EC January 2015

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4 participants
10 discussions

FW: E-DAY 2015 - FEBRUARY, 18TH!
by frank young 27 Jan '15

27 Jan '15

Hello, Friends of the Environment! On February 18th, 2015... We become one at the Capitol! Please join us, as we come together to stand for what matters the most. " <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/margaretme100502.html?src=t_envi…> Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Marium Bria West Virginia Environmental Council Outreach Director 304-807-5873 mariumbria(a)gmail.com

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WE'RE PROUD OF ALL FOUR OF YOU.....KEEP IT UP!!!
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 23 Jan '15

23 Jan '15

Thursday, January 22, 2015 W.Va. House votes to repeal energy law By Whitney Burdette <http://www.charlestondailymail.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=staff&tem…>, Capitol reporter The West Virginia House of Delegates voted Thursday to repeal the state’s energy portfolio in a move they say will save coal jobs and prevent utility rates from skyrocketing. After more than an hour of discussion, House Bill 2001 passed 95-4, with Delegates *Mike Pushkin* and *Nancy Guthrie*, both D-Kanawha; *Stephen Skinner*, D-Jefferson; and * Barbara Fleischauer*, D-Monongalia, casting the dissenting votes. Supporters of the bill say the 2009 legislation hurt the coal industry by mandating utilities also purchase electricity generated from other sources, such as wind or solar. “We can’t say this hasn’t impacted our state because it has,” said Delegate Randy Smith, R-Preston. Smith is the co-chairman of the House Energy Committee and said he first ran for office because he disagreed with the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act, championed by then-Gov. Joe Manchin in 2009. He said the market, not government, should decide how electricity is generated. “We’re not here to pick winners or losers or give one group an advantage over another group,” he said. “We’re here to be fair and let the market dictate what wins and what loses.” The 2009 legislation requires 25 percent of electricity to be generated from alternative or renewable energy sources by 2025. Sammy Gray, the manager of state affairs for FirstEnergy, told a legislative committee last week the company could meet that standard without risking jobs or raising rates. Opponents of the bill argued the original legislation could create economic diversification in a declining coal market. “Until we can open our eyes and realize that coal amounts for 6 percent of (gross domestic product) and is sucking up 94 percent of the air in the room, we’re going to wear coal around our neck like a yoke that will drag all of us down,” Guthrie said. She went on to say the debate around House Bill 2001 was “political theater.” Fleischauer said she was bothered by the accusation that anyone against repealing the legislation was against coal jobs. She pointed to coal mines in her area that are doing well. “Repealing this has nothing to do with increasing or decreasing jobs,” she said. “I’m kind of offended that anyone would suggest that people who urge rejection are opposed to coal miners. “I’m tired of coal miners being used to promote a message they don’t necessarily agree with,” she added. Efforts to amend the bill failed on Wednesday. Pushkin wanted to see a jobs impact statement added. Although Republicans passed a rule at the beginning of the legislative session that would allow the House speaker or Senate president request such studies, Speaker Tim Armstead ruled his amendment wasn’t germane to the bill at hand. Delegate Mike Caputo, D-Marion, proposed an educational program to help displaced coal miners, but Armstead again ruled the amendment wasn’t germane. The Senate passed its version, Senate Bill 1, on Wednesday. Both chambers will work on merging the bills to send before sending one to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. “I don’t think it will make a big difference if it’s repealed,” he said. Manchin’s thoughts when he advocated for an energy portfolio act in 2009, Tomblin said, were to show the Environmental Protection Agency that West Virginia has resources other than coal at its disposal. “It would be helpful to show West Virginia is not just a coal state, but we do have alternative fuels and lots of investments there,” Tomblin said of the original legislation. Manchin issued a statement last week, blasting House Bill 2001 and Senate Bill 1. He also said the law protects environmental interests while promoting job growth and creating incentives for the use of state-of-the-art energy technology. “The utilities have successfully met the 2015 goals and do not anticipate any issues with meeting the 2020 and 2025 goals,” Manchin said. “West Virginia was the only state that showed, if we take advantage of clean energy technologies, we can reduce emissions while still utilizing coal. It is my belief that West Virginia’s energy policies can be used as a template for future national energy policies to strike that balance between environmental concerns and America’s energy needs.” Contact writer Whitney Burdette at 304-348-5149 or whitney.burdette(a)dailymailwv.com. Follow her at www.Twitter.com/wburdette_DM . - See more at: http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150122/DM0104/150129711/1420#s… William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel 304-342-5588 Fax 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com non posso respirare !!!

