energy, a company based in Massachusetts that’s co-run by a former Tesla Inc. official. Although iron-air batteries were first studied in the early 1970s for applications such as electric vehicles, more recent research suggests that it may be a “leading contender” to expand the nation’s future supplies of green electric power for utilities, according to George Crabtree, director of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research at Argonne National Laboratory. Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in cars and for utility-scale storage, discharge electric power for about four hours. The much larger iron-air battery can store and then discharge power for as long as 100 hours, giving utilities four days of electricity to bridge renewable power gaps that can occur in U.S. grids. Crabtree, a physicist, predicted that the iron-air battery would also help the U.S. decarbonize industrial operations and buttress the Defense Department’s plans to rely more on renewable energy. Crabtree pointed out that while U.S. researchers helped invent the lithium-ion battery in 1970, it took until 1991 to reach the market. Sony Group Corp., a Japanese company, was the first to sell it. After that, companies based in China took the lead, and they continue to dominate the world’s lithium-ion battery market. Form Energy was born in 2017. It emerged from a consolidation of two smaller U.S. energy storage companies, one of which was led by Mateo Jaramillo, a former executive at Tesla. The co-founders shared a vision to reshape the global electric system by creating a new class of low-cost multiday storage batteries. They began testing several different chemistries to make a competitive and domestically produced battery. They landed on the iron-air battery, which includes a slab of iron, a water- based electrolyte and a membrane that feeds a controlled stream of air into the battery. When discharging, the battery breathes in oxygen from the air and converts iron metal to rust. While charging, an electrical current converts the rust back to iron and the battery breathes out oxygen. Since its founding, the company has raised $832 million from investors, including Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures and ArcelorMittal SA, a Luxembourg-based multinational steel company. Since 2021, Form Energy has signed contracts to build battery storage facilities for two utilities. One is Georgia Power Co., the largest subsidiary of Southern Co. The other is Great River Energy, Minnesota’s second-largest electric utility, which supplies power to electric cooperatives. Form Energy is working with ArcelorMittal to develop iron materials that the steel company would supply to Form Energy. The battery company declined to say when it would announce the construction of its first factory, or where it would be. “We’re not talking about that yet,” Jaramillo said in an interview. His company’s executive team includes Yet-Ming Chiang, its chief science officer and a materials expert who teaches at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds over 100 U.S. patents. The initial storage battery, about the size of a home washer-and-drier combination, will be too big and heavy for cars, but it could replace lithium- ion batteries for utility-scale storage because it would be one-tenth the cost and its capacity will be much larger, according to Form Energy. Jaramillo graduated from Harvard University with an economics degree and later studied theology at Yale Divinity School. “It probably helped me in more ways than I could articulate,” he said of his religious studies. “It helped me stay grounded about what solutions look like in this world. There is nothing perfect.” Crabtree, of Argonne National Laboratory, says he’s impressed by Form Energy’s accomplishments so far. Compared with the 21-year effort by the U.S. to develop the lithium-ion battery, Form Energy may develop the iron-air battery in less than nine years. “It shows that it is possible to move quickly when it comes to climate change. That’s the critical answer,” Crabtree said. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Climate Change from A to Z, Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/11/28/climate-change-from… to-z), November 28, 2022 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/09/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-i/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now H!
by Frack Check WV: admin 08 Jan '23

08 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now H!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/08/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-h/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/F8B5233F-5224-4B64-ABE2-03F781B0076E-300x165.png)](… content/uploads/2023/01/F8B5233F-5224-4B64-ABE2-03F781B0076E.png) Cambridge Energy Storage Project, a demonstration plant in Minnesota operated by Great River Energy that will use Form Energy’s “iron-air” battery technology. **H is for Hope! Hope for Better Batteries! Hope for the Best!** [From an Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), 11/28/22 “Hope is the pillar that holds up the world,” Pliny the Elder is supposed to have observed. “Hope is the dream of a waking man.” Go looking for hopeful climate stories and they turn up everywhere. Not long ago, I came across one in a defunct wine distributorship, in Somerville, Massachusetts. The cavernous warehouse had been taken over by a company called Form Energy, whose waking dream concerns rust. Rusting usually proceeds in one direction, and the end result is a corroded nail or screw that winds up in the trash. But, as iron oxidizes, it gives up electrons. Therefore, if a current is applied to rust in solution, the process will run in reverse. At Form, the goal is to use this reverse-rusting trick to make a new kind of battery, one so cheap and durable it could power an entire city. Billy Woodford, Form’s chief technology officer, studied material science at M.I.T. “Batteries have cool technical problems,” he told me as we descended into the warehouse turned research lab. The huge room was lined with experimental chambers that resembled glass-fronted refrigerators. Each was labelled, according to an inside joke that I never quite got, with the name of a different Oreo variety, like lemon or s’mores or gluten free. Inside the chambers were collections of some kind of high-tech Tupperware, with wires poking through the lids. The containers, in turn, held plates of iron bathing in liquid. Woodford explained that these were test batteries: “We’ll put in different iron — there’s different versions, depending on whether it’s produced, say, in Texas or Germany — and then different electrolytes.” **_Iron-air batteries’ active components are iron, salt water, and air. They can soak up energy from wind farms, feeding it into the grid when needed. Form Energy 's full-scale batteries will be packaged into modules of fifty, each about the size of a washer and dryer placed side by side. Ten of the modules will be big enough to fill a shipping container. On blustery days, they charge, using an electric current to convert rust into iron. On calm days, the iron rusts and releases electricity into the grid._** The first thirty shipping containers’ worth have been promised to Great River Energy, a Minnesota-based utility that buys a lot of wind power. (See the conceptual plant layout photo above.) Form’s C.E.O., Mateo Jaramillo, studied theology and later became a Tesla executive. While at Tesla, he worked on lithium-ion batteries, which are the sort used in most electric vehicles (and in the Alia), and also, in a slightly different form, in laptops and cell phones. “Lithium-ion is fantastic,” Jaramillo told me. “And yet, if that’s the only tool you have, you still have a really hard time replacing high- capacity coal and natural-gas plants. To replace those, you need something that’s at least an order of magnitude cheaper than lithium-ion.” The materials needed for reversible rusting — air, salt water, and iron — are available in practically limitless quantities. “Besides coal, iron is the most-mined mineral on earth,” Jaramillo said. “So it scales.” #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **[Billionaire-backed ‘Iron-Air’ Battery Maker Picks WV Site for First Factory](https://www.powermag.com/billionaire-backed-iron-air-battery-maker- picks-wv-site-for-first-factory/)** , Darrell Proctor, POWER Magazine, December 23, 2022 A battery manufacturing company with plenty of high-profile financial backing said it has picked a site for its first factory that will build “iron-air” batteries. Form Energy touts its technology as a breakthrough for long- duration storage of solar and wind power. Form, which counts Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and British tycoon Richard Branson among its supporters, was founded in 2017 by veterans of the energy storage sector. The group said its mission was to create low-cost, multi-day energy storage systems. Company officials have said their iron-air battery can store electricity for as much as 100 hours. They’ve also said the technology will be competitive with electricity produced by traditional power plants. **Form, which is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Dec. 22 said it will begin construction of its first factory in Weirton, West Virginia, in 2023. The company expects to begin manufacturing commercial iron-air battery systems the following year. The plant’s cost is estimated at about $760 million, and officials said the project would create 750 jobs. Form completed a $450 million Series E funding round in October.** Incentive Package ~ West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said his state is providing Form with an incentive package worth as much as $290 million in what he called asset-based, performance financing for the factory’s construction. The package includes $75 million for land purchase and building construction in Weirton. Justice said he will work with state lawmakers and the federal government to obtain an additional $215 million. Mateo Jaramillo, Form’s CEO and co-founder, said Weirton was chosen from among more than 500 possible locations for the company’s manufacturing plant. He called Weirton “a historic steel community that sits on a river and has the rich heritage and know-how to make great things out of iron.” Jaramillo, who headed Tesla’s energy-storage business before leaving in 2016, said his company expects “to be generating meaningful revenue in 2025.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/08/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-h/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now G!
by Frack Check WV: admin 07 Jan '23

07 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now G!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/07/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-g/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/8C8E6D5D-9049-480B-8BB6-807489E3B070-300x155.png)](… content/uploads/2023/01/8C8E6D5D-9049-480B-8BB6-807489E3B070.png) CarbiCrete building blocks made from slag (cement substitute) **Green Concrete ~ Gee! Cement Substitute Without Releasing Carbon Dioxide!** Article by [Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), 11/28/22 “We are doing freeze-and-thaw tests here in this lab,” Mehrdad Mahoutian said. He pried the lid off a plastic container of the sort usually used to store leftovers. Inside was a gray block about the size of a juice box. It was sitting in a half inch or so of ice-fringed water. “This is cement-free concrete,” Mahoutian said, indicating the block. “And this is salt water. For eighteen hours, they go into the freezer. And, for six hours, they get melted, basically.” I managed to find the headquarters of the company named **CarbiCrete** , in an industrial area of Montreal. Mahoutian, one of the company’s founders, was showing me around the R. & D. facility. Every few minutes, he was interrupted by a very loud rumble. “That’s the blocks being made,” he shouted over the din. We passed into a second room, where two test walls of cinder block stood perpendicular to each other. Both were equipped with a shower apparatus made from PVC pipe, which was dripping water. A fan blew the water toward the blocks. Mahoutian explained that one test wall had been constructed with ordinary cinder blocks, the other with a new kind of block fabricated by **CarbiCrete**. The shower arrangement was gauging how the two walls compared in terms of water penetration. “In a few hours, we’ll measure the dampness and do some calculations,” he told me. Concrete represents one of the world’s most obdurate carbon problems. Its key ingredient, Portland cement, is made by grinding up limestone, adding clay, and heating the mixture to more than two thousand degrees. The process demands a lot of energy, which is usually supplied by burning coal. But, more fundamentally, the issue with cement is its chemistry; heating limestone to the point that it transforms into quicklime unavoidably releases CO2. In 2021, some thirty billion tons of concrete were produced worldwide, almost four tons for every single person on the planet. The associated carbon dioxide emissions accounted for roughly eight per cent of the global total— more than aviation and shipping combined. Producing cement-free concrete, or what is sometimes referred to as green concrete, isn’t sexy, but it’s essential. [In place of cement, CarbiCrete makes use of a waste product](https://www.waste360.com/medical-waste/waste-based-cement- alternative-provides-functional-benefits-while-capturing-and) — the slag left over from steel production. It pounds the slag into powder and mixes in crushed rock and water. The resulting slurry, which looks a lot like conventional concrete, can then be molded into blocks or tiles. Gee! C **arbiCrete bills its product, which for the time being is also known as CarbiCrete, not just as carbon-neutral but as carbon-negative.** Mahoutian led me to a row of machines that resembled rice cookers. Each one was attached to a cannister of CO2. Inside the machines, little blocks of damp CarbiCrete were reacting with carbon dioxide; instead of releasing the gas, the blocks were soaking it up. “Please touch,” Mahoutian instructed. The machines were hot. This, he explained, was because the reaction, rather than requiring heat, generated it. For now, CarbiCrete buys its CO2 from a supplier. The plan, though, is eventually to use carbon dioxide that’s been captured at, say, a power plant or a steel mill. “What we are doing basically is killing three birds with one stone,” Mahoutian told me. “We are not using cement. We are permanently capturing CO2. And we’re reducing the need for land!lls.” As I was getting ready to leave, Mahoutian asked if I wanted a CarbiCrete tile or cinder block to bring home with me. I thought for a while and then decided to take both. Gee! URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/07/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-g/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now F!
by Frack Check WV: admin 06 Jan '23

