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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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Re: [EC] AREPS (was: (E&E)Some states use laws and rules to slow growth of renewable energy
by James Kotcon 29 Dec '14

29 Dec '14

??I did not get very much feedback when I first sent this around last week, so I am trying again. At this point, I have about two votes each for Option 1 and 2, and no votes from the other 20+ people on these lists, so I don't feel like there is a consensus yet. Has anyone spoken to any Republican about the proposed repeal? I am leaning toward option # 2, and would preface our approach by saying that we counted votes to repeal AREPS as "anti-environment" in our 2013-14 scorecard, but would not do so in 2015 if the repeal legislation preserved net-metering. Anyone else want to weigh in on the Options below? Options: 1) We could oppose any effort to repeal the AREPS? It is the best we have, and improving it later might be easier than bringing it back, once it is repealed. 2) We might acquiesce in the repeal provided that they retain the net metering provision. 3) We might support a repeal for small utilities only, pointing out that large utilities really don't have to do anything to comply. ________________________________ From: James Kotcon Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 10:34 AM To: Vickie Wolfe Cc: Connigl(a)aol.com Subject: Re: AREPS (was: (E&E)Some states use laws and rules to slow growth of renewable energy ?Attached are the reports filed by AEP and FE. The formats differ, but in both, Exhibit # 3 illustrates their future plans. Neither of these utilities has any need for new renewable energy generation until after 2030. If we did not have to work with them, it would be fun to go on the offensive and call the claim that the AREPS hurts coal a bald-faced lie. But I would recommend we bite our tongue, try to talk to the Republican leadership first and try to appear reasonable and based in reality. Perhaps we could tell them we want to do them a favor by preventing them from appearing unhinged, irresponsible, and hysterical. JBK

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Natural gas prices below $3.00 per MMBTU
by James Kotcon 26 Dec '14

26 Dec '14

?Lowest prices since 2012. An unseasonably warm December coupled with record supplies means prices have fallen 30 % since October. While not yet at the point where it is cheaper than coal, that price shift in 2012 triggered a massive shift by electric generators to gas, resulting in plunging coal prices and broken contracts. While temperatures are supposed to return to "seasonal norms" next week, a warm winter would put more downward pressure on gas prices. This will be an important point to make as the Republicans and DINOs in the WV Legislature try to boost coal production. JBK http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-26/natural-gas-futures-drop-below-3-f… Natural Gas Drops Below $3 for First Time Since 2012 - Bloomberg Natural gas slumped below $3 per million British thermal units in New York for the first time since 2012 on speculation that record production will overwhelm demand for the heating fuel. Read more...<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-26/natural-gas-futures-drop-below-3-f…> http://finance.yahoo.com/news/natural-gas-prices-plunge-mild-193800337.html… [http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/6rik6AZwuPGCiADf_9dhPQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7…]<http://finance.yahoo.com/news/natural-gas-prices-plunge-mild-193800337.html…> Natural gas prices plunge in mild winter - Yahoo Finance >From Yahoo Finance: Heating bills across the United States are falling this winter as unusually warm temperatures in the Eastern United States have crimped demand for natural gas as a source of heat. The diminished demand ... Read more...<http://finance.yahoo.com/news/natural-gas-prices-plunge-mild-193800337.html…> http://www.cnbc.com/id/102289402 [http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2014/12/22…]<http://www.cnbc.com/id/102289402> Nat gas collapses-'This is panic selling' Call it the perfect nonstorm. Mild weather forecasts, a supply surplus and a general energy market swoon are crushing natural gas on Monday. Read more...<http://www.cnbc.com/id/102289402>

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Horizontal well drill waste rules passed
by James Kotcon 21 Dec '14

21 Dec '14

?Barbara has been our hero on this one. Watch for it to come back in January. JBK http://thedpost.com/Horizontal-well-drill-waste-rule TheDPost.com - Horizontal well drill waste rules passed Horizontal well drill waste rules passed- CHARLESTON - Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, succeeded this week in slightly beefing up proposed Department of Environmental Protection rules to govern horizontal well drill cutting waste dumped in certain municipal landfills. The... Read more...<http://thedpost.com/Horizontal-well-drill-waste-rule> Horizontal well drill waste rules passed David Beard TheDPost.com CHARLESTON - Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, succeeded this week in slightly beefing up proposed Department of Environmental Protection rules to govern horizontal well drill cutting waste dumped in certain municipal landfills. The rules stem from HB 107, passed during a special session in March, allowing the DEP to approve certain commercial landfills to receive drill cuttings and drilling waste above their monthly tonnage limits, provided they place the cuttings in separate, specially designed and lined cells. The Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee has been working with the DEP on the rules and expects to deliver them to the full Legislature for approval after the session begins in January. The committee approved two of Fleischauer's three proposed amendments, rejecting one dealing with radiation. The first deals with toxins in the waste. The rule includes a list and members OK'd Fleishauer's proposal to add toulene and xylene. The second deals with leachate from the liner. Fleischauer added quarterly testing for toxins to certify the liner's integrity.

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Fwd: Koch Bros., AFP come to Richmond to kill climate protections!
by James Kotcon 19 Dec '14

19 Dec '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Glen Besa <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Thu, Dec 18, 2014 at 5:45 PM Subject: Koch Bros., AFP come to Richmond to kill climate protections! To: CONS-FRED(a)lists.sierraclub.org --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi folks, See what we are up against below. This letter went out to VA legislators today. Their RASP Act is attached. Glen *MEMORANDIUM* *To:* Members of the Virginia General Assembly *From:* Sean Lansing, State Director of Americans for Prosperity-Virginia *Re:* RASP Act *Date: *Thursday, December 18, 2014 ------------------------------ Dear Members of the General Assembly: On behalf of more than 70,000 Americans for Prosperity activists living in Virginia, I encourage you to support efforts to push back against the overreaching Environmental Protection Agency. The new proposed carbon emissions rule from President Obama's EPA will amount to a federal takeover of the electricity system. EPA proposes that Virginia cut power sector CO2 emissions by 43 percent from 2012 levels by 2030, which will threaten jobs and energy affordability here in our state. That's why I'm writing to urge you to support the Reliable, Affordable, and Safe Power (RASP) Act. This legislation takes a number of common sense steps to protect families and businesses in Virginia from harm brought on by the regulations. First, this legislation prohibits our state from submitting or implementing a State Implementation Plan until the legal questions surrounding the new rules are resolved. This will prevent Virginia from wasting precious resources until EPA’s legal authority is clear. Second, it would empower state legislatures, who are accountable to the people, to approve or deny the state implementation plan before it is submitted to the EPA. Lastly, it includes several provisions that instruct the state agencies developing the plans to ensure that it will protect the affordability and reliability of the state electricity system for its citizens. This legislation also enjoys broad support from conservative organizations. AFP is proud to lead a large coalition of organizations in supporting the the RASP Act, which is online here <http://americansforprosperity.org/article/coalition-supports-state-resoluti…> . I urge you and your colleagues to support this important legislation and protect Virginia families from the harmful impact of these new proposed EPA rules. I look forward to working with you over this upcoming session. Sincerely, Sean Lansing State Director AFP-Virginia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

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AREPS data
by James Kotcon 18 Dec '14

18 Dec '14

?I finally tracked down the reports to the PSC regarding utility compliance with the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (AREPS). The AREPS requires utilities to hold "credits" for each MWh sold in WV. In essence that means that 10 % of their electricity must come from alternative and renewable sources by 2015, rising to 15 % by 2020, and 25 % by 2025. Republican legislators have pledged to repeal this Act in 2015. Sounds pretty aggressive right? But up to 10 % of their required credits can come from natural gas, another 10 % from supercritical coal (Fort Martin, Harrison, John Amos, etc.). Unlimited credits can come from coal-fired fluidized bed boilers such as MEA or Grant Town, or from pumped storage facilities, or from burning tires, or from coal with IGCC or CCS. Because utilities get 2 credits per MWh for electricity from wind or hydro, these sources are "favored", but it also means that they need less wind or hydro to meet their demand. Based on the data in their filings, it appears that First Energy (Mon Power and Potomac Edison) is getting most of their credits from fluidized bed boilers such as Grant Town and MEA. They do claim something just under 20 % from a hydropower facility at New Martinsville. But because excess credits can be "banked" for later use, it appears that First Energy would not need to acquire ANY new renewables until after 2035. AEP (ApCo and Wheeling Power) gets a lot from four wind farms they acquired, and from hydro (including pumped storage). Their supply is not quite as robust as FE, as they start drawing down banked credits after 2020. But they also would not need new renewable credits until after 2030. I conclude that, although the utilities are actually using some renewables to meet their AREPS requirements, these are almost all existing facilities. No NEW renewables would be needed before 2030, at the earliest. One other note, the PSC filings included compliance reports from five small utilities in WV (e.g., Harrison electric coop, Philippi, New Martinsville, etc.) Some of these will have to acquire "credits", and the purchase of these in future years may run into the tens of thousands of dollars, so that is a potentially significant burden. In addition, Bill Howley pointed out that the AREPS is the only place in state code that establishes net metering. Any attempt to repeal AREPS in its entirety could also eliminate net metering. (This might be considered a regulatory "takings" for those home-owners who bout solar panels or wind mills on the assumption that the utilities would help pay them back, so that is an argument we might explore.) Options: 1) We could oppose any effort to repeal the AREPS? It is the best we have, and improving it later might be easier than bringing it back, once it is repealed. 2) We might acquiesce in the repeal provided that they retain the net metering provision. 3) We might support a repeal for small utilities only, pointing out that large utilities really don't have to do anything to comply. Whaddya Tink? Jim Kotcon

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Fw: Interesting Article for Context on IRP Planning
by James Kotcon 17 Dec '14

17 Dec '14

?More from Danny. JBK

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Fw: IRP vs. EERS: There's one clear winner among state energy efficiency policies
by James Kotcon 17 Dec '14

17 Dec '14

?Great study out of ACEEE comparing state policies. An EERS clearly produces more EE investment, more energy saved, and better cost savings per customer than an IRP. An IRP alone rarely produces much, although it can be helpful if it includes rate de-coupling and other incentives, especially if it helps utilities meet an EERS (some states have both). Read more below. JBK ________________________________ From: Mark Kresowik <mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 2:36 PM To: Bill Price; Daniel Chiotos; James Kotcon; David Muhly; David W. Sturm Subject: Fwd: IRP vs. EERS: There's one clear winner among state energy efficiency policies Interesting take from ACEEE ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "ACEEE News" <aceeenews(a)aceee.org<mailto:aceeenews@aceee.org>> Date: Dec 16, 2014 11:42 AM Subject: IRP vs. EERS: There's one clear winner among state energy efficiency policies To: <mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:mark.kresowik@sierraclub.org>> Cc: [logo] ACEEE BLOG POST Media Contact: Patrick Kiker pkiker(a)aceee.org<mailto:pkiker@aceee.org>, (202) 507-4043 IRP vs. EERS: There's one clear winner among state energy efficiency policies By Martin Kushler, Senior Fellow With Ohio<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…> and Indiana<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…> having recently made major changes to their utility energy efficiency policy, and other states like Florida<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…> and Arizona<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…> considering it, this is an important time to review the evidence about the relative effectiveness of state policies designed to encourage cost-effective energy efficiency. States have embraced energy efficiency policies because the energy savings result in lower customer energy bills, investments in the local economy, improved reliability, and reduced emissions. But not all efficiency policies are equally effective at delivering results, so let's take a closer look at two commonly touted policies for achieving energy efficiency as a utility system resource: integrated resource planning (IRP) and energy efficiency resource standards (EERS<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…>). ACEEE has examined the relationship between these two widely utilized state energy efficiency policies and their outcomes on efficiency. The two key indicators we used to measure performance are spending on energy efficiency programs ($ as a percent of utility revenues) and annual electricity savings achieved (kWh<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…> as a percent of annual sales). We drew upon data on customer-funded energy efficiency programs from the recently released ACEEE State Energy Efficiency Scorecard<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…> and supplemented that data with information from Synapse and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…>, and Pamela Morgan<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…>. It is important to note that every state has a unique mix of circumstances and traditions, as well as a mix of particular individuals in leadership positions at utilities and state government. These factors influence the performance of energy efficiency policies in any particular state. Nevertheless, we believe it is instructive to look at how patterns of performance vary across many states under different policy conditions. These results will be presented and discussed in more detail in a report to be released early next year, but here are our top-line observations... To continue reading the blog post, visit: http://aceee.org/blog/2014/12/irp-vs-eers-there-s-one-clear-winner-<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001isYeK1dbZTwih7-myTESlNExPgalEzWWNIhdn8-pHm4S…> About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit aceee.org<http://aceee.org>. ### Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=4rt7cun6&m=1011065179711&ea=m…> [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/SafeUnsubscribe_Footer_Logo_N…]<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001vfp2I8x5D_0Nl7ICqtN-YA%3D%3…> This email was sent to mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:mark.kresowik@sierraclub.org> by aceeenews(a)aceee.org<mailto:aceeenews@aceee.org> | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001vfp2I8x5D_0Nl7ICqtN-YA%3D%3…> | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001vfp2I8x5D_0Nl7ICqtN-YA%3D%3…>(tm) | Privacy Policy<http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. ACEEE | 529 14th Street., N.W. | Suite 600 | Washington | DC | 20045

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New article to explain climate denial
by James Kotcon 14 Dec '14

14 Dec '14

?This provides very interesting insights into how to talk to climate deniers, and it questions some of our current approaches. Enjoy. JBK http://www.vox.com/2014/4/6/5556462/brain-dead-how-politics-makes-us-stupid [https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zFR3s_x08FFQsqDVyAFCULyfTuM=/0x149:2040x12…]<http://www.vox.com/2014/4/6/5556462/brain-dead-how-politics-makes-us-stupid> How politics makes us stupid - Vox There's a simple theory underlying much of American politics. It sits hopefully at the base of almost every speech, every op-ed, every article, and every panel discussion. It courses through the... Read more...<http://www.vox.com/2014/4/6/5556462/brain-dead-how-politics-makes-us-stupid>

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Chesapeake Bay region streams are warming
by Paul Wilson 09 Dec '14

09 Dec '14

may be worth considering during your meeting on Friday.... Chesapeake Bay region streams are warming <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/aVf…> Posted: 08 Dec 2014 11:57 AM PST The majority of streams in the Chesapeake Bay region are warming, and that increase appears to be driven largely by rising air temperatures, research has concluded. Researchers found an overall warming trend in air temperature of 0.023 C (0.041 F) per year, and in water temperature of 0.028 C (0.050 F) per year over 51 years. This means that air temperature has risen 1.1 C (1.98 F), and water temperature has risen 1.4 C (2.52 F) between 1960 and 2010 in the Chesapeake Bay region. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=aVf…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=aVf…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=aVf…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=aVf…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=aVf…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FRACKING. IT'S FUCKING BRILLIANT
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 07 Dec '14

07 Dec '14

FRACKING. IT'S FUCKING BRILLIANT <https://vimeo.com/113010398> -- 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

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Fw: NYT investigates ties between energy corporations and state GOP AGs
by James Kotcon 07 Dec '14

07 Dec '14

?Very Interesting article detailing the influence of the energy industry on the Republican Attorneys General. JBK ________________________________ From: West Virginia News Service (WVNS) <wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org> Sent: Saturday, December 6, 2014 7:42 PM Subject: NYT investigates ties between energy corporations and state GOP AGs Includes a bit part by ALEC and WV AG Patrick Morrisey. Energy Firms in Secretive Alliance With Attorneys General<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/us/politics/energy-firms-in-secretive-all…> -- [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/wvns_logo.png]<http://wvns.publicnewsservice.org> West Virginia News Service Toll-free: 1-800-317-6705 Email: wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org<mailto:wvns@publicnewsservice.org> Fax: 1-208-247-1830 www.publicnewsservice.org<http://www.publicnewsservice.org> [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/twitter_icon.…]<http://www.twitter.com/PNS_WV> [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/facebook_icon…] <http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService>

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Toward a low-cost 'artificial leaf' that produces clean hydrogen fuel
by Paul Wilson 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

Toward a low-cost 'artificial leaf' that produces clean hydrogen fuel <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/m-b…> Posted: 03 Dec 2014 08:11 AM PST For years, scientists have been pursuing 'artificial leaf' technology, a green approach to making hydrogen fuel that copies plants' ability to convert sunlight into a form of energy they can use. Now, one team reports progress toward a stand-alone system that lends itself to large-scale, low-cost production. They created a nanowire mesh design. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=m-b…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=m-b…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=m-b…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=m-b…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=m-b…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Check out the WVU Daily Athenaeum today
by James Kotcon 03 Dec '14

03 Dec '14

?Front-page story and photo of SSC's very own Grant Speer! JBK http://www.thedaonline.com/news/article_e5fb01fa-7aa8-11e4-a4ee-b7e9f8a6fff… [http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thedaonline.com/content/tncms/a…]<http://www.thedaonline.com/news/article_e5fb01fa-7aa8-11e4-a4ee-b7e9f8a6fff…> Mining student compares coal, natural gas - The Daily Athenaeum Online: News The Sierra Student Coalition, a student branch of The Sierra Club - the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization - held a presentation Tuesday. The lecture compared the economic impacts of coal energy and energy created by natural gas on the mining industry, along with the potential future benefits of solar energy. Read more...<http://www.thedaonline.com/news/article_e5fb01fa-7aa8-11e4-a4ee-b7e9f8a6fff…>

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Fwd: Fracking to be permitted in GW National Forest
by Paul Wilson 18 Nov '14

18 Nov '14

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org> Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2014 at 9:26 AM Subject: Fracking to be permitted in GW National Forest To: "birthplaceofrivers(a)tws.org" <birthplaceofrivers(a)tws.org> Threat hook… Fracking to be permitted in GW National Forest By BROCK VERGAKIS Associated PressNovember 18, 2014 [image: National Forest-Fracking] In this May 10, 2013 photo, Lynn Cameron of Mount Crawford, Va., looks out at the view while hiking the Mines Run Trail, on Shenandoah Mountain, Va., which is in the George Washington National Forest in Rockingham County, Va. Over the objection of environmental groups and Virginia’s governor, a federal management plan released Tuesday will allow a form of natural gas drilling known as fracking to occur in parts of the George Washington National Forest, the largest national forest on the East Coast. NIKKI FOX — AP NORFOLK, Va. — Over the objection of environmental groups and Virginia's governor, a federal management plan released Tuesday will allow a form of natural gas drilling known as fracking to occur in parts of the largest national forest on the East Coast. The U.S. Forest Service originally planned to ban fracking in the 1.1 million-acre George Washington National Forest, but energy companies cried foul after a draft of the plan was released in 2011. It would have been the first outright ban on the practice in a national forest. "We think we've ended up in a much better place, which is we are allowing oil and gas drilling," Robert Bonnie, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's undersecretary for natural resources and environment, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "From a policy perspective, the Forest Service allows fracking on forest lands throughout the country. We didn't want to make a policy decision or change policy related to fracking. This decision is about where it's appropriate to do oil and gas leasing." Land in national forests is commonly leased out for commercial and recreational purposes, such as mining, timber, and skiing. The plan also addresses timber acreage, wildlife habitat and waterways. Under the new plan, which is subject to appeal, drilling will only be permitted on 167,000 acres where there are existing private mineral rights and on about 10,000 acres that are already leased to oil and gas companies. The leased acreage is in Highland County, while the private mineral rights are scattered throughout the forest. Many local government officials near the forest objected to allowing any drilling, and in September, Gov. Terry McAuliffe told the inaugural meeting of a climate change panel that he wouldn't allow fracking in the forest as long as he was governor. Ken Arney, a regional manager for the U.S. Forest Service whose area includes the George Washington National Forest, had the final word on the plan. It is the first time the management plan has been updated since 1993. Among other things, it eliminates the potential for oil and gas leases on 985,000 acres where it was previously allowed. Arney said local objections led to that decision. The forest is located in Virginia, although about 100,000 acres of it extend into West Virginia. Bonnie said energy companies could already have been drilling on the land they're leasing, but nobody has wanted to. "The economic value of these reserves is very low. We've had very little interest on oil and gas on the forest," Bonnie said. The decision was highly anticipated by environmentalists and the energy industry because about half the national forest sits atop the Marcellus shale formation. The formation is home to a vast deposit of natural gas running from upstate New York to West Virginia and yields more than $10 billion worth of gas annually. A sliver of the formation extends into northwest Virginia. The Forest Service said before any drilling in the forest occurs, additional environmental analysis and opportunities for public comment would occur. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a drilling technique to extract oil and gas from the shale by injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sand or gravel, and chemicals. Environmental groups fear the drilling would pollute mountain streams that directly provide drinking water to about 260,000 people in the Shenandoah Valley. Another 2.7 million people in Northern Virginia and Washington rely upon the forest for a portion of their water supply. An industry group, The American Petroleum Institute, has said hydraulic fracturing can be done safely and that the drilling poses no risk to groundwater. The science on the impact of fracking has not been conclusive. Besides fears that drilling and its waste would foul pristine mountain streams, opponents have also argued that the trucks, wells and other infrastructure that would come with gas drilling are incompatible with the forest's primary attractions of hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, tourism and its abundant wildlife. The forest includes a section of the Appalachian Trail and attracts more than 1 million visitors annually. It is also home to the headwaters of the James and Potomac rivers, which feed into the Chesapeake Bay. The estuary is amid a multibillion-dollar, multistate restoration directed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/11/18/3819522_fracking-to-be-permitted-in-gw.h… -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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WVU Shale Gas Research Center
by James Kotcon 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

Some of you may recall legislative efforts to create this at WVU. See news release below. JBK? WVU creates the first-ever field laboratory for the long-term study of shale gas resources - As the Appalachian Region feels the impact of the burgeoning shale-energy industry, a consortium of researchers and industrial partners led by West Virginia University, with the assistance of The Ohio State University, will conduct the first-ever long-term, comprehensive field study of a natural resource that has changed the country's - and the world's - energy supply. The five-year, $11 million agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy will allow the research team to create and manage the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory, a field site and dedicated research laboratory at the Morgantown Industrial Park. Together with the DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory and Northeast Natural Energy - a Charleston-based private oil and natural gas company that owns and operates the site - the lab will engage a unique and diverse team of geoscientists, hydrologists, engineers, ecologists, social scientists and public health professionals. The team will identify and demonstrate technologies required for best practices in environmentally responsible shale development, from drilling to completion through production. Additionally, the lab will offer real-world education and training for undergraduate and graduate students to address the complex technical, environmental and social issues surrounding unconventional energy development and production. "To date, there has been no comprehensive long-term field study that addresses baseline measurements, subsurface development and environmental monitoring with unconventional resource development," said Timothy Carr, WVU's Marshall Miller professor of geology, principal investigator of the award and director of the lab. - See more at: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/11/06/wvu-creates-the-first-ever-field-labor… [http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/resources/1/1415305013_md.jpg]<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/11/06/wvu-creates-the-first-ever-field-labor…> WVU creates the first-ever field laboratory for the long-term study of shale gas resources WVUToday, *the* source for news and information regarding West Virginia University. Read more...<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/11/06/wvu-creates-the-first-ever-field-labor…>

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter; Renewable energy support programs: New studies examine how and when they work
by Paul Wilson 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