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Sequestration on shaky ground: Natural impediment to long-term sequestration of carbon dioxide
by Paul Wilson 22 Jan '15

22 Jan '15

Sequestration on shaky ground: Natural impediment to long-term sequestration of carbon dioxide <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/Nfb…> Posted: 21 Jan 2015 07:32 AM PST Carbon sequestration promises to address greenhouse-gas emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and injecting it deep below the Earth's surface, where it would permanently solidify into rock. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that current carbon-sequestration technologies may eliminate up to 90 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. While such technologies may successfully remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, researchers have now found that once injected into the ground, less carbon dioxide is converted to rock than previously imagined. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=Nfb…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=Nfb…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=Nfb…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=Nfb…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=Nfb…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club Military Outings Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle JUSTICE, ONLY JUSTICE, SHALT THOU PURSUE. Deuteronomy 16:20

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from Otherwords: Pipeline to Nowhere
by Paul Wilson 15 Jan '15

15 Jan '15

Pipeline to Nowhere Cheap oil is bankrupting the financial rationale for building the Keystone XL. By Emily Schwartz Greco <http://otherwords.org/authors/emily-schwartz-greco/> [image: Emily Schwartz Greco] <http://otherwords.org/authors/emily-schwartz-greco/> When Maria van der Hoeven summed up the 20-year outlook for global energy investment in London last year, she identified <http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/speeches/140603_ED_WEOinvestment.pdf> a couple of daunting challenges. The amount of money required by 2035 is a staggering $48 trillion, the International Energy Agency chief and former Dutch economy minister said. And it’s not clear how many of those trillions of dollars will power climate-friendly options. “Will policymakers succeed in steering investment towards a cleaner, more secure energy system — or are we locking in technologies and patterns of consumption that store up trouble for the future?” she asked. There’s no better example of what van der Hoeven meant by “storing up trouble for the future” than the Keystone XL pipeline. [image: Keystone XL Pipeline] shannonpatrick17/Flickr After years of being flustered by President Barack Obama’s procrastination, the pipeline’s conservative backers in Congress are trying to force him to greenlight this conduit for some of the world’s dirtiest, most expensive, and most dangerous oil. The House recently voted in favor of building the 1,200-mile pipeline for the tenth time <http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/01/09/3610151/house-approves-keystone…>. The Senate is poised to approve it too. Although dozens of Democrats are siding with Republicans in favor of this boondoggle, those lawmakers lack the votes, so far, tooverride <http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-01-11/cornyn-acknowledges-s…> the veto Obama has threatened <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/01/06/white-house…> . Senator John Hoeven <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republican-senator-slams-obamas-keystone-veto-t…>, a North Dakota Republican and a leading Keystone XL proponent, has turned into a broken record touting what he calls “vital energy infrastructure legislation.” Despite their matching names and obsession with all things energy, Hoeven and van der Hoeven are polar opposites. She’s a leading player in the effort to wean the world off its dependence on oil, gas, and coal. He’s a “drill, baby, drill” type. There are many good arguments against the $8-billion pipeline <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-04/transcanada-says-keystone-xl-proje…> on environmental and labor grounds. People like 350.org founder Bill McKibben <http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/13/bill_mckibben_on_fight_against_keysto…> and groups like Media Matters <http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/01/08/watch-the-keystone-xl-jobs-myth-tha…> need no help explaining them. Here’s another reason why the pipeline shouldn’t be built: It’s a waste of money. First, plunging oil prices matter. A lot. They’ve sunk below $47 a barrel, losing more than half their value since last June. Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi declared a few weeks ago that he doesn’t care whether oil goes as low as $20 a barrel <http://oilpro.com/post/9223/mees-interview-saudi-oil-minister-ali-naimi>, a 16-year low <http://www.macrotrends.net/1369/crude-oil-price-history-chart>. It just might. By some estimates <http://www.technologyreview.com/news/533981/low-oil-prices-mean-keystone-pi…>, a barrel of oil must fetch at least $95 for profits to be extracted from Canada’s tar sands. It’s impossible <http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/outlook-grows-gloomier-for-oilpatch-with-no-…> to say when prices will rebound to that level or if companies will give up on that oil patch, leaving the Keystone XL without much (if any) heavy crude to move <http://finance.yahoo.com/news/keystone-still-necessary-oil-gasoline-0845581…> . Ultimately, there could be no oil to haul from Alberta to Louisiana to be refined <http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aswift/fact_checking_the_wapo_fact_ch.html> — or not <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/keystone-xl-debate-senate-114205.html>, if the U.S. scraps its ban on exporting crude — and then shipped to, say, China. More importantly, tar sands oil production may stop within a few years even if it does prove profitable. You see, global climate talks <http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/25/todd-stern-fossil-fuels-…> are heading in a direction that’s likely to result in countries and companies leaving large amounts of oil, gas, and coal in the ground. A new study <http://business.financialpost.com/2015/01/08/canada-seen-as-big-loser-if-wo…> published in the journal *Nature* spelled out where and what kind of fossil fuels would need to be left unexploited. Its authors predict that virtually all Canadian tar sands oil production will stop by 2020. If it’s built by then, there’d be nothing for the Keystone XL to transport. As a pipeline to nowhere, it would become a monument to wasting colossal sums of money on dirty-energy infrastructure. John Hoeven should listen to Maria van der Hoeven. If he did, he’d realize the benefits of losing this political battle. Columnist Emily Schwartz Greco is the managing editor of OtherWords <http://otherwords.org/>, a non-profit national editorial service run by the Institute for Policy Studies. OtherWords.org <http://otherwords.org/>. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club Military Outings Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle JUSTICE, ONLY JUSTICE, SHALT THOU PURSUE. Deuteronomy 16:20

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from High Country News: Why Keystone is a Goner
by Paul Wilson 14 Jan '15

14 Jan '15

Four reasons why Keystone is a gonerClimate change? Treaty rights? Sure, but the real killer is The Market. - PRINT <http://www.hcn.org/articles/four-reasons-why-keystone-is-a-goner/print_view> - SHARE <http://www.hcn.org/articles/four-reasons-why-keystone-is-a-goner/#> Mark Trahant <http://www.hcn.org/author_search?getAuthor=Mark%20Trahant&sort_on=Publicati…> Jan. 6, 2015Web Exclusive The new Republican Congress has promised to expedite legislation to promote the Keystone XL Pipeline. North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/keystone-bill-john-hoeven-113970.html…>is expected to unveil his bill as soon as Jan. 6. The House will quickly follow with a similar proposal. So do the supporters of the Keystone XL Pipeline have a deal? Or is the pipeline done, dead? Here are four reasons why the pipeline might never be built. *Four:* Politics. The new Congress, the Republicans, have always been in favor of this massive construction project. But the Obama administration has been timid, neither saying outright that they're opposed nor jumping on the "this creates jobs" bandwagon. That changes when the Republican Congress passes a bill. Any bill. My bet is that the President will veto the legislation. And if that happens, there are not enough votes for an override, according to New York Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/04/chuck-schumer-keystone-pipeline_n_…> *Three:* Climate change. The fact is that there is no way any politician can justify Keystone and still say it's time to take stronger action on global warming. As Bill McKibben's 350.org puts it: <http://350.org/campaigns/stop-keystone-xl/> "President Obama says that he will reject the pipeline if it poses a risk to the climate. That makes his decision simple: building a 800,000 barrel-per-day pipeline of the world's dirtiest oil will mean more tar sands dug up and burned, and more carbon pollution." This issue is becoming a scorecard for both parties, Republicans for and Democrats against. As we near an election year, that becomes even more important as groups rate candidates based on their votes. *Two:* The opposition remains firm. Tribes, environmental groups, ranchers and other opponents are continuing to press their case in a variety of forums. As Indian Country Today Media Network reported <http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/01/05/yankton-sioux-lead-fig…>this week a coalition of tribes continue to press their case against the project that would include Treaty lands. The Yankton Sioux Tribe promised "opposition and victory of unification which will not concede lands to a foreign entity or compromise the climate for generations to come." What's interesting is the technical nature of the challenges. In addition to conventional protests and prayer circles, the opposition is striking out against the permit process saying, among other things, that it's taken so long that the original permit is no longer relevant. (You got to love that one.) *And the most important reason:* The price of oil. In the State Department's assessment of the Keystone project there is a chapter on market conditions. "Over the long term, lower-than-expected oil prices could affect the outlook for oil sands production, and in certain scenarios higher transportation costs resulting from pipeline constraints could exacerbate the impacts of low prices," the report said. <http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/221147.pdf>"The primary assumptions required to create conditions under which production growth would slow due to transportation constraints include: that prices persist below current or most projected levels in the long run; and all new and expanded Canadian and cross-border pipeline capacity, beyond just the proposed Project, is not constructed. Above approximately $75 per barrel (West Texas Intermediate (WTI)-equivalent), revenues to oil sands producers are likely to remain above the long-run supply costs of most projects responsible for expected levels of oil sands production growth." That was then, when even $75 dollar a barrel oil seemed crazy. Yet this week the market price dropped below $50 per barrel. <http://www.bloomberg.com/energy/> The problem from the point of view of oil companies is that demand for oil is slowing at the same time that there is too much oil for sale. So there is a glut of oil, making a costly project like Keystone XL one that could be easily delayed for years. Already Canadian oil producers are debating canceling major projects in the Tar Sands region because the companies no longer have enough capital to pay for them. The National Post reports t <http://business.financialpost.com/2015/01/02/almost-60-billion-in-canadian-…>hat Canadian producers are canceling some $60 billion worth of projects and that the oil decline is seen along the lines of "the dark days of 1999." The price of oil is a game changer. Is it a sure thing? Of course not. But the first thing that large oil companies cut during oil price declines is capital projects. It's much easier to wait until the price climbs again and the math works in the company's favor. Republicans are hellbent on constructing this pipeline, except there might not be customers wanting to buy expensive tar sands oil. *Mark Trahant holds the Atwood Chair at the University of Alaska Anchorage <http://greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/blog/25863/mark-trahant-returns-uaas-atw…>. He is an independent journalist and a member of The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. For up-to-the-minute posts, download the free Trahant Reports app for your smart phone or tablet. <http://359ea8e0-d803-40d3-9f83-86e59f90cc5f.mobapp.at/landing/Desktop#.U9-B…>* -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club Military Outings Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle JUSTICE, ONLY JUSTICE, SHALT THOU PURSUE. Deuteronomy 16:20

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Fwd: [CONS-WILDLANDS-INFO] Obama env. legacy
by Paul Wilson 10 Jan '15

10 Jan '15

fyi, paul w. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Clayton Daughenbaugh <claytonhd(a)xmission.com> Date: Fri, Jan 9, 2015 at 10:59 AM Subject: [CONS-WILDLANDS-INFO] Obama env. legacy To: CONS-WILDLANDS-INFO(a)lists.sierraclub.org http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/column/spencer-black/spencer-black-oba… Spencer Black: Obama poised to become the environmental president *Spencer Black represented the 77th Assembly District for 26 years and was chair of the Natural Resources Committee. He currently serves as the vice president of the national Sierra Club and is an adjunct professor of urban and regional planning at UW-Madison.* Amid the happy rituals of the season, Christmas Eve this year also marked a sadder centennial. It was on Dec. 24, 1914, that the great environmentalist John Muir died. Muir, father of the national park system and founder of the Sierra Club, left a lasting environmental legacy. Now, 100 years after Muir's death, someone in many ways quite different than Muir is also creating an imposing environmental legacy. While he is not a reincarnation of Muir, Barack Obama is building a monumental environmental legacy. The president's greatest lasting impact may prove to be moving the nations of the world to finally address the climate crisis. For years, there has been an international logjam on climate while the threat to the well-being of future generations looms larger. Obama has used his executive authority to put America on track to significantly cut the greenhouse gas pollution that causes global warming. Obama's bold action led to a historic agreement with China, the world's biggest greenhouse polluter. The China-U.S. deal in turn set the stage for a preliminary international agreement reached in Lima in December. The nations of the world are convening in Paris later this year to finalize a pact. If Obama's climate initiative leads to a meaningful international agreement, Obama will rightfully secure his environmental legacy. The Obama climate initiative is wide reaching. He has encouraged clean energy, enacted strict conservation standards and used his authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon emissions from coal plants. His policy will double the fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks and for the first time impose emission standards on commercial trucks, vans and buses. His actions have helped lead to tripling the use of wind power to generate electricity and a 400 percent growth in solar energy. Obama has also used his authority under the Clean Air Act to significantly improve air quality by ordering the first-ever national limits for mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollutants from power plants as well as requiring a sharp reduction in smog pollution that crosses state lines. He has improved water quality by protecting millions of acres of wetlands and limiting water pollution from mountaintop removal coal mining. Using a Teddy Roosevelt-era law, the president created 13 new national monuments, protecting more than a million acres of biologically important public land, including the Organ Mountains in New Mexico and the San Gabriels in California. Additionally, he stopped uranium mining that threatened the Grand Canyon and blocked oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay, Alaska, one of our most pristine environments. Obama is well on his way to earning a place in history as the environmental president, despite unyielding opposition from the Republican Congress. To cement that legacy, he will have to act boldly. Some upcoming key decisions: Will he reject the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would transport dirty tar sands oil? Will he protect vulnerable public lands by declaring the Grand Canyon watershed and the Greater Canyonlands of Utah as national monuments? Will he veto environmentally destructive bills passed by a polluter-friendly Congress? Will enact tough rules to control methane, an extremely potent greenhouse pollutant? Time will tell, but perhaps Obama will be added to the list of environmental heroes alongside folks like Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir and Gaylord Nelson. Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/column/spencer-black/spencer-black-oba… - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-WILDLANDS-INFO list, send any message to: CONS-WILDLANDS-INFO-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club Military Outings Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle JUSTICE, ONLY JUSTICE, SHALT THOU PURSUE. Deuteronomy 16:20

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from Science Daily e-newsletter: Which fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground to avoid dangerous climate change?
by Paul Wilson 08 Jan '15

08 Jan '15

Which fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground to avoid dangerous climate change? <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/A-N…> Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:14 AM PST A third of oil reserves, half of gas reserves and over 80% of current coal reserves globally should remain in the ground and not be used before 2050 if global warming is to stay below the 2°C target agreed by policy makers, according to new research. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=A-N…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=A-N…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=A-N…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=A-N…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=A-N…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club Military Outings Project Healing Waters Fly-fishing 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Wind supplied 98% of Scotland's household Power in 2014 and other Amazing Green Energy Stories | Informed Comment
by William DePaulo 04 Jan '15

04 Jan '15

http://www.juancole.com/2015/01/supplied-scotlands-household.html William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301 Tel: 304-342-5588 Fax: 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

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Re: [EC] Pipeline Meetings Across WV ~ Water Events in Charleston Jan. 9
by frank young 03 Jan '15

03 Jan '15

To allow Dominion's proposed Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines to have sufficient volume of gas will apparently require yet another, but shorter, half-billion dollar pipeline project to connect all that to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Northern West Virginia. "Dominion Transmission, Inc. is proposing to construct and operate approximately 39 miles of natural gas pipeline and modify existing compression facilities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The project, referred to as the Supply Header Project, will provide natural gas supplies to various customers, allowing the transport of natural gas from supply areas in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to market areas in Virginia and North Carolina." "One of the main customers will be Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC - a joint venture composed of subsidiaries of Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and AGL Resources - which is proposing to construct the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. "New pipeline will primarily be constructed along existing pipeline rights of way and will include about four miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline in Westmoreland County, Pa., and 35 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline in Harrison, Doddridge, Tyler and Wetzel counties in West Virginia. The cost of the Supply Header Project will be about $500 million. "Modifications and facility upgrades will be made at Dominion's existing compressor stations in Westmoreland and Greene counties in Pennsylvania, and Marshall and Wetzel counties in West Virginia. These modifications will result in approximately 75,000 horsepower of additional compression." Pre-Filing Open Houses - January 26 and 27, 2015 Monday, January 26 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. Doddridge County, WV Doddridge County Park County Route 50/16 West Union, WV 26456 Tuesday, January 27 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. Westmoreland County, PA Franklin Regional Middle School Cafeteria 4660 Old William Penn Highway Murrysville, PA 15668 https://www.dom.com/corporate/what-we-do/natural-gas/supply-header-project Frank From: Chuck Wyrostok [mailto:wyro@appalight.com] Sent: Friday, January 02, 2015 8:36 PM To: Chuck Wyrostok Subject: Pipeline Meetings Across WV ~ Water Events in Charleston Jan. 9 Upcoming Community Meetings on the Proposed Methane Gas Pipelines Monday, Jan 6 (6 pm) Lewis Theater, Lewisburg, WV (Greenbrier Co.) Please join us at the Lewis Theater (113 North Court St. Lewisburg, WV 24901) for a presentation by Elise Keaton with the Greenbrier River Watershed Association and lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates who will answer questions related to landowner rights regarding the proposed Mountain Valley and Appalachian Connector Pipelines. Tuesday, Jan 7 (6 pm) Craigsville Senior Center, Craigsville, WV (Nicholas Co.) Please join the Greenbrier River Watershed Association at the Craigsville Senior Center (35 Library Rd., Craigsville WV) for a presentation and update on the proposed Mountain Valley and Appalachian Connector Pipelines. Lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates will also be there to discuss landowner rights and answer questions from concerned community members. Saturday, Jan 17 (2 pm) Jackson Mill WV Building, Weston, WV (Lewis Co.) Please join the Greenbrier River Watershed Association as Elise Keaton presents an update on the proposed Mountain Valley, Appalachian Connector and Atlantic Coast Pipelines. Lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates will also be there to discuss landowner rights and answer questions from concerned community members. To get up-to-date information about scheduled meetings please visit www.mareproject.org Through January, the companies proposing the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will be hosting Open Houses throughout West Virginia. Here is a chance to confront company reps with your concerns and questions. Here are links to their schedules: Mountain Valley Pipeline Open House Schedule <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001FNSPRFfiVUT91sp_oyhigxTf5NWByY1CV09xAxGqu1G4 GayZpJkJsSxWnTUmDupMPqaULhGa1Rn_Q59Rng7IeMnUq_V8xZytPcqUA8KzxpF8S46CJyNpBD4W lWQguMGNAd7e3I7o-mmtz-zRjLZQbQRWJ8wNrbXT_WGJIZDXrdex1VE1RvvuyMld8be5X2LY28rU 51hC9X6ffQy9N7thdA==&c=ZBcG7rN5xr6sBLSSZVejynGgPi7eWz34vAM5zaAKXz1CfH67hey7A Q==&ch=C2t8FmqjVXwTI57ifDNvMt6uboMZAQeNNueV70agEqrQbBfQEizXFg==> Atlantic Coast Pipeline Open House Schedule <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001FNSPRFfiVUT91sp_oyhigxTf5NWByY1CV09xAxGqu1G4 GayZpJkJsSxWnTUmDupMMFVFFW_Ah1wvDltArQ9Y_W5-3cun0dmcdCLI7MzSLQeg4sjO0JrSwCzr 3KbEG-T-Po3klpbE16MmSlxt-whA2_WWsByP7nGEYORzNrnyUD_aqeSu3076Ge-jDv6-oZldX6vP TTL-odD41Bl3w-ImjU1V-5dYE5Vrs-gDN1YfzchchVj4FkfktxEZWveaEe6N&c=ZBcG7rN5xr6sB LSSZVejynGgPi7eWz34vAM5zaAKXz1CfH67hey7AQ==&ch=C2t8FmqjVXwTI57ifDNvMt6uboMZA QeNNueV70agEqrQbBfQEizXFg==> (scroll down and click on "Open Houses and Public Meetings") Many community members are interested in meeting before the Open Houses. For more information please contact elise(a)greenbrier.org 304-647-4792 In addition, there is a Pre-Filing Open House on the so-called Supply Header Project - January 26 - in Doddridge County, which they bill as an "Informational event to share Project details with stakeholders, answer stakeholder questions, and gather information on local stakeholder issues and concerns". Monday, January 26, 5-7:30pm Doddridge County Park County Route 50/16 West Union, WV One Year Anniversary of the Elk River Chemical Leak When/Where: January 9, 2015, events from 3pm until 9pm in and around the WV Culture Center on the State Capitol Grounds. All events are free of charge and open to the public, and are organized by active members of the WV Safe Water Roundtable. 3-5pm: Citizen Education Workshops at the WV Culture Center Two 2-hour free workshops sponsored by the <http://www.wvrivers.org/> West Virginia Rivers Coalition that will inform everyone about clean water issues and give them the tools and support to get involved. The schedule: - 3-3:15 Overview of WV Safe Water Roundtable - 3:15-4:15 Citizen Advocacy Training - 4:15-5:00 Water Policy Issues Update 5-6:15 p.m. Dignitary Remarks and Networking Reception at the WV Culture Center Invited dignitaries include Sen. Joe Manchin III, Sen.-elect Shelley Moore Capito, Rep. David McKinley, Rep.-elect Alex Mooney, Rep.-elect Evan Jenkins, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, DEP Sec. Randy Huffman, Incoming Bureau for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Rahul Gupta, Sen. Bill Cole, Del. Tim Armstead, Charleston-area outgoing and incoming legislative members. Refreshments will be served. 6:30-7:15pm Honoring the Waters Interfaith Vigil One-Year Anniversary Candlelight Vigil at the Kanawha River in front of the WV State Capitol. 7:30-8pm Reception In the WV Culture Center, vigil participants and filmgoers gather. 8-9 p.m. Screening of Elk River Blues Documentary A world premiere of the documentary film by Mike Youngren features West Virginians' response to systemic failures that continue to threaten our water. Film sponsored by the <http://www.wvrivers.org/> West Virginia Rivers Coalition and the <http://uucharlestonwv.org/> Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston in the WV Culture Center Theater. For more information: Facebook page for January 9 candlelight vigil: https://www.facebook.com/events/576376669160371/ Facebook page for January: A Month of Water: https://www.facebook.com/events/755859164500031/ About a Month of Water The events on January 9, held to mark the one year anniversary of the Elk River chemical leak, kick-off "January: A Month of Water." Visit the "Events" tab at www.ourwaterwv.org <http://www.ourwaterwv.org/> for details on upcoming events. Chuck Wyrostok Outreach Organizer Sierra Club, WV Chapter T: 877 252 0257 E. outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com www.marcellus-wv.com <http://www.marcellus-wv.com/> Water is Life...Keep It Clean _____ <http://www.avast.com/> Image removed by sender. This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com <http://www.avast.com/>

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ICYMI re Marcellus drilling.....
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 02 Jan '15

02 Jan '15

Natural gas glut puts brakes on West Virginia's boom times*Posted: Dec 29, 2014 8:09 AM EST**Updated: Dec 29, 2014 8:09 AM EST* <http://wvstate.images.worldnow.com/images/595593_G.JPG> - Energy - - Upshur County Marks 9th Anniversary of Sago Mine Disaster <http://www.statejournal.com/story/27747221/upshur-county-marks-9th-annivers…> - Cliffs completes sale of Logan County Coal assets to Coronado Coal for $174M <http://www.statejournal.com/story/27536308/cliffs-sells-logan-county-coal-a…> - Wheeling Power acquires 50 percent of Mitchell Power Plant in $550 million agreement <http://www.statejournal.com/story/27731291/wheeling-power-acquires-50-perce…> - Alpha sells Pa. coal subsidiary to Rosebud Mining for $86m <http://www.statejournal.com/story/27729675/alpha-sells-pa-coal-subsidiary-t…> - Murray Energy expands Marshall County coal preparation plant <http://www.statejournal.com/story/27722005/murray-energy-expands-marshall-c…> More>> <http://www.statejournal.com/category/222501/energy> By Daniel Tyson Register-Herald / For the West Virginia Press Association Scattered along the western part of Tyler County are newly quiet natural gas drilling rigs, their pumps no longer moving up and down like a 24/7 see-saw. Truck traffic rumbling through here, and jack breaks thumping loud enough to disturb the circuit court and commissioners meetings, have slowed. At restaurants here and 12 miles away in Sistersville, business is down. The county's only hotel has witnessed a decline in oil field worker occupancy, one major account having canceled rooms for the winter. "It is not dead yet, but it is slowing down considerably," Charles Winslow, owner of the Historic Wells Inn in Sistersville, said of the recent natural gas production decline. Across central West Virginia something very strange is happening. The economy is still booming because of natural gas, but virtually all the fracking crews have packed up and gone home for the winter. The roustabouts were told sometime in November “don't call us, we'll call you” as a glut of cheap natural gas could send prices to a 10-year low. So what is going on? The answer depends on who is speaking. Lower natural gas prices and the glut in the Appalachian basin has some companies reporting surging production, while sending employees home for the winter with instructions to return in the spring. The simple answer is that natural gas prices, for six to eight months of this year, have been $1 to $2 below the national benchmark of approximately $4 per million British thermal units. Lower prices have not hurt many of the big players or forced them to dial back production. However, it has hurt smaller operators. If prices decline to around $2 per million British thermal units, everyone from the big players to the independent operators — who most likely would not survive such rock-bottom prices — would feel the effect, analysts and executives said. Production is increasing because energy companies are discovering more efficient and cheaper ways to extract natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation. Drillers rarely have an advantage. They were able to lease land and sign good deals on pipeline usage without going deeply into debt. This allows them to survive another couple of years of oversupply and near basement-level prices, analysts predicted before Christmas. Some companies have not had to worry about the economics of their wells. During third-quarter earnings calls with reporters and analysts over the past two weeks, many companies said they still got bargain price deals from long-term contracts or agreements on pipelines that ship to more profitable markets. Range Resources, Southwestern and Consol Energy and some other drillers said they can maintain a growth phase despite the lack of pipelines. “There's going to be sort of a survival of the fittest occurring on who has liquidity and who has the acreage position to stay on the production ramps,” Consol's CEO Nick Deluliis told reporters during a recent conference call. “Not everyone's going to be able to do that, so there will be a supply response. We've seen it many, many times and I don't think this time will be any different.” Another factor is Wall Street. Hedge funds are dumping bullish natural gas positions as a slow start to winter signals a return to the 2012 supply glut. This month alone, natural gas prices have dipped 23 percent, heading for the biggest monthly tumble since 2008, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Surging production and milder weather this year created a record stockpile. “If heating demand doesn't start to pick up, we're going to be below $3 by the end of January," John Kalduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, a New York-based hedge fund that focuses on energy, told a Pittsburgh business journal. “Supplies are formidable.” Natural gas for January delivery went for $3.144 per million British thermal units during trading Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The Exchange, closed on Christmas, was down 32 cents and at the lowest price since Jan. 9, 2013. Gas inventories total 3.295 trillion cubic feet as of Dec. 12, according to federal data, 47 billion cubic feet more than a year earlier. The surplus will “balloon to just shy of 200 billion cubic feet” by the start of 2015, the EIA statistics show. Temperatures currently may be above normal in the eastern part of the U.S., but around New Year's Day they will become seasonal. An early outlook by the Commodity Weather Group shows colder-than-average weather in the eastern half of the country starting in January. The EIA estimates that nearly half of American homes use gas for heating, which could pull the industry out of the slump if this winter mirrors last year's.

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EC January 2015