06 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now F!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/06/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-f/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/228AB5DF-B26A-4F97-8621-4C897D6087F6-300x120.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/01/228AB5DF-B26A-4F97-8621-4C897D6087F6.jpeg) (new) Dolls Run Well Pad for Drilling & Fracking in Monongalia County, WV (click on photo to expand) **OMG! Opening Public Lands to Drilling & Fracking Without Restraint!** >>> _Technical Article on[Fracking by Randi Pokladnik](https://ohvec.org/author/randi/), Submitted January 1, 2023_ **The Republican dominated Ohio Senate and House recently passed the Amended HB 507 bill. It now awaits a signature from Gov. DeWine who can veto the bill or allow it to go into law after a ten-day period. The bill was originally intended to address poultry sales and food safety, however, at the last minute an amendment, (134-3853) was added to HB 507 in the Senate. Basically, the amendment will force state agencies to open their land to oil and gas drilling with no exceptions. The amendment creates an atmosphere where citizens are basically locked out of any public review process and refused the ability to make comments on the leasing process. It by-passes any considerations of impacts to the environment and recreation.** Pre-19th century, Ohio was 95 percent forested. Today only 30 percent of forested land remains (8.0 million acres) and only 11 percent is owned by state and local governments. The Ohio State Park system encompasses about 170,000 acres of land and over 31 million visitors come to Ohio parks each year. For many people, both in and out of the state, state parks and forests remain a sanctuary; a place for them to escape their hectic lives and find the peace that nature offers. It also provides a space for recreating, bird watching, fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing and biking. Additionally, a study by The Ohio State University determined that outdoor recreationalists’ trips bring in $8.1 billion to Ohio’s economy and the sector employs 133,000 workers. **Fracking and all the build-out that this industry requires will dramatically change the landscape of Ohio’s parks and forests.** Who wants to hike through a park with frack pads and fracking infrastructure? Who wants to ingest wild game and fish taken from areas where fracking is occurring? **Since 2005, and the passage of the Energy Policy Act, also known as the Haliburton Loophole, fracking remains virtually unregulated. Who will guarantee that every stage of the process will be conducted in a way so as not to disrupt the state lands that supposedly belong to Ohio’s citizens?** **A[study in West Virginia](https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06022011/natural-gas-drilling- fells-1000-trees-w-va-forest-scientists-say/) showed forest ecosystems are negatively affected by forest clearing, erosion, and road building during fracking.** Vegetation death was also noted after frack fluids were sprayed on the surrounding trees. [Peer reviewed studies show that watersheds surrounding frack well pads test positive for the radioactive substances found in frack waste water, which consists of fracturing fluid and salts, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and radioactive material accumulated from natural underground sources.](https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/13032… **[Fracking well pads and infrastructure will require clearing areas (cutting trees and vegetation).](https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/1…) This will require areas of anywhere from four to twenty-five acres.** Not only will this fragment the forest it will cause other effects that to date are still not clearly understood or studied. [This includes additional fragmentation that could affect plant reproduction](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16913941/). Fracking can also introduce and encourage the [spread of invasive species](https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/shale-gas-development-promote… spread-of-invasive-plant-species/article/498352) via the gravel delivered to build pads and roads, and in mud on the tires and undercarriages of trucks traveling those roads. Traffic in the region will increase tremendously, becoming a maintenance burden on roads, and also a hazard to local citizens and visitors. [Each well drilled requires approximately 592 one-way trips](https://studylib.net/doc/7349071/known-and-potential-impacts), with a truck that carries between 80-100,000 lbs. The traffic from the development of one well is equivalent to 3.4 million car trips. **The process of high-pressure hydraulic fracking necessitates the use of 4-6 million gallons of water per well. This surface water will no doubt be withdrawn from the local streams, resulting in harm to aquatic organisms.[Fracking fluids contain chemical additives, e.g. friction reducers, biocides and surfactants, many of which are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.](https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1409535) Very little is known about the potential effects of the chemicals, metals, organics or other contaminants once they enter terrestrial or aquatic food webs.** **Climate change, the elephant in the room, is being exacerbated by our reliance on fossil fuels.** [Fracking operations release fugitive methane emissions and are much higher than the industry reports. Methane gas is about 86 times as potent as carbon dioxide in magnifying heat related to climate change.](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/fracking-bo… tied-to-methane-spike-in-earths-atmosphere) The aesthetic beauty as well as biodiversity of the forest will be impacted by allowing fossil fuel companies to frack the landscape. Once again, Ohio’s politicians place the interests of the oil and gas industry ahead of Ohio’s citizens. In a word, “fracking”! >>> Randi Pokladnik is a Scientist residing at Tappan Lake, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. She was born and raised in Ohio. She earned an associate degree in Environmental Engineering, a BA in Chemistry, MA and PhD in Environmental Studies. She is certified in hazardous materials regulations and holds a teaching license in science and math. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/06/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-f/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now E!
by Frack Check WV: admin 05 Jan '23

05 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now E!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/05/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-e/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/BF8873F0-D479-44FD- BEC8-655D8FF442E3.jpeg)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/BF8873F0-D479-44FD-BEC8-655D8FF442E3.jpeg) Since 2016, the U. S. has added over 35,000 MW of off-shore wind turbine capacity **Electrify Everything ~ Let’s try again, this time with feeling** . [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 **BIWF2 is a wind turbine that sticks up out of the Atlantic Ocean** , about fifteen miles off the coast of Rhode Island. **It’s six hundred feet tall, which is higher than the Washington Monument, and its blades are more than two hundred feet long.** I’m on a boat designed to transport crews to offshore wind farms. The captain maneuvers right up to the metal stanchions that hold the turbine in place, so the blades are rotating directly overhead. They make a fantastic whooshing sound that builds and fades, builds and fades. The effect is at once thrilling and terrifying, as if some gigantic bird were trying to land on the deck. “Ah,” everyone on board exclaims as another blade descends. **BIWF2 has one neighbor half a nautical mile to the north and three more neighbors to the south. Together the turbines make up Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind operation. A dozen more wind projects are currently planned off the East Coast, from Massachusetts to North Carolina.** The turbines that will be erected in these projects will make BIWF2 look puny. Staring up at the blades, I am looking into the future — or at least a future —and it’s inspiring. BIWF2 is a symbol of what can be accomplished when people put their minds to it. In 1992, the year of the Earth Summit, the world had exactly one offshore wind farm, called Vindeby. Situated off the Danish island of Lolland, it consisted of eleven turbines, which, collectively, produced less power than BIWF2 does today. Now there are scores of offshore farms, most of them in European and Chinese waters. The largest, known as Hornsea 2, is in the North Sea, off the English coast; it comprises a hundred and sixty-five turbines, each so massive that a single sweep of its blades can power a household for a day. Block Island Wind Farm and Hornsea 2 are owned by the same company, which used to be known as Danish Oil and Natural Gas, or dong, but recently— and for obvious reasons — changed its name, to Ørsted. (It also owned Vindeby, which was decommissioned in 2017.) **As more turbines have gone up, costs have plunged; just in the past decade, the price of offshore wind energy has declined by half.** **Onshore wind has grown even faster, and its cost, too, has plummeted. In many parts of the world, it’s now cheaper to put up turbines than it is to operate an existing power plant that burns natural gas. In places with a lot of wind, such as Denmark, Ireland, and western Oklahoma, there’s sometimes so much power pouring into the grid that producers have to pay to get rid of it.** **The price of solar power, meanwhile, has declined even more spectacularly. Since 2010, it’s dropped by more than eighty per cent. According to the International Energy Agency, solar power now offers “some of the lowest-cost electricity ever seen.”** The rapidly falling price of renewables makes it possible to imagine a not too distant future in which the U.S., indeed the world, generates all its electricity emissions-free. Already there are brief periods — on the order of minutes —when California can produce enough electricity from renewables to meet its demand. In Denmark, this happens for entire windy days. (It occurred two days in a row this past May.) **And, once it’s possible to imagine a carbon-free grid, all sorts of other opportunities open up. Substitute electric motors for internal-combustion engines and cars, too, can run emissions-free. The same goes for trucks and buses, ferries and forklifts. Plug them in! Tear out boilers and replace them with heat pumps! Swap gas ranges for induction stoves! Electrify as much as possible. _Ideally, electrify everything._** e! URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/05/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-e/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now D!
by Frack Check WV: admin 04 Jan '23

04 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now D!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/04/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/716EB733-FCE2-4469-B45F-1DB2672F48BB.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/716EB733-FCE2-4469-B45F-1DB2672F48BB.jpeg) Polar vortex brings despair to most of the continental United States **“D” for Despair ~ The Climate Change “Despair” in Winter Storm Elliott** Technical Article by Randi Pokladnik, Submitted January 1, 2023 **Some will use the recent cold weather event to claim climate change is not real and the planet isn’t warming. But, when one looks at the actual science behind these “Arctic bomb cyclones” and the record-breaking Winter Storm Elliott, it is obvious that climate change has played a significant role.** This Christmas 2022, many of us might have felt like we were enacting the 2004 movie “ **The Day After Tomorrow** ”. The movie is loosely based on a theory called “ **abrupt climate change** ”. [The ocean’s thermohaline conveyor normally circulates ocean water around the planet.](https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA469325.pdf) Cold, salty ocean water sinks and pulls warmer fresh surface water in to replace the sinking water. This sets up a deep-sea current that circulates water round the planet. If the belt shuts down, the northern hemisphere abruptly cools while the southern hemisphere warms. [Paleoclimate records from Greenland ice cores show that the conveyor belt shut down near the end of the last ice age.](https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/207427) The ocean circulation stops when higher water temperatures and the addition of more freshwater cause the salinity and density of seawater to drop. A warming planet and melting freshwater could trigger another shut-down of the belt, throwing North America and Europe into frigid cold temperatures for hundreds of years. While most scientists agree that what happened in the movie (overnight change) will never occur, USA citizens witnessed some dramatic weather changes in matter of hours. Denver, Colorado experienced a temperature drop of 70 degrees in an 18-hour period. Winter Storm Elliott affected over two-thirds of our population and almost every state except the South Western area. There were record setting winds and cold temperatures in our region, blizzard conditions in the plain states and feet of snow in the New England area; even Florida broke some records for cold temperatures. Meteorologists say this storm will be a once in a generation storm. **So what caused Winter Storm Elliott?** The [northern polar vortex](https://www.ecowatch.com/polar-vortex-explained-2650399482.html) played a major role in the crushing cold that blanketed the North American continent. There are two polar vortices on our planet, one which spins around the North Pole and the other spins around the South Pole. [We are dealing with the northern vortex which was first described in an article published in 1853.](https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Living_Age.html?hl=de&id=Df… Normally, low-pressure cold air circulates counterclockwise and inward towards the North Pole. The polar jet stream (high-altitude high-speed wind currents) helps hold the vortex in place, much like an old-fashioned girdle held our bulges in place. However, a weakened polar jet stream causes tiny breaks in the “girdle” and allows the cold vortex to seep out of its circular orbit dipping southward. It is like someone opening the refrigerator door and the cold air seeps through your house. [It is thought that climate change is causing a destabilization of the polar jet stream](https://www.ecowatch.com/winter-storm-elliott-climate- crisis.html). Scientists say that the Arctic region is warming faster than any other area on the globe, on average four times faster in the past forty years. As the polar air warms, the temperature differences between that air and mid- latitude air lessens. This causes a “wobble” in the jet stream, or weakening of the “girdle”, allowing the cold air to advance south. **This year’s[2022 Arctic Report Card](https://www.noaa.gov/news- release/human-caused-climate-change-fuels-warmer-wetter-stormier-arctic), authored by 147 experts from 11 nations, tells the disturbing story of the effects of climate change on the Arctic. Some of the changes include: shrinking sea ice, warming atmospheric temperatures, and shorter periods of snow cover. These could all play a role in more frequent polar air intrusions into our region.** So far at least fifty deaths have been attributed to the storm, with at least twenty-seven in New York State. More than 8,305 flights were cancelled and millions of people spent Christmas day without power. The economic impact “will likely be in the billions.” Scientists have been warning us that the time frame for mitigating climate change is quickly closing. [The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in their 2022 report](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/), “The dangers of climate change are mounting so rapidly that they could soon overwhelm the ability of both nature and humanity to adapt, creating a harrowing future in which floods, fires and famine displace millions, species disappear and the planet is irreversibly damaged.” **Winter Storm Elliott proved to be an example of how we humans cannot successfully adapt to abrupt changes in our weather, even though we have access to advance technology. As climate changes occur more often and at a faster rate, we find that adapting to these changes will become that much harder and more expensive. Even more alarming is the fact that many of the species we share the planet with will not be able to adapt but will instead succumb to extinction.** >>> Randi Pokladnik is a Scientist residing at Tappan Lake, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. She was born and raised in Ohio. She earned an associate degree in Environmental Engineering, a BA in Chemistry, MA and PhD in Environmental Studies. She is certified in hazardous materials regulations and holds a teaching license in science and math. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/04/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-d/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now C!
by Frack Check WV: admin 03 Jan '23

03 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now C!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/03/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-c/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/A7D64FD5-0896-406D-9BF5-02AA417F9248.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/A7D64FD5-0896-406D-9BF5-02AA417F9248.jpeg) Rational analysis favors a “carbon tax” called a “dividend” **“C” for Capitalism & Climate Change** [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 **What’s the matter here? Why has so little progress been made on climate change, even as the dangers have become ever more apparent?** According to one school of thought, the problem has to do with incentives. There’s a great deal of money to be made selling fossil fuels — just in the first quarter of 2022, twenty-five of the world’s largest oil-and-gas producers announced profits of close to a hundred billion dollars — and still more money to be made by burning fossil fuels to make stuff to sell, from sunglasses to steel girders. **Meanwhile, the costs of climate change can be fobbed off on someone else. To use the technical term, they are a “negative externality.” In the words of the Stern Review, a report commissioned by the British government in 2005, climate change “is the greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen.”** **By this account, the obvious solution is to realign the incentives — to internalize the externalities. If the cost of the damage caused by a ton of CO2 was borne by the business (or individual) responsible for emitting that ton, then the business (or individual) would be motivated to cut back.** **“A carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary,” a 2019 statement signed by thirty-five hundred economists, including twenty-eight Nobel Prize winners, declared. Such a tax would move “the invisible hand of the marketplace to steer economic actors towards a low-carbon future.”** **According to a second school of thought, the trouble runs a whole lot deeper. Our political system is dominated by corporate money in general and fossil-fuel money in particular.** (Last year, the oil-and-gas industry reportedly spent a hundred and twenty million dollars lobbying Washington, and it probably spent a great deal more via front groups.) **It’s therefore naïve to imagine that policies that cut into fossil-fuel profits will be enacted. And even if they were, they wouldn’t solve the essential problem, which is that the “invisible hand” always grasps for more.** If it’s not more oil, it will be more lithium to build batteries, and if it’s not more lithium it will be more cobalt, mined from the bottom of the sea. **“When it comes to global warming, we know that the real problem is not just fossil fuels — it is the logic of endless growth that is built into our economic system,” Jason Hickel, an economic anthropologist at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, has written.** **[Climate change can’t be dealt with using the tools of capitalism](https://youtu.be/Jdaxehd0cF0), because it is a product of capitalism. It can be dealt with only by throwing off capitalism in favor of something else — a system aimed not at growth but at “degrowth.”** “The difficult truth is that, to prevent climate and ecological catastrophe, we need to level down” is how the British environmental writer George Monbiot recently put it. **A third line of thought — perhaps too bleak and unpopular to be called a school — is that, if big change is hard, bigger change is even harder. How are we going to build a whole new economic system if we can’t even enact a carbon tax?** #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See Also:** [Naomi Klein - This Changes Everything](https://youtu.be/Jdaxehd0cF0), Bioneers, November 5, 2014 Climate change as more than an “issue.” It’s a civilizational wake-up call delivered in the language of fires, floods, storms and droughts. It demands that we challenge the dominant economic policies of deregulated capitalism and endless resource extraction. Climate change is also the most powerful weapon in the fight for equality and social justice, and real solutions are emerging from the rubble of our failing systems. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/03/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-c/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now B!
by Frack Check WV: admin 02 Jan '23

02 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails (A to Z): Now B!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/02/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-b/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/01/C89CC715-C6AF-4B3B-A498-37780F390D56.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/01/C89CC715-C6AF-4B3B-A498-37780F390D56.jpeg) Greta Thunberg brings much needed logic and truth to bear overall! **Greta Thunberg Says Most Climate Talk is “Blah, Blah, Blah”** [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 **On September 28, 2021, at the Youth4Climate conference, held in Milan, Greta Thunberg took the stage. Sitting near her was the city’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, wearing a mask. Thunberg, who is five feet tall, could barely be seen over the lectern. She had removed her mask and was smiling.** **“Climate change is not only a threat, it is above all an opportunity to create a healthier, greener, and cleaner planet which will bene!t all of us,” she began. “We must seize this opportunity—we can achieve a win-win in both ecological conservation and high-quality development. . . . We need to walk the talk; if we do this together, we can do this. “When I say ‘climate change,’ what do you think of ?” she went on. “I think of jobs — green jobs.” This received a round of applause. “We must find a smooth transition towards a low-carbon economy,” Thunberg said. “There is no Planet B. There is no Planet Blah—blah, blah, blah; blah, blah, blah.” Her listeners, including Sala, started to realize that they’d been had. The applause died down. “Build Back Better—blah, blah, blah,” Thunberg continued. “Green economy—blah, blah, blah. “Net zero by 2050—blah, blah, blah. “Net zero—blah, blah, blah. “Climate neutral—blah, blah, blah.** **“This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: words — words that sound great, but so far have led to no action,” Thunberg said. “Of course we need constructive dialogue, but they’ve now had thirty years of blah, blah, blah, and where has that led us?”** **Five countries are responsible for over half of all historical CO2 emissions, namely United States, China, Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom. About a hundred and ninety countries are responsible for the other half.** **It was thirty years ago that the world’s “so-called leaders” gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the so-called Earth Summit.** Everyone agreed that radical change was needed. To avert disaster, global CO2 emissions, which were then running at around twenty-two billion metric tons a year, would have to be reduced, eventually almost to zero. How this would happen, no one really knew. **Still, the goal of preventing “dangerous” warming was enshrined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which President George H. W. Bush cheerfully signed.** “Some find the challenges ahead overwhelming,” Bush said. “I believe that their pessimism is unfounded.” **A follow-up “conference of the parties,” or COP, took place in Kyoto in 1997.** By then, annual global emissions had risen to twenty-four billion tons. After much back-and-forth, it was agreed that something had to be done. **This Kyoto Protocol, an addendum to the Framework Convention, laid out specific emissions-reduction targets for countries to meet.** **“I am both determined and optimistic that we can succeed,” Vice President Al Gore told the diplomats gathered in Japan.** **After Kyoto, global emissions kept on rising, only faster. By 2009, they’d climbed to thirty-two billion tons a year. That fall, President Barack Obama "flew to Copenhagen for yet another conference of the parties — COP-15. “I believe that we can act boldly, and decisively, in the face of this common threat,” he declared.** **By 2015, emissions had increased to thirty-five billion tons a year. At that year’s COP No. 21 — held in Paris, it was decided that, at last, really and truly, it was time to get serious.** “The decisions you make here will reverberate down through the ages,” the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, told the delegates. Nevertheless, emissions continued to rise. **In the past thirty years, humans have added as much CO2 to the atmosphere as they did in the previous thirty thousand.** **At some point during all the “blah, blah, blah”-ing — it’s hard to say when, exactly — climate change ceased to be a prospective problem and became a clear and present one. Since Rio, the Arctic ice cap has shrunk by two-fifths. Greenland has shed some four trillion metric tons of ice, and mountain glaciers have lost six trillion tons. Heat waves are now hotter, droughts deeper, and storms more intense. In some parts of the world, the wildfire season never ends.** **One conclusion to draw from this pattern is that the world isn’t going to avoid “dangerous” warming. Global leaders will continue to gather at COPs — this year’s, in Sharm el-Sheikh, just concluded — and to speak loftily about “net zero” and “a low-carbon economy.” But nothing will change, and, as a result, everything will change. There will be large-scale crop failures. The Greenland ice sheet will start to collapse — it may already be collapsing — and, owing to sea-level rise in some places and desertifcation in others, large swaths of the globe will become uninhabitable.** **This conclusion is not, however, the one that Thunberg chose to draw when she spoke at the Youth4Climate conference. “Right now we are still very much speeding in the wrong direction,” she told the crowd in Milan. “But, of course, we can still turn this around — it is entirely possible.** **“The leaders like to say, ‘We can do this,’ ” Greta went on. “They obviously don’t mean it, but we do — we can do this. I’m absolutely convinced that we can.” Or, as Thunberg herself might put it, Blah, blah, blah.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/02/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-a-to-z-now-b/>

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Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails … A to Z!
by Frack Check WV: admin 01 Jan '23

01 Jan '23

# [Climate Change Resists Narrative, Yet the Alphabet Prevails … A to Z!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/01/climate-change-resists-narrativ… yet-the-alphabet-prevails-%e2%80%a6-a-to-z/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/2E3D52ED-741D-4A83-BAF5-6BB5D2B0F075.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/2E3D52ED-741D-4A83-BAF5-6BB5D2B0F075.jpeg) Svante August Arrhenius, Swedish (1859 – 1927), foresaw climate change. **“A is for Arrhenius”** . [Article by Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Magazine](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/elizabeth-kolbert), November 28, 2022 Svante Arrhenius was, by nature, an optimist. He believed that science should — and could — be accessible to all. In 1891, he got his !rst teaching job, at an experimental university in Stockholm called the Högskola. That same year, he founded the Stockholm Physics Society, which met every other Saturday evening. For a fee of one Swedish crown, anyone could join. Among the society’s earliest members was a Högskola student named Sofia Rudbeck, who was described by a contemporary as both “an excellent chemist” and “a ravishing beauty.” Arrhenius began writing her poetry, and soon the two wed. Physics Society meetings consisted of lectures on the latest scientific developments, many delivered by Arrhenius himself, followed by discussions that often lasted well into the night. The topics ranged widely, from aeronautics to volcanology. The society devoted several sessions to considering the instruments that would be needed by Salomon August Andrée, another early member of the group, who had decided to try to reach the North Pole via balloon. (Whatever the quality of his instruments, Andrée’s voyage would result in his death and the death of his two companions.) A question that particularly interested the Physics Society was the origin of the ice ages. All over Sweden lay signs of the glaciers that had, for vast stretches of time, buried the country: rocks with parallel scrapings; strange, sinuous piles of gravel; huge boulders that had been transported far from their source. But what had caused the great ice sheets to descend, carrying all before them? And then what had caused them to retreat, allowing the rivers to "ow once again and the forests to return? In 1893, the society debated various theories that had been proposed, including one linking the ice ages to slight variations in the Earth’s orbit. The following year, Arrhenius came up with a different—and, he thought, better—idea: carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide, he knew, had curious heat-trapping properties. In the atmosphere, it allowed visible light to pass through, but it absorbed the longer-wave radiation that the Earth was constantly emitting to space. What if, Arrhenius speculated, the amount of CO2 in the air had varied? Could that explain the glaciers’ ebb and flow? The math involved in testing this theory went far beyond what was possible at the time. Arrhenius didn’t have a calculator, let alone a computer. He lacked crucial information about which wavelengths, exactly, CO2 absorbs. The climate system, meanwhile, is immensely complicated, with feedback loops nestled within feedback loops. Arrhenius, who would later win a Nobel Prize for an unrelated discovery, plunged ahead anyway. On Christmas Eve, 1894, he began constructing a climate model — the world’s first. He assembled temperature data from around the globe and made ingenious use of a set of measurements that had been taken a decade earlier by an American astronomer, Samuel Pierpont Langley. (Langley had invented a device — a bolometer — for gauging infrared radiation, and had used it to determine the temperature of the moon.) Arrhenius performed thousands of computations —perhaps tens of thousands — and often labored over this task for fourteen hours a day. He was still calculating away as his marriage fell apart. In September of 1895, Rudbeck moved out. In November, without having seen Arrhenius again, she gave birth to their son. The following month, Arrhenius finished his work. “I should certainly not have undertaken these tedious calculations if an extraordinary interest had not been connected with them,” he wrote. Arrhenius believed that he had unravelled the mystery of the ice ages, a riddle that had “hitherto proved most difficult to interpret.” He was at least partly right: ice ages are the product of a complex interplay of forces, including wobbles in the Earth’s orbit and changes in atmospheric CO2. His model turned out to have another use as well. All across Europe and North America, coal was being shovelled into furnaces that were bellowing out carbon dioxide. By thickening the atmospheric blanket that warmed the Earth, humans must, Arrhenius reasoned, be altering the climate. He calculated that, if the amount of carbon dioxide in the air were to double, then global temperatures would rise between three and four degrees Celsius. A few quadrillion computations later, vastly more advanced climate models predict that doubling CO2 will push temperatures up between 2.5 and four degrees Celsius, meaning that Arrhenius’s pen-and-paper estimate was, to an uncanny degree, on target. Arrhenius thought that the future he had conjured would be delightful. “Our descendants,” he predicted, would live happier lives “under a warmer sky.” The prospect was, in any event, distant; doubling atmospheric CO2 would, he reckoned, take humanity three thousand years. It’s easy now to poke fun at Arrhenius for his sunniness. The doubling threshold could be reached within decades, and the results are apt to be disastrous. But who among us is any different? Here we all are, watching things fall apart. And yet, deep down, we don’t believe it. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/01/01/climate-change-resists- narrative-yet-the-alphabet-prevails-%e2%80%a6-a-to-z/>

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Lanzarote Declaration, MICRO 2022 ~ UNITED NATIONS Treaty on Plastic Pollution
by Frack Check WV: admin 31 Dec '22

31 Dec '22

# [Lanzarote Declaration, MICRO 2022 ~ UNITED NATIONS Treaty on Plastic Pollution](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/31/lanzarote-declaration- micro-2022-united-nations-treaty-on-plastic-pollution/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/470999FE-F077-431F-8024-9D55AA66100D-300x204.png)](… content/uploads/2022/12/470999FE-F077-431F-8024-9D55AA66100D.png) Intense study and planning underway for UN treaty on plastic pollution **Welcome to MICRO 2022** >>> [Organized & Presented by UNESCO](https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/), November 18, 2022 **We are deeply thankful to All MICRO 2022 Speakers, Chairpersons and All Participants, for the intense week we spent, rooted in an Open Science context, Under the Patronage of the the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, sharing the evolving research on plastic pollution from macro to nano, with a core focus on microplastics.** You can find the [Full Programme HERE.](https://www.micro.infini.fr/prog.html) This year, 40 Local Nodes hosted the Chairpersons facilitating an intense week of 500 online presentations, and Friday Nov. 18th’s collective effort to synthesize these intense days into the [Lanzarote Declaration, MICRO 2022 for the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution.](https://zenodo.org/record/7359316) **Focusing on what We, the MICRO community, think is important for the UN Plastics Treaty, and where We want the research to go from here, this is Our collective effort for the UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution.** Nice to see the [2022 Lanzarote Declaration](https://zenodo.org/record/7359316) begin to circulate, while we start preparing the way towards the in-person **MICRO 2024 : Human edition**. _Very best wishes from Lanzarote, >>> MICRO 2022 Scientific and Organizing Committee_. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/31/lanzarote-declaration- micro-2022-united-nations-treaty-on-plastic-pollution/>

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Nordstream 2 Operator Approaches Bankruptcy for Third Time in Germany
by Frack Check WV: admin 30 Dec '22

30 Dec '22

# [Nordstream 2 Operator Approaches Bankruptcy for Third Time in Germany](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/30/nordstream-2-operator- approaches-bankruptcy-for-third-time-in-germany/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/8416517C-22AC-4D28-8831-78F7048CB1002-289x300.png)]… content/uploads/2022/12/8416517C-22AC-4D28-8831-78F7048CB1002.png) After these pipelines were shutdown, three deliberate explosions occurred **Nord Stream 2 Construction Company Approaches Bankruptcy For A Third Time** From an Article by Irina Slav, Oilprice.com, December 29, 2022 The company responsible for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline received a six-month stay of bankruptcy, shielding it from creditors, the AP reported, noting the stay will last from January 2023 to June the same year. The gas pipeline, which doubled the capacity of its twin pipeline Nord Stream 1 to 110 billion cubic meters, was among the first targets of sanction action from Europe against Russia, even before its invasion of Ukraine. Two days before Russian troops entered eastern Ukraine, Germany’s government said it would not certify Nord Stream 2, meaning the billion-dollar piece of infrastructure could not be put into operation. The announcement came following Moscow’s official recognition of two eastern Ukrainian regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent. The United States also imposed sanctions on Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 AG, a day before the invasion began. Soon after, reports emerged that the company was considering filing for insolvency after it let all its employees go following the sanctions announced by Washington. A bankruptcy procedure eventually began but was suspended by a court in Zug, Switzerland, where the company is registered. The first loan repayment moratorium was granted for the period until September 2022, which was then extended until January 2023, Russia’s TASS reported in early September. This is the third, and longest, extension that Nord Stream 2 AG has received from the Swiss court to protect it from its creditors. The same-name pipeline, meanwhile, suffered damage in an act of sabotage on the twin pipelines last summer, which put an end to all gas deliveries via the Nord Stream system. According to Gazprom, damage on the Nord Stream 2 is smaller than on its sister pipeline and it can be repaired. The investigation of the blasts failed to name the perpetrator of the sabotage. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **SEE ALSO:** [Sweden finds explosive traces at Nord Stream blast sites, confirms sabotage](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/11/18/nord- stream-sweden-explosives-sabotage/), Emily Rauhala and Ellen Francis, Washington Post, November 18, 2022 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/30/nordstream-2-operator- approaches-bankruptcy-for-third-time-in-germany/>

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GEO~ENGINEERING: The Earth Does Her Own Natural Engineering!
by Frack Check WV: admin 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

# [GEO~ENGINEERING: The Earth Does Her Own Natural Engineering!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/29/geoengineering-the- earth-does-her-own-natural-engineering/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/EBB1972F-4D97-4E4D-8C18-C0F75947A73E.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/EBB1972F-4D97-4E4D-8C18-C0F75947A73E.jpeg) Geoengineering creates a false sense mankind can manipulate nature **Can Geoengineering Fix the Climate? ~ Hundreds of scientists say not so fast!** From an [Article by Oliver Milman, The UK Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/25/can- controversial-geoengineering-fix-climate-crisis), December 25, 2022 **Proposed geoengineering methods include pumping salt water into clouds to make them more reflective of sunlight, or to place ice particles in clouds to stop them from trapping heat.** As global heating escalates, the US government has set out a plan to further study the controversial and seemingly sci-fi notion of deflecting the sun’s rays before they hit Earth. But a growing group of scientists denounces any steps towards what is known as solar geoengineering. The Biden administration is developing a controversial solar geoengineering research plan to the dismay of many experts. **The White House has set into motion a five-year outline for research into “climate interventions”. Those include methods such as sending a phalanx of planes to spray reflective particles into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, in order to block incoming sunlight from adding to rising temperatures.** **The work is required by Congress. It is “not new research, but a report that highlights some of the key knowledge gaps and recommendations of priority topics for relevant research”, said a spokesperson for the White House’s office of science and technology policy, adding Joe Biden’s administration wants “effective and responsible CO2 removal” as well as deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.** Several American researchers, somewhat reluctantly, want to explore options to tinker with the climate system to help restrain runaway global heating, even as they acknowledge many of the knock-on risks aren’t fully known. “Until recently, I thought it was too risky, but slow progress on cutting emissions has increased motivation to understand techniques at the margins like solar geoengineering,” said Chris Field, who chaired a National Academies of Sciences report last year that recommended at least $100m being spent researching the issue. “I don’t think we should deploy it yet and there are still a ton of concerns, but we need to better understand it,” Field said. “Climate change is causing widespread impacts, it’s costing lives and wrecking economies. We are in a tough position; we are running out of time, so it’s important we know more.” **Previous attempts at running experiments for what is known as solar radiation management (SRM) have faced staunch opposition. Last year, an exploratory flight in Sweden of a high-altitude SRM balloon, led by Harvard University researchers, was halted after objections by environmentalists and Indigenous leaders.** **But at least one US startup is now hoping to leap ahead with solar geoengineering. Make Sunsets, backed by two venture capital funds, launched in October. It claims to have already run two internal test flights for its plan to inject sulphur via balloons into the stratosphere, more than 20km above the Earth’s surface.** The venture, named after the deep red sunsets that would occur if particles were seeded into the stratosphere, says its “shiny clouds” will “prevent catastrophic global warming” and help save millions of lives. “Any human- caused release of carbon dioxide is geoengineering,” it argues on its website, which asks people to buy “cooling credits” to fund its work. “We screwed up the atmosphere, and now we have a moral obligation to fix things!” **Edward Parson, an expert in environmental law at University of California, Los Angeles, says Make Sunsets’ claims that it could return the world to its pre-industrial temperature for just $50bn a year are “absurd”. He explains that most researchers are wary of deploying what they consider to be a desperate, last-ditch option.** But Parson says the risks in researching solar geoengineering have been overblown and that the US “is probably the bold leader on this. It would be a big step forward if we have a research program.” “In my opinion, the probability that a nation makes a serious effort on solar geoengineering over the next 30 years is about 90%,” he adds. “As impacts get much worse and if mitigation doesn’t massively increase, I judge it quite likely that some major nation considers its citizens are suffering climate harms that are intolerable.” This prospect horrifies opponents of solar geoengineering. An open letter signed by more than 380 scientists demands a global non-use agreement for SRM; it also says that growing calls for research in this area are a “cause for alarm”, due to an unknown set of ramifications that will have varying consequences in different parts of the world and could scramble “weather patterns, agriculture and the provision of basic needs of food and water”. Frank Biermann, an expert in global governance at Utrecht University, said he’s also disturbed that solar geoengineering will create a sort of moral hazard where governments ease off efforts to cut emissions and fossil fuel companies use it as cover to continue business as usual. Planet-heating emissions are expected to hit a record high this year, even though they must halve this decade if the world is to avoid dangerous levels of global heating. This debate threatens to derail current climate policies. It’s a huge risk. “I would say the majority of scientists believe this is a crazy idea for a variety of reasons,” said Biermann, who thinks the US is an outlier because of its own large per-capita emissions and inconsistent adherence to global agreements. “Soon, everyone who is dependent on coal, oil and gas will jump on the solar engineering bandwagon and say, ‘we can continue for 40 years with fossil fuels’ now. This debate threatens to derail current climate policies. It’s a huge risk.” Biermann likens research on blocking sunlight to the satirical movie Don’t Look Up, in which researchers who warn of a catastrophic incoming meteoroid are sidelined in favor of an outlandish plan to deal with it. “The only way to find out whether this works is to do it to the whole planet for several years,” he said. “I mean will 8 billion people sit there in our living rooms having our last meal waiting and hoping that elite western universities got it right, that the Americans will not mess it up?” There isn’t any international governance around solar geoengineering for now. Critics fret that unilateral action to alter the climate could spark conflict if one part of the world benefits, while another suffers knock-on droughts or floods. Also, the addition of aerosols would have to be continuous to maintain the cooling – any disruption, either intentional or otherwise, would cause a sort of “termination shock”, where bottled up warming would be unleashed in a disastrously rapid jolt. “Termination shock terrifies me,” said Lili Fuhr, a climate and energy expert at the Center for International Environmental Law. “This is just a gigantic gamble with the systems that sustain life on Earth. It could be weaponized, it could be misused – imagine if, say, India and Pakistan disagreed over one of them doing this. “We need to do more than just emissions cuts and I wish we had a magical fix to this, but this doesn’t turn bad ideas into good ones,” Fuhr adds. The idea of recalibrating the world’s climate to deal with heat-trapping emissions isn’t new. A group of scientific advisers to Lyndon Johnson cautioned the US president about global heating in 1965, musing that “deliberately bringing about countervailing climatic changes therefore need to be thoroughly explored”. Calls for intervention have grown in recent years as countries continue to dawdle over emissions cuts and as an internationally agreed limit of 1.5C of global heating over pre-industrial times looms into view. There are several types of proposed geoengineering, such as pumping a mist of salt water into clouds to make them more reflective of sunlight, or to place ice particles in high-altitude clouds to stop them trapping so much of the heat that bounces off Earth. The most high-profile method, though, is firing a reflective substance such as sulphur or chalk dust from nozzles into the stratosphere, where the particles would then circulate around the world and start deflecting the sun’s rays. David Keith, professor of applied physics and of public policy at Harvard, estimates that around 2m tons of sulphur a year, injected via a fleet of about 100 high-flying aircraft, would cool the planet by around 1C, around the amount it has heated up since the Industrial Revolution. All of this would cost several billion dollars a year according to an estimate, and provide a relatively quick drop in temperatures. Keith argues it is more compelling than various carbon capture technologies that can take a long time and involve complex, expensive infrastructure. “Pretending that climate change can be solved with emissions cuts alone is a dangerous fantasy,” Keith has stated. The basic physics of doing this is well understood, Parson said, likening it to the huge eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, an event that expelled nearly 20m tons of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere and caused global temperatures to drop temporarily by about 0.5C. “Most people didn’t notice that and there have been studies since that give us confidence it can be done,” said Parson. “We don’t know how it should be done, yet, and the environmental aspects and the governance remain concerns. It would be reckless to just start deploying this now but we have lost so many easy paths to limit the harms of climate change that we only face worse options.” Spraying sulphur into the skylight of the Earth could deplete the ozone layer, some have suggested, and perhaps make the sky a milky white color. Other effects on regional weather are more uncertain, to the extent one recent novel based on the topic, The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, depicted India embarking upon solar geoengineering to save itself from deadly heatwaves while another, Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson, conversely had India sabotaging a sulphur deployment system in Texas because it interfered with its monsoon. **The debate over how much we should meddle with the climate is likely to intensify as the fallout from global heating worsens. For now, opponents won’t back down. To Biermann, solar geoengineering should be considered by governments as being akin to landmines or biological weapons and blacklisted internationally.** “This is just another one on this list,” he said. “People talk about the freedom of research, but you don’t have the freedom to sit in your back yard and develop a chemical bomb.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/29/geoengineering-the-earth-does- her-own-natural-engineering/>

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West Va. Center on Budget & Policy ~ 10th ANNUAL BUDGET BREAKFAST (1/20/23)
by Frack Check WV: admin 28 Dec '22

28 Dec '22

# [West Va. Center on Budget & Policy ~ 10th ANNUAL BUDGET BREAKFAST (1/20/23)](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/28/west-va-center-on-budget- policy-10th-annual-budget-breakfast-12023/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/8A4B2CD5-95C7-4E67-8199-F11685F039FA-214x300.png)](… content/uploads/2022/12/8A4B2CD5-95C7-4E67-8199-F11685F039FA.png) Open budgeting and open spending are realistic goals … **Join the WVCBP at Our 10th Annual Budget Breakfast!** As the 2023 legislative session approaches, the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy staff would like to invite you to join us at our [10th annual Budget Breakfast,](https://wvpolicy.org/2023-budget-breakfast/) taking place on January 20, 2023. Each year, the WVCBP holds this event to provide analysis of the Governor's proposed budget. You'll hear from our executive director, Kelly Allen, our senior policy analyst, Sean O'Leary, and [our chosen keynote speaker](https://www.cbpp.org/about/our-staff/michael-leachman). **Please find further event details below.** [You can register for the event here.](http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ejfr1u… **WHAT: WVCBP 's 10th Annual Budget Breakfast** **WHEN: January 20, 2023.** Breakfast will be available starting at 7:30am. The WVCBP’s analysis of the Governor’s 2024 proposed budget will begin at 8am, followed by keynote speaker presentation and time for Q&A. **WHERE: Charleston Marriott Town Center** (200 Lee Street East, Charleston, WV 25301) **WHO** : · Kelly Allen, WVCBP executive director · Sean O'Leary, WVCBP senior policy analyst · Keynote Speaker: Michael Leachman, Vice President for State Fiscal Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities **PLEASE NOTE:** The cost of a single standard ticket is $50, but if you take advantage of our Early Bird Special (available to all who register by 12/31/22), you will receive $10 off. We appreciate your ongoing support of the WVCBP and we hope you can join us at this upcoming event! #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **SEE ALSO:** [Are tax cuts coming as West Virginia’s budget surplus grows?](https://www.wboy.com/news/west-virginia/are-tax-cuts-coming-as-west- virginias-budget-surplus-grows/) ~ Mark Curtis, WBOY News 12, December 6, 2022 CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — West Virginia continues to see record budget surpluses. The question now is how should that money be spent or returned. This is a big change from six and seven years ago when West Virginia’s budget deficits were about $500 million. So far this fiscal year, West Virginia has collected a record-high of $453 million in coal and natural gas severance taxes. At the same time, personal income tax collections from all workers are up 15% over last year and consumer sales taxes from people buying things are up $86 million over last year. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/28/west-va-center-on-budget- policy-10th-annual-budget-breakfast-12023/>

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Significant EARTHQUAKE Shakes Oil & Gas Region of Texas AGAIN
by Frack Check WV: admin 27 Dec '22

27 Dec '22

# [Significant EARTHQUAKE Shakes Oil & Gas Region of Texas AGAIN](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/27/significant-earthquake-shake… oil-gas-region-of-texas-again/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/853C9D1F-00C8-44DD-9182-4043FAFD75A6.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/853C9D1F-00C8-44DD-9182-4043FAFD75A6.jpeg) The leading explanation involves the high pressure injection of residual brines from fracking operations **Magnitude 5.4 earthquake latest in a series of seismic events to shake Texas** From an [Article by Andrew Wulfeck, New York Post](https://nypost.com/2022/12/24/magnitude-5-4-earthquake-latest-in-a- series-of-seismic-events-to-shake-texas/), 12/24/22 Nearly a month after a magnitude-5.4 earthquake rocked parts of the Lone Star State, residents were again caught off guard Friday evening by another magnitude-5.5 quake centered near the town of Midland. The United States Geological Survey reported the quake took place about 3 miles under the rural Texas terrain, but the shaking was reported over a wide area that stretched from New Mexico through the heart of Texas. Seismologists said small earthquakes are not uncommon in Texas, but larger events are rare. Many of the quakes are linked to oil fracking and the reinjection of fluids underground. “The area is known for oil and gas production, so that will research. We’re sure people are going to be looking at the number of wastewater injection sites in the region,” a USGS seismologist said. November’s 5.4-magnitude, which occurred about 100 miles away from the epicenter of Friday’s quake, caused the state’s oil and gas regulators to propose tougher temporary restrictions on oil and gas production to help limit seismic activity. Seismologists said it was still too early to determine whether the most recent quake is linked to wastewater injection. Still, researchers will be working around the clock to determine the cause. There were no initial reports of significant damage around the quake’s epicenter or in other regions of Texas. If the magnitude is not adjusted downward, the quake will rank as one of the strongest to impact the region. According to USGS records, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake that shook the town of Valentine in 1931 holds the record for being the largest to impact the state. #######+++++++#######++++++++ **MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW, LESS WELL EXPLAINED:** [To ease looming West Texas water shortage, oil companies have begun recycling fracking wastewater](https://www.texastribune.org/2022/12/19/texas-permian-basin- fracking-oil-wastewater-recycling/), Dylan Baddour, Inside Climate News, The Texas Tribune, December 19, 2022 Oil and gas companies are increasingly reusing “produced water” as West Texas aquifers are being depleted and the practice of injecting wastewater into disposal wells triggers more earthquakes. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/27/significant-earthquake-shakes- oil-gas-region-of-texas-again/>

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Let’s Examine the Impact of Plastic Use and Reduce Plastic Waste ~ Rethink, Redesign & Reform
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 26 Dec '22

26 Dec '22

# [Let’s Examine the Impact of Plastic Use and Reduce Plastic Waste ~ Rethink, Redesign & Reform](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/26/let%e2%80%99s-examine-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-reduce-plastic-waste-rethink-redesign-reform/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/C9005252-835A-4BD9-B89D-2C271F4EB2BD-300x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/C9005252-835A-4BD9-B89D-2C271F4EB2BD.jpeg) Pete Myres, PhD, testifies before Congressional Committee **WATCH: Pete Myers addresses US Senate committee on the dangers of plastic** From the [Staff, Environmental Health News (EHN)](https://www.ehn.org/plastic- pollution-regulations-2658964356.html), 12/19/22 Environmental Health Sciences founder and chief scientist was one of four witnesses testifying for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment & Public Works. Plastic is overwhelming our planet and this pollution is spurring developmental and reproductive problems in people — but there are ways we can reduce this harmful waste. That was the message Environmental Health Sciences founder and chief scientist Dr. Pete Myers brought to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment & Public Works last week. Myers testified along with three others — former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator and current Beyond Plastics president Judith Enck, CEO of the Plastics Industry Association Matt Seaholm and co-founder and president of Nexus Circular Eric Hartz — at the hearing, “ **[Examining the Impact of Plastic Use and Identifying Solutions for Reducing Plastic Waste](https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/12/examining-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-identifying-solutions-for-reducing-plastic- waste)**.” **Read Myers ' full testimony here:** [Pete Myers testimony.pdf](https://roar- assets-auto.rbl.ms/files/48995/Pete%20Myers%20testimony.pdf) “Plastic cannot be considered ‘safe’ until it is thoroughly tested,” Myers said in his testimony. “And no plastic has ever been thoroughly tested using the tools of modern, 21st century medical science.” Myers is a leading voice linking plastic to harmful chemicals that can block, mimic, increase or decrease our body’s hormones. The compounds, often added to plastics as additives, are dubbed endocrine-disrupting chemicals and include bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, fluorinated compounds and others. Properly functioning hormones are vital for our health, and exposure to these chemicals is linked to a host of health problems including cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, impaired brain development and reproductive issues, among others. Myers has spoken extensively about how the rate of plastic production increases the prevalence of these toxics in our environment and bodies. Myers has also worked to chart a healthier future, championing a new set of “3 R’s” — rethink, redesign and reform — to replace the old reduce, reuse and recycle messaging. Myers co-founded the Sudoc company, which aims to reduce and replace harmful chemicals in many different types of products. The company won the On the Rise category of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards. [Watch the entire hearing here.](https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/12/examining-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-identifying-solutions-for-reducing-plastic-waste) **About EHS** : Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes EHN.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news and science organization dedicated to driving good science into public policy and public discussion on our environment and health, including climate change. The organization, founded in 2002, has helped drive science-based changes to policy that led to a moratorium on PBDE flame retardants by several states, a ban on the plastic additive BPA in children’s products by the federal government, and science-based chemical reform in Europe. **Contacts** : Douglas Fischer, Executive Director, dfischer(a)ehsciences.org Angela Marie Hutchinson, Engagement Director, angela(a)ehsciences.org URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/26/let%e2%80%99s-examine-the- impact-of-plastic-use-and-reduce-plastic-waste-rethink-redesign-reform/>

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MAY OUR EARTH BE BETTER, BECAUSE WE MAKE IT SO!
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 25 Dec '22

25 Dec '22

# [MAY OUR EARTH BE BETTER, BECAUSE WE MAKE IT SO!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/25/may-our-earth-be-better-becaus… we-make-it-so/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/F9B35D1F-890E-489D-8842-7C57ADB39D03.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/F9B35D1F-890E-489D-8842-7C57ADB39D03.jpeg) So much to learn and to understand and to integrate **The “World Peace Diet” Continues Promotion Since 1980** From [Dr. Will Tuttle, Speaker, Author, Traveler, and Spiritual Leader](http://www.worldpeacediet.com/), 12/25/22 **Dear friends** , we have just finished the first month of our **Benevolent Revolution Tour** – 18 beautiful events promoting kindness, freedom, and spiritual health, while crossing from California through AZ, NM, and TX. We greet you now from south Florida. We will be here for a couple of months, offering events through Hippocrates and other venues, and returning in March to California on a slightly more northerly route. Deep thanks to the many caring and creative fellow advocates making this all possible, with whom we are honored to be working, contributing, and learning. >>> May the spirit of Love, Truth and Freedom radiate the living light of awakening - Into our hearts and into the hearts of our fellow humans, Sparking insight and compassion for animals, our Earth, and each other. >>> May the deceptive narratives of exploitation be exposed for all to see. >>> May the beckoning doorway of a vegan world of respect for all living beings draw us ever onward and upward. >>> May we live and embody our commitment to respect the sovereignty of individual beings, and never comply with injustice, oppression, and deceit. >>> May we go forth and multiply the season’s message of peace, harmony, joy, and liberation for all! _That 's it for now - With love and appreciation, **Will & Madeleine** Dr. Will Tuttle, 21373 Highway 175, Middletown CA 95461 USA_ P.S. ~ [Here's a new Interview with Chef AJ](https://youtu.be/cTMPwracDx4) - **Enjoy!!** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/25/may-our-earth-be-better-because- we-make-it-so/>

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Energy Discovery, Education, Learning & Technology Accelerator (DELTA) Lab Ramps Up in Virginia
by Frack Check WV: admin 24 Dec '22

24 Dec '22

# [Energy Discovery, Education, Learning & Technology Accelerator (DELTA) Lab Ramps Up in Virginia](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/24/energy- discovery-education-learning-technology-accelerator-delta-lab-ramps-up-in- virginia/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/1F6AD0BD-C187-428A-ADC2-312AF3F77A55-300x196.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/1F6AD0BD-C187-428A-ADC2-312AF3F77A55.jpeg) Residual surface mine site in southwest Virginia **Energy innovation lab eyes new types of economic development for previously mined lands** From an [Article by Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/12/22/energy-innovation-lab- eyes-new-types-of-economic-development-for-previously-mined-lands/), 12/22/22 Southwest Virginia’s efforts to reclaim its status as a U.S. energy capital intensified with the announcement this fall of a new energy technology testbed initiative. **The Energy Discovery, Education, Learning & Technology Accelerator, or DELTA, Lab began earlier this year with its first location in Wise County.** As the name suggests, the lab is a way for researchers to test innovative energy technologies as emerging electricity generation sources and storage become more prevalent. But the lab isn’t just getting creative with technology. It’s also experimenting with new ways to develop previously mined lands that are different from traditional economic development projects using public industrial sites and prevent them from remaining vacant. Backers see the DELTA Lab as a way to generate economic activity in a region that has struggled economically as coal use declines. **“The role of the lab is as a broker connecting energy companies and prospects, assisting with siting what location is best,” said Will Payne, managing partner of Coalfield Strategies, an economic development consultancy that is one of several organizations involved in the effort.** The lab has also earned the endorsement of the **Virginia Economic Development Partnership** , which has been vocal about the state’s lack of “business ready” sites, a designation meaning that land is immediately ready to be built on. If a site isn’t business ready, breaking ground can take months because of the need to conduct environmental studies to mitigate soil damage or deal with past contamination. “Previously mined lands can require significant work for new development,” VEDP President and CEO Jason El Koubi said. “This seems to be an innovative and effective position to advance clean energy on land that was previously contaminated.” Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has also pushed for greater commitments to site readiness. In a budget proposal unveiled last week, he requested an extra $450 million for site development, to be added to a previous $150 million included in this year’s budget. **The DELTA Lab** ~ The inspiration for DELTA Lab is derived from what Germany has done to redevelop mine sites, said Payne, although that country’s efforts have been located more near population centers. In Southwest Virginia, the lab is envisioned as a network of testbed sites that will be located on lands without any plans for buildings, eliminating another need of traditional economic site development. Instead of the traditional “bench” modeling conducted by universities to develop technologies, the testbed sites will provide power companies a chance to see how their ideas play out in real time. Companies will be able to experiment with their technologies in certain topography types and will have access to the robust power and water sources that are already available at previously mined sites. By creating new sites for this kind of experimentation, local governments will also be able to keep their main industrial parks free for more traditional development. “We’re capturing a moment right now” by capitalizing on incentives for new energy generation technologies in the Virginia Clean Economy Act, Payne said. He said he’s not aware of a similar testbed initiative in the country. “We’ve got to be very intentional and careful with how we do this,” said Will Clear, deputy director of the Virginia Department of Energy. “Energy is a natural fit for what we’re really doing. We’ve got the workforce. We’ve got the infrastructure.” Announced in October, DELTA Lab’s first initiative will be Project Innovation, a test site located on property owned by the Cumberland Forest Limited Partnership and managed by the Nature Conservancy. Project Innovation will hone in on four key areas of research: electricity generation, with a focus on renewables; “geoenergy,” or energy from the earth such as geothermal, “eco- friendly coal” or natural gas; energy delivery systems; and options for reusing renewable energy components and the remains of the fossil fuel industry. **The second concept is Project Oasis, in which data centers will be cooled using water from pools that have collected on previously mined properties. One underground site will provide a consistent 55-degree temperature.** **Third, the lab will host Project Energizer, a small-scale pumped-storage hydroelectric system that generates power by transferring water between reservoirs sited at different elevations in the region’s extremely mountainous terrain. Unlike most hydroelectric plants, Project Energizer will cause minimal land disturbance by using “off-the-shelf” components.** **Currently in the works is another project in Wise County that would connect “islands” of smaller parcels to form a 1,300-acre site**. “Over the next 10 years, I think we can see a dozen locations” that are part of DELTA Lab, Payne said. **VEDP on board** ~ The Virginia Economic Development Partnership is primarily focused on the development of parcels that are 250 acres or larger. As sites get larger and require more work to get up to snuff, their availability shrinks. According to VEDP’s site search tool, 44 of 901 total sites available for business development in Virginia are 250 or more acres. Youngkin has said the lack of business-ready sites has lost Virginia 55,000 jobs and $124 billion in capital investments to surrounding states since 2016 “We have to do so much more,” Youngkin said at the Virginia Economic Summit and Forum on International Trade. El Koubi said efforts like DELTA Lab to repurpose previously mined sites “would complement much of what” VEDP is doing elsewhere in the state. The partnership has a business-ready site program that provides grants to localities to develop parcels of lands that are 100 acres or more. But for the Allegheny Highlands and Southwest Virginia region, the program provides funds for similar projects of 50 acres or less. VEDP says it has helped create 200 jobs in the region since 2021 but Moody’s forecasts project the area will lose almost 1,200 jobs by the end of 2027. Projects with a similar scope to those of DELTA Lab can make a difference in the vitality of the region, El Koubi said. “A handful of projects like this each year could position rural regions to consistently create jobs on a net basis for their citizens,” he said. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/24/energy-discovery-education- learning-technology-accelerator-delta-lab-ramps-up-in-virginia/>

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Russian UPU Gas Pipeline to Europe Explodes
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 23 Dec '22

23 Dec '22

# [Russian UPU Gas Pipeline to Europe Explodes](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/23/russian-upu-gas-pipeline-… europe-explodes/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/48FFC5A2-584E-41FF-B7F9-02DFDBD00DD8.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/48FFC5A2-584E-41FF-B7F9-02DFDBD00DD8.jpeg) Three different Russian natural gas pipelines explode in three days **Russian Gas Pipeline to Europe Incurs Accidental Explosion** From the [Article by Cristen Jaynes, EcoWatch News](https://www.ecowatch.com/russia-gas-pipeline-explosion-europe.html), December 21, 2022 Three repair workers were killed yesterday when a section of the Urengoy- Pomary-Uzhhorod natural gas pipeline in western Russia exploded. One driver was also suffering from shock, Reuters reported. The pipeline transports gas from Siberia to central Europe via Ukraine and is currently the primary gas export route from Russia to Europe. Local officials said the gas flare had been extinguished and supplies rerouted. “The damaged section of the gas pipeline was promptly localised. Gas is being transported to consumers in full through parallel gas pipelines,” said Russian gas company Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod in a statement, as reported by Reuters. Governor of Russia’s Republic of Chuvashia Oleg Nikolayev said it wasn’t apparent how long the pipeline repairs would take following the explosion, The Associated Press reported. Built in the 1980s, the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline has become the primary route for gas from Russia to Europe since the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines exploded beneath the Baltic Sea in September. Nord Stream 1 supplied Germany with Russian gas until Russia stopped supplies in August, claiming that there were equipment issues. Germany dismissed these claims, saying Russia wanted to sow doubt and increase gas prices. Germany stopped the certification process for Nord Stream 2 just before Russia invaded Ukraine, and the pipeline was never used. Gazprom said it anticipated pumping 1,518.5 million cubic feet of gas to Europe through the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline in the day following the explosion — an amount consistent with recent supply, reported Reuters. However, that’s only 5.4 percent of the approximately 5,473.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas Russia supplied to Europe last year, OilPrice.com reported. Europe has been supplementing its supply of natural gas from Russia with imports of liquified natural gas. According to a report from nonprofit Environment America, in the U.S. a gas pipeline incident happens about every 40 hours. Nearly 2,600 incidents involving the release of pipeline gas that were concerning enough to be reported to the federal government occurred between January of 2010 and October of 2021. Of these, 328 caused explosions and fires that killed 122 people and left hundreds injured. The federally reported leaks have caused 26.6 billion cubic feet of methane gas to be spewed into the Earth’s atmosphere, which has the same effect on global warming as the annual emissions of more than 2.4 million cars. Since 2010, the reported gas leaks have resulted in almost $4 billion in costs and damage. “The amount of gas leaking to the environment is far greater than captured in federal leak reporting or emissions estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency,” the report said. #######+++++++#######+++++++####### **See also:** [A huge fire after explosion of Russian gas pipeline in Chuvashia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXOj7wN0AsQ), TeleTruth Video, YouTube, December 21, 2022 The huge fire broke out after an explosion on a gas pipeline in Vurnarsky region of Chuvashia, Western Russia, local authorities report. Russian Ministry of Emergencies said three people were killed and one injured in an explosion on a natural gas pipeline between Kalinino -Yambakhtino villages. This is the third explosion of Russian gas infrastructure in a matter of days. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/23/russian-upu-gas-pipeline-to- europe-explodes/>

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German Renewable Energy Act 2023 to Limit GHG in Electricity Production
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 22 Dec '22

22 Dec '22

# [German Renewable Energy Act 2023 to Limit GHG in Electricity Production](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/22/german-renewable-energy- act-2023-to-limit-ghg-in-electricity-production/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/9B9128DA-4239-4099-B3F4-1B0BDBBBBE46-300x154.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/9B9128DA-4239-4099-B3F4-1B0BDBBBBE46.jpeg) Germany planning to maximize alternative energy sources despite recent challenges **EU Approves Germany 's $30 Billion Green Energy Plan** From an [Article by Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/12/21/eu-approves- germanys-30-billion-green-energy-plan), December 21, 2022 **The European Commission on Wednesday approved the German government 's €28 billion ($29.69 billion) plan to rapidly expand clean energy production. According to Reuters: "The scheme pays a premium to renewable energy producers, on top of the market price they receive for selling their power. Small generators can receive a feed-in-tariff providing a guaranteed price for their electricity."** The **German Renewable Energy Act 2023** , which replaces an existing support measure for green energy, runs until 2026 and is aimed at meeting Germany's goal of generating 80% of its electricity from wind, solar, and other renewable sources by 2030. The European Commission called the policy "necessary and appropriate" to boost the supply of clean energy and slash planet-heating pollution. Officials said that the plan's environmental benefits outweigh its potential negative impacts on competition. "The German Renewable Energy Act 2023 scheme will contribute to further decarbonize electricity production," Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's competition policy chief, said in a statement. Swiftly increasing clean energy production is essential to achieving Germany's objective of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. It is also key to ameliorating potential energy shortages stemming from Russia's decision to cut off most of the gas it sends to Europe amid the war in Ukraine and the E.U.'s recent ban on seaborne crude oil from Russia. **As Reuters reported:** _(1) Berlin 's response to Europe's energy crunch has attracted criticism from some E.U. countries. Concerns focussed on Germany's broader plan to spend up to €200 billion [$212.36 billion] in subsidies to shield consumers and businesses from soaring energy costs—a sum that many other states cannot afford, and which some said would distort competition in the European Union's single market._ _(2) The Commission said Berlin 's renewable state support was limited to the "minimum necessary" and included safeguards to minimize competition distortions. Companies must bid for the aid in government tenders. (3) To avoid compensating companies twice, Germany will also phase out existing support for renewable producers in times of negative power prices by 2027._ **The European Commission 's approval of Germany's new renewable support plan — and a nearly 50% surge in solar installations across the E.U. this year — highlights green progress on the continent. However, it comes after E.U. policymakers — in an attempt to reduce reliance on dirty energy from Russia — moved to expand fossil fuel infrastructure across Europe, with a focus on building capacity to accept higher volumes of “fracked gas” from the United States and other countries.** Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, progressives urged governments around the globe to treat the war as a catalyst for accelerating clean energy efforts. **As researchers warned earlier this year, scaling up non-Russian fossil fuels will lock in decades of heat-trapping emissions** at a time when the window to slash greenhouse gas pollution and avert the most catastrophic effects of the climate crisis is rapidly closing. While greater quantities of wind and solar power are welcome, a simultaneous increase in **dirty energy consumption** runs counter to the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels — beyond which impacts will grow progressively worse for hundreds of millions of people, particularly those living in impoverished nations who have done the least to cause the crisis. **A desperately needed worldwide clean energy transition remains far behind schedule. Despite overwhelming evidence that extracting and burning more coal, oil, and gas will exacerbate deadly climate chaos, the fossil fuel industry — supported by trillions of dollars in public subsidies each year — has no plans to slow down this decade.** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/22/german-renewable-energy- act-2023-to-limit-ghg-in-electricity-production/>

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

21 Dec '22

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

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

20 Dec '22

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

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

19 Dec '22

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

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

18 Dec '22

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

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

17 Dec '22

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

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

16 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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HISTORY IS MORE THAN DATES IN TIME, NOW AFFECTING EVERYONE
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [HISTORY IS MORE THAN DATES IN TIME, NOW AFFECTING EVERYONE](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/10/history-is-more-than-date… in-time-now-affecting-everyone/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/DC60DBCA-B25A-4028-B48C-8168AE02118C.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/DC60DBCA-B25A-4028-B48C-8168AE02118C.jpeg) COP27 was infiltrated by fossil energy interests, not in the public interest **THESE EVENTS HAVE SHAPED OUR LIVES, more events to come …….** **December 7, 1941 ~** Japan bombed Pearl Harbor including the USS West Virginia battleship; **December 8, 1941 ~** U.S. declares war on the Empire of Japan; **December 11, 1941 ~** U.S. declares war on Germany and Italy. Over the course of the war, B-29s flew 20,000 sorties and dropped 200,000 tonnes (180,000 tons) of bombs. B-29 gunners were credited with shooting down 27 enemy aircraft. In turn 78 B-29s were lost; 57 B-29 and reconnaissance variants were lost in action and 21 were non-combat losses. **May 8, 1945 ~** Victory in Europe Day (VE Day); **August 6, 1945** ~ The first atomic bomb, named Little Boy, was dropped on Hiroshima from the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber, at 8:15 AM on The second bomb, named Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki from the Bockscar, also a B-29 bomber, at 11:02 AM on **August 9, 1945.** **September 2, 1945 ~** Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day). **December 11, 1946 ~** UNICEF established. UNICEF, originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. It is herewith proposed that our UUFM donate $500 to aid in relief for the children of the Ukraine. **March 21, 1994 ~** The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established an international environmental treaty to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system", in part by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. [International meetings called Congress of the Parties (COP1 thru COP27) continues negotiations.] **December 11, 1997 ~** United Nations sponsored a Kyoto Protocol. In short, the Kyoto Protocol operationalizes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. China was not included, and the U.S. failed to adopt it. **December 12, 2015 ~** The Paris Agreement (aka Accords) is a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris. The goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid- century. ######+++++++######+++++++######+++++++###### **COP27 UPDATE ~ Historic “loss and damage” deal reached at climate talks but not much else, Channel 4 News Video. See Video:** <https://youtu.be/MQ06Uq8TyZ0> **See Also:** <https://youtu.be/YKukrOHMn3I> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/10/history-is-more-than-dates-in- time-now-affecting-everyone/>

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Sustainability Students Learn to Repair Broken Solar Panels at Cornell Univ.
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [Sustainability Students Learn to Repair Broken Solar Panels at Cornell Univ.](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/09/sustainability-students-lear… to-repair-broken-solar-panels-at-cornell-univ/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/1F052C75-FED7-4DB3-9B95-4806EC617A92-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/1F052C75-FED7-4DB3-9B95-4806EC617A92.jpeg) Members of the Solar Panel Reboot team at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY **Sustainability students bring dead solar panels back to life** From an [Article by Blaine Friedlander, Cornell Chronicle](https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/12/sustainability-students- bring-dead-solar-panels-back-life), December 7, 2022 **Students are using polyurethane, resin, epoxy – and gallons of wit – to give new life to cracked, broken and nonworking solar panels.** “We’re refurbishing solar panels and that has probably never been taught in class, as far as we know,” said Anant Gupta ’25, leader of the Cornell University Sustainability Design (CUSD) Solar Panel Reboot team. “By giving these panels a second life, we’re learning how to solve problems that don’t have a definite solution.” **In 2019, Tobias Hanrath, the Marjorie L. Hart ’50 Professor in Engineering at the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, received 1,200 damaged solar panels from the installers of a utility scale solar farm near Ithaca.** Hanrath, in turn, gave the panels to the CUSD group and asked them to design, implement and test refurbishing methods – and evaluate panel durability. The living-laboratory, circular-economy project paused during the pandemic, but students returned to the panel problem when the university reopened. In addition to Gupta, the current team members include master’s degree students Sarah Alruwaily and Saikant Kamble; and undergraduates En Lo ’25 and Michelle Yang ’26. In their Ward Laboratory setup, an extra space to conduct work adjacent to the Engineering Quad, the students test the panels using a halogen light array system, originally built by the Cornell chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World. The apparatus imitates the sun. The students – who hope to create a handbook on the process – test each solar panel’s performance and measure power output. “In class, you can always look in the textbook and find an answer. You get your exam back and there’s a solution key,” Gupta said. “As we work through problems on these broken solar panels, there’s no one to say that’s right or that’s wrong. We’ve encountered weird problems, that if you look online, you won’t find an answer. We figure it out for ourselves and I think that’s valuable.” **To fix damaged glass, for example, they put the panel on a flat surface and use liquid resin to repair it. That’s logical. The setback: the resin does not settle evenly. It bunches up and wrinkles. For now, the students applied thinner coats – which has worked to some extent.** Another big issue: fast degradation when the panels are not in use. The students believe that deterioration occurs in each panel’s junction box system – the wires that connect panels to each other. “Every time we test the panels, they degrade,” Gupta said. “We’re sort of sapping a little bit of life out of them, because we’re disconnecting and connecting, but we’re trying to figure out how to make sure our power data results are reliable.” **One new panel’s output is about 400 watts per hour. After the reboot team finishes, the students aim to achieve an output of 150 watts. Some of the renewed panels have gone to the Ithaca Re-Use Center, where they have found new homes.** In fact, the group has begun talking with local farmers to sell them refurbished panels for production agriculture needs – such as powering a small irrigation system, a water pump, a fan or a few barn lights – where a full- power electric system isn’t needed. “We’ve met with farmers and I was amazed by how much a refurbished solar panel can help them,” Alruwaily said. “It had never crossed my mind that a repaired item like a solar panel can do that. It was a proverbial light-bulb moment for me.” Gupta said the group aims to connect further with the local community and wishes to find more opportunities for refurbished panels. For Yang, the team’s youngest member, this was an opportunity to work and absorb. “Refurbishing panels feels very fresh,” she said. “You go to the Ward lab and put on gloves, wash down the panels, refurbish them and conduct testing. We’re learning firsthand about energy.” URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/09/sustainability-students-learn- to-repair-broken-solar-panels-at-cornell-univ/>

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The “Dirty Deal” of Senator Manchin Threatens Our Planet
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [The “Dirty Deal” of Senator Manchin Threatens Our Planet](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/08/the-%e2%80%9cdirty- deal%e2%80%9d-of-senator-manchin-threatens-our-planet/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/42750114-2DCB-426F-BD7C-10831BB2E4FA-300x198.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/42750114-2DCB-426F-BD7C-10831BB2E4FA.jpeg) Join CCAN's Virtual Night of Action to STOP Manchin's Dirty Deal! **Manchin Releases Permitting Text and Urges Colleagues to Support MVP and Permitting Amendment to NDAA** From the [Appeal of Grace Tuttle, Protect Our Water—Heritage—Rights](https://act.chesapeakeclimate.org/page/46961/data/1), December 7, 2022 **Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the full text of the Building American Energy Security Act of 2022. He also urged his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support amending the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to include this comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform and complete the critical Mountain Valley Pipeline. “Failing to pass the bipartisan, comprehensive energy permitting reform that our country desperately needs is not an acceptable option. As our energy security becomes more threatened every day, Americans are demanding Congress put politics aside and act on commonsense solutions to solve the issues facing us. The Senate must vote to amend the NDAA to ensure the comprehensive, bipartisan permitting reform our country desperately needs is included,” said Chairman Manchin.** To read the Building American Energy Security Act of 2022 in full, [click here.](https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/FAED4818-E382-4210-B452… [To read a summary of the changes, click here](https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/66701873-A0CC-4DD3-A5A0-…. **CCAN Event:** **RSVP** : ** <https://act.chesapeakeclimate.org/page/46961/data/1>** **Description: Join CCAN 's Virtual Night of Action to STOP Manchin's Dirty Deal!** It's time. Our senators need to hear from us. We will not stand for Manchin's dirty deal. We can't make policy with backroom negotiations that exclude impacted communities. We can't keep feeding our addiction to fossil fuels. **Our goal is to get 150 residents to email their senator in one night to stop the dirty deal. 6:00-6:15 Latest policy update, Q&A 6:15-6:30 Outreach to personal VA friends and family 6:30-7:00 Textbank with CCAN ** >> _Grace Tuttle, Development & Programs Coordinator Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR)_ #######+++++++#######+++++++######## **P.S. The members of the US Congress need to hear from you. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is trying to include his Dirty Deal – to roll back bedrock environmental protections and force the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline – in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). We can only block this if enough Senators stand up and promise to vote against the NDAA if it includes the Dirty Deal.** **Priority List:** Senator Kaine (202) 224-4024 Senator Warner (202) 224-2023 Senator Carper (202) 224-2441 Senator Schumer (202) 224-6542 Senator Schatz (202) 224-3934 Senator Murray (202) 224-2621 Senator Reed (202) 224-4642 Senator Leahy (202) 224-4242 Senator Warnock (202) 224-3643 URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/08/the-%e2%80%9cdirty- deal%e2%80%9d-of-senator-manchin-threatens-our-planet/>

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE? ~ Renono Gas-Fired Power Plant Given +18 Months Extension
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE? ~ Renono Gas-Fired Power Plant Given +18 Months Extension](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/06/environmental-justice- renono-gas-fired-power-plant-given-18-months-extension/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/BAA2EE41-79BB-4466-9424-DB94DDCCC61F-300x224.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/BAA2EE41-79BB-4466-9424-DB94DDCCC61F.jpeg) Renovo, PA, is 28 miles northwest of Lock Haven on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River **GROUPS APPEAL PA-DEP’S EXTENSION OF ILLEGAL POWER PLANT AIR PERMIT** From the [Web Site Blog of the Clean Air Council, Pittsburgh, PA](https://cleanair.org), November 22, 2022 RENOVO, PA ~ **The Clean Air Council, PennFuture, and the Center for Biological Diversity have appealed an extension of Renovo Energy Center’s air pollution permit for a large gas-fired power plant — a significant source of new pollution within an environmental justice area.** The extension by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA-DEP) allows the power plant developer an additional 18 months to build the North-Central Pennsylvania power plant. **PA-DEP originally permitted the gas-fired plant in April 2021, but Renovo Energy Center has failed to secure financing to move forward.** This extension comes amid an ongoing appeal by the same groups, challenging the power plant’s air permit, which PA-DEP extended in October. In August, the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board ruled in favor of the groups in that appeal, finding that DEP set pollution limits too high for two harmful pollutants. That legal challenge continues toward trial on other claims. Still, rather than allow the illegal permit to lapse, PA-DEP sent Renovo Energy Center a letter granting the requested extension. PA-DEP did nothing to alter or fix the illegal permit. In their Notice of Appeal, the environmental groups object that the extension is illegal because the permit it extends is illegal and the requirements for an extension were not met. Renovo is an environmental justice area located along the West Branch Susquehanna River. The permit authorizes the plant to emit hundreds of tons of noxious pollutants annually and more greenhouse gases than the City of Pittsburgh. Pollution from the power plant would impose a cost of billions of dollars in impacts to health and communities over the course of its lifetime. The power plant is being developed by Bechtel Corporation, a Virginia-based multinational engineering corporation. “Extending a permit that judges just found to be illegal is a slap in the face to residents of Clinton County and to the rule of law,” said Joseph Otis Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council, on behalf of all three environmental groups filing this appeal. “Why in the world would DEP break the law just to ensure that a giant fossil fuel power plant can dirty the community’s air? Renewable energy is cleaner, cheaper, and more abundant.” ### **Clean Air Council** is a member-supported, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting everyone’s right to a healthy environment. The Council has offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Wilmington, and works through public education, community advocacy, and government oversight to ensure enforcement of environmental laws. For more information, please visit www.cleanair.org. **PennFuture** is leading the transition to a clean energy economy in Pennsylvania and beyond. We are protecting our air, water and land, and empowering citizens to build sustainable communities for future generations. Visit www.pennfuture.org. The **Center for Biological Diversity** is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/06/environmental-justice-renono- gas-fired-power-plant-given-18-months-extension/>

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GREENHOUSE GASES (GHG) ~ Let’s Attend to All Those Conventional Oil & Gas Wells
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [GREENHOUSE GASES (GHG) ~ Let’s Attend to All Those Conventional Oil & Gas Wells](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/05/greenhouse-gases-ghg- let%e2%80%99s-attend-to-all-those-conventional-oil-gas-wells/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/0AC4B130-F6C3-45D2-B224-91DC36340B70.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/0AC4B130-F6C3-45D2-B224-91DC36340B70.jpeg) The Earthjustice group agrees; plug the leaks a.s.a.p. **Methane mitigation means opportunity for West Virginia** Guest Essay by [Delegate Evan Hansen, Morgantown Dominion Post](https://www.dominionpost.com/2022/12/03/guest-essay-methane-mitigatio… means-opportunity-for-w-va/), Sunday, December 4, 2022 Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is used to heat our homes and cook our food. Yet, much of this valuable natural resource is wasted into thin air via emissions from the many smaller, low-producing wells with leak-prone equipment that dot our landscape. These wells are responsible for roughly half the emissions at U.S. well sites but account for merely 6% of the nation’s oil and gas production. This waste does not serve West Virginians or our economy and must be addressed. Commonsense standards to cut this waste such as those proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency will produce good-paying, family-sustaining jobs and economic opportunities for our residents. The methane mitigation industry is a rapidly expanding field, deploying robust technology to capture emissions, generating revenues that will rev up our economic engine. These jobs create opportunities in communities where natural gas is being sourced, allowing them to profit from the industry directly. As West Virginians, we take pride in our reputation as a top energy producer. The methane mitigation industry will help ensure our status as the fifth- largest energy producer in the United States and will provide our energy workers with continued job security as we promote energy security. This is possible while creating a brighter, healthier future through reduction of the state’s greenhouse gas footprint. I hope you’ll join me in encouraging other legislators to support the EPA’s sensible rule to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, in order to provide new opportunities for West Virginia’s energy workers. _>>> Delegate Evan Hansen represents the current House of Delegates 51st District in Monongalia County._ #######+++++++#######+++++++#######+++++++ **[Clean Air Council, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh& Wilmington, DE](https://cleanair.org), December 5, 2022** Clean Air Council and its supporters have worked for years to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce air pollution from new and existing oil and gas facilities. The gas industry emits large quantities of climate-changing methane as well as smog-causing and health-harming volatile organic compounds (VOC), including known carcinogens like benzene. **Earlier this month, the EPA proposed pollution standards for gas wells and compressor stations that will better protect public health and help address the climate crisis by reducing 36 million tons of methane, 9.7 millions tons of VOCs, and 390,000 tons of air toxics from 2023 to 2035.** This rule requires air pollution inspections at all oil and gas extraction facilities regardless of size and includes significant updates to required pollution control technologies. While the EPA has taken great steps to reduce air pollution from the gas industry, we need them to improve this rule by eliminating the **unnecessary flaring of fracked gas**. **Comments will be accepted until February 13th and there will be two virtual public hearings January 10th and 11th.** [**Click here to urge EPA to adopt stronger pollution standards.**](https://cleanaircouncil.salsalabs.org/fracking/index.html?eTy… URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/05/greenhouse-gases-ghg- let%e2%80%99s-attend-to-all-those-conventional-oil-gas-wells/>

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Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Still the “Elephant in the Room” after COP27
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 15 Dec '22

15 Dec '22

# [Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Still the “Elephant in the Room” after COP27](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/04/greenhouse-gases-ghg-still- the-%e2%80%9celephant-in-the-room%e2%80%9d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/54141D15-389E-4651-800C-FCE64A49EE0F-300x150.jpg)](… content/uploads/2022/12/54141D15-389E-4651-800C-FCE64A49EE0F.jpeg) The “Elephant in the Room” is not seen but was obvious at COP27 **Op-ed: It’s time to re-think the United Nations’ COP climate negotiations** From the [Opinion-Editorial by Ruth G. Bell, Environmental Health News](https://www.ehn.org/climate-change-cop-2658803975.html), December 01, 2022 **When you work on climate change, cognitive dissonance is a daily experience. I recently visited West Virginia to bask in the glorious colors of fall. All seemed right with the world — normal in a way that can make one forget the existential crises humming along in the background.** I felt the same jarring disconnect as I watched the now concluded Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It might be time to strip away the parts of this annual ritual that have value and jettison the rest. The people trying to hammer out solutions to this vexing global challenge are serious individuals who care deeply. Some have spent entire careers moving from venue to venue, making their best efforts to find a pathway toward a safer world. The negotiations are sober and sincere. The cognitive dissonance arises because they have nothing to offer that matches the severity of the problem. Carbon emissions might have been worse without this annual attention, but it’s hard to escape that the current pathway is essentially business as usual. What is the return on value of almost 30 years of meetings? We’ve seen record- breaking increases in global average atmospheric carbon dioxide and little progress toward concrete support for poor countries that suffer the most from the climate’s radical changes, though they contributed the least to the destruction. **Climate accords built on mutual trust** ~ The international process has produced breakthroughs. The 2015 Paris Agreement rejected conventional thinking to recognize that each country must find its own way to lower its emissions with steadily more ambitious targets. Its innovation was acknowledging that by working together, each pushing the other to improve, countries could collectively build the momentum toward progress. Then came the Trump years. Progress as envisioned in Paris requires mutual trust. Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord delivered a gut-punch reminder that agreements are not just about signatures on a page. Post-Trump, President Biden recommitted to the accord and brought back John Kerry, who had built the coalition for the Paris success. But even Kerry’s credibility on the world stage can’t erase the doubts made tangible by Trump’s destructive behavior. **Years of talk already (30 years or more)** ~ On one side of the ledger, the COP is an annual platform for the countries that stand to lose the most from mounting emissions. For two weeks, at least, they can make their case on a public stage. **On the other, the meetings have made those with genuine claims into supplicants.** For decades, they brought their case to the streets and the side events. The remedies they propose, like taxing fossil fuel companies’ profits, are out of step with political reality. Their concerns finally became central this year, but the answer they got was, as characterized by David Wallace-Wells, a shell, “vague on all of the important points: who will pay into the fund and how much, who will distribute that money and to whom.” **The credibility of the COP is eroded by years of failure to meet commitments, with many wrong turns and the perception of slow bureaucracy.** And the unstated objective of wealthier countries appears to be to maintain their current lifestyle, only by changing the source of the energy that powers it from fossil fuels to more benign inputs. While efficiency has improved, the U.S. and similar countries continue as wasteful energy consumers. The West doesn’t seem to want to make the kind of changes that might cause a little discomfort, much less **Making the side events the main event** ~ With limited progress toward the root mission of lowering greenhouse emissions, it’s time to rethink COP. **Most of the good news on climate comes from technological developments: the plummeting price and wider availability of solar; advances in wind; improved efficiency.** This suggests shifting from formal negotiations to a consultative platform that facilitates information sharing, financing and partnerships that might produce faster technological change. This would draw on the strongest parts of the meeting process, making the side events into the main event. The hallway conversations are more concrete, informative and realistic than the negotiations. For example, the New York Times highlighted how entrepreneurs came together at the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers program to develop the Waterplan software that helps companies facilitate water resource planning. This model could be strengthened at COP. Annual COP climate talks have also become a magnet for financiers backing the development of energy-efficient technologies. Regular meetings with that focus could broker partnerships that might not happen otherwise. A redesigned COP could also be a place for high-level, off-the-record conversations. Leaders need to meet, but maybe the current model is too formal. Although Copenhagen in 2009 is considered in much of the environmental community to have been a failure, Barack Obama used his time to have unscripted conversations and infuse a sense of urgency. Admittedly, unplanned discussions with heads of state are an outlier. But climate has shifted over time to what is now an ongoing crisis. More frequent if less formal meetings might better meet the urgency of a developing crisis, more akin to generals planning a constantly shifting war. And why not hold these meetings where the impacts on poorer populations can be more readily grasped — out in the field, so to speak. **One piece of the current process that works well is the critically important work of the IPCC,** the independent scientific body founded under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization and the U.N, Environment Programme. The IPCC is independent of the COP, but it provides the increasingly blunt, comprehensive and credible assessment reports used by UNFCC, policymakers and a world audience. These reports are widely seen as the most reliable sources of scientific information on desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. Even the deeply conservative U.S. state of Louisiana used IPCC data to prepare its highly acclaimed Coastal Commission Report. A benefit of redesign would be to free the UNFCCC itself from the need for annual conference planning and allow it to be more opportunistic in the best sense, to focus instead on unexpected possibilities of achievement. **Real climate opportunities** ~ Asking whether we should reimagine this convoluted international process will not win me friends in the environmental community. I am aware that raising these questions can be misinterpreted by climate deniers and opponents of collective world action. But not asking the question is equally dangerous, committing us to thinking that repeating the same routine year after year will somehow lead to a better result. The real issue is whether we will assure a minimally habitable world for our children and their children. If the pathway involves stripping down to the essentials to identify real opportunities of change, so be it. >>> Ruth G. Bell is a Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/04/greenhouse-gases-ghg-still- the-%e2%80%9celephant-in-the-room%e2%80%9d/>

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Hydrogen is So Elusive, You May Never See It?
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 14 Dec '22

14 Dec '22

# [Hydrogen is So Elusive, You May Never See It?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/14/hydrogen-is-so-elusive-you-may- never-see-it/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2022/12/E6B7AA86-F39C-4763-803F-71EEDF34F8C1.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2022/12/E6B7AA86-F39C-4763-803F-71EEDF34F8C1.jpeg) What if the fossil fuel interests infiltrated the government, as happened at COP27? **Much of This Hype for Hydrogen “Energy” is Just Smoke and Mirrors?** From an [Article by Jim Walsh and Mia DiFelice, Food & Water Watch](https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2022/12/13/hydrogen-energy-hype/), December 13, 2022 **The recent outpouring of attention and funds for hydrogen just distracts from renewables, while doubling down on pollution. Industry advocates herald hydrogen energy as the “fuel of the future” — but after clearing away the smokescreen, we find many reasons for skepticism.** Unfortunately, policy makers worldwide are buying into the industry hype, as they finally start looking to address the climate crisis. But with a closer look, it becomes clear that the hydrogen hype is just another greenwashing effort from fossil fuel interests and Big Ag. Ultimately, so-called hydrogen energy isn’t an energy source, but rather an energy-user. Hydrogen “energy” is inherently inefficient, expensive, and emissions-intensive. This hype will cost taxpayers and ratepayers billions of dollars, with few — if any — climate benefits to show for it. **Hydrogen’s Threat to Climate Change** Proponents claim that hydrogen is a greenhouse gas-free energy source. However, this ignores the climate impacts of hydrogen production, transportation, and use. Even so-called green hydrogen, produced with renewables, can divert renewable energy that could otherwise displace fossil fuels. Right now, a whopping 95% of hydrogen we use today comes from methane, sourced mainly from fracking. This gray hydrogen requires both fossil fuel feedstocks and fossil heat for production. Currently, hydrogen production accounts for 2% of global CO2 emissions. Its climate impact is even greater considering methane leakage from hydrogen production. You may have heard of blue hydrogen, too, made with carbon capture technology built to grab CO2 emissions from gray hydrogen production. But research shows that blue hydrogen is worse for the climate than burning coal. It’s also costly — billions in U.S. subsidies for carbon capture have only financed failures. Moreover, carbon capture claims allow dirty energy companies to continue operating business-as-usual, just with a shiny new toy attached. This means more pollution from the fracking that blue and gray hydrogen rely on. Hydrogen, green or otherwise, has a dirty little secret the industry likes to ignore: hydrogen in the air has a climate impact 33 times greater than CO2 over 20 years. That means any leaks — which are likely, due to the small size of hydrogen molecules — would invariably harm the climate. **The “Fuel of the Future” is Less Fuel, More Farm** Though boosters call it the “fuel of the future,” we only use a bit of the hydrogen we produce for energy. The rest goes to a variety of industrial processes, like steel-making and ammonia production for fertilizers. In the U.S., almost 70% of hydrogen produced here goes to oil refining. But worldwide, ammonia fertilizers comprise the vast majority of demand, with the industry pushing to make the U.S. a major exporter. These fertilizers have a huge climate impact, thanks to their fossil fuel feedstocks. Moreover, fertilizer escaping from soil into the air creates nitrous oxide, which has 265 times the global warming potential of CO2. The risks of ammonia are compounded by the fact it can be very explosive. The industry suggests “green” hydrogen can make “carbon-free” fertilizer, but that only greenwashes other issues with fertilizers that need addressing. Big Ag already over-treats fields, leading to polluted waterways and public health problems. If the market expands, so will these issues, its climate impacts, and industry profits. **Hydrogen “Energy” is Expensive, Inefficient, and Harmful** Hydrogen is stored, transported, and burned as-is, but it’s also stored and transported as liquid ammonia. That ammonia is less explosive than pure hydrogen, but still dangerous. Transitioning hydrogen to ammonia, then back to hydrogen at end-use, is also energy-intensive. At the same time, utilities are pushing plans for “hydrogen blending.” That entails mixing hydrogen with fracked gas in pipelines for home heating and energy production. But hydrogen blending can be even more harmful to public health than methane. Burning it releases six times as much nitrogen oxide as burning methane, which worsens respiratory harms and other health impacts. Furthermore, it can require infrastructure changes that increase gas prices for consumers (and profits for private utilities). Moreover, this practice is inefficient, emissions-intensive, and doubles down on the public health risks of fracked gas heating. Any utility or company advocating for hydrogen in our daily lives is just trying to prolong the life of their dirty business models. **Hydrogen Comes for Communities Across the Country** Hydrogen investment is growing around the world. That support will have dire consequences if we don’t have guardrails that stop polluting projects hiding under the guise of “emissions reductions.” Right now, fossil fuel corporations are planning huge blue hydrogen projects, touting their “clean” credentials. But no one should call any of these projects “clean” when they prolong the life of polluting infrastructure, instead of shutting it down. **The Ohio River Valley faces one such project: a massive hydrogen hub spanning Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. It stands to further harm a region already threatened by fracking and petrochemical infrastructure.** Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the fossil fuel industry is pushing legislation to define hydrogen and other petrochemicals as “renewable natural gas.” This would allow utilities to charge ratepayers for dirty energy investments, while claiming them as “renewable.” In Los Angeles, the City Council is advancing hydrogen plans that will keep dirty power plants online, rather than shutting them down and replacing them with clean renewable energy. **We’ll Stay Vigilant as Hydrogen Hype Rises Higher** No matter the color, hydrogen is full of problems. It greenwashes and entrenches harmful industries like oil refining, fracking, and unsustainable fertilizer. And while there could be a few niche uses for hydrogen energy, there’s no reason to use it in, say, cars and home heating — other than corporate profits. As the hydrogen hype grows, we need to stay wary of industry claims. Before making any investments in hydrogen or issuing permits, governments must evaluate the full impact of hydrogen. That includes comparing it to the tools we already have to transition away from fossil fuels, including electrification, energy efficiency, and clean renewable energy. **Warn your friends and family: Don’t believe the hype!** URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/12/14/hydrogen-is-so-elusive-you-may- never-see-it/>

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