Renewable energy support programs: New studies examine how and when they work <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/36J…> Posted: 05 Nov 2014 08:23 AM PST Scientists have quantitatively analyzed the effects of various schemes to support renewable energy generation and, consequently, to reduce carbon emissions and end fossil fuel dependence. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=36J…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=36J…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=36J…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=36J…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=36J…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] WEBINAR: How we can increase clean energy in the Southeast through EPA's Clean Power Plan
by Paul Wilson 05 Nov '14

05 Nov '14

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Angela Garrone <angela(a)cleanenergy.org> Date: Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 9:46 AM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] WEBINAR: How we can increase clean energy in the Southeast through EPA's Clean Power Plan To: Tennessee-News <TENNESSEE-NEWS(a)lists.sierraclub.org> <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tSd31qHw9roZUPYf8OruRrR8KEi…> [image: Save the Date] *WEBINAR* *The Clean Power Plan and the Southeast: How to Advocate for Clean Energy Solutions* *We invite you to join us November 14, 2014 at 1:00 PM ET * *for an exciting discussion.* [image: Register Today!] <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=GYjsU0o6XzSJBIBaL2iMjhDZivC…> The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) continues its webinar series with a presentation on the EPA's Clean Power Plan. On June 2nd the Environmental Protection Agency released proposed standards for the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants, under section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, called the Clean Power Plan. This webinar follows our June webinar explaining the basics of the Clean Power Plan and will go into more detail on the specific requirements of the proposal and explain how the public can submit comments on the proposed rule in order to ensure it is successful in reducing dangerous carbon dioxide emissions. SACE staff will explain the renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities available in the Southeast and discuss how you can help push EPA and our Southeastern states to adopt clean energy compliance solutions for the Clean Power Plan. To register, please visit our webinar sign-up page <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2B9B5xsv5CU9vHWjiT6iDURDZi…>, and don’t forget to mark *November 14, 2014, 1:00 p.m. ET on your calendar!* ------------------------------ *Title:* The Clean Power Plan and the Southeast: How to Advocate for Clean Energy Solutions *Date:* Friday, November 14, 2014 Ti*me:* 1:00 p.m. ET ------------------------------ System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer Space is limited. <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=kv%2Ftm0t%2FbqNt7NHKr%2BupY…> The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=zEYeIaLwqPksvVhLxgIRpRDZivC…> is proud to offer an exciting webinar series to its members. Through this free webinar service, members will be able to directly engage with SACE staff and learn about the clean energy technologies, opportunities, and issues that SACE deals with everyday. SACE is excited to use this technology as a way to share with its members the most current happenings in the clean energy field. <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=c8Nmzr1F1ROyM3hwlJCM37R8KEi…> Click here to unsubscribe <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=edO7FB3JJKwhEbbXKGMUyxDZivC…> [image: facebook] <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rFtb6%2FhwA5EBHYWhG9FH8RDZi…> <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2m9WoclAhYYCN7J9jCAmjRDZivC…>[image: youtube] <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mmaIcPtMaLjZEy4Kn%2F%2FAgxD…>[image: flickr] <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ej%2BemAex1%2FWdgobOamUTTBD…> [image: www.cleanenergy.org] <http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=NXG43d7vQUxjLwNFJPfFhxDZivC…> [image: empowered by Salsa] <http://www.salsalabs.com/?email> -- Jennifer S. Rennicks, Director of Policy & Communications *Southern Alliance for Clean Energy* Phone: 828-275-0564 Media Line: 865-235-1448 jrennicks [at] cleanenergy.org _____________________________________________________ The Southeast Climate & Energy Network (SCEN) is a group of 200+ members (environmental, clean energy, public health, policy, rural, governmental, and faith) across 12 states in the region whose mission is "strategic coordination among organizations in the Southeast to secure fair, just and science-based climate and energy policies." This listserve exists to help with communication, coordination, and capacity-building in the Southeast region to meet mission. This listserve exists to help with communication, coordination, and capacity-building in the Southeast region to meet mission. You received this message as a subscriber on the list: se-climate(a)lists.usclimatenetwork.org To be added to the list, send any message to: se-climate-subscribe(a)lists.usclimatenetwork.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: se-climate-unsubscribe(a)lists.usclimatenetwork.org For all list information and functions, see: http://lists.usclimatenetwork.org/lists/info/se-climate To subscribe to this or other SCEN lists, email Rudi Navarra at rnavarra(a)climatenetwork.org -- *Angela Garrone | Southeast Energy Research Attorney* *Southern Alliance for Clean Energy* P.O. Box 1842 Knoxville, TN 37901 angela(a)cleanenergy.org | 865-637-6055 ex. 23 http://www.cleanenergy.org http://blog.cleanenergy.org CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION / WORK PRODUCT: The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed, and may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or confidential attorney work product. If you receive this message in error, please send a reply e-mail to the sender and delete the material from any and all computers. Unintended transmissions shall not constitute waiver of the attorney-client or any other privilege. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: Top U.S Energy Efficienct States Released.
by James Kotcon 01 Nov '14

01 Nov '14

?ACEEE rankings of states came out and the news is not good in WV. We were listed as the "Most Improved" state in 2013, but have made zero progress in 2014, leaving us at 46th in the nation in terms of EE policies. Among the various sectors ranked, "Utility Policies and Programs" was the worst, earning Zero (0) points in WV (That's a big goose egg, Nada, Zilch, No Points!). See the other WV scores at: http://www.aceee.org/files/pdf/state-sheet/west-virginia.pdf How about a press release, or an Op/Ed column? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> on behalf of Larry Thomas larryvthomas(a)aol.com [wvec-board] <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2014 8:38 PM Subject: [wvec board & supporters] Fwd: Top U.S Energy Efficienct States Released. FYI Larry Recently, The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy released it's annual Scorecard for State Energy Efficiency. To have a look at how your State ranks click this link. ==> STATE ENERGY SCORECARD<http://earth2volts.com/iem/link.php?M=385622&N=181&L=50&F=H> So is your State among the leaders in promoting and embracing Energy Efficiency? Not only are some States seeing environmental benefits from investing in energy efficiency, but some have enjoyed an over 300% return on their investment. Creating jobs and reduced energy costs have made a very positive direct impact on some of these States. If you would like to read a little more about this, please hit the link below. ==> US ENERGY EFFICIENCY RANKS.<http://earth2volts.com/iem/link.php?M=385622&N=181&L=50&F=H> __._,_.___ ________________________________ Posted by: Larry Thomas <larryvthomas(a)aol.com> ________________________________ Reply via web post<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/messages/4613;…> * Reply to sender <mailto:larryvthomas@aol.com?subject=Re%3A%20Fwd%3A%20Top%20U%2ES%20Energy%20Efficienct%20States%20Released%2E> * Reply to group <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20Fwd%3A%20Top%20U%2ES%20Energy%20Efficienct%20States%20Released%2E> * Start a New Topic<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/newtopic;_ylc=…> * Messages in this topic<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/topics/4613;_y…> (1) Visit Your Group<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmbGJnYm9lBF…> [Yahoo! Groups]<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlNWt1c2UzBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkA…> * Privacy<https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> * Unsubscribe<mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> * Terms of Use<https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> . __,_._,___

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Fw: Recent coal asset sales in Appalachia show fire sale mentality gripping market
by James Kotcon 31 Oct '14

31 Oct '14

Wow! Check out the story below. Some of you may recall aspects of the Climate Math presentations at SierraFest and WVEC Convention when we talked about what Al Gore called the "Carbon Asset Bubble", I.e., that coal stocks are dramatically over-priced in a global warming world. Is this the first symptom? Does this provide a justification for the coal divestment projects at WVU and elsewhere? How can we use this information? JBK ? ________________________________ From: Adam Beitman, Sierra Club <adam.beitman(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2014 8:13 PM To: mtr-list(a)sierraclub.org Cc: Jim Sconyers; Alice Howell; Sean Sarah; Mary Anne Hitt; James Kotcon Subject: SNL: Recent coal asset sales in Appalachia show fire sale mentality gripping market https://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/article.aspx?ID=29592255&KPLT=4 Selected: "Coal mines in hard-hit Appalachia are being sold for pennies on the dollar compared to just a few years ago, recent transactions show, demonstrating the massive collapse in asset value since a peak in coal pricing in 2011. An SNL Energy analysis of several recent publicly announced transactions finds coal reserves in Appalachia are being purchased on average at less than 40 cents per ton, down dramatically from a few years when reserves in the region were commanding prices eight times as high." "Other deals<https://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/article.aspx?ID=27627743> have occurred at even cheaper prices. In August, Corsa Coal Corp.<https://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/snapshot.aspx?ID=4247981> closed<https://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/article.aspx?ID=28958144> its acquisition of PBS Coals Corp.<https://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/snapshot.aspx?ID=4100818>, which owns several surface and underground mines in Pennsylvania, at a cost of approximately $140 million. The reserves are roughly split between met and thermal coal. The deal included $60 million in cash and $60 million in assumed liabilities of which $20 million in cash bonding will be paid by PBS. Corsa consultants estimated<https://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/article.aspx?ID=29505355> PBS' recoverable, proven and probable coal reserves at 37 million, which would value the deal at roughly 37 cents per ton of reserves. Seth Schwartz, president of consulting firm Energy Ventures Analysis, said that when you consider what some companies initially paid for their coal assets years ago, the valuations have fallen even further. "These assets are going for under 10 cents on the dollar from what they were at the peak of the market in 2011," he said." -- Adam Beitman Associate Press Secretary Sierra Club 50 F Street, NW, Eighth Floor Washington, DC 20001 Office: (202) 675-2385<tel:%28202%29%20675-2385> Cell: (202) 670-5585<tel:%28202%29%20670-5585> adam.beitman(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:adam.beitman@sierraclub.org> Tweets @adbeitman Represented by John Muir Local 100

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Fwd: Fracking and toxic air
by Paul Wilson 31 Oct '14

31 Oct '14

Not sure How i get this stuff, but in came in on another gmail address I have. This may be a group we can work with or get some support through. Does seen like a logical and direct connect with WV due to our lousy air quality standards. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Paul Wilson Date: Fri, Oct 31, 2014 at 11:28 AM Subject: Fwd: Fracking and toxic air To: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Dominique Browning, Moms Clean Air Force < dominique(a)momscleanairforce.org> Date: Thu, Oct 30, 2014 at 12:52 PM Subject: Fracking and toxic air To: pjpaulgrunt(a)gmail.com [image: A message from your friends at Moms Clean Air Force] <http://www.momscleanairforce.org> Dear Paul, A new study, published today in the journal Environmental Health, identifies potentially hazardous concentrations of air pollutants near some oil and gas operations in five states. The research shines a light on what some communities face as US oil and gas development accelerates. The United States is now the leading natural gas producer in the world. The number of natural gas wells in our country has increased by more than 80% since 1990. *There are now half a million natural gas wells in the US*. Countless communities are living side by side with well pads, compressor stations, and pipelines--some for the very first time. *TELL EPA: We need protection from methane pollution. <http://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/broadcast.record.message.click.do?ea.ur…>* In a years-long collaborative project, residents in Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming were trained to take air samples, which were lab-tested for dozens of volatile organic chemicals. Why did these community members walk fields, farms, and country roads in five states, sniffing for telltale signs of pollution? *Because no one else would.* Many of these community members have told heartbreaking stories about the air pollution they breathe each day. They have watched their rural communities become industrial sites, complete with chemical mixing facilities, increased truck traffic, compressor stations, injection wells, and pipeline spills. They have wondered whether their nosebleeds, hair loss, skin rashes, headaches, and other health complaints could be related to the oil and gas operations near their homes, schools, farms, and ranches. But when they asked their local officials to help them figure out what was in their air? *Nothing happened.* No health studies conducted, no air monitors installed. Meanwhile, the people kept on breathing. Day in and day out. So they sucked air into special Kevlar sampling bags when they smelled, saw, or felt something funny. They took air pollution monitoring into their own hands, and showed the profound limits of our government's current approach to safeguarding the air near oil and gas operations. *They found that concentrations of benzene, hydrogen sulfide, and other volatiles exceeded health-based standards* in 16 of the 35 grab samples collected in 5 states. Formaldehyde levels, sampled with a different method, were detected in 14 of 41 samples. They detected toluene, xylene, and other toxic compounds as well. *Please click here to tell EPA to protect us from methane pollution. <http://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/broadcast.record.message.click.do?ea.ur…>* These community members, and the scientists with whom they co-authored their study, understand that this research does not prove that their health problems were caused by the toxics in the samples; nor does it prove that all gas wells emit toxic chemicals. They don't have the decades to undertake those kinds of studies--nor do they have the money to do highly sophisticated air samplings and tests. What they have is the desire to get officials to pay attention. Many other studies across the country have pointed out exactly the same thing: some well development sends toxins into the air. But this is one of the first studies published in a peer-reviewed journal to have empowered community members to sample their own air, because they are concerned about what they are breathing, and have had no other way to get the ball rolling on finding out what is going on in their communities. And their data signals a problem: We've got a rapidly expanding extractive industry with no monitoring requirements, no disclosure requirements, and inadequate federal air quality regulations. The substance being extracted--methane--is far more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and it appears to be leaking by mistake into the atmosphere at climate-wrecking speed. The same wasteful leaks that spew methane into the air also emit harmful pollutants, such as benzene and hydrogen sulfide. In many places, dangerous, unhealthy chemicals are in the air. *Right now EPA is in the process of deciding whether to act on methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. Please click here to join with MCAF to tell the EPA that they must do so. <http://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/broadcast.record.message.click.do?ea.ur…> Cleaning up methane leaking from oil and gas infrastructure will benefit local air quality and our climate.* Here's to walking fields, farms, and country roads without having to sniff for signs of pollution. For clean air, *Molly Rauch* Public Health Policy and Outreach Manager, Moms Clean Air Force *Dominique Browning* Co-Founder and Senior Director, Moms Clean Air Force *PS: You can find a link to the study at our website. <http://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/broadcast.record.message.click.do?ea.ur…>* <http://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/broadcast.record.message.click.do?ea.ur…> <http://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/broadcast.record.message.click.do?ea.ur…> momscleanairforce.org <http://www.momscleanairforce.org> | About Us <http://www.momscleanairforce.org/about-us/> | Unsubscribe <http://www.e-activist.com/ea-campaign/action.handleOptOut.do?ea.question.id…> © Moms Clean Air Force 2014 [image: Follow Us on Facebook] <http://www.facebook.com/momscleanairforce>[image: Follow Us on Twitter] <http://twitter.com/cleanairmoms>[image: Follow Us on http://pinterest.com/momscaf/] <http://pinterest.com/momscaf/>[image: Follow Us on Google+] <https://plus.google.com/u/0/112792743232393419060>[image: Follow Us on Flickr] <http://www.flickr.com/photos/momscleanairforce/>[image: Follow Us on RSS] <http://feeds.feedburner.com/MomsCleanAirForce>[image: Follow Us on Instagram] <http://instagram.com/cleanairmoms> -- Paul Wilson WV Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414 (H) 304-725-4360 -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Mary Anne Hitt's latest: Mountaintop removal coal mining continues to poison Appalachia
by Paul Wilson 31 Oct '14

31 Oct '14

Great article by Maryann. Bill Price is mentioned as well. cheers. pau ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Heather Moyer <heather.moyer(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Fri, Oct 31, 2014 at 9:54 AM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Mary Anne Hitt's latest: Mountaintop removal coal mining continues to poison Appalachia To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Coal-Volunteers < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Media <media-list(a)sierraclub.org> Hi folks- Mary Anne's column this week focuses on all the news out about mountaintop-removal coal mining in the past few weeks. Please share it far and wide! It's only up on EcoWatch this week: http://ecowatch.com/2014/10/31/mountaintop-removal-poisons-appalachia/ *Possible tweets:* Mountaintop-removal #coal mining continues to poison Appalachia: http://sc.org/13oWe9r (by @maryannehitt) #StopMTR Falsified water tests, linked to lung cancer, & destroying ecosystems - mountaintop removal #coal mining must stop: http://sc.org/13oWe9r Thanks! --- Heather Moyer Senior Content Producer 202-675-6276 Sierra Club 50 F Street, 8th Floor Washington, DC 20001 -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Fwd: Efficiency Benefits - Getting it right!
by James Kotcon 28 Oct '14

28 Oct '14

You may find this information useful as you study up on Energy Efficiency programs, especially as we discuss legislation for January. Ohio's EERS was put on hold earlier this year by the Ohio Legislature, at the behest of lobbying by FirstEnergy, so Ohio's ranking slipped to "middle of the pack". But wouldn't it be great if WV's EE ranking could get up that high! JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)fuse.net> Date: Sun, Oct 26, 2014 at 5:53 PM Subject: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Fwd: Efficiency Benefits - Getting it right! To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)lists.sierraclub.org The following message is one I sent to a list which is dedicated to Ohio utility issues. The attached Excel sheet contains the cover memo, and all the data which is used to generate the statements below. I thought it would be good to share with the people on these lists because some of you may be very interested to know what efficiency does, and some of you may be interested in how I produce the statistics. Some of you may be interested in how well efficiency pays for renewables. Ohio ranked 18th for utility efficiency programs in the ACEEE's last ranking, but we have slid backwards since then, and are probably slightly below the middle of the pack for the entire five years covered here. We need a lot more attention to efficiency, and especially to bringing all states up to the level of the best five or six states. Recognize that the best states for efficiency are also the most healthy economies, and the larger states in terms of electricity consumption. - Ned Ned Ford 513-600-4200 Hi Folks, It is now seven months before we will have 2014 EE program costs and first year energy savings in the official filings by the utilities. I hope we can avoid the use of incorrect cost and savings data which occurred last year, by getting this out in time for everyone to consider, discuss and agree on what we need to use. If anyone on this list is inclined to think that another account might be more accurate, please bring it to my attention (offlist, preferably) so we can discuss the different methodologies and reach an agreement on what is what. The numbers which I use are those which the utilities actually filed. Other estimates have not used these numbers. If they had, they would have reached the same values that I did. We have two objectives here, both served by the same information: first, to reconcile the actual cost of efficiency with numbers which the PUCO has provided to the legislature (and can be counted on to reiterate in the future) ($1 billion to $1.1 billion in total costs through 2013), and second, to provide evidence of the tremendous value which SB 221 provides to Ohio, and which FirstEnergy customers are going to lose as a result of SB 310. The attached spreadsheet provides details of Ohio’s efficiency spending and saved energy from 2009 through 2013. Total spending through the end of 2013 has been $667 million. An additional $300 million or so has been recovered by the four Ohio Electric Distribution Companies (AEP, DP&L, Duke and FirstEnergy) to compensate for Distribution lost revenues and Shared Savings. This is a reasonable amount, but the PUCO has not accounted for this recovery in any public forum, so the precise amount is not known yet. The PUCO does not require lifetime savings calculations, although all the utilities do them, and some of them report these savings. The PUCO does require first year savings to be reported, and we have made a conservative but reasonable projection of the savings to reach the conclusions as follows: Retail rate savings realize by the end of 2013 were $1.4 billion Lifetime retail savings to be realized by the installed hardware will be $3.9 billion This does not consider the increased savings which will result from increased rates due to other reasons. (Although it was stated during hearings that "energy" prices in Ohio have gone down due to fracking, electricity prices have risen (see Background and Discussion tab on the attached spreadsheet). Efficiency savings to date are large enough to cover the entire cost of the efficiency programs to date, plus the shared savings, plus the lost revenues and in addition, cover the cost of Ohio’s renewables standard, which was reported by the PUCO as: 2011 $44.7 million (1%)* 2012 $52.4 million (1.5%)* The PUCO has not reported the cost of the renewable standard in other years, but given the rapidly falling price of renewable energy credits, the 2014 cost is likely to be only $2 million more than 2012, even though the standard has increased to 2.5% (a 66% increase over 2012). Efficiency savings already realized will continue to save more money than combined program costs, lost revenues, shared savings and renewables, unless efficiency programs are cut. In addition to the direct savings from efficiency, there are real savings due to avoided new power plants and transmission and distribution systems. A conservative estimate of these savings as of year-end 2013 is over $1 billion. This represents more than 500 MW’s of avoided new generation technology and the transmission and distribution equipment that is also avoided. * The calculation of renewable program costs given above is done from PUCO reports. The calculations are not on this spreadsheet. Contact me at Ned Ford 513-600-4200 or Ned.Ford(a)fuse.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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Union of Concerned Scientists report: Solar power – clean, reliable, and increasingly affordable – is experiencing remarkable growth across the U.S.
by Paul Wilson 22 Oct '14

22 Oct '14

Solar Power on the Rise: The Technologies and Policies behind a Booming Energy Sector (2014) August 2014 Solar power – clean, reliable, and increasingly affordable – is experiencing remarkable growth across the U.S. DOWNLOAD Full report <http://ucs-prod.beaconfire.us/sites/default/files/attach/2014/08/Solar-Powe…> Solar power generates electricity with no global warming pollution, no fuel costs, and no risks of fuel price spikes, and has the potential to help move the country toward cleaner, reliable, and affordable sources of electricity. Small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, typically on rooftops, account for the majority of solar installations, while large-scale PV systems and concentrating solar power (CSP) systems constitute the majority of solar's overall electricity-generating capacity. All three are undergoing rapid growth. Given the abundance of sunshine across the country, solar power has the potential to supply a significant amount of electricity that is both environmentally and economically attractive. Solar power is increasingly affordable Photo: Wayne National Forest - Prices for rooftop PV systems have declined markedly in recent years, dropping 29 percent from 2010 to 2013. [image: Falling price of solar PV chart] <http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/images/2014/09/energy-graphic-cha…> CHART: The Falling Price of Solar PV by U.S. Sector <http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/images/2014/09/energy-graphic-cha…> - Their increasing cost-effectiveness is largely a result of reductions in technology prices, innovative financing, and growing networks of solar installers and financial partners. - Tax credits, rebates, and other support in leading states can cut the total costs of a rooftop system to under $10,000, though many solar customers are paying little or nothing up front by utilizing solar leases or power purchase agreements, which provide electricity from the system over a long period at attractive fixed rates. - Costs for large-scale PV projects have dropped more than household systems, to an average 60 percent lower than those for residential solar on a per-watt basis. - CSP systems have not experienced the same cost reductions, but offer the important advantage of being able to store the sun's energy as heat, and to use it to make electricity when the sun is no longer shining. Solar power is viable throughout the United States -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fw: [wvec board & supporters] FW: WVNS story: Utilities Look to Add Charges for Home Solar
by James Kotcon 20 Oct '14

20 Oct '14

? ________________________________ From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> on behalf of 'Gary Zuckett' garyz(a)wvcag.org [wvec-board] <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 9:04 AM To: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com Cc: Emmett Pepper; Julie Archer; Karan Ireland; Norm Steenstra Subject: [wvec board & supporters] FW: WVNS story: Utilities Look to Add Charges for Home Solar This was mentioned at the Conference. It now in play in Virginia - we'll have to watch out for it here too.... From: Public News Service [mailto:newsservice@newsservicemail.org] Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 3:08 AM To: GaryZuckett Subject: WVNS story: Utilities Look to Add Charges for Home Solar Utilities Look to Add Charges for Home Solar<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-10-20/energy-policy/utilities-look-to… %20-charges-for-home-solar/a42370-1> [Share this page]<http://www.sharethis.com/share?url=%5bhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.publicnewsservice.or…>[http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/newbody/printicon_s.jpg]<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/print.php?key=42370-1> October 20, 2014 - Dan Heyman, Public News Service (WV) Play Audio in Browser Window<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/mp3.php?f=rss-42370-1.mp3> [PHOTO: Rooftop solar has become a significant enough issue for utility companies to seek new fees from homeowners who install it. Photo by Alfred Twu.]<http://www.newsservice.org/getimage.php?p=c2dpZD00MjM3MCZzaWQ9MQ==> PHOTO: Rooftop solar has become a significant enough issue for utility companies to seek new fees from homeowners who install it. Photo by Alfred Twu. CHARLESTON, [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/articlepx.gif?key=42370-1] W.Va. - Utilities in several states are turning to new charges to make up for revenue they're losing to homes with solar power. The price of solar panels has fallen dramatically, and more people are installing them. In response, industry groups are urging states to let power companies add charges or credit homeowners less for the excess electricity they generate. Gabe Elsner, executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, said home solar had been considered too small to worry about - but no longer. "The pro blem for the utility company is that they make money by generating power and selling it to customers," he said. "So when you decide to create your own power, suddenly they just lost a customer." Elsner said the push for the new fees started with the industry trade group Edison Electric Institute and was promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council. EEI declined to comment, but a report called "Disruptive Challenges"<http://www.eei.org/ourissues/finance/documents/disruptivechallenges.pdf> that was done for the group talked about the issue. It said that if too many homeowners generate their own power, utilities could be stuck for the cost of maintaining the grid. However, Elsner said studies, including a recent one in Utah, have shown that home solar systems are good for the grid. "They ease congestion on transmission lines," he said, "They create clean power locally, so it's more effic ient, instead of building more, big power plants." Elsner said a power company in Arizona is willing to pay homeowners for the right to put utility-owned solar panels on their roofs, while at the same time wanting to charge folks who do it for themselves. He said the industry is coming to recognize that distributed power generation has great potential. "The fact that our grid is so centralized actually leaves us vulnerable," he said, "Solar power creates a more distributed electricity system that's more secure and more resilient." Appalachian Power has asked the state of Virginia for permission to add a fee to the bills of homeowners in that state with the capacity to generate from 10 to 20 kilowatts. The company points out that almost all homes with solar panels or other generating systems would fall below 10 kilowatts. The company has customers in West Virginia, although it has not requested the fee here. The EEI report is online at eei.org<http://www.eei.org/ourissues/finance/documents/disruptivechallenges.pdf>. __._,_.___ ________________________________ Posted by: "Gary Zuckett" <garyz(a)wvcag.org> ________________________________ Reply via web post<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/messages/4584;…> * Reply to sender <mailto:garyz@wvcag.org?subject=Re%3A%20FW%3A%20WVNS%20story%3A%20Utilities%20Look%20to%20Add%20Charges%20for%20Home%20Solar> * Reply to group <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20FW%3A%20WVNS%20story%3A%20Utilities%20Look%20to%20Add%20Charges%20for%20Home%20Solar> * Start a New Topic<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/newtopic;_ylc=…> * Messages in this topic<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/topics/4584;_y…> (1) Visit Your Group<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaWhwNTBhBF…> [Yahoo! Groups]<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlbmdlMGZ0BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkA…> * Privacy<https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> * Unsubscribe<mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> * Terms of Use<https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> . __,_._,___

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter:Low-carbon energy future is clean, feasible
by Paul Wilson 14 Oct '14

14 Oct '14

Low-carbon energy future is clean, feasible <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/WXj…> Posted: 06 Oct 2014 12:21 PM PDT A future where electricity comes mostly from low-carbon sources is not only feasible in terms of material demand, but will significantly reduce air pollution, a study says. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=WXj…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=WXj…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=WXj…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=WXj…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=WXj…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fw: Water samples faked
by James Kotcon 10 Oct '14

10 Oct '14

This is something we need to know about and be public about. JBK ________________________________ From: Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Friday, October 10, 2014 8:53 AM To: James Kotcon; Liz Wiles; Mark Kresowik; David Muhly; Gary Nelson; Adam Beitman Subject: Water samples faked Is it any wonder people don't trust what's in the water! http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141009/GZ01/141009217/1419 Bill Price, Organizing Representative Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program Beyond Coal to Clean Energy Campaign Phone: 304-389-8822 (Cell) Email: bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org> "If there's no struggle, there's no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet renounce controversy are people who want crops without plowing the ground..." Frederick Douglass 1817-1895

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Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Excellent Article On CA Regulator Shows Utterly Incestuous Relationship Between Utility Industry, Regulator, & Governor Brown
by James Kotcon 09 Oct '14

09 Oct '14

This may be relevant to our own PSC efforts? JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Eric Brooks <brookse32(a)earthlink.net> Date: Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 3:29 AM Subject: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Excellent Article On CA Regulator Shows Utterly Incestuous Relationship Between Utility Industry, Regulator, & Governor Brown To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)lists.sierraclub.org Excellent Article On California PUC President Peevey Shows Utterly Incestuous Relationship Between PG&E, Peevey, & Governor Brown's Administration (two of the most powerful members of which are former PG&E executives). http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/oct/08/citylights1-peevey-yuck Could Brown reappoint unpopular Peevey? By Don Bauder <http://www.sandiegoreader.com/staff/don-bauder/>, Oct. 8, 2014 <http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/Oct/08> <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_Edmund_G_Brown_J…> Jerry Brown <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_MichaelPeevey_lg…> Michael Peevey <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_car_t670.jpg?b3f…> Image by Chris Woo Peevey is suspected of backing SDG&E in their attempt to make San Diego ratepayers pick up the tab. <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_Pipe-from-Sanbru…> Pacific Gas & Electric’s penalties for the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion were less than suggested. Shortly after his almost certain reelection in November, Governor Jerry Brown must decide whether to reappoint Michael Peevey as president of the California Public Utilities Commission. Peevey’s term runs out at the end of the year. In mid-August, Brown voiced strong support for Peevey in an interview with editors of the *San Jose Mercury News*. A month earlier, that newspaper had editorialized, “If Gov. Jerry Brown persists in backing his outrageously unethical appointee [Peevey], he might as well change the name to the Pro Utility Commission.” Around the same time, the *San Francisco Chronicle* called for Brown to oust Peevey. The *Modesto Bee*, citing Peevey’s “overseas junkets” paid for by utilities, said it was time for Peevey to go because he “regards utility company executives as peers and partners.” The Southern California press has also been hard on the commission’s president. Peevey is suspected of pulling strings in such matters as San Diego Gas & Electric’s attempt to make ratepayers pick up the tab for uninsured expenses of the 2007 fires, caused by the utility. Recently, emails between commission and Pacific Gas & Electric officials have shown that the company said it didn’t want administrative law judges who would recommend tough penalties for the company’s role in the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion. The commission complied, and the recommended penalties were much less than the staff had suggested. Indignant Bay Area politicians want the attorney general to investigate the commission for its pro-utility behavior. The governor and Peevey (both in their mid-70s) are old friends, dating back to the years in which Peevey was active with organized labor and the Democratic Party. After getting two degrees in economics at the University of California/Berkeley, he worked for the federal government in labor economics and then became chief economist for the American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). In 1984, he joined Southern California Edison. He was a senior vice president and chief lobbyist for the company in Sacramento. Edison’s chief executive, Howard Allen, himself a former lobbyist, had a fondness for executives with political connections. <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_John_Bryson_t670…> John Bryson <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_carl-wood_t670.j…> Carl Wood Peevey shortly became an executive vice president. Another executive vice president was John Bryson, who also had political connections. He was a former president of the California Public Utilities Commission, a graduate of Stanford with a law degree from Yale, and smooth and oily — like politicians. “Howard Allen played the two against each other,” says Carl Wood, a former commissioner, now director of regulatory affairs for the Utility Workers Union of America. “Peevey is not Bryson’s kind of guy, or the other way around. Bryson is Ivy League–looking and educated, suave, friendly, sophisticated. Peevey is crude but intelligent,” says a former commission executive. Says a former Edison executive, “They were oil and water.” As executive vice president, Peevey in the late 1980s was put in charge of Edison’s attempted hostile takeover of San Diego Gas & Electric. To many in San Diego, Peevey did not appear so intelligent in his speeches and radio and TV appearances. Edison lost big. San Diegans were surprised when, in 1990, Peevey was named president of Southern California Edison. He also served as president of the parent, Edison International. But — and it’s a big but — Peevey was *not* chief executive officer. That job went to his foe, Bryson. Peevey lasted less than three years. In 1993, barely in his mid-50s, he “retired” from Edison and walked out with a bundle of stock and possibly severance pay, too; my sources disagree on the latter point. There is agreement on one point, as described by a former Edison executive: “He didn’t want to work for Bryson,” and Bryson didn’t want Peevey around, either. Peevey, not permitted to compete with Edison for two years, went with a public relations/lobbying firm, then began taking equity interests in smaller energy firms. After he raked in a $10 million capital gain from selling one firm, he and his wife Carol Liu, now a state senator, lined up a kinky tax shelter. He was told he would pay almost no taxes using the scheme but would pay $3.5 million if he played it straight. The government went after the tax shelter — and Peevey and his wife took the accounting firm to court for giving them bad advice. Peevey championed competition in the energy business. Unabashedly, he favored deregulation, although he said it had to be tweaked in California. He told others that he had made a bundle of money trading energy contracts. Oh, yes. He also had stock in Enron, the corporate hoax that fleeced California in the 2000–2001 energy crisis before collapsing. Peevey dumped his Enron stock. <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_Loretta-Lynch_t6…> Loretta Lynch Despite these black marks against him, in March of 2002, Peevey was named a commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission. Consumer groups howled that a former Edison president and deregulation yahoo would be named to the commission. At the time, Loretta Lynch was president of the commission and was tough on the utilities and a champion of re-regulation. Carl Wood, then a commissioner, was her steady ally in demanding responsibility of the utilities. “We were unpopular with big business, which had a venomous hatred for Lynch,” recalls Wood. “To mollify the corporations,” then-governor Gray Davis named Peevey as president of the commission at the end of 2002, even though he had been there only about eight months. Pro-consumer groups howled again. Peevey’s supporters pointed to his longtime association with labor unions. Insiders knew better. “The only time Peevey is pro-labor is…when he is using labor to maximize revenue for the utilities,” says a former commission official. “He is a corporate liberal. He is not responsive to consumer interests,” says Wood. Brown and Peevey are buddies “because Peevey does what Brown tells him to do,” says Lynch. “Peevey has always been close to PG&E and [Southern California Edison]. So has Brown.” <http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2014/10/07/citylights_nancy-mcfadden_t…> Nancy McFadden Indeed, Brown’s executive secretary is Nancy McFadden, who joined the governor after serving as senior vice president to the chief executive officer of Pacific Gas & Electric. In essence, she is Brown’s chief of staff without the title. In 2011, Brown hired Dana Williamson, Pacific Gas & Electric’s director of public affairs, as senior advisor for cabinet and external affairs. Two years later, she was named cabinet secretary — the person to whom other agency secretaries report. It’s often considered the second-most-powerful post in the gubernatorial administration. When Lynch was deposed, Peevey threw a party, to which he invited utility executives. Lynch wasn’t invited. Asked what another Peevey term as head of the California Public Utilities Commission would be like, Lynch had one word: “Yuck.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

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Fwd: State Polling Memo for August & September
by James Kotcon 06 Oct '14

06 Oct '14

The monthly polling memo has some interesting insights on energy efficiency and climate change. The Ohio data (attached) suggest that 3 out of 4 would reject AEP's proposed rate hike, and more than 2 of 3 would prefer investments in EE and renewables, instead of bailing out dirty coal plants. It may be useful to use that "bailout" language in some of our political work. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Caitlin Pixley <caitlin.pixley(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 3:01 PM Subject: State Polling Memo for August & September To: CONS-FRED(a)lists.sierraclub.org --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi All - Find attached the polling memo for both August and September from Grace McRae. The memo includes new polling from the following states: CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, TN, UT, VA, WY Best, Caitlin -- Caitlin Pixley Conservation Associate Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter 353 Hamilton Street Albany, NY 12210 (518)426-9144 caitlin.pixley(a)sierraclub.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SierraClubAtlanticChapter *Be a part of the climate solution!* Join the Sierra Club TODAY <http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=9sMC9c6kiZ0&offerid=343370.100…> . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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US Solar Makes Up Over Half Of New Generating Capacity- for first half opf 2014
by James Kotcon 15 Sep '14

15 Sep '14

New generation capacity installed: Gas = 30 %, wind = 14 %, solar = 53 %, other = 3 %; coal = 0 http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/08/us-solar-makes-half-new-generating-capa… Please pass this on to WV politicians, they need to prepare WV for this. JBK

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Re: [EC] Op-Ed in today's Gazette
by Allan Tweddle 15 Sep '14

15 Sep '14

Colleagues First, thank you Paul and Regan for your kind words. I'm better, but not 100% yet. I believe part of my condition is caused by the air quality of the area. As and engineer who is dealt with air quality issues for 50 years, including air sampling for pollution conditions around manufacturing operations all the way through to design and clean rooms, I am very familiar with the process and the technical details of air-quality. But I do not have the instruments or the support staff to evaluate air-quality here as I used to have and my career days in California and Ontario. I do know however that I have often driven near the railway tracks that charge through Charleston and seen, in the proper sunlight conditions, the fine particulate dust blowing off the railcars as they passed through town. I've inquired, but that's never been analyzed, never been measured and is an unknown. But one doesn't need sophisticated instruments to see that that dust is being dispersed all on the communities through which these trains, sometimes it very high speeds, traverse. That brings me to a point I want to make. Air-quality is definitely a local issue. The EPA can establish national standards, and the local agencies can then implement a plan to measure against those standards. But in my opinion the evaluation of very close proximity conditions in West Virginia are never taken into account unless the public rises up and demands them. That also applies to climate change. There is yet another article in the Charleston Gazette today describing how carbon dioxide levels in the upper atmosphere Have already passed 350 ppm last year and are approaching the 400 ppm. Scientists consider the 400 parts, if achieved on a consistent basis to be very seriously detrimental to life as we know it all over the planet including in West Virginia. Addressing the issue and pressing for action requires a strong voice here in West Virginia. And I personally believe the economic opportunities that exist for addressing climate change are out there and need to be described to our policy makers repeatedly. While CCL is working diligently at the national level to seek logical and incremental steps towards controlling climate change, given the political barriers, we must be doing more at the state level in my opinion. That is why I have proposed to WVEC, CAG, OVEC, and others that we come together and join forces to mount a single voice to address climate change in West Virginia. It is an issue that is complex and crosses all of the constituencies of the entire environmental movement in West Virginia. To be successful, the legislatures got to know that there is a large constituency, a coming together of all of the organizations, to force them to pay attention to not just the dangers of doing nothing, but of the economic opportunities that are out there for addressing climate change. if we can come together somewhere in sometime in October, and begin to develop a comprehensive plan, then we will be ready to present our thoughts to the legislature in January. But I must look to each of the leadership of the various organizations to talk to one another and decide where they would like to do this. However, I need to hear from the leadership of each of the organizations. Is there interest in coming together in the manner I am suggesting? Or is there an alternative concepts? I'd like to hear from the leadership to know if this is making sense, and if so let's plan a specific time and meet, probably here in Charleston, To begin thinking about how to plan and implement a new voice of reason for addressing climate change here in West Virginia. I can offer a venue for such a meeting that is easy and convenient to reach. I must ask for permission from Temple Israel for such a meeting, but I believe Rabbi would approve such a gathering as long as it's not on the Sabbath. Please, let me hear from you Allan Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 9, 2014, at 11:14 AM, Regan E Quinn <reganequinn(a)frontier.com> wrote: > > bravo >> On Sep 9, 2014, at 7:38 AM, Paul Epstein wrote: >> >> Good work both of you! Hope you're feeling much better, Allan. >> >> >> www.awarewv.org >> Paul Epstein >> 304.343.5074 >> www.paulepstein.net >> >>> On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 7:29 AM, Jim Probst <probstfurnituremakers(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> It's been a good couple of days for Charleston CCL with Alan's excellent op-ed on Sunday and I got one published in today's paper. >>> http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140909/ARTICLE/140909344/1134 >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Citizens Climate Lobby of West Virginia" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cclwv+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to cclwv(a)googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Citizens Climate Lobby of West Virginia" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cclwv+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to cclwv(a)googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Citizens Climate Lobby of West Virginia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cclwv+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to cclwv(a)googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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Barbara Fallon
by Yarnell, Karen 10 Sep '14

10 Sep '14

Did anyone know about this? I saw it on Facebook posted by a faculty member here, Sue Kelley. http://hastingsfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/2154/Barbara_Ann_Fallon/obit…

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Flaring+Issues+Workshop+Announcement+9-16-14
by Duane 10 Sep '14

10 Sep '14

Deadline today for registration. WORKSHOP at WVU. $55. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Not our Ken Ward, but a very interesting verdict on climate "disruption".
by James Kotcon 08 Sep '14

08 Sep '14

Two protesters who blocked a coal barge in Massachusetts have won a significant legal victory, as the prosecutor avoids the "climate necessity" defense. JBK http://www.mintpressnews.com/climate-necessity-defense-gets-first-test-us/1… [http://cdn.mintpressnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/cropped-meme1.jpg?9…]<http://www.mintpressnews.com/climate-necessity-defense-gets-first-test-us/1…> UPDATE: Charges Dropped In Highly Anticipated Climate "Necessity" Case With a small lobster boat and a massive anchor, two Massachusetts men blocked a coal shipment to one of New England's largest coal-burners for one day. Their precedent-setting defense in the trial that starts this week could have far-reaching ramifications. Read more...<http://www.mintpressnews.com/climate-necessity-defense-gets-first-test-us/1…>

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Fwd: News Release: Trans Energy Inc. to Restore Streams and Wetland Damaged By Natural Gas Extraction Activities in West Virginia/Company will also pay $3 million civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations
by Paul Wilson 07 Sep '14

07 Sep '14

are we aware of this? fyi, paul w. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: vivian newman Date: Tue, Sep 2, 2014 at 8:04 PM Subject: Fwd: News Release: Trans Energy Inc. to Restore Streams and Wetland Damaged By Natural Gas Extraction Activities in West Virginia/Company will also pay $3 million civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations To: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> good news presumably *Contact:* Jennifer Colaizzi (News Media only) Colaizzi.Jennifer(a)epa.gov (202) 564-7776 *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* September 2, 2014 *Trans Energy Inc. **to Restore Streams and Wetland Damaged By Natural Gas Extraction Activities **in West Virginia* *Company will also pay $3 million civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations* WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced a settlement with Trans Energy Inc., requiring the oil and gas company to restore portions of streams and wetlands at 15 sites in West Virginia polluted by the company’s unauthorized discharge of dredge or fill material. Trans Energy will pay a penalty of $3 million to be divided equally between the federal government and WVDEP. The Clean Water Act requires a company to obtain a permit from EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prior to discharging dredge or fill material into wetlands, rivers, streams, and other waters of the United States. “As part of our commitment to safe development of domestic energy supplies, EPA is working to protect wetlands and local water supplies on which communities depend,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “By enforcing environmental laws, we’re helping to ensure a level playing field for responsible businesses." “Today’s agreement requires that Trans Energy take important steps to comply with state and federal laws that are critical to protecting our nation’s waters, wetlands and streams,” said Sam Hirsch, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will continue to ensure that the development of our nation’s domestic energy resources, including through the use of hydraulic fracturing techniques, complies with the Clean Water Act and other applicable federal laws.” In addition to the penalty, the company will reconstruct impacted aquatic resources or address impacts at 15 sites, provide appropriate compensatory mitigation for impacts to streams and wetlands, and implement a comprehensive program to ensure future compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and applicable state law. Among other requirements, the company will work to ensure that all aquatic resources are identified prior to starting work on future projects in West Virginia, and that appropriate consideration is given at the design stage to avoid and minimize impacts to aquatic resources. It is estimated that Trans Energy will spend more than $13 million to complete the restoration and mitigation work required by the consent decree. The federal government and WVDEP allege that the company impounded streams and discharged sand, dirt, rocks and other materials into streams and wetlands without a federal permit to construct well pads, impoundments, road crossings and other facilities related to natural gas extraction. The government alleges the violations impacted approximately 13,000 linear feet of stream and more than an acre of wetlands. Filling wetlands illegally and damming streams can result in serious environmental consequences. Streams, rivers, and wetlands benefit the environment by reducing flood risks, filtering pollutants, recharging groundwater and drinking water supplies, and providing food and habitat for aquatic species. EPA discovered the violations in 2011 and 2012 through information provided by WVDEP and the public, and through routine field inspections. In summer 2014, the company conducted an internal audit and ultimately disclosed to EPA alleged violations at eight additional locations, which are also being resolved through this Consent Decree. The settlement also resolves alleged violations of state law brought by WVDEP. The consent decree has been lodged in the Northern District of West Virginia and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval. For more information: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/trans-energy-inc-clean-water-act-settlement <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> R198 ------------------------------ [image: EPA Seal] You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…>. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> for assistance. This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> . [image: Visit Us on Facebook] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> [image: Visit Us on Twitter] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> [image: Visit Us on YouTube] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> [image: Visit Us on flickr] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> ------------------------------ This email was sent to newviv(a)roadrunner.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355 [image: Powered by GovDelivery] <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkP…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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New US-DOE report shows wind is cheaper than gas
by James Kotcon 19 Aug '14

19 Aug '14

The 2013 Wind Technologies Market Report from US-DOE shows that newly-installed wind-generated electricity is, as a national average, already cheaper than electricity from coal, and, if the PTC is included, is currently cheaper than gas-fired electricity. Since the PTC expired last year, wind may have to compete with gas without subsidies, but as costs continue to fall for wind, and are likely to rise for gas, wind is likely to compete well even without subsidies in the near future (5-10 years). Cost for wind are lowest in Interior Midwest states. Wind resources in most of the Mid-Atlantic states are of lower quality and are unlikely to be competitive with gas in the near term. A future cost for fossil carbon emissions will accelerate the market for wind as it is likely to further increase the costs for gas. Bottom line, no one is investing in coal, and investments in new gas infrastructure are increasingly risky as long-term investments. The Longview plant looked like a really good deal in 2003, but was not operational until 2011, and filed for bankruptcy in 2013. A new gas plant proposed today is unlikely to be operational in less than 3-5 years, by which time it may be unable to compete with wind in time to pay off its investment. See the full report, especially Figure 49, at: http://emp.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/2013_Wind_Technologies_Market_Report_Fin… Jim Kotcon

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Moundsville Power wants a PILOT Agreement
by James Kotcon 19 Aug '14

19 Aug '14

This reminds me of the PILOT agreement that Longview sought from Monongalia County in 2003. Anyone want to write comments? JBK Support sought for proposed state power plant The Associated Press MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. - Developers of a proposed natural gas-fired power plant in Marshall County are seeking the county's support of the project. Officials with Moundsville Power and the Regional Economic Development Partnership plan to make a formal presentation to the County Commission on Monday. The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register reports that the developers are proposing an agreement under which the county would own the plant and lease it back to Moundsville Power to operate. Moundsville Power would pay about $1 million annually to the county in lieu of regular property taxes. The $615 million plant would be located in Moundsville. It would generate 549 megawatts of electricity and use about 100 million cubic feet of gas per day. http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140818/GZ01/140819283/

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WVU's solar Decathalon housegoes to WV Botanic Garden
by James Kotcon 13 Aug '14

13 Aug '14

I had been trying to find out what happened to this, now we know. JBK http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/08/12/wvu-donates-solar-decathlon-house-to-w… Home<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/> / Press Releases<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n> WVU donates Solar Decathlon house to West Virginia Botanic Garden<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/08/12/wvu-donates-solar-decathlon-house-to-w…> August 12th, 2014 The West Virginia University<http://www.wvu.edu/> house built for the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon has found a new place to call home. The University has donated the Preserving Energy with Appalachian Knowledge<http://solar.wvu.edu/peak-2013> house to the West Virginia Botanic Garden<http://www.wvbg.org/>, located in Morgantown. The house was recently moved from its current location on WVU's Evansdale Campus to the Garden, where it will be used for office space, group meeting space and displays. "The West Virginia Botanic Garden will be an ideal permanent location for the house," said Brian Woerner<http://www.lcsee.statler.wvu.edu/faculty/faculty-detail.php?id=465&type=fac…>, chair of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering<http://www.lcsee.statler.wvu.edu/> at WVU. "The Garden has a mission to promote the best use of natural resources, and the historical significance and natural beauty of state. The PEAK house fits perfectly with that mission." "This is the realization of a long-recognized need for a building on site," explained Bill Johnson, president of the West Virginia Botanic Garden board of directors. "WVU's donation of the PEAK House, combined with financial support from friends of the Garden, components makes this possible." The team from WVU built the house for the 2013 Solar Decathlon, which brings together students from around the world to design and build an ultra-efficient, solar energy sustainable and livable house. The PEAK house was the first log-style home to be accepted to the Decathlon, representing WVU's roots in Appalachia. Its design earned the team top honors in the category for Integration of Nature and Technology. "In support of our mission, we strive to develop and manage the garden in a sustainable and ecologically responsible manner. The 'green' design of the building is a perfect fit with this philosophy, and demonstrates the Garden's commitment to these principles," said Johnson. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, students and professors will use the house while it is on the Botanic Garden grounds to study the use of nanotechnology and to develop healthy and sustainable indoor living environments. "The house will be used for regular measurements of efficiency of power generation and use from the solar panels over the next several years," said Woerner. "The Solar Decathlon provided a unique educational experience that fulfilled the senior design requirements for a significant number of students. The donation of the house assures that the work of WVU students will be enjoyed by visitors to the Garden for many years to come." The Botanic Garden is located at 1061 Tyrone Road, and is open daily, free of charge, from dawn to dusk. For more information, visit www.wvbg.org<http://www.wvbg.org>. -WVU- wbk/08/12/14 CONTACT: Mary C. Dillon, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources 304.293.4086, Mary.Dillon(a)mail.wvu.edu<mailto:Mary.Dillon@mail.wvu.edu> - See more at: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/08/12/wvu-donates-solar-decathlon-house-to-w…

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Sen. Manchin’s brother sues him, other brother over $1.7 million loan
by James Kotcon 28 Jul '14

28 Jul '14

Can someone forward this to the PA Chapter, and whoever was doing the lawsuit there? What is the best way to use this to highlight the self-interest in Manchin's opposition to EPA rules? Jim Kotcon Sen. Manchin’s brother sues him, other brother over $1.7 million loan Thursday, July 24, 2014 By Kate White, Staff writer FAIRMONT, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s brother has sued the senator and another brother over more than $1.7 million that allegedly was loaned to keep a family business afloat decades ago. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Dr. John Manchin against his brothers, Joe and Roch Manchin, in Marion County Circuit Court.According to the lawsuit, Joe and Roch Manchin requested the money in the 1980s from their brother “in response to Manchin Carpet Center’s distressed financial condition. ”John Manchin loaned them more than $1.7 million, all of which was provided to the business’ primary creditor, Community Bank and Trust, according to the lawsuit. Joe and Roch Manchin promised to repay their brother on repeated occasions, most recently in July 2012, according to the lawsuit. The loan does not appear on Sen. Manchin’s financial disclosure forms, filed with the U.S. Senate. The Senate Ethics Committee requires disclosure of any debt valued at more than $10,000, but there is an exemption for a “personal liability” owed to a close family member, including a brother. The July 2012 “funds sharing agreement” attached to the lawsuit describes how money from a proposed power plant in Greene County, Pennsylvania, would be split among the three Manchin brothers. The Nemacolin plant was being developed by Wellington Development, a Fairmont-based company. Under the 2012 agreement, Sen. Manchin would deduct what he put into the project, and then John Manchin would get the first $1 million of profit. Any subsequent profit would be divided among all three brothers for as long as they survive. The agreement was signed by Joe and Roch Manchin, and sent by Kirtan Mehta, chief counsel to the senator. It was dated July 25, 2012, with a U.S. Senate letterhead. Jonathan Kott, a spokesman in Manchin’s Senate office, said Friday afternoon that Mehta did the personal work for Manchin at home, after hours. It was a mistake that the agreement was printed on Senate letterhead, Kott said. “The senator feels it was a mistake, and we’ve notified the Ethics Committee to see if there’s anything we need to do,” Kott said. “They haven’t responded, but we already self-reported it.” Morgantown lawyer Michael Benninger, who filed the lawsuit on John Manchin’s behalf, did not return multiple phone calls Thursday or Friday. Reached at his clinic in Fairmont on Thursday, John Manchin referred questions about the lawsuit to his attorney, Since at least the early 2000s, Wellington had been working on a proposal to build a 525-megawatt power plant along the Monongahela River at Nemacolin. According to court records, the facility was being designed to burn a mixture of newly mined coal and coal wastes that would have been recovered from “gob” piles from the former Nemacolin Coal/Buckeye Coal facility. Promoters touted their belief that the project would clean up nearly 3,000 acres of degraded former mining property. Court records say the plant, if built, would have been “the largest waste-coal-fired facility” of this type in the country. A challenge from the Sierra Club and other groups was thrown out and, as recently as December 2012, the company was trying to obtain required Clean Water Act authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In early February of this year, though, Wellington wrote to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to withdraw its state permit. Wellington official Stanley Sears wrote that “present conditions, as witnessed throughout the U.S., make it virtually impossible to finance and construct this kind of facility.” The letter complained about environmental groups that opposed the project and thanked “all of the many citizens, groups and local government agencies that supported this project over the years.” In his lawsuit, John Manchin also claims that: | According to the July 2012 agreement, if there was a delay in paying him back, he was entitled to one-third interest in coal reserves and brokerage businesses and other incorporated businesses owned by Joe and Roch Manchin. | Manchin Brothers, a company formed by the three brothers, was terminated without John Manchin’s knowledge or consent. According to the lawsuit, John Manchin believes its funds, assets and property were transferred to Wholesale Carpet Inc., which Manchin Carpet Center was reorganized into in the early 1990s. John Manchin claims that assets from Manchin Brothers were transferred to Manchin Enterprises — controlled by Joe Manchin and his son, Joseph Manchin IV — and others. | On numerous occasions, John Manchin’s brothers falsely represented to him that he was one-third owner of Transcom Inc., which was incorporated in 1988. Transcom is now Farmington Resources. Sen. Manchin owns stock and accounts in Farmington Resources worth between $200,000 and $500,000, according to financial disclosure forms filed in May with the Senate. Sen. Manchin’s net worth is between $3.8 million and $11.5 million, according to his most recent financial disclosure forms. The wide range is because the forms require only a broad estimate of the value of each asset owned by the senator, not an exact amount. The lawsuit asks that John Manchin be compensated for what he’s lost and awarded one-third ownership interest in all coal reserves and businesses incorporated, formed and owned by his brothers during the time Manchin Brothers’ and Manchin Carpet Center’s funds, property and assets were being used. - See more at: http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140724/GZ01/140729522#sthash.IPQDwDKp.dp… http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140724/GZ01/140729522

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FW: Why The Fossil Fuel Industry Hates Wind Power
by James Kotcon 27 Jul '14

27 Jul '14

This article from Australia has some important concepts for the economics of renewables versus coal in America. JBK ________________________________ From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2014 11:09 AM To: James Kotcon Subject: Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Why The Fossil Fuel Industry Hates Wind Power http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/20/fossil-fuel-industry-hates-wind-power/ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Spike Lewis <spike.lewis(a)gmail.com<mailto:spike.lewis@gmail.com>> Date: Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 12:46 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Why The Fossil Fuel Industry Hates Wind Power To: "LA Beyond Coal Team/Energy Activists." <COAL-LA-ENERGY-ACTIVISTS(a)lists.sierraclub.org<mailto:COAL-LA-ENERGY-ACTIVISTS@lists.sierraclub.org>>, Coal Alerts <coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org>>, coal no new <nonewcoalplants(a)energyjustice.net<mailto:nonewcoalplants@energyjustice.net>> Happy Tuesday, Coal Fighters! Opponents of clean energy are quick to tell you the myth of how expensive energy efficiency, solar, and wind are. What they are really worried about is how clean energy causes the price of dirty energy to decrease when fossil fuels make their most profits. Thanks to LA Beyond Coal Campaign Volunteer Leader Kent Minault for first bringing this concept to our attention. Today's inspiration is from Cleantechnica<http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/20/fossil-fuel-industry-hates-wind-power/>. Thank you for your time and consideration, Spike -- Spike Lewis -- 310.487.8160<tel:310.487.8160> Volunteer Organizer, LA Beyond Coal Campaign -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:neha.mathew@sierraclub.org> with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe@sierraclub.org>. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org>.

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Re: [EC] WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE WE DONT KNOW ABOUT THIS GUY? A GOB PLANT? YOU'RE KIDDING. AND EPA, THAT MEANIE.....
by James Kotcon 27 Jul '14

27 Jul '14

Actually, Pennsylvania's Standard was adopted a few years before West Virginia's, and had two standards, one for "renewable" energy sources and one for "alternative". Then-Gov. Manchin adopted this approach with his bill, but weakened it further by making the sources interchangeable. Thus, WV utilities did not have to add ANY renewable sources to meet the WV standard, whereas PA utilities did have to add some wind and solar. But FBC gob burners do qualify as "alternative" under WV law, so they would obviously like to be included in PA as well. JBK PS. The fact sheet below is a little dated, as most of the 1950's era plants have already been or will be shut down next year by the new Mercury and Air Toxics standards. Coal plants with scrubbers will meet the MATS, and therefore are cleaner than FBC plants for most pollutants. PPS. We were somewhat involved in the Nemacolin plant permitting some years ago. I still have the files from when the sent me a subpoena for all records and communications on their air permit. So I sent the about 500 pages of stuff, but since all we did was cite facts, they never followed up (apparently "facts" were not helpful to their legal case). :-) ________________________________ From: Gary Zuckett <garyz(a)wvcag.org> Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2014 11:47 PM To: 'William V. DePaulo, Esq.'; 'Emmett Pepper'; '5811253# Cathy'; 'David Schlissel'; 'Elise Keaton'; 'Brown Paul Corbit'; 'Sconyers Jim'; 'Price Bill'; 'Chad Cordell'; 'Jim Waggy'; 'William Hall'; 'Doug Wood'; maya(a)chemsafety.org; 'WV Chapter Energy Committee'; duane330(a)aol.com; daniel.chiotos(a)gmail.com; 'Mark Kresowik'; 'David Muhly'; 'Zachary Fabish'; James Kotcon Subject: RE: WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE WE DONT KNOW ABOUT THIS GUY? A GOB PLANT? YOU'RE KIDDING. AND EPA, THAT MEANIE..... “The waste coal industry is pushing aggressively to include their proposed facilities in the Pennsylvania Renewable Portfolio Standard<http://www.actionpa.org/cleanenergy/>, despite the fact that waste coal is not renewable energy and that waste coal power plants are dirtier than coal power plants.” From end of Waste Coal article. Tell me if I’m wrong but I think it was Gov Manchin’s that pushed through waste coal into our WV Renewable Porfolio… GZ From: William V. DePaulo, Esq. [mailto:william.depaulo@gmail.com] Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2014 8:43 AM To: Emmett Pepper; 5811253# Cathy; Gary Zuckett; David Schlissel; Elise Keaton; Brown Paul Corbit; Sconyers Jim; Price Bill; Chad Cordell; Jim Waggy; William Hall; Doug Wood; maya(a)chemsafety.org; WV Chapter Energy Committee; duane330(a)aol.com; daniel.chiotos(a)gmail.com; Mark Kresowik; David Muhly; Zachary Fabish; James Kotcon Subject: Re: WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE WE DONT KNOW ABOUT THIS GUY? A GOB PLANT? YOU'RE KIDDING. AND EPA, THAT MEANIE..... Jim Kotcon in North and the rest of you down here.....I agree we need to seize the moment to go after Manchin on this....a short version of this story has gone around the country already.....the gazette article is far more detailed.....i sent it to a new york times reporter who covered west va in january.....we already knew Manchin was making millions from what in the past was described as a coal brokerage business.....this is way beyond brokering.....it relates directly to the motives for his opposition to EPA standards.......one opening appears to be the Senate reporting requirements.....there may be a reporting exemption for loans from a family member, but i'll be fifty cents that at least some of these loans/debts were to a corporate entity of some type--and were NOT exempt from reporting..... LEGAL FOOTNOTE: The West Virginia Constitution provides for impeachment of an "officer of the state" as follows: 4-9. Impeachment of officials. Any officer of the state may be impeached for maladministration, corruption, incompetency, gross immorality, neglect of duty, or any high crime or misdemeanor. The House of Delegates shall have the sole power of impeachment. The Senate shall have the sole power to try impeachments and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members elected thereto. When sitting as a court of impeachment, the president of the supreme court of appeals, or, if from any cause it be improper for him to act, then any other judge of that court, to be designated by it, shall preside; and the senators shall be on oath or affirmation, to do justice according to law and evidence. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust or profit, under the state; but the party convicted shall be liable to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law. The Senate may sit during the recess of the Legislature for the trial of impeachment BOTTOM LINE: WE CANT LET THIS MOMENT PASS WITHOUT EMPTYING ALL AVAILABLE CARTRIDGES. SEE BELOW FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WEB PAGE ON COAL GOB -- THE WORST OF THE WORST -------------------- Waste Coal Burning Waste Coal is Much More Polluting than Burning Coal [Printable PDF factsheet on waste coal<http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/factsheet.pdf>] [Nemacolin Gob Pile in Greene County, PA] Nemacolin Gob Pile in Greene County, PA What is waste coal? Waste coals are the low-energy-value discards of the coal mining industry. Waste coal is called "culm" in the eastern Pennsylvania anthracite coal region and "gob" or "boney" in the bitiminous coal mining regions (western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and elsewhere). Waste coal piles accumulated mostly between 1900 and 1970. The piles look like hills or small mountains that are dark and barren. Hundreds of millions of tons of waste coal and rock litter the landscape in mining states. Why is it a problem? Waste coal piles leach iron, manganese and aluminum pollution into waterways and cause acid drainage that kills neighboring streams. These piles sometimes even catch fire, releasing toxic pollution into the air. <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/facilities>[Map of Waste Coal plants in the U.S.]<http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/facilities><http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/facilities> Click here for a list of existing and proposed waste coal facilities<http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/facilities> Where is waste coal being burned? There are currently 18 waste coal burning power plants, and 13 more that use it as a secondary fuel, with bituminous coal as their primary fuel. Fourteen of the 18 waste coal plants are in Pennsylvania. Over a dozen more are proposed, mostly in PA, WV and KY. There are also now proposals for coal-to-oil<http://www.ultradirtyfuels.com> refineries, some of which would use waste coal to produce liquid fuels. [http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/c-btuchart.gif]Low energy value Nationally, waste coal has an average of 60% of the BTU value (British Thermal Units, a unit of energy) of normal coals. It can take up to twice as much waste coal to produce the same amount of electricity. This means that -- in most places -- waste coal burners can only be economically built where huge volumes of waste coal exist. It would cost too much to truck far-away low-BTU fuel to a centralized burner. Consequently, even if waste coal burning were a clean solution, it wouldn't deal with the problem of more isolated waste coal piles. [http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/c-hgconc.gif] Waste Coal has More Mercury Waste coal has higher concentration of mercury than normal coals. In West Virginia and nationally, gob has 4 times more mercury than bituminous coal. In Pennsylvania, gob has 3.5 times more mercury than bituminous coal. Culm has 19% more mercury than anthracite coal. Bituminous waste coal also has higher levels of sulfur (see chart below<http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal#sulfur>). [This is based on thousands of samples collected in 1999 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Click here for more details on mercury content in coals and waste coals<http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/epa-icrdata.html>.] Data on other metals in waste coal is sparse, but evidence from single metals tests on Pennsylvania culm and gob show both to have about 4 times as much chromium and 3 times as much lead. [http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/c-hgperbtu.gif]More Mercury Per Megawatt Since more waste coal must be burned to produce the same amount of electricity as normal coal would, this means that -- in the states most affected by waste coal burning -- over 6 times as much mercury must be fed into a waste coal burner to produce the same amount of energy as a traditional coal power plant. For culm vs. anthracite coal, it takes nearly twice as much mercury. Where Does the Mercury Go? Older coal power plants could not handle waste coal. In the late 1980's "circulating fluidized bed" (CFB) style power plants were built which could burn the low-energy waste coal. Because they were built after the 1970 Clean Air Act, these CFB power plants have pollution control equipment that the old ones don't have. This makes it easy for the waste coal industry to make the claim that their air emissions are cleaner than 1950s-era coal power plants. Comparing apples to apples, it is more accurate to compare air emissions from waste coal burners to the new coal power plants being proposed. The currently proposed Longview<http://www.nolongview.org> bituminous coal power plant in Fort Martin (near Morgantown, WV) would have lower emissions than the currently proposed gob burner in nearby Nemacolin<http://www.truthaboutgob.org> (Greene County, PA). Other Air Emissions Combustion creates problems that simply don't exist if the waste coal is left unburned. Anytime you burn coal or waste coal, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)<http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/eh/ChemFS/fs/PAH.htm> are created that were not present in the unburned waste coal. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons<http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/chemicals/chemicals-detail-print.asp?Ma…> have a range of toxicity. Any time you burn anything with less than complete combustion, you also create nitrogen oxides (NOx)<http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/summary.tcl?edf_substance_id=EDF…> and products of incomplete combustion (PICs). Since the number of possible PICs is unlimited, the potential toxicity of the PICs is uncertain. [See studies on how fluidized bed waste coal burners release more cancer-causing PAH's<http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/pah/> as well as 15% more global warming pollution and increased carbon monoxide than conventional burners.] Toxic Ash Burning waste coal doesn't make the waste go away. If 100 tons of waste coal are burned, 85 tons will remain as waste coal ash. Since far more mercury and other toxic contaminants enter a waste coal burner to produce a given amount of electricity, these high levels of toxic contaminants have to come out somewhere. Toxic metals cannot be destroyed by burning them. To the extent that they are captured in pollution controls (protecting the air), they are then concentrated in the highly toxic ash that ultimately threatens the groundwater wherever this ash is dumped. Waste coal burners have cleaner air emissions than antiquated coal plants due to their better pollution controls, but this only means that the ash is far more toxic, since the highly toxic particulates captured in pollution control equipment end up in the ash. The industry claims that 99.8% of the mercury in the fuel is captured and ends up in their ash. Waste coal ash is dumped in communities not far from the waste coal burners, threatening the groundwater with leaching lead, mercury and other poisons. Power plant waste is allowed to be dumped without the basic protections (landfill<http://www.ejnet.org/landfills/> liners) that are required for dumping household trash. When burning any solid fuel, the resulting ash has a higher surface area than the raw, unburned material. The dangers of toxic leaching from ash can be expected to be greater than from the unburned waste coal. Just like with coffee, running water over coffee grounds leaches far more coffee out than if you ran water over whole coffee beans. The industry claims that by injecting limestone into the ash, the ash becomes impervious to leaching. However, this has not been proven and it seems likely that the alkaline affects of the lime would afford only temporary protection, especially since the region where most of the waste coal burners are (Pennsylvania, West Virginia) suffers from the nation's worst acid rain<http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/isopleths/maps2001/phlab.gif>. The waste coal burning industry's own data shows that waste coal ash does in fact leach metals into groundwater, despite their public assertions. Ash at 2 of 12 facilities studied in Pennsylvania were shown to contain levels of arsenic higher than the maximum allowable concentration set forth for land application of sewage sludge<http://www.ejnet.org/sludge/>. Of 221 samples of leachate from waste coal ash at the ash dumps, lead contamination in 23 samples (10.4%) exceeded a level 10 times higher than EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water. Six samples exceeded this "10 times the drinking water standard" level for cadmium, as did single samples for chromium and selenium. Click here for a list of waste coal ash dumps in the U.S.<http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/ashdumps> <http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html>[http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/beachgrass-before.jpg]<http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html><http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html> Beach Grass: the Safe and Affordable Alternative to Burning Waste Coal Researchers at the Natural Resources Conservation Service found a very cheap and viable alternative to the conventional waste coal pile remediation method of grading, topsoiling, seeding and mulching. They found that beach grass, native to sandy beaches, thrives in waste coal piles and can establish enough plant cover to enable native plants to take root. This method has been shown to bring life back to long-dead waste coal piles for only 6-10% of the cost of conventional methods. Within a few years, beach grass enabled native plants to take over, allowing organic matter to accumulate around plants, forming a plant layer that stopped erosion, held water, cooled the surface, and looked better. <http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html>[http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/beachgrass-after.jpg]<http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html><http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html> Gob Pile Recovered by Planting Beach Grass For more details, read: * Beach Grass: Bringing the Seashore to the Mountains<http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html> (Erosion Control Feature Article, July/August 2000). * Succession on a Coal Mine Gob Pile Stabilized With 'Cape' American Beachgrass<http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/beachgrass> The waste coal industry is pushing aggressively to include their proposed facilities in the Pennsylvania Renewable Portfolio Standard<http://www.actionpa.org/cleanenergy/>, despite the fact that waste coal is not renewable energy and that waste coal power plants are dirtier than coal power plants. The waste coal industry argues that the best solution to waste coal piles is burning them, while other cleaner and safer alternatives exist. Rather than liberate the toxic contaminants by burning them, it is preferable to remediate the waste coal piles in a way that reduces the problems associated with the piles without creating new problems. ________________________________ [http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/c-sulfurchart.gif] Energy Justice Network, 1434 Elbridge St, Philadelphia, PA 19149 | 215-743-4884<tel:215-743-4884> | niaby(a)energyjustice.net<mailto:niaby@energyjustice.net> | Site Map<http://www.energyjustice.net/sitemap> On Sat, Jul 26, 2014 at 7:59 AM, William V. DePaulo, Esq. <william.depaulo(a)gmail.com<mailto:william.depaulo@gmail.com>> wrote: [Print] <http://www.wvgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140724/GZ01/140729522…> Thursday, July 24, 2014 Sen. Manchin’s brother sues him, other brother over $1.7 million loan By Kate White<http://www.wvgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=staff&template=staf…>, Staff writer [http://www.wvgazette.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/storyimage/CH/20140724/GZ01/1407295…] Gazette file photo Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., talks during a meeting in Charleston in January 2013. The senator and his brother were sued by another brother this week over an allegedly unpaid loan of more than $1.7 million. * Manchin v Manchin Complaint pdf file<http://www.wvgazette.com/assets/PDF/CH6201725.pdf> FAIRMONT, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s brother has sued the senator and another brother over more than $1.7 million that allegedly was loaned to keep a family business afloat decades ago. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Dr. John Manchin against his brothers, Joe and Roch Manchin, in Marion County Circuit Court. According to the lawsuit, Joe and Roch Manchin requested the money in the 1980s from their brother “in response to Manchin Carpet Center’s distressed financial condition.” John Manchin loaned them more than $1.7 million, all of which was provided to the business’ primary creditor, Community Bank and Trust, according to the lawsuit. Joe and Roch Manchin promised to repay their brother on repeated occasions, most recently in July 2012, according to the lawsuit. The loan does not appear on Sen. Manchin’s financial disclosure forms<https://efdsearch.senate.gov/search/view/annual/a50e409b-350b-4056-b0bf-165…>, filed with the U.S. Senate. The Senate Ethics Committee requires disclosure<http://www.ethics.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=60916d73-…> of any debt valued at more than $10,000, but there is an exemption for a “personal liability” owed to a close family member, including a brother. The July 2012 “funds sharing agreement” attached to the lawsuit describes how money from a proposed power plant in Greene County, Pennsylvania, would be split among the three Manchin brothers. The Nemacolin plant was being developed by Wellington Development, a Fairmont-based company. Under the 2012 agreement, Sen. Manchin would deduct what he put into the project, and then John Manchin would get the first $1 million of profit. Any subsequent profit would be divided among all three brothers for as long as they survive. The agreement was signed by Joe and Roch Manchin, and sent by Kirtan Mehta, chief counsel to the senator. It was dated July 25, 2012, with a U.S. Senate letterhead. Jonathan Kott, a spokesman in Manchin’s Senate office, said Friday afternoon that Mehta did the personal work for Manchin at home, after hours. It was a mistake that the agreement was printed on Senate letterhead, Kott said. “The senator feels it was a mistake, and we’ve notified the Ethics Committee to see if there’s anything we need to do,” Kott said. “They haven’t responded, but we already self-reported it.” Morgantown lawyer Michael Benninger, who filed the lawsuit on John Manchin’s behalf, did not return multiple phone calls Thursday or Friday. Reached at his clinic in Fairmont on Thursday, John Manchin referred questions about the lawsuit to his attorney, Since at least the early 2000s, Wellington had been working on a proposal to build a 525-megawatt power plant along the Monongahela River at Nemacolin. According to court records, the facility was being designed to burn a mixture of newly mined coal and coal wastes that would have been recovered from “gob” piles from the former Nemacolin Coal/Buckeye Coal facility. Promoters touted their belief that the project would clean up nearly 3,000 acres of degraded former mining property. Court records say the plant, if built, would have been “the largest waste-coal-fired facility” of this type in the country. A challenge from the Sierra Club and other groups was thrown out and, as recently as December 2012, the company was trying to obtain required Clean Water Act authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In early February of this year, though, Wellington wrote to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to withdraw its state permit. Wellington official Stanley Sears wrote that “present conditions, as witnessed throughout the U.S., make it virtually impossible to finance and construct this kind of facility.” The letter complained about environmental groups that opposed the project and thanked “all of the many citizens, groups and local government agencies that supported this project over the years.” In his lawsuit, John Manchin also claims that: | According to the July 2012 agreement, if there was a delay in paying him back, he was entitled to one-third interest in coal reserves and brokerage businesses and other incorporated businesses owned by Joe and Roch Manchin. | Manchin Brothers, a company formed by the three brothers, was terminated without John Manchin’s knowledge or consent. According to the lawsuit, John Manchin believes its funds, assets and property were transferred to Wholesale Carpet Inc., which Manchin Carpet Center was reorganized into in the early 1990s. John Manchin claims that assets from Manchin Brothers were transferred to Manchin Enterprises — controlled by Joe Manchin and his son, Joseph Manchin IV — and others. | On numerous occasions, John Manchin’s brothers falsely represented to him that he was one-third owner of Transcom Inc., which was incorporated in 1988. Transcom is now Farmington Resources. Sen. Manchin owns stock and accounts in Farmington Resources worth between $200,000 and $500,000, according to financial disclosure forms filed in May with the Senate. Sen. Manchin’s net worth is between $3.8 million and $11.5 million, according to his most recent financial disclosure forms. The wide range is because the forms require only a broad estimate of the value of each asset owned by the senator, not an exact amount. The lawsuit asks that John Manchin be compensated for what he’s lost and awarded one-third ownership interest in all coal reserves and businesses incorporated, formed and owned by his brothers during the time Manchin Brothers’ and Manchin Carpet Center’s funds, property and assets were being used. Mary Manchin, mother of the brothers, died in May at age 91. The family is from Marion County. A Gazette reporter obtained a copy of the lawsuit from the Marion County Courthouse on Friday. The previous day, employees in Marion County Circuit Clerk Rhonda Starn’s office had refused to provide a copy of the lawsuit. Starn told her employees “to transfer all incoming calls regarding this case directly to her,” a clerk in Starn’s office said Thursday morning. Starn did not return a phone message and did not answer several phone calls throughout Thursday. Starn’s office has a policy that lawsuits remain private until a defendant is served, according to the clerk. Another clerk in Starn’s office had said Thursday that the lawsuit might not be public for 20 to 30 days. The Gazette notified officials with the West Virginia Supreme Court about the county’s policy. Officials with the Supreme Court, which oversees all circuit courts in West Virginia, contacted Starn’s office. At about 4:45 p.m., Robin Tucker, Starn’s deputy clerk, called the Gazette and said the clerk’s office had closed at 4:30 p.m. and that a reporter could obtain a copy of the lawsuit at 8:30 a.m. Friday for $1 a page. The amount must be paid by cash or money order before a copy is provided, Tucker said. Circuit clerk offices throughout the state usually provide information and, if they charge anything, send a bill. “Honey, we don’t bill. We have no way to bill,” Tucker said. “All of the information is in our system. You’re welcome to look at it in the morning.” Staff writers David Gutman and Ken Ward Jr. contributed to this report. Reach Kate White at kate.white(a)wvgazette.com<mailto:kate.white@wvgazette.com>, 304-348-1723<tel:304-348-1723> or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter. - See more at: http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140724/GZ01/140729522/1419#sthash.RA5uey… -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel 304-342-5588<tel:304-342-5588> Fax 304-342-5505<tel:304-342-5505> william.depaulo(a)gmail.com<mailto:william.depaulo@gmail.com> www.passeggiata.com<http://www.passeggiata.com> -- 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<mailto:william.depaulo@gmail.com> www.passeggiata.com<http://www.passeggiata.com>

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Re: [EC] WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE WE DONT KNOW ABOUT THIS GUY? A GOB PLANT? YOU'RE KIDDING. AND EPA, THAT MEANIE.....
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 26 Jul '14

26 Jul '14

Jim Kotcon in North and the rest of you down here.....I agree we need to seize the moment to go after Manchin on this....a short version of this story has gone around the country already.....the gazette article is far more detailed.....i sent it to a new york times reporter who covered west va in january.....we already knew Manchin was making millions from what in the past was described as a coal brokerage business.....this is way beyond brokering.....it relates directly to the motives for his opposition to EPA standards.......one opening appears to be the Senate reporting requirements.....there may be a reporting exemption for loans from a family member, but i'll be fifty cents that at least some of these loans/debts were to a corporate entity of some type--and were NOT exempt from reporting..... *LEGAL FOOTNOTE: * The West Virginia Constitution provides for impeachment of an "officer of the state" as follows: *4-9. Impeachment of officials. * Any officer of the state may be impeached for maladministration, corruption, incompetency, gross immorality, neglect of duty, or any high crime or misdemeanor. The House of Delegates shall have the sole power of impeachment. The Senate shall have the sole power to try impeachments and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members elected thereto. When sitting as a court of impeachment, the president of the supreme court of appeals, or, if from any cause it be improper for him to act, then any other judge of that court, to be designated by it, shall preside; and the senators shall be on oath or affirmation, to do justice according to law and evidence. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust or profit, under the state; but the party convicted shall be liable to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law. The Senate may sit during the recess of the Legislature for the trial of impeachment *BOTTOM LINE: WE CANT LET THIS MOMENT PASS WITHOUT EMPTYING ALL AVAILABLE CARTRIDGES*. *SEE BELOW FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WEB PAGE ON COAL GOB -- THE WORST OF THE WORST* -------------------- Waste Coal Burning Waste Coal is Much More Polluting than Burning Coal [Printable PDF factsheet on waste coal <http://www.energyjustice.net/files/coal/wastecoal/factsheet.pdf>] [image: Nemacolin Gob Pile in Greene County, PA] Nemacolin Gob Pile in Greene County, PA What is waste coal? Waste coals are the low-energy-value discards of the coal mining industry. Waste coal is called "culm" in the eastern Pennsylvania anthracite coal region and "gob" or "boney" in the bitiminous coal mining regions (western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and elsewhere). Waste coal piles accumulated mostly between 1900 and 1970. The piles look like hills or small mountains that are dark and barren. Hundreds of millions of tons of waste coal and rock litter the landscape in mining states. Why is it a problem? Waste coal piles leach iron, manganese and aluminum pollution into waterways and cause acid drainage that kills neighboring streams. These piles sometimes even catch fire, releasing toxic pollution into the air. [image: Map of Waste Coal plants in the U.S.] <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/facilities> Click here for a list of existing and proposed waste coal facilities <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/facilities> Where is waste coal being burned? There are currently 18 waste coal burning power plants, and 13 more that use it as a secondary fuel, with bituminous coal as their primary fuel. Fourteen of the 18 waste coal plants are in Pennsylvania. Over a dozen more are proposed, mostly in PA, WV and KY. There are also now proposals for coal-to-oil <http://www.ultradirtyfuels.com> refineries, some of which would use waste coal to produce liquid fuels. Low energy value Nationally, waste coal has an average of 60% of the BTU value (British Thermal Units, a unit of energy) of normal coals. It can take up to twice as much waste coal to produce the same amount of electricity. This means that -- in most places -- waste coal burners can only be economically built where huge volumes of waste coal exist. It would cost too much to truck far-away low-BTU fuel to a centralized burner. Consequently, even if waste coal burning were a clean solution, it wouldn't deal with the problem of more isolated waste coal piles. Waste Coal has More Mercury Waste coal has higher concentration of mercury than normal coals. In West Virginia and nationally, gob has 4 times more mercury than bituminous coal. In Pennsylvania, gob has 3.5 times more mercury than bituminous coal. Culm has 19% more mercury than anthracite coal. Bituminous waste coal also has higher levels of sulfur (see chart below <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal#sulfur>). [This is based on thousands of samples collected in 1999 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Click here for more details on mercury content in coals and waste coals <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/epa-icrdata.html>.] Data on other metals in waste coal is sparse, but evidence from single metals tests on Pennsylvania culm and gob show both to have about 4 times as much chromium and 3 times as much lead. More Mercury Per Megawatt Since more waste coal must be burned to produce the same amount of electricity as normal coal would, this means that -- in the states most affected by waste coal burning -- *over 6 times as much mercury must be fed into a waste coal burner to produce the same amount of energy* as a traditional coal power plant. For culm vs. anthracite coal, it takes nearly twice as much mercury. Where Does the Mercury Go? Older coal power plants could not handle waste coal. In the late 1980's "circulating fluidized bed" (CFB) style power plants were built which could burn the low-energy waste coal. Because they were built after the 1970 Clean Air Act, these CFB power plants have pollution control equipment that the old ones don't have. This makes it easy for the waste coal industry to make the claim that their air emissions are cleaner than 1950s-era coal power plants. Comparing apples to apples, it is more accurate to compare air emissions from waste coal burners to the new coal power plants being proposed. The currently proposed Longview <http://www.nolongview.org> bituminous coal power plant in Fort Martin (near Morgantown, WV) would have lower emissions than the currently proposed gob burner in nearby Nemacolin <http://www.truthaboutgob.org> (Greene County, PA). Other Air Emissions Combustion creates problems that simply don't exist if the waste coal is left unburned. Anytime you burn coal or waste coal, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) <http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/eh/ChemFS/fs/PAH.htm> are created that were not present in the unburned waste coal. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons <http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/chemicals/chemicals-detail-print.asp?Ma…> have a range of toxicity. Any time you burn anything with less than complete combustion, you also create nitrogen oxides (NOx) <http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/summary.tcl?edf_substance_id=EDF…> and products of incomplete combustion (PICs). Since the number of possible PICs is unlimited, the potential toxicity of the PICs is uncertain. [See studies on how fluidized bed waste coal burners release more cancer-causing PAH's <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/pah/> as well as 15% more global warming pollution and increased carbon monoxide than conventional burners.] Toxic Ash Burning waste coal doesn't make the waste go away. If 100 tons of waste coal are burned, 85 tons will remain as waste coal ash. Since far more mercury and other toxic contaminants enter a waste coal burner to produce a given amount of electricity, these high levels of toxic contaminants have to come out somewhere. Toxic metals cannot be destroyed by burning them. To the extent that they are captured in pollution controls (protecting the air), they are then concentrated in the highly toxic ash that ultimately threatens the groundwater wherever this ash is dumped. Waste coal burners have cleaner air emissions than antiquated coal plants due to their better pollution controls, but this only means that the ash is far more toxic, since the highly toxic particulates captured in pollution control equipment end up in the ash. The industry claims that 99.8% of the mercury in the fuel is captured and ends up in their ash. Waste coal ash is dumped in communities not far from the waste coal burners, threatening the groundwater with leaching lead, mercury and other poisons. Power plant waste is allowed to be dumped without the basic protections (landfill <http://www.ejnet.org/landfills/> liners) that are required for dumping household trash. When burning any solid fuel, the resulting ash has a higher surface area than the raw, unburned material. The dangers of toxic leaching from ash can be expected to be greater than from the unburned waste coal. Just like with coffee, running water over coffee grounds leaches far more coffee out than if you ran water over whole coffee beans. The industry claims that by injecting limestone into the ash, the ash becomes impervious to leaching. However, this has not been proven and it seems likely that the alkaline affects of the lime would afford only temporary protection, especially since the region where most of the waste coal burners are (Pennsylvania, West Virginia) suffers from the nation's worst acid rain <http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/isopleths/maps2001/phlab.gif>. The waste coal burning industry's own data shows that waste coal ash does in fact leach metals into groundwater, despite their public assertions. Ash at 2 of 12 facilities studied in Pennsylvania were shown to contain levels of arsenic higher than the maximum allowable concentration set forth for land application of sewage sludge <http://www.ejnet.org/sludge/>. Of 221 samples of leachate from waste coal ash at the ash dumps, lead contamination in 23 samples (10.4%) exceeded a level 10 times higher than EPA's maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water. Six samples exceeded this "10 times the drinking water standard" level for cadmium, as did single samples for chromium and selenium. Click here for a list of waste coal ash dumps in the U.S. <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/ashdumps> <http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html> Beach Grass: the Safe and Affordable Alternative to Burning Waste Coal Researchers at the Natural Resources Conservation Service found a very cheap and viable alternative to the conventional waste coal pile remediation method of grading, topsoiling, seeding and mulching. They found that beach grass, native to sandy beaches, thrives in waste coal piles and can establish enough plant cover to enable native plants to take root. This method has been shown to bring life back to long-dead waste coal piles for only 6-10% of the cost of conventional methods. Within a few years, beach grass enabled native plants to take over, allowing organic matter to accumulate around plants, forming a plant layer that stopped erosion, held water, cooled the surface, and looked better. <http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html> Gob Pile Recovered by Planting Beach Grass For more details, read: - Beach Grass: Bringing the Seashore to the Mountains <http://www.erosioncontrol.com/ec_0007_beach.html> (*Erosion Control* Feature Article, July/August 2000). - Succession on a Coal Mine Gob Pile Stabilized With 'Cape' American Beachgrass <http://www.energyjustice.net/coal/wastecoal/beachgrass> The waste coal industry is pushing aggressively to include their proposed facilities in the Pennsylvania Renewable Portfolio Standard <http://www.actionpa.org/cleanenergy/>, despite the fact that waste coal is not renewable energy and that waste coal power plants are dirtier than coal power plants. The waste coal industry argues that the best solution to waste coal piles is burning them, while other cleaner and safer alternatives exist. Rather than liberate the toxic contaminants by burning them, it is preferable to remediate the waste coal piles in a way that reduces the problems associated with the piles without creating new problems. ------------------------------ Energy Justice Network, 1434 Elbridge St, Philadelphia, PA 19149 | 215-743-4884 | niaby(a)energyjustice.net | Site Map <http://www.energyjustice.net/sitemap> On Sat, Jul 26, 2014 at 7:59 AM, William V. DePaulo, Esq. < william.depaulo(a)gmail.com> wrote: > [image: Print] > <http://www.wvgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140724/GZ01/140729522…> > Thursday, July 24, 2014 > Sen. Manchin’s brother sues him, other brother over $1.7 million loan > By Kate White > <http://www.wvgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=staff&template=staf…>, > Staff writer > Gazette file photo > Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., talks during a meeting in Charleston in January > 2013. The senator and his brother were sued by another brother this week > over an allegedly unpaid loan of more than $1.7 million. > > - Manchin v Manchin Complaint pdf file > <http://www.wvgazette.com/assets/PDF/CH6201725.pdf> > > FAIRMONT, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s brother has sued the senator > and another brother over more than $1.7 million that allegedly was loaned > to keep a family business afloat decades ago. > > The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Dr. John Manchin against his brothers, > Joe and Roch Manchin, in Marion County Circuit Court. > > According to the lawsuit, Joe and Roch Manchin requested the money in the > 1980s from their brother “in response to Manchin Carpet Center’s distressed > financial condition.” > > John Manchin loaned them more than $1.7 million, all of which was provided > to the business’ primary creditor, Community Bank and Trust, according to > the lawsuit. > > Joe and Roch Manchin promised to repay their brother on repeated > occasions, most recently in July 2012, according to the lawsuit. > > The loan does not appear on Sen. Manchin’s financial disclosure forms > <https://efdsearch.senate.gov/search/view/annual/a50e409b-350b-4056-b0bf-165…>, > filed with the U.S. Senate. The Senate Ethics Committee requires > disclosure > <http://www.ethics.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=60916d73-…> > of any debt valued at more than $10,000, but there is an exemption for a > “personal liability” owed to a close family member, including a brother. > > The July 2012 “funds sharing agreement” attached to the lawsuit describes > how money from a proposed power plant in Greene County, Pennsylvania, would > be split among the three Manchin brothers. The Nemacolin plant was being > developed by Wellington Development, a Fairmont-based company. > > Under the 2012 agreement, Sen. Manchin would deduct what he put into the > project, and then John Manchin would get the first $1 million of profit. > Any subsequent profit would be divided among all three brothers for as long > as they survive. > > The agreement was signed by Joe and Roch Manchin, and sent by Kirtan > Mehta, chief counsel to the senator. It was dated July 25, 2012, with a > U.S. Senate letterhead. > > Jonathan Kott, a spokesman in Manchin’s Senate office, said Friday > afternoon that Mehta did the personal work for Manchin at home, after > hours. It was a mistake that the agreement was printed on Senate > letterhead, Kott said. > > “The senator feels it was a mistake, and we’ve notified the Ethics > Committee to see if there’s anything we need to do,” Kott said. “They > haven’t responded, but we already self-reported it.” > > Morgantown lawyer Michael Benninger, who filed the lawsuit on John > Manchin’s behalf, did not return multiple phone calls Thursday or Friday. > Reached at his clinic in Fairmont on Thursday, John Manchin referred > questions about the lawsuit to his attorney, > > Since at least the early 2000s, Wellington had been working on a proposal > to build a 525-megawatt power plant along the Monongahela River at > Nemacolin. According to court records, the facility was being designed to > burn a mixture of newly mined coal and coal wastes that would have been > recovered from “gob” piles from the former Nemacolin Coal/Buckeye Coal > facility. Promoters touted their belief that the project would clean up > nearly 3,000 acres of degraded former mining property. Court records say > the plant, if built, would have been “the largest waste-coal-fired > facility” of this type in the country. A challenge from the Sierra Club and > other groups was thrown out and, as recently as December 2012, the company > was trying to obtain required Clean Water Act authorization from the U.S. > Army Corps of Engineers. > > In early February of this year, though, Wellington wrote to the > Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to withdraw its state > permit. Wellington official Stanley Sears wrote that “present conditions, > as witnessed throughout the U.S., make it virtually impossible to finance > and construct this kind of facility.” The letter complained about > environmental groups that opposed the project and thanked “all of the many > citizens, groups and local government agencies that supported this project > over the years.” > > In his lawsuit, John Manchin also claims that: > > | According to the July 2012 agreement, if there was a delay in paying him > back, he was entitled to one-third interest in coal reserves and brokerage > businesses and other incorporated businesses owned by Joe and Roch Manchin. > > | Manchin Brothers, a company formed by the three brothers, was terminated > without John Manchin’s knowledge or consent. According to the lawsuit, John > Manchin believes its funds, assets and property were transferred to > Wholesale Carpet Inc., which Manchin Carpet Center was reorganized into in > the early 1990s. John Manchin claims that assets from Manchin Brothers were > transferred to Manchin Enterprises — controlled by Joe Manchin and his son, > Joseph Manchin IV — and others. > > | On numerous occasions, John Manchin’s brothers falsely represented to > him that he was one-third owner of Transcom Inc., which was incorporated in > 1988. Transcom is now Farmington Resources. > > Sen. Manchin owns stock and accounts in Farmington Resources worth between > $200,000 and $500,000, according to financial disclosure forms filed in May > with the Senate. > > Sen. Manchin’s net worth is between $3.8 million and $11.5 million, > according to his most recent financial disclosure forms. The wide range is > because the forms require only a broad estimate of the value of each asset > owned by the senator, not an exact amount. > > The lawsuit asks that John Manchin be compensated for what he’s lost and > awarded one-third ownership interest in all coal reserves and businesses > incorporated, formed and owned by his brothers during the time Manchin > Brothers’ and Manchin Carpet Center’s funds, property and assets were being > used. > > Mary Manchin, mother of the brothers, died in May at age 91. The family is > from Marion County. > > A Gazette reporter obtained a copy of the lawsuit from the Marion County > Courthouse on Friday. The previous day, employees in Marion County Circuit > Clerk Rhonda Starn’s office had refused to provide a copy of the lawsuit. > Starn told her employees “to transfer all incoming calls regarding this > case directly to her,” a clerk in Starn’s office said Thursday morning. > > Starn did not return a phone message and did not answer several phone > calls throughout Thursday. > > Starn’s office has a policy that lawsuits remain private until a defendant > is served, according to the clerk. Another clerk in Starn’s office had said > Thursday that the lawsuit might not be public for 20 to 30 days. > > The Gazette notified officials with the West Virginia Supreme Court about > the county’s policy. Officials with the Supreme Court, which oversees all > circuit courts in West Virginia, contacted Starn’s office. > > At about 4:45 p.m., Robin Tucker, Starn’s deputy clerk, called the Gazette > and said the clerk’s office had closed at 4:30 p.m. and that a reporter > could obtain a copy of the lawsuit at 8:30 a.m. Friday for $1 a page. The > amount must be paid by cash or money order before a copy is provided, > Tucker said. Circuit clerk offices throughout the state usually provide > information and, if they charge anything, send a bill. > > “Honey, we don’t bill. We have no way to bill,” Tucker said. “All of the > information is in our system. You’re welcome to look at it in the morning.” > > Staff writers David Gutman and Ken Ward Jr. contributed to this report. > > Reach Kate White at kate.white(a)wvgazette.com, 304-348-1723 or follow > @KateLWhite on Twitter. > - See more at: > http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140724/GZ01/140729522/1419#sthash.RA5uey… > > -- > 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 > > -- 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

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: How to power California with wind, water and sun
by Paul Wilson 25 Jul '14

25 Jul '14

How to power California with wind, water and sun <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/v6m…> Posted: 24 Jul 2014 11:43 AM PDT New research outlines the path to a possible future for California in which renewable energy creates a healthier environment, generates jobs and stabilizes energy prices. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=v6m…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=v6m…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=v6m…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=v6m…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=v6m…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Mitchel Plant transfer piostponed (was: WV Team called-CANCEL
by James Kotcon 22 Jul '14

22 Jul '14

FYI. JBK ________________________________ From: Zachary Fabish <zachary.fabish(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 10:09 AM To: Bill Price Cc: James Kotcon; David W. Sturm; Gary Nelson; David Muhly; Seth Long; Emmett McKinney; Adam Beitman; Mark Kresowik; Daniel Chiotos Subject: Re: WV Team called-CANCEL One small piece of news for email, though: the AEP Mitchell asset transfer hearing has been postponed until September 17. The deadline for submitting testimony has been similarly pushed back to August 29. So we will have more time to put together some solid testimony on how saddling APCo-Wheeling's ratepayers with the Mitchell plant is a very bad idea under the carbon rule. -Zack

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Replacing coal, oil with natural gas will not help fight global warming, expert argues
by Paul Wilson 22 Jul '14

22 Jul '14

Replacing coal, oil with natural gas will not help fight global warming, expert argues <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/GZ2…> Posted: 21 Jul 2014 09:39 AM PDT Both shale gas and conventional natural gas have a larger greenhouse gas footprint than do coal or oil, especially for the primary uses of residential and commercial heating. "While emissions of carbon dioxide are less from natural gas than from coal and oil, methane emissions are far greater. Methane is such a potent greenhouse gas that these emissions make natural gas a dangerous fuel from the standpoint of global warming over the next several decades," said the author of a new article. <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=GZ2…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=GZ2…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=GZ2…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=GZ2…> <http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment?a=GZ2…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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MTR
by Allan Tweddle 20 Jul '14

20 Jul '14

How can anyone who lives in West Virginia, and loves or even just likes this beautiful State, who saw the photo of the horrors of so called Mountain Top Removal "mining" on the front page of the Sunday Business Section, not be absolutely furious, incensed and willing to join in the effort to stop MTR. It is rape of this state to no advantage of anyone except industry supported politicians, coal company executives, and their non resident owners. As a resident and taxpayer I am disgusted, and angry at the greed driven power they have over us all. When is enough enough? Sent from my iPhone

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Re: [EC] FW: LEEP Interim Study Outreach
by James Kotcon 17 Jul '14

17 Jul '14

While LEEP programs vary from state to state, that appears to be the essence of what EEWV is proposing. The commercial or business property applies to the local government for financing for EE investments. This usually requires an energy audit from an energy services company which guarantees the energy cost savings. The investment cost is paid off by an assessment with local property taxes, which assures that the local government makes its money back on the loan, even if the business is sold. The local business gets reductions in energy bills that exceed the increase in property taxes, so the business benefits too. "PACE" legislation offers the same program for residential properties, but these programs have run into problems with home mortgage lenders, so there is less interest in offering the programs to residential customers. Another approach that is widely used is to have the local utility pay for the EE investments, and recoup them from the difference in electric savings. This would be useful for a distribution utility, especially in deregulated states, but in WV, the distribution company is a subsidiary of the generation company, so there is less incentive to save money. JBK ________________________________ From: Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 10:07 AM To: James Kotcon Subject: Re: [EC] FW: LEEP Interim Study Outreach I'd need to understand it better. Local government funds energy project? Then recoup the cost via tax bills? Is that it On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 9:21 AM, James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu<mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu>> wrote: An emerging issue with EEWV (Cathy Kunkel, et al.) is their proposal for a "PACE" or LEEP legislation (see description below). They are looking at an interim legislative study, with a bill to be introduced in 2015. EEWV contacted Bill and Danny, but since this is legislation, it cannot be a c-3 campaign. Is there interest in the WV Chapter working on such a bill? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org>> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 7:28 AM To: James Kotcon; David Muhly; Zachary Fabish; Mark Kresowik; Daniel Chiotos Subject: Fwd: LEEP Interim Study Outreach I spoke to Emmett yesterday, and here's what he wrote up about LEED. Jim Kotcon said he would talk with Chapter leaders. Bill Price, Organizing Representative Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program Beyond Coal to Clean Energy Campaign Phone: 304-389-8822<tel:304-389-8822> (Cell) Email: bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org> "If there's no struggle, there's no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet renounce controversy are people who want crops without plowing the ground..." Frederick Douglass 1817-1895 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Emmett Pepper <emmett(a)eewv.org<mailto:emmett@eewv.org>> Date: Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 12:00 AM Subject: LEEP Interim Study Outreach To: arthur hallstrom <art(a)ahallstrom.com<mailto:art@ahallstrom.com>>, Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org>>, Daniel Chiotos <daniel.chiotos(a)gmail.com<mailto:daniel.chiotos@gmail.com>>, Reggie Jones <reggie(a)prideinlogan.com<mailto:reggie@prideinlogan.com>> Cc: Dan Taylor <dan(a)ohvec.org<mailto:dan@ohvec.org>>, Cathy Kunkel <cathykunkel(a)gmail.com<mailto:cathykunkel@gmail.com>>, Bill Howley <billhowley(a)hughes.net<mailto:billhowley@hughes.net>> Dear energy efficiency allies, As you know, LEEP (also known as PACE) is being studied by the legislature. LEEP is a really great way to spur growth in the energy efficiency sector by having some property owners pay back loans for energy efficiency upgrades over tie. In most programs, the upgrades can be paid back over a number of years (up to 20 years). While LEEP laws vary from state-to-state, the main aspects that define them are that the repayments are done with the property tax and the loan stays with the property no matter who owns it. In many of the upgrades that have happened through LEEP/PACE programs, companies have been able to reduce energy use by half, so the impacts have been huge. Here is our page about the LEEP program, which includes our fact sheet. http://www.eewv.org/leep This interim study is the way the legislature will form its thinking about how to proceed with LEEP. At this time there is no specific legislation being considered, though the legislators may decide to introduce a bill as a committee. We want to make sure that the voices of the members of the subcommittee studying the issue hear from cities in or near their districts. 23 local governments have asked to be given home rule permission, and 15 of those are in or near districts of subcommittee members or other prominent state legislators. Of the 15, I have identified six top targets (Huntington, Martinsburg, Charles Town, Oak Hill, Weirton, and Parkersburg) based on the number of key legislators with districts in those areas. I have attached a list of all of the subcommittee members, and listed all 15 of the towns by region. The highest concentrations of committee members are in the Eastern Panhandle, Northern Panhandle, and Huntington area, but the chairs are from Fayette County and Logan County. You will notice that there is absolutely no one on the subcommittee from the Charleston area. If you are not able to contact any of these local governments, if you have a connection to the subcommittee members, it would be much appreciated for you to reach out to them. We need your help letting local government officials know about this study and have them inform our legislators about how energy efficiency can help local economies. This is likely to be one of the few energy efficiency initiatives that will go forward in the 2015 session, so it is important that the legislators studying it are well-versed and understand local support for it. Thank you and I welcome any feedback you have! -- Emmett Pepper Executive Director Energy Efficient WV 304-346-5891<tel:304-346-5891> emmett(a)eewv.org<mailto:emmett@eewv.org> www.eewv.org<http://www.eewv.org> @eewv _______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC(a)osenergy.org<mailto:EC@osenergy.org> http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com<mailto:jimscon@gmail.com> 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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FW: LEEP Interim Study Outreach
by James Kotcon 16 Jul '14

16 Jul '14

An emerging issue with EEWV (Cathy Kunkel, et al.) is their proposal for a "PACE" or LEEP legislation (see description below). They are looking at an interim legislative study, with a bill to be introduced in 2015. EEWV contacted Bill and Danny, but since this is legislation, it cannot be a c-3 campaign. Is there interest in the WV Chapter working on such a bill? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2014 7:28 AM To: James Kotcon; David Muhly; Zachary Fabish; Mark Kresowik; Daniel Chiotos Subject: Fwd: LEEP Interim Study Outreach I spoke to Emmett yesterday, and here's what he wrote up about LEED. Jim Kotcon said he would talk with Chapter leaders. Bill Price, Organizing Representative Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program Beyond Coal to Clean Energy Campaign Phone: 304-389-8822 (Cell) Email: bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org> "If there's no struggle, there's no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet renounce controversy are people who want crops without plowing the ground..." Frederick Douglass 1817-1895 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Emmett Pepper <emmett(a)eewv.org<mailto:emmett@eewv.org>> Date: Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 12:00 AM Subject: LEEP Interim Study Outreach To: arthur hallstrom <art(a)ahallstrom.com<mailto:art@ahallstrom.com>>, Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org>>, Daniel Chiotos <daniel.chiotos(a)gmail.com<mailto:daniel.chiotos@gmail.com>>, Reggie Jones <reggie(a)prideinlogan.com<mailto:reggie@prideinlogan.com>> Cc: Dan Taylor <dan(a)ohvec.org<mailto:dan@ohvec.org>>, Cathy Kunkel <cathykunkel(a)gmail.com<mailto:cathykunkel@gmail.com>>, Bill Howley <billhowley(a)hughes.net<mailto:billhowley@hughes.net>> Dear energy efficiency allies, As you know, LEEP (also known as PACE) is being studied by the legislature. LEEP is a really great way to spur growth in the energy efficiency sector by having some property owners pay back loans for energy efficiency upgrades over tie. In most programs, the upgrades can be paid back over a number of years (up to 20 years). While LEEP laws vary from state-to-state, the main aspects that define them are that the repayments are done with the property tax and the loan stays with the property no matter who owns it. In many of the upgrades that have happened through LEEP/PACE programs, companies have been able to reduce energy use by half, so the impacts have been huge. Here is our page about the LEEP program, which includes our fact sheet. http://www.eewv.org/leep This interim study is the way the legislature will form its thinking about how to proceed with LEEP. At this time there is no specific legislation being considered, though the legislators may decide to introduce a bill as a committee. We want to make sure that the voices of the members of the subcommittee studying the issue hear from cities in or near their districts. 23 local governments have asked to be given home rule permission, and 15 of those are in or near districts of subcommittee members or other prominent state legislators. Of the 15, I have identified six top targets (Huntington, Martinsburg, Charles Town, Oak Hill, Weirton, and Parkersburg) based on the number of key legislators with districts in those areas. I have attached a list of all of the subcommittee members, and listed all 15 of the towns by region. The highest concentrations of committee members are in the Eastern Panhandle, Northern Panhandle, and Huntington area, but the chairs are from Fayette County and Logan County. You will notice that there is absolutely no one on the subcommittee from the Charleston area. If you are not able to contact any of these local governments, if you have a connection to the subcommittee members, it would be much appreciated for you to reach out to them. We need your help letting local government officials know about this study and have them inform our legislators about how energy efficiency can help local economies. This is likely to be one of the few energy efficiency initiatives that will go forward in the 2015 session, so it is important that the legislators studying it are well-versed and understand local support for it. Thank you and I welcome any feedback you have! -- Emmett Pepper Executive Director Energy Efficient WV 304-346-5891<tel:304-346-5891> emmett(a)eewv.org<mailto:emmett@eewv.org> www.eewv.org<http://www.eewv.org> @eewv

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FW: Mining reduces fish
by James Kotcon 02 Jul '14

02 Jul '14

Great study our from Than, documenting that Mining reduces fish populations. Water quality is more important than the physical stream structure. http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140701/GZ01/140709912 Also, I just heard about a court case in Colorado where the judge ruled that the BLM and USFS had to consider the climate impact from the CO2 released from a mining lease on federal land. That would be a game changer if it holds up. JBK

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: To address climate change, nothing substitutes for reducing carbon dioxide emissions
by Paul Wilson 02 Jul '14

02 Jul '14

To address climate change, nothing substitutes for reducing carbon dioxide emissions <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/MOS…> Posted: 27 Jun 2014 10:30 AM PDT The politically expedient way to mitigate climate change is essentially no way at all, according to a comprehensive new study. Among the climate pollutants humans put into the atmosphere in significant quantities, the effects of carbon dioxide are the longest-lived, with effects on climate that extend thousands of years after emissions cease. But finding the political consensus to act on reducing carbon dioxide emissions has been nearly impossible. So there has been a movement to make up for that inaction by reducing emissions of other, shorter-lived gasses, such as methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide, and particulates such as soot and black carbon, all of which contribute to warming as well. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: Chemicals in West Virgnia's water
by Paul Wilson 27 Jun '14

27 Jun '14

Not sure how much distribution this petition is getting in WV. So sign, forward, twitter, facebook it if you wish. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Paul Wilson <pjpaulgrunt(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 10:49 AM Subject: Fwd: Chemicals in West Virgnia's water To: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> [image: Change.org] *Paul* -- There's a new petition taking off on Change.org, and we think you might be interested in signing it. <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=L4wUyO6b13sjdmUXmXaF3ImVTD6G6GFyhYT-2F…> Earl Ray Tomblin: Support tests for West Virginia chemical disaster <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=L4wUyO6b13sjdmUXmXaF3ImVTD6G6GFyhYT-2F…> People Concerned About Chemical Safety Sign the Petition <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=L4wUyO6b13sjdmUXmXaF3ImVTD6G6GFyhYT-2F…> On January 9, 2014, crude MCHM, a chemical used to process coal leaked into the water supply for 300,000 residents across nine West Virginia counties. The drinking water ban for pregnant women lasted nearly one month but mixed messages have left most residents not trusting the safety of their drinking water. Estimates of more than 100,000 people experienced health effects, yet no data exists to understand what the long term health effects will be.It has been reported that the chemical has been found in drinking water in coalfield communities for years. The chemical, grandfathered in under the Toxic Substances Control Act, was legally allowed to be placed on the market without sufficient toxicological data. Current regulations in place allow the chemical to remain on the market today without this data. Workers and communities -- including vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children -- have a right-to-know how exposure to this chemical can impact them in order to make informed decisions about their health and the health of their families. If this incident had happened in Washington, DC and not West Virginia, many feel the tests would already be underway. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT to help make this happen. Please, do not underestimate the power of your voice. Join People Concerned About Chemical Safety in urging our government to provide toxicological tests needed to understand the largest chemical contamination of a drinking water supply in U.S. history. Sign the Petition <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=L4wUyO6b13sjdmUXmXaF3ImVTD6G6GFyhYT-2F…> The person (or organization) who started this petition is not affiliated with Change.org. Change.org did not create this petition and is not responsible for the petition content. This email was sent by Change.org to pjpaulgrunt(a)gmail.com. You can edit your email preferences <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=1mmeex-2FjZn-2FwcNsRwSa6VbCe5pNyjM8O3L…> or unsubscribe <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=1mmeex-2FjZn-2FwcNsRwSa6Vcp-2BYwBlgMdP…> from these emails. * Change.org * · 548 Market St #29993 · San Francisco, CA 94104-5401 · USA Contact us <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=qX0j-2Fcv1C-2FtP3vSkf9hUiWe-2BjJrDptmq…> · Privacy policy <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=1mmeex-2FjZn-2FwcNsRwSa6VZ0pYSbd9aiOMW…> · Start a petition <http://email.change.org/wf/click?upn=1mmeex-2FjZn-2FwcNsRwSa6VTf9IQiQglNUXi…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fracking Documentarians tour (without gasoline) US in stops in WV
by Frank Young 17 Jun '14

17 Jun '14

Journalists Joshua Pribanic and Melissa Troutman will continue to tour the country throughout the year to promote their film <http://tripledividefilm.org/> Triple Divide. The movie is an investigative documentary about fracking in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. They are traveling the country using zero gasoline. The two will be driving a <http://www.teslamotors.com/models> Tesla Motors Model S, a long-range, all-electric sedan. They will test the nationwide Supercharger system, where electric cars can be recharged for free. Here's a list of their scheduled stops in West Virginia: * Buckhannon: June 21 @ 7 p.m. West Virginia Wesleyan College * Clarksburg: June 25 @ 5:30 p.m. Caperton Center Fairmont State University * Charleston: June 27 @ 7:00 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston http://wvpublic.org/post/fracking-documentarians-tour-west-virginia-us-witho ut-using-gasoline

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Sierra Club analysis and resources for EPA Clean Power Plan (aka carbon standard)
by James Kotcon 14 Jun '14

14 Jun '14

Let me know if you are already getting these materials from National. These documents provide the Club's analysis of the EPA Carbon rule, These are intended to be internal documents, so please do not forward to outside entities, even if they are 'friendly'. Please take the time to study these carefully, and share questions with the Chapter Climate Action Team. This is the technical 'homework we need to do in order to speak intelligently, so buckle down! Bottom line; the rule does a fair job of reducing carbon emissions. The flexibility written into the rule allows states like WV to have lower emissions requirements than the national average. EPA's rule therefore assures that the standard is technically achievable in EVERY state, and is legally defensible in court. You can be sure that if industry succeeds in overturning this rule in court that it will be a long time before we get another initiative like this one. So this is one we HAVE to win. Two points I take from this. First, while the 'flexibility' in the rule means that states like WV will have emissions requirements less stringent than the national average, it also means that we will receive fewer health benefits than if we had to met a uniform national standard,, Upwind states including KY, OH, and IN also have targets lower than the national average, so WV will continue to receive a higher than average pollution impact. I am reminded of a map put out by the Clean Air Network ten years ago that color coded states by the number of deaths from power plant pollution. Clean states were in blue or green, more polluted states were yellow, then orange or red. A few pollution hotspots were in purple. WV was the only state entirely within that 'purple zone of death'! Under the 'flexibility' in EPAs plan, WV will remain an air pollution sacrifice zone. Congressman Mckinley on Monday introduced HR 4813 to block both of EPA's power plant rules (this one for existing power plants as well as the earlier one setting carbon emission standards for new plants), as well as prohibiting EPA from any 'substantially similar' rule for five years. Co-sponsored by Rahall, Capito, and 72 others, the bill would relegate WV to continued deaths from power plant pollution. (Perhaps that should be a theme of a press response, media event or something?) The second point is that states that plan carefully for implementing the rule should be able to avoid significant economic impacts. With a heavy investment in efficiency and renewables, West Virginians may actually see more jobs and lower electric bills from implementing a well-designed plan. But a state strategy of blind opposition to the rule, as currently being proposed by Tomblin, Morrisey, et al, is the strategy MOST likely to cost jobs and raise electric rates. Would someone (or each of us) be willing to write a short letter to the editor highlighting one or two key messages from the analysis, or the points above? We need to start getting LTEs in demonstrating support, especially here in WV, for EPAs Carbon rules. Jim Kotcon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mary Anne Hitt <maryanne.hitt(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Wed, Jun 11, 2014 at 7:48 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Sierra Club analysis and resources for EPA Clean Power Plan (aka carbon standard) To: Mary Anne Hitt <maryanne.hitt(a)sierraclub.org> Cc: Melinda Pierce <melinda.pierce(a)sierraclub.org> To: Sierra Club lists: coal, coal-volunteers, stop-polluters, ccl-chapter-chairs, cons-chapter-cons-chairs, cons-marvin, bod-open Fr: Mary Anne Hitt and Melinda Pierce Re: Sierra Club analysis and resources for EPA Clean Power Plan (aka carbon standard) We're writing to share the Sierra Club's confidential preliminary analysis of EPA's carbon standards for existing power plants, known as the Clean Power Plan. These documents are intended for internal use only by Sierra Club staff and volunteers, to give you our first assessment of what the standard does. Thanks to one and all for your amazing work during the roll-out of the standard. We knocked that out of the park, and our message about climate action and public health carried the day. Now, the work begins of developing our strategies in the states, since that's where the rubber really hits the road on this rule. Our team of experts and analysts are working hard to provide in-depth information for state and federal advocacy. We have the following materials available and in the works for you: EXISTING MATERIALS: - Attached: Sierra Club's preliminary analysis of the rule. It includes several links to additional resources. If you just have time to review one document, this is the one. - Attached: From our Environmental Law Program, a summary and in-depth overview of what the rule does - note that this is based on ELP's preliminary review and is an evolving document. - Materials, fact sheets, posters, and messaging guidance about the standard are available on Clubhouse at this link <http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/communications/talking-points/climate-chang…> . - EPA's website for the rule <http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/clean-power-plan-proposed-ru…>, which includes several very helpful fact sheets. - More information about the Clean Power Plan and all EPA rules are available on the Beyond Coal Resource Portal - if you do not have access to that site, please contact Neha Mathew, neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org. COMING SOON: - At the end of June we will roll out additional materials and our organizing plan (field action request) for the hearings and comment period. - We are developing state fact sheets that summarize what the standard requires of each state, to inform your state-based advocacy and campaign strategy. We hope to have those done by the end of June. - Beyond the fact sheets, campaign staff will share more robust state analyses as we develop them, which will be an ongoing, more time-intensive undertaking. We understand that, with the release of the standard, planning and advocacy is already underway in earnest in many states. Please work with your Beyond Coal campaign representative on any resource needs or questions, and we will do our best to provide that support in a timely fashion. Thanks again everyone for an inspiring team effort over the past few days. Let us know what you need to keep up the amazing work! -- Mary Anne Hitt Director, Beyond Coal Campaign Sierra Club Twitter <http://twitter.com/#!/maryannehitt> | Blog <http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/coal-director/> 304-876-7064 (w) | 540-239-0073 (c) www.beyondcoal.org -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org.

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] The Beyond Coal story featured on MoveOn's podcast "The Good Fight"
by James Kotcon 14 Jun '14

14 Jun '14

This may be the best use of 25 minutes you can do. A really great story about what we do, how far we have already come, and why we are winning! JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mary Anne Hitt <maryanne.hitt(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Thu, Jun 12, 2014 at 3:00 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] The Beyond Coal story featured on MoveOn's podcast "The Good Fight" To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Coal-Volunteers < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Hi all, The Beyond Coal Campaign is the featured story in the latest episode of MoveOn's podcast, "The Good Fight." It's a 25 minute piece that tells the story of the Beyond Coal Campaign, through interviews with Bruce and me, and frames the campaign as a key strategy that made the EPA carbon rule possible. Check it out - it's definitely uplifting, and I hope it will make you feel proud of the great work you all do every day. You can listen here: http://thegoodfight.fm/episodes/24-the-347-climate-wins-you-ve-never-heard-… Mary Anne -- Mary Anne Hitt Director, Beyond Coal Campaign Sierra Club Twitter <http://twitter.com/#!/maryannehitt> | Blog <http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/coal-director/> 304-876-7064 (w) | 540-239-0073 (c) www.beyondcoal.org -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org.

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FW: [Coal Volunteers List] Resources and Follow-Up from Webinars on Carbon Standard Roll-Out Plan
by James Kotcon 07 Jun '14

07 Jun '14

Just ran across this page of resources from National on the EPA carbon rule roll-out. You might find these useful. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Neha Mathew <neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:neha.mathew@sierraclub.org>> Date: Fri, May 30, 2014 at 1:34 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Resources and Follow-Up from Webinars on Carbon Standard Roll-Out Plan To: Hi everyone, Below are a list of resources following the webinars on our roll-out plan for the release of the Carbon Standard for existing power plants: 1) Here is the link to download and watch the webinars that were held on Wednesday May 28. Once you open the link, you will need to click on one of the webinars labeled "Carbon Standard..." and download the file to watch the webinar: https://drive.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/folderview?id=0B2LbrOjCY_zwaWRkNW… *Make sure to click "Download" in order to watch the file. The file is too large to view directly on Google Drive. 2) All roll-out materials are posted on Clubhouse: http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/communications/talking-points/climate-chang… 3) Beyond coal Messaging Page is also on Clubhouse: http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/conservation/energy/coal/coal-messaging.aspx 4) Tips on how to write and place an LTE and other media tactics here: http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/communications/media/default.aspx 5) Here are the links to the reports that were mentioned while we were on the webinar - Analysis Group - Reliability Report http://www.analysisgroup.com/uploadedFiles/Publishing/Articles/Tierney_Repo… Climate Change and Your Health Report Series http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/climate-ch… All of the resources above are accessible on the Beyond Coal Resource Portal at this link: www.sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal<http://www.sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/> Please email me if you have any questions, feedback, or need any additional resources. Thanks all! Neha -- Neha Mathew Program Assistant, Beyond Coal Campaign neha.mathew(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:neha.mathew@sierraclub.org> (415) 977-5685<tel:%28415%29%20977-5685> (w) (951) 505-8137<tel:%28951%29%20505-8137> (c) Sierra Club HQ 85 Second Street, 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105-3459 Beyond Coal Campaign<http://www.beyondcoal.org/> International Climate Program<http://www.sierraclub.org/international/> Sierra Club Apprenticeship Program<http://www.sierraclub.org/careers/internships/environmental-apprenticeship-…> This email was sent to the following Sierra Club lists: coal, coal-volunteers, stop-polluters, ccl-chapter-chairs -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:becki.clayborn@sierraclub.org> with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe@sierraclub.org>. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org>.

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Climate rule media (was: WV Team call
by James Kotcon 07 Jun '14

07 Jun '14

For those who did not see the paper version, the Op/Ed apparently ran Monday in the print version of the Charleston Gazette. It was not posted to the on-line edition, so Thanks to Bill Price for finding it and forwarding this. See attachment. Also, we should contact this Jim Propst guy for the Climate Action Team . JBK ________________________________ From: Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 8:34 AM To: James Kotcon; David W. Sturm; Gary Nelson; David Muhly; Kim Teplitzky; Zachary Fabish; Seth Long; Daniel Chiotos; Mark Kresowik; Emmett McKinney Subject: Re: WV Team call Wanted to share reactions from the Charleston WV papers to the EPA Rule Two articles in the Gazette: http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140602/GZ01/140609905/1419 http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140602/GZ01/140609866/1419 Daily Mail (the more conservative paper) at least mentions the Club and Energy Efficiency WV. http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140602/DM01/140609904/1420 The story of two editorials: First from the Daily Mail http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20140602/DM04/140609887/1322 And then this good one from the Gazette: http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140603/ARTICLE/140609879/1131 And an LTE in the Gazette from Jim Probst! (no link available) Readers' forum Leadership lacking on climate change issue Editor: I am writing in regards to the article on May 12, "Climate change in W.Va." I appreciate the Gazette's attempt to get a response from some of our politicians, to a fairly straightforward question, "Do you believe that man-made carbon emissions are causing climate change?" I also appreciate that Sens. Rockefeller and Manchin at least answered the question. For the rest of the officials questioned, shame on them. From Gov. Tomblin's non-answer to Natalie Tennant's combative vow to fight President Obama, they should all be embarrassed at this display of gutlessness. And then, we had two representatives that refused to even respond to the request. We really need to start demanding more from our leadership. This issue is not going to go away and we are really going to need dynamic, resolute and forward thinking leadership to help us find solutions to this crisis. Please, call or write these folks. Ask them to please take a stand. Tell them that they have constituents that are concerned about this issue. They need to hear from us. Jim Probst Hamlin And attached is Jim Kotcon's op-ed from the Gazette yesterday. Bill Price, Organizing Representative Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program Beyond Coal to Clean Energy Campaign Phone: 304-389-8822 (Cell) Email: bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org>

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Fwd: A Special Slice of CAKE: The U.S. Clean Power Plan Proposal
by Paul Wilson 04 Jun '14

04 Jun '14

This is useful information on the EPA's new carbon rule from the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: CAKE <info(a)cakex.org> Date: Wed, Jun 4, 2014 at 10:04 AM Subject: A Special Slice of CAKE: The U.S. Clean Power Plan Proposal To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com Having trouble viewing this email? Click here <http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=1dbd7327-3a48-495d-97ce-2…> [image: cake logo] <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> *Greetings CAKE Community Members, * On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> Total U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Economic Sector in 2012 the Clean Power Plan proposal <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> as part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> to cut carbon pollution from power plants - the largest source of carbon pollution in the United States - by 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. Yesterday, China announced <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> that it is working on a plan to reduce carbon emissions as well. Could these announcements by the two largest greenhouse gas emitters in the world be the much-needed momentum towards an international climate agreement? *How you can get involved:* - Read the plan and fact sheets at http://www.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan. <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> - Watch the explanatory whiteboard video <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> featuring Joe Goffman, Associate Assistant Administrator for Climate and Senior Counsel for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. - View the Clean Power Plan Toolbox for States. <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> - Comment on the Clean Power Plan proposal <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…>. - Attend a public hearing on the proposed rule. <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> - Read the following Climate Progress blog posts: - 8 Things You Should Know About The Biggest Thing A President's Ever Done On Climate Change <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> - Why EPA's Carbon Regulations Won't Ruin the Economy, In Three Simple Steps <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> - 6 Coal State Lawmakers Who Are In Favor Of The EPA's New Rule On Carbon Emissions <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> - Read Taking Page From Health Care Act, Obama Climate Plan Relies on States <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…>, by Coral Davenport and Peter Baker (New York Times, June 2, 2014). - Join the Adaptation and Mitigation Nexus (AMNex) National Climate Assessment Affinity Group <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> . - Want to support businesses that support carbon regulation? Check out the signatories <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> on this letter to President Obama. - Write us at info(a)cakex.org and let us know what you think! We'll share your thoughts in the next monthly Slice of CAKE. Cheers, Rachel and Jessica __________________________________________________________________________ We hope you visit CAKE <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> again soon! Brought to you by: <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…>[image: Follow us on Twitter] <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> [image: Like us on Facebook] <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L-0GAIFz0o5zoE_po4jawV2RfAzB8FqGWth_mowjVoeZ…> Forward email <http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=lnyt4vdab&m=1103470649771&ea=…> <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001FszbU3yl6UG5Y13aYExKwQ%3D%3…> <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=jmjdirect&cc=TEM_OFR_002> This email was sent to pjgrunt(a)gmail.com by info(a)cakex.org | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001FszbU3yl6UG5Y13aYExKwQ%3D%3…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. EcoAdapt | P.O. Box 11195 | Bainbridge Island | WA | 98117 -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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(no subject)
by Sally Wilts 04 Jun '14

04 Jun '14

http://enewater.com/Rochelle.php

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Ride Your Bike to Work … And Share | EcoWatch
by Duane 16 May '14

16 May '14

http://ecowatch.com/2014/05/15/ride-bike-to-work-bicycling/ Ride Your Bike to Work … And Share By Nicole D'Alessandro, EcoWatch.com, May 15, 2014 Perhaps you pedal year-round, to work, to school, to the library and coffee shop (and if so, a hat tip to you), or you are a recreational biker who likes to ride the trails on a summer weekend. Well whatever kind of biker you are, this month is for you. May is National Bike Month, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, established in 1956 to encourage more people to bicycle—and to highlight all the benefits of doing so. Bicycling offers a range of benefits from economics to environment to health. Bikes Belong offers the following bike statistics: Bicycling is for everyone. Bicycling is the second most popular outdoor activity in the U.S. Bicycling is the ideal way to take short trips. Most trips Americans make are short: 49 percent are less than 3 miles, 39 percent are less than 2 miles, and 24 percent are less than 1 mile. Bicycling can help you live longer and better. Three hours of biking per week reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by 50 percent. Bicycling boosts the economy. Twice as many bicycles are sold in the U.S. each year than cars. Bicycling is less expensive than driving a car. On a round-trip commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save around $10 daily. Bicycling reduces road congestion and air pollution. For every 1 mile pedaled rather than driven, about 1 pound of CO2 is saved. Bicycling is safe, and together we can make it safer. There is safety in numbers: the more cyclists there are, the safer bicycling is. Whatever your reasons for biking, consider taking your bike to work tomorrow. May 16 is National Bike to Work Day. The League explains: More than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, making bicycling a feasible and fun way to get to work. With increased interest in healthy, sustainable and economic transportation options, it’s not surprising that, from 2000 to 2011, the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. grew by more than 47 percent. New to bicycling? The League offers a series of videos in their online Smart Cycling program on bike gear, riding safely on the road and more. Want to bike for transportation or fun, but don’t have the resources or space for your own bike? Then consider bike-sharing, which is growing in popularity around the world. According to Earth Policy Institute, currently about 600 cities in 52 countries offer bike-sharing programs, with a combined fleet of more than 570,000 bikes. The Institute created a bicycle share fact sheet; here are a few highlights: Spain leads the world with 132 separate bike-share programs. Italy has 104 and Germany 43. The U.S. hosts 36 modern bike-sharing programs. With a number of new programs in the works and planned expansions of existing programs, the U.S. fleet is set to nearly double to more than 37,000 publicly shared bicycles by the end of 2014. Bike-sharing cities are finding that promoting the bicycle as a transport option can lead to more mobility and safer streets for all. Bike shares, lanes and other bicycle-friendly infrastructure are a boon to local economies. With more than half the world’s population now living in cities, there is tremendous potential for municipal governments and urban planners to increase bicycle use. With annual memberships in most cities well below $100, bike sharing is far cheaper than the $7,800 average cost estimated by AAA to own a car and drive it 10,000 miles a year. As Earth Policy Institute summarizes: “The prevalence of bicycles in a community is an indicator of our ability to provide affordable transportation, lower traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, increase mobility, and provide exercise to the world’s growing population.” And, as the League of American Bicyclists puts it, simply, when more people ride bikes, life is better for everyone. So celebrate all-things-bicycling and ride to work May 16, or plan an event for Bike Month. Consider signing up for the League’s National Bike Challenge, to challenge yourself to ride more and to connect with other bike-friendly people in your community and across the U.S. ——– See also: Dozens of U.S. Cities Join the Bike-Sharing Bandwagon Doctors Prescribe Spending Time In Parks ——

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In case you don't watch the Daily Show, below is the link to the report on the Elk River spill
by Paul Wilson 09 May '14

09 May '14

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/jmzvty/f--k--it-s-in-my-backyard?xrs=eml_… -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FW: Mon Power Rate Filing Today
by James Kotcon 01 May '14

01 May '14

I am not clear on the math here. Mon Power says that this is a 9.3 % rate increase, but their numbers for a typical residential customer come in at 15.3 % increase. I realize that the Club signed on to the Settlement Agreement authorizing the Harrison transfer, but how much of this can we challenge? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Nancy Ganz <nancyganz7(a)gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 6:57 PM To: James Kotcon; Chris Haddox Subject: Fwd: Mon Power Rate Filing Today Please forward this to the green team for comment and advice on this issue. Thanks Nancy ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <astagge(a)firstenergycorp.com<mailto:astagge@firstenergycorp.com>> Date: Wed, Apr 30, 2014 at 4:19 PM Subject: Mon Power Rate Filing Today To: citycouncilward7(a)cityofmorgantown.org<mailto:citycouncilward7@cityofmorgantown.org> I wanted to inform you that today, Mon Power filed with The Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC), a request for an increase in base rates of approximately $96 million, which represents an overall increase of 9.3%. Approval of this filing will help ensure continued safe and reliable electric generation for our customers in West Virginia. In addition, new jobs and additional tree trimming will help reduce the number and length of service interruptions and better meet anticipated load growth. The attached news release outlines the filing. The PSC will schedule public hearings as part of the rate case proceeding. As hearings are scheduled, notice will be given on the time, date and place of the hearings. Any increase in rates would not become effective until approved and authorized by the PSC, which we anticipate will not be until February 2015. If you have any questions, please let me know. Sincerely, Allen Staggers Manager, External Affairs FirstEnergy Corp. 304-534-7356<tel:304-534-7356> (See attached file: 2014-04-30 Mon Power and Potomac Edison File Rate Request with WV PSC.pdf) ----------------------------------------- The information contained in this message is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately, and delete the original message.

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Nichols inducted into WVU Academy of Chemical Engineers
by James Kotcon 29 Apr '14

29 Apr '14

Congrats to Duane! JBK http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/04/28/nichols-inducted-into-wvu-academy-of-c… Duane Nichols, a 1959 graduate of West Virginia University, was recently inducted into its Academy of Chemical Engineers. The ceremony was held on April 25, in Morgantown. Nichols, who completed both his master's and doctorate in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware, was a member of the faculty of Delaware State University, where he served as the first head of the Department of Physics, as well as director of the Nuclear Radiation Laboratory. In 1968, Nichols came back to WVU as an assistant professor of chemical engineering under the National Science Foundation's Heat and Mass Transfer Enrichment Grant, teaching courses in unit operations, heat and mass transfer, catalysis, applied differential equations and optimization theory. Later, as an associate professor of chemical engineering, he served as coordinator of the NSF program on "The Siting of Coal Conversion Complexes in Appalachia." Nichols went on to become head of the fossil energy section at the Research Triangle Institute in Durham, N.C. in 1977. The research program, supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, was directed at the environmental assessment of coal gasification for synthetic natural gas production. In 1980 he moved to Library, Pa., first as senior process engineer with the Conoco Coal Development Corporation, which became CONSOL Research and Development, where he was group leader for special projects. Nichols, who retired in 2000, has served as president of the Cheat Lake Environment and Recreation Association. Projects conducted under his leadership have included the establishment of a swimming beach and improvement of trails and boating on Cheat Lake as well as the conservation of native habitat areas in the Cheat River Canyon. He has also been active as the co-chairman of the Upper Monongahela Area Watersheds Compact and a board member of the Mon-Valley Clean Air Coalition. -WVU- - See more at: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/04/28/nichols-inducted-into-wvu-academy-of-c…

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Re: [EC] FW: news on Proposed Injection Well
by liz_wiles 18 Apr '14

18 Apr '14

I'm doing a happy dance! Great news! Best, Liz Wiles Sent from my Smarter phone -------- Original message -------- From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> Date:04/18/2014 2:09 PM (GMT-05:00) To: WV Chapter Energy Committee <EC(a)osenergy.org>,bbellew(a)mix.wvu.edu,Liz Wiles <liz_wiles(a)comcast.net>,Carol Nix <almostnixie(a)cs.com>,Gwen Jones <gwen.jones1(a)gmail.com>,John Bird <jonas1(a)mountain.net> Subject: FW: news on Proposed Injection Well See press release from ECA below. JBK From: Ella Belling <ella(a)montrails.org> Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 1:29 PM To: Aaron Sutch; BR Dennis; James Kotcon Subject: news on Proposed Injection Well Aaron, Jim and Rich, Some good news on the proposed injection well in Masontown….NOT HAPPENING! Attached press release. Enjoy the weekend, Ella Ella Belling Executive Director Mon River Trails Conservancy P.O. Box 282 Morgantown, WV 26507 www.montrails.org 304-692-6782

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FW: news on Proposed Injection Well
by James Kotcon 18 Apr '14

18 Apr '14

See press release from ECA below. JBK ________________________________ From: Ella Belling <ella(a)montrails.org> Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 1:29 PM To: Aaron Sutch; BR Dennis; James Kotcon Subject: news on Proposed Injection Well Aaron, Jim and Rich, Some good news on the proposed injection well in Masontown....NOT HAPPENING! Attached press release. Enjoy the weekend, Ella Ella Belling Executive Director Mon River Trails Conservancy P.O. Box 282 Morgantown, WV 26507 www.montrails.org<http://www.montrails.org> 304-692-6782

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FW: Urgent- PTC op ed: thank you letter for Senators, need signers
by James Kotcon 14 Apr '14

14 Apr '14

Is anyone interested in being listed as the author for he attached Op/Ed? National Sierra Club Staff have been lobbying to extend the Wind Production Tax Credit, which helps make large wind farms more economically viable. The PTC expired last year when it got stalled by budget battles, and we want to thank Sen. Rockefeller for helping to get it out of Committee. I would be happy to sponsor this, but this is a great opportunity to get recognition for newer members. All you gotta do is say "Yes". Jim Kotcon 304-293-8822 (office) 304-594-3322 (home) ________________________________ From: Kim Teplitzky <kim.teplitzky(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 2:05 PM To: James Kotcon Cc: Bill Price Subject: Re: Urgent- PTC op ed: thank you letter for Senators, need signers I've attached it here. Let m know if this answers your question, or if I need to get more info for you. ________________________________ From: Kim Teplitzky <kim.teplitzky(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:kim.teplitzky@sierraclub.org>> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 1:01 PM To: Bill Price; James Kotcon Subject: Fwd: Urgent- PTC op ed: thank you letter for Senators, need signers Hey Bill and Jim, the DC office is working with chapters to place PTC thank you opeds in state. I'm not sure about the current relationship/politics with Rockefeller. Do you think someone from the chapter would be willing to put their name on it? ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Rudhdi Karnik <rudhdi.karnik(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:rudhdi.karnik@sierraclub.org>> Date: Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 1:44 PM Subject: Urgent- PTC op ed: thank you letter for Senators, need signers To: Jenna Garland <Jenna.Garland(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:Jenna.Garland@sierraclub.org>>, Shane Levy <shane.levy(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:shane.levy@sierraclub.org>>, Kim Teplitzky <kim.teplitzky(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:kim.teplitzky@sierraclub.org>>, Sean Sarah <sean.sarah(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:sean.sarah@sierraclub.org>>, Emily Rosenwasser <emily.rosenwasser(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:emily.rosenwasser@sierraclub.org>>, Alison Flowers <alison.flowers(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:alison.flowers@sierraclub.org>>, Lauren Randall <Lauren.Randall(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:Lauren.Randall@sierraclub.org>> Cc: Anna Oman <anna.oman(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:anna.oman@sierraclub.org>> Hey team- Below is the list of senators that we'd like to thank in this PTC op ed<https://docs.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/document/d/1unazqkLBSY3aPWtPjKtqdS…>, as I mentioned on Monday's call. We're hoping to get this letter placed as soon as possible, early next week if doable! Please take a look at <https://docs.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/document/d/1unazqkLBSY3aPWtPjKtqdS…> the oped<https://docs.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/document/d/1unazqkLBSY3aPWtPjKtqdS…> and at the senators in your regions below, and please see if you can find a local volunteer to sign it-- a staffer would be a next resort. Then, it would be awesome if you could work with your local contacts to pitch this. If you have too much on your plate, let me know and I can work with you on this part. Thanks all! 1. Senator John D. Rockefeller (WV) 2. Senator Chuck Schumer (NY) 3. Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI) 4. Senator Maria Cantwell (WA) 5. Senator Bill Nelson (FL) 6. Senator Robert Menendez (NJ) 7. Senator Tom Caper (DE) 8. Senator Ben Cardin (MD) 9. Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) 10. Senator Michael Bennet (CO) 11. Senator Robert Casey (PA) 12. Senator Mark Warner (VA) 13. Senator Chuck Grassley (IA) 14. Senator Mike Crapo (ID) 15. Senator John Cornyn (TX) 16. Senator John Thune (SD) 17. Senator Rob Portman (OH -- Rudhdi Karnik Media/Communications Assistant Beyond Coal Campaign, Sierra Club Office: (202) 495-3055<tel:%28202%29%20495-3055> rudhdi.karnik(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:rudhdi.karnik@sierraclub.org> Represented by John Muir Local 100 -- Kim Teplitzky Deputy Press Secretary, Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Pittsburgh, Pa 412-802-6161<tel:412-802-6161> (o) 267-307-4707<tel:267-307-4707> (c) skype: kim.teplitzky @kim_t Represented by John Muir Local 100 -- Kim Teplitzky Deputy Press Secretary, Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Pittsburgh, Pa 412-802-6161 (o) 267-307-4707 (c) skype: kim.teplitzky @kim_t Represented by John Muir Local 100

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FW: [wvec-board] DEP's Rulemaking Process for SB 373
by James Kotcon 14 Apr '14

14 Apr '14

________________________________ From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> on behalf of dsgjr(a)aol.com <dsgjr(a)aol.com> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 11:35 AM To: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: [wvec-board] DEP's Rulemaking Process for SB 373 Attached is a file I received this morning via email from DEP's counsel Kristin Boggs. She has asked that I distribute it widely. The letter describes the process DEP will use to develop the rules to implement the Above Ground Storage Tank legislation, SB 373. Please READ it, so you will know what is going on, and forward it to all those who should be involved. Thanks, Don Garvin WVEC Legislative Coordinator __._,_.___ Reply via web post<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/messages/4328;…> Reply to sender <mailto:DSGJr@aol.com?subject=Re%3A%20DEP%27s%20Rulemaking%20Process%20for%20SB%20373> Reply to group <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20DEP%27s%20Rulemaking%20Process%20for%20SB%20373> Start a New Topic<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/newtopic;_ylc=…> Messages in this topic<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/conversations/topics/4328;_y…> (1) Visit Your Group<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wvec-board/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmdnZ0Y3BrBF…> [Yahoo! Groups]<https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlZTFzZGF2BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkA…> * Privacy<https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> * Unsubscribe<mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> * Terms of Use<https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> . __,_._,___

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(no subject)
by Sally Wilts 09 Apr '14

09 Apr '14

http://xn----7sbgxcmutdmhmv.xn--p1ai/modules/mod_araticlhess/datinginfo.html ++++++++++++ From: Sally Wilts

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FW: Update to EPA Website on Oil and Gas Waste Management
by James Kotcon 04 Apr '14

04 Apr '14

This may be of interest to the Marcellus committee. Is someone able to review these and see if there are best practices we should be asking for in the landfill bill rules? JBK ________________________________ From: DSGJr(a)aol.com <DSGJr(a)aol.com> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 11:36 AM To: wvdavid(a)wvdavid.net; julie(a)wvsoro.org; clrank2(a)gmail.com; wyro(a)appalight.com; blittle(a)citynet.net; garyz(a)wvcag.org; arosser(a)wvrivers.org; James Kotcon; hughes(a)ovis.net; jimscon(a)gmail.com Subject: Fwd: Update to EPA Website on Oil and Gas Waste Management fyi . . . ________________________________ From: Elliott.Ross(a)epa.gov Sent: 4/4/2014 11:30:27 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: Update to EPA Website on Oil and Gas Waste Management Dear Sir or Madam: The EPA has updated its existing Crude Oil and Natural Gas Waste website to reflect the latest information on proper waste management from oil and gas production (E&P) wastes, including hydraulic fracturing. Specifically, the EPA reviewed the waste-related provisions of state regulations as of March 2014, for oil and natural gas waste pits and storage tanks for 26 of 33 gas producing states (i.e., states with the most significant shale gas activity). The review examined only the state statutes and regulations and did not include a review of permitting decisions, compliance monitoring, or enforcement actions. In addition, EPA conducted a literature review/internet search and developed a list of more than 80 publicly-available sources of voluntary management practices for oil and gas E&P wastes as they relate to pits, tanks, and land application/disposal. From this list, EPA focused on fourteen key documents/websites that are widely used and developed summaries of the pit, tank, and land application-related management practices contained in the fourteen selected sources. EPA has provided both reviews as a resource for policy makers and operators. If you have any questions, please contact Bonnie Robinson at 703-308-8429, Patrick Kelly at 703-308-7271, or Ross Elliott at 703-308-8748. http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/oil/hydrofrac.htm

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: What will climate policy mean for coal?
by Paul Wilson 01 Apr '14

01 Apr '14

What will climate policy mean for coal?<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/bYY…> Posted: 31 Mar 2014 08:42 AM PDT Limiting climate change to 2 degrees C means shutting down coal power plants -- an unpopular proposition for coal power companies. But a new study shows that delaying climate policies could prove even worse for power plant owners. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] New SACE Blog - Remembering TN's Coal Ash Problems after NC's Dan River Disaster
by Paul Wilson 01 Apr '14

01 Apr '14

fyi, paul w ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Angela Garrone <angela(a)cleanenergy.org> Date: Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 10:59 AM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] New SACE Blog - Remembering TN's Coal Ash Problems after NC's Dan River Disaster To: Tennessee-News <TENNESSEE-NEWS(a)lists.sierraclub.org>, COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE(a)lists.sierraclub.org, coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org, TREEHUGS-L(a)list.pace.edu, nonewcoalplants(a)energyjustice.net Hi all, SACE has published a new blog highlighting TN's and TVA's ongoing problems handling coal ash, in light of Duke's recent coal ash debacle at Dan River and across NC. Please read, share and enjoy! http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2014/04/01/remembering-tns-coal-ash-problems-af… Thanks -- *Angela Garrone | Southeast Energy Research Attorney* *Southern Alliance for Clean Energy* P.O. Box 1842 Knoxville, TN 37901 angela(a)cleanenergy.org | 865-637-6055 ex. 23 http://www.cleanenergy.org http://blog.cleanenergy.org CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION / WORK PRODUCT: The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed, and may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or confidential attorney work product. If you receive this message in error, please send a reply e-mail to the sender and delete the material from any and all computers. Unintended transmissions shall not constitute waiver of the attorney-client or any other privilege. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Michael Hendryx Academic freedom versus FOIA
by James Kotcon 31 Mar '14

31 Mar '14

I was not aware that Hendryx had left WVU. JBK WVU successfully defends researchers' right to academic freedom<http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/03/28/wvu-successfully-defends-researchers-r…> March 28th, 2014 In a wide-ranging order, a state circuit judge has upheld West Virginia University's<http://www.wvu.edu/> position that a researcher's raw data, draft documents and peer review commentary are exempt from public disclosure under the state Freedom of Information Act. In addition, the court found that FOIA requests seeking essentially "everything" related to a researcher's studies are "unduly burdensome." The strongly-worded decision by 17th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Phillip D. Gaujot came in the case of Highland Mining Co. vs. WVU, a case aimed specifically at the University's School of Medicine.<http://hsc.wvu.edu/som> Highland was seeking essentially everything related to articles by former WVU researcher Michael Hendryx linking coal mining to adverse health effects, including draft documents and peer review comments. Highland filed multiple FOIA requests seeking anything in the University's possession related to Hendryx' research. The University declined to provide it, citing in part, the University's deliberative process, academic freedom and the requests' lack of specificity. Highland sued the University in 2012, claiming the refusal was not supported by law. As part of his deliberation, Gaujot ordered WVU to produce a sampling of the material Highland was seeking, and his decision was partly based on that review. In his ruling, issued March 19th, Gaujot affirmed the University's assertion that certain documents were exempt in part because he was concerned that researchers "may temper their approaches to research questions and problem-solving and be more hesitant to think outside the box, fearing public reception of the extreme or unconventional." Gaujot's order further reflected that the "academic freedom" principles embodied in First Amendment jurisprudence are applicable to the FOIA, "especially because the right to education in our State is fundamental, ... not only is academic freedom transcendental, but so too are the First Amendment principles which lie at its heart, making them applicable not only to constitutional law, but to FOIA jurisprudence as well." The FOIA was not intended to "reduce government agencies to full-time investigators on behalf of requesters," Gaujot said. Finding that "that Highland's production requests are unduly burdensome," Gaujot struck down all of Highland's claims and dismissed the case. Currently a professor of applied science at Indiana University, until recently Hendryx was associate professor in the Department of Community Medicine and director of the West Virginia Rural Health Research Center. -WVU- jb/03/28/14 CONTACT: University Relations/News 304.293.6997 - See more at: http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2014/03/28/wvu-successfully-defends-researchers-r…

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: West Virginia chemical spill into Elk River contaminating air and water quality
by Paul Wilson 27 Mar '14

27 Mar '14

West Virginia chemical spill into Elk River contaminating air and water quality<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/AH7…> Posted: 26 Mar 2014 06:20 AM PDT The complexities and implications of the chemical spill into West Virginia's Elk River keep growing, according to a new study. The lack of data motivated researchers to take on essential odor-related research that went beyond their National Science Foundation Rapid Response Research grant to better understand the properties of the chemical mixture called crude 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, the major component in the crude mix of the spilled chemicals into the Elk River. It is used in the separation and cleaning of coal products. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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an excellent Fracking cartoon at this link
by Paul Wilson 21 Mar '14

21 Mar '14

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/20/1286006/-Cartoon-All-fracked-up?de… -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Polar vortex and electric grid reliability
by James Kotcon 18 Mar '14

18 Mar '14

An emerging line from the coal industry and coal-friendly politicians is that the recent cold weather has demonstrated the need for more coal-fired power plants. A recent post from Mark Kresowick of the Beyond Coal campaign (se the link to his blog post below) demonstrates that it was actually the inability of coal plants to operate that contributed to the reliability problems, and the answer is More renewables and EE, not less. You may find this evidence useful in future discussions. Enjoy. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Mark Kresowik <mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 10:17 AM To: James Kotcon Cc: Bill Price; David Muhly; David W. Sturm; Gary Nelson; Daniel Chiotos; Kim Teplitzky; Seth Long; Zachary Fabish; Jacob Kornfeld Subject: Re: WV TEAM Call-Back to the usual number 866-501-6174 Access code 33907431892 To Jim's question, below is a recent email/blogpost from me. Half of the plants that were offline during the polar vortex were actually coal plants. FERC is holding a technical conference on April 1st on the topic and we'll have someone there. http://www.pjm.com/~/media/documents/reports/20140109-january-2014-cold-wea… https://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2014/01-16-14-bulk-power.pdf http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventDetails.aspx?ID=7272&CalType=%20&Cal… It sounds like there have been a lot of questions about the polar vortex and potential reliability problems with coal plants retiring. Senator Murkowski and others have been calling for Senate hearings, and its a major talking point in utility circles right now. To try and dispel some of these myths there is some helpful information below. Many of the reliability issues during cold snaps are actually caused by coal plants tripping offline. From equipment to coal piles freezing, the 2011 blackouts in Texas and this January's blackout in South Carolina were caused by coal plants unable to operate in cold weather. Coal plants are intermittent, clean energy is variable. Wind and solar variations can be forecast and accounted for, not so for coal and nuclear plants when they shut down abruptly. The other major problem in some regions is gas plants unable to actually get gas because its being used for heating. One solution there is simple: reduce the amount of gas needed. Whatever the problem is for a particular region, the solutions - including those that worked most effectively in the Mid-Atlantic - are actually more energy efficiency, demand response, wind, and solar, not keeping clunker coal plants around. I wrote a blog about this for the Sustainable FERC Project two weeks ago, you can read it here: http://sustainableferc.org/polar-vortex-shows-we-need-more-efficiency-wind-…. We'll try to share some additional information about this topic as it develops, but its actually pretty much the only thing our colleagues at the FERC Project have written about for the last month, so check out the other two blog entries on that site. -- Mark Kresowik Eastern Region Deputy Director Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:mark.kresowik@sierraclub.org> 202-675-7914 (o) 319-621-7393 (c) 50 F St NW Eighth Floor Washington, DC 20001

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MIT Researchers Ready Renewable Energy Storage Technology
by Duane 12 Mar '14

12 Mar '14

http://ecowatch.com/2014/03/10/bill-gates-backed-mit-researchers-ready-to-c… MIT Researchers Ready Renewable Energy Storage Technology By Brandon Baker, EcoWatch.com, March 10, 2014 A group of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say that liquid metals could provide the solution to a solar energy challenge—ensuring that the power is available at all times. The researchers are working on commercializing liquid-metal batteries that can store energy for less than $500 per kilowatt-hour. The group launched a startup company, Ambri Inc., and believes it found an alternative to the water systems that comprise about 95 percent of the country’s energy storage capacity. “If we can get liquid-metal batteries down to $500 a kilowatt-hour, we’ll change the world,” Donald Sadoway, chief scientific adviser at Ambri, told Bloomberg. MIT researcher Donald Sadoway says a new storage technology could change renewable energy. Video screenshot credit: Ambri Inc. That figure—about one-third the cost of some battery technologies—would enable wind and solar project developers to bring energy to the grid all times, increasing its reliability, the researchers say. By comparison, AES Corp., the largest operator of power-storage systems, sells its systems to utilities and developers for about $1,000 per kilowatt, according to Bloomberg. The company plans on installing its first two prototypes at a Massachusetts military base and a Hawaii wind farm by this time next year, if not earlier. Of course, it helps to have financial backing from billionaires like Bill Gates and Vinod Khosla. Gates gave the group seed funding back in 2011. Last month, Ambri won a $250,000 grant from New York state to develop and test a prototype battery with Con Edison Inc. “The liquid metal battery technology performs like both a tractor and a race car,” according to Ambri’s website. “It can respond to regulation signals in milliseconds and it can store up to 12 hours of energy and discharge it slowly over time.” Sadoway said he’s not concerned with lithium-ion batteries, deeming them a better fit for cars and portable devices as opposed to the large storage systems that feed the grid. “Lithium-ion plants are too expensive to build and it makes no sense to string a bunch of these tiny things together,” he said. He added that the batteries will be able to be delivered on a truck, instead of the pumped-hydro systems that require a hill, a hydropower plant and a lot of water. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are 23.4 gigawatts of pumped-hydropower capacity in operation, compared to about 304 megawatts of battery storage. “Ours won’t have any geographical constraint,” he said. Sadoway and the researchers founded Ambri in 2010. Visit EcoWatch’s RENEWABLES page for more related news on this topic. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Re: [EC] Republicans for EE
by James Kotcon 10 Mar '14

10 Mar '14

FYI: Congressman McKinley co-sponsored this one, and his statement on it is at: http://mckinley.house.gov/press-releases/house-passes-mckinley-bipartisan-e… Another more descriptive article from Bloomberg is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-06/house-passes-energy-efficiency-bil… JBK ________________________________ From: Chuck Wyrostok <wyro(a)appalight.com> Sent: Monday, March 10, 2014 2:01 PM To: 'StacyGloss'; James Kotcon Subject: repubs for EE Does this mean they're against coal consumption??? ~(;>) http://grist.org/climate-energy/house-republicans-just-passed-a-good-enviro… Chuck Wyrostok Outreach Organizer Sierra Club, WV Chapter T: 877 252 0257 E. outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com<mailto:outreach@marcellus-wv.com> www.marcellus-wv.com<http://www.marcellus-wv.com/> Water is Life...Keep It Clean Whenever there is a huge spill of solar energy, it's just called a nice day.....

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FW: AEP proposes Mitchell transfer to Wheeling
by James Kotcon 07 Mar '14

07 Mar '14

FYI. They're Baaaaack! JBK ________________________________ From: James Kotcon Sent: Friday, March 07, 2014 8:58 AM To: Mark Kresowik; Daniel Chiotos Cc: Zachary Fabish; kim.teplitzky(a)sierraclub.org; Bill Price; David Muhly; David Sturm; Seth Long; Gary Nelson; Jacob Kornfeld Subject: RE: AEP proposes Mitchell transfer to Wheeling Nice catch. The Mitchell transfer was not mentioned in other news articles about the rate increase. JBK ________________________________ From: Mark Kresowik <mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Friday, March 07, 2014 6:42 AM To: Daniel Chiotos Cc: Zachary Fabish; kim.teplitzky(a)sierraclub.org; Bill Price; David Muhly; David Sturm; James Kotcon; Seth Long; Gary Nelson; Jacob Kornfeld Subject: AEP proposes Mitchell transfer to Wheeling They're coming back at it, this time proposing a transfer just to Wheeling so they don't need VA approval. http://www.statejournal.com/story/24884039/appalachian-power-wheeling-power… On Mar 6, 2014 9:40 AM, "Daniel Chiotos" <daniel.chiotos(a)gmail.com<mailto:daniel.chiotos@gmail.com>> wrote: Just to check, any expectation of a) when the WV Supreme Court will issue an opinion and b) when FirstEnergy would then submit their energy efficiency plan? http://wvmetronews.com/2014/03/05/supreme-court-hears-dispute-over-harrison… -- Cheers, Danny Chiotos 304-886-3389 (c) 304-535-8150 (h) 1603 W Washington St Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

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FW: Coming to Morgantown! Energy Efficiency for Commercial & Government Buildings Workshop
by Frank Young 27 Feb '14

27 Feb '14

_____ From: Angela Shock [mailto:Angela.Shock@mail.wvu.edu] Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2014 12:06 PM To: Angela Shock Subject: Coming to Morgantown! Energy Efficiency for Commercial & Government Buildings Workshop Coming to Morgantown, March 25, 2014! Workshop on Energy Efficiency Best Practices for Commercial & Government Buildings Where: WVU Alumni Center Time: 8:30am-4:30pm Sponsored by: Industries of the Future-WV, WVU Industrial Assessment Center and the West Virginia Division of Energy Registration: $30 (Lunch and coffee breaks provided) Who should attend: Building Managers, Operators, and Maintenance Personnel <http://www.iofwv.nrcce.wvu.edu/news/articles/2014/Buildings%20Save%20the%20 Date.pdf> Conference Information and Agenda <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/energy-efficiency-in-commercial-government-bui ldings-morgantown-tickets-10530847047> Conference Registration <http://www.iofwv.nrcce.wvu.edu/news/articles/2014/INSTRUCTOR%20BIOGRAPHIES. pdf> Instructor Information Angela Shock Program Coordinator Industries of the Future-WV National Research Center for Coal and Energy P.O. Box 6064 Morgantown, WV 26506-6064 304-293-6520 Direct 304-293-7150 Main 304-293-3749 Fax

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Join us FRIDAY: "Briefing on New Sierra Club Poll of West Virginians on Water Pollution and Coal Industry"
by Paul Wilson 27 Feb '14

27 Feb '14

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Becki Clayborn <becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 3:10 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Join us FRIDAY: "Briefing on New Sierra Club Poll of West Virginians on Water Pollution and Coal Industry" To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Coal-Volunteers < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Briefing on New Sierra Club Poll of West Virginians on Water Pollution and Coal Industry Join us on FRIDAY February 28th at 2:30pm ET / 1:30pm CT / 12:30pm MT / 11:30pm PT Earlier this week, the Sierra Club released the results of a new poll of West Virginia voters measuring their opinions on clean air and water safeguards in the wake of last month's coal chemical spill in the Elk River. The poll revealed new findings that show that West Virginians think the spill is a "wakeup call" that the state needs stronger protections and better enforcement to protect air, water and public health. This briefing will discuss the new Hart Research Associates poll of West Virginia voters following last month's chemical spill. Polling experts will be available to answer questions about the poll methodology, results and implications for federal actions to protect the nation's waterways. <https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/689583975> WHO: Mary Anne Hitt, Director, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Jay Campbell, Senior Vice President, Hart Research Associates Grace McRae, Senior Polling and Research Strategist, Sierra Club Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/689583975 *Title:* Briefing on New Sierra Club Poll of West Virginians on Water Pollution and Coal Industry *Date:* Friday, February 28, 2014 *Time:* 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM CST After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. *System Requirements* PC-based attendees Required: Windows(R) 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Mac(R)-based attendees Required: Mac OS(R) X 10.6 or newer Mobile attendees Required: iPhone(R), iPad(R), Android(tm) phone or Android tablet -- ***Represented by John Muir Local 100*** Becki Clayborn Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Internal Capacities and Communications Coordinator Chicago, IL 312-251-1680 x123 630-881-3480 (cell) -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FW: U.S. Electricity Use is Declining and Energy Efficiency May be a Significant Factor
by James Kotcon 26 Feb '14

26 Feb '14

FYI. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jennifer Miller <jen.miller(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:jen.miller@sierraclub.org>> Date: Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 10:58 AM Subject: Fwd: U.S. Electricity Use is Declining and Energy Efficiency May be a Significant Factor To: CONS-FRED(a)lists.sierraclub.org<mailto:CONS-FRED@lists.sierraclub.org> "Most significant causes for decline in energy use in the US were energy efficiency programs and policies, warmer weather, changes in gross domestic product (GDP), and changes in electricity prices." [logo] NEWS RELEASE Media Contact: Patrick Kiker pkiker(a)aceee.org<mailto:pkiker@aceee.org> 202.507.4043<tel:202.507.4043> U.S. Electricity Use is Declining and Energy Efficiency May be a Significant Factor U.S. electricity sales peaked in 2007 and have been declining modestly since then. Sales in 2012 were 1.9% lower than 2007 sales, and sales in the first ten months of 2013 are below the same period in 2012. While the economic recession is an obvious explanation for the decline in sales in 2008 and 2009, it is much less clear why sales have continued to decline since then, even as the economy began to recover. While some observers have attributed this stalled growth to the ongoing effects of the "Great Recession," other observers suggest other factors may have played a role, such as erosion of manufacturing, more efficient buildings, lighting and appliances and increased use of on-site generation. ACEEE has just completed an analysis on electricity-use trends since 1993 and we looked at changes in sales over the 2007-2012 period in particular. We found that no single factor can explain the change in electricity use over the 1993-2012 period. The factors that appear most significant were energy efficiency programs and policies, warmer weather, changes in gross domestic product (GDP), changes in electricity prices, and long-term trends... To continue reading the blog post visit: http://aceee.org/blog/2014/02/us-electricity-use-declining-and-ener<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Juzlrl_YxM-aafPC76ksrCCPdYowh_4IqVy8Qf-iozlx…> To read the white paper visit: http://aceee.org/white-paper/low-electricity-growth<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Juzlrl_YxM-PDagP0bJNc9dY2IH2fVvPhq1MNSsBs5Di…> About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit aceee.org<http://aceee.org/> . ### . Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=4rt7cun6&m=1011065179711&ea=j…> [http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/SafeUnsubscribe_Footer_Logo_N…]<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdE0e-…> This email was sent to jen.miller(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:jen.miller@sierraclub.org> by aceeenews(a)aceee.org<mailto:aceeenews@aceee.org> | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdE0e-…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdE0e-…>(tm) | Privacy Policy<http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. ACEEE | 529 14th Street., N.W. | Suite 600 | Washington | DC | 20045

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FW: Famous Potatoes Considering giving EPA the Heave-Ho
by James Kotcon 21 Feb '14

21 Feb '14

Hope you enjoy the story below from Idaho. I particularly enjoyed the comment from our Arizona Chapter lobbyist at the end. Jim Kotcon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- On 2/20/2014 4:07 PM, Anne Woiwode wrote: --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Zack -- I sure hope you are enjoying your tenure in the statehouse in Idaho!! http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/20/3312831/idaho-nullifying-epa-re… Idaho Bill Would Get Rid Of All EPA Regulations In The State<http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/20/3312831/idaho-nullifying-epa-re…> By Katie Valentine<http://thinkprogress.org/person/kvalentine/>[http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/themes/tp4/images/bird_blue_16.png]<https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=KatieRValentine> on February 20, 2014 at 3:07 pm An Idaho lawmaker is seeking to strip the EPA of its authority in the state, enabling the Gem State to be free of all EPA regulations other than those approved by Congress. A new bill<http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2014/H0473.htm>, introduced by Idaho Rep. Paul Shepherd (R-Riggins), declares that the EPA’s regulatory authority is unconstitutional and violate’s the U.S. Constitution’s “true meaning and intent as given by the founders and ratifiers.” For that reason, if the bill was passed, the the EPA’s authority would “not be recognized by this state, is specifically rejected by this state and shall be considered null and void and of no force and effect in this state.” The bill was introduced in response to complaints from some Idaho gold dredgers, who have said<http://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/gold-miners-ask-state-t…> a new Clean Water Act permitting system in the state qualifies as federal overreach. Under the system, which operates similarly to a fishing licence, the rock and sand sucked up by dredgers and expelled back into the river are classified as pollutants. Dredging, even at a small scale, can lead to increased erosion<http://rogueriverkeeper.org/what-we-do/hot-topics/impacts-of-suction-dredgi…> in a stream and can alter habitat for fish and other aquatic life. But though the bill was in response to the dredgers’ complaints, Shepherd made it clear that it wasn’t just the Clean Water Act provision he was looking to sack. “It appears the EPA bureaucracy has an agenda in its interpretation of what pollution is,” he said<http://lmtribune.com/blogs/political_theater/article_84048246-8f58-11e3-af7…>. “They’re saying if you pick up sand with a suction dredge, run it through and dump it back in the water, that’s pollution. It’s pretty much shutting (the dredgers) down. That’s the main thing driving this, but the bill pertains to any regulations not approved by the people.” Shepherd said that the bill would’t nullify any regulations that have been approved by Congress, but Congressional approval isn’t part<http://www2.epa.gov/laws-regulations/basics-regulatory-process> of the EPA’s regulatory process. Lawmakers on the national stage have called before for Congressional oversight on EPA regulations — Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced last month<http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/01/17/3173161/mcconnell-tactic-revers…> that he wants to force a vote on the EPA’s regulations on coal-fired power plant emissions, and earlier this month, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced<http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/10/3272871/ted-cruz-energy/> new legislation that would force Congress to vote on all EPA regulations. But some in Idaho — Republicans included — are questioning<http://lmtribune.com/blogs/political_theater/article_84048246-8f58-11e3-af7…> whether Shepherd’s bill will really make a difference in the state. “How does it protect miners from the federal government imposing a fine (for a pollution discharge), since that process can go through federal court?” Rep. Lynn Luker asked<http://lmtribune.com/blogs/political_theater/article_84048246-8f58-11e3-af7…>. “I’m struggling to see how, in practical terms, this will protect our businesses.” Idaho isn’t the first to introduce a bill seeking to nullify EPA regulations. Last month, 37 Arizona lawmakers<http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/arizona-state-lawmakers-want-to-nulli…> went further than Shepherd, introducing a bill<http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/51leg/2r/bills/sr1003p.pdf> that would nullify all EPA regulations in the state. That bill relies<http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energy-environment/196898-arizona-bill-wo…> on the reasoning that the Tenth Amendment overrides federal environmental regulations. -- Anne Woiwode, State Director, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter<http://www.michigan.sierraclub.org/> 109 E. Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906 anne.woiwode(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org> office: 517-484-2372 x 11<tel:517-484-2372%20x%2011> Support the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter<https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=6760&6760.dona…> - protecting, exploring and enjoying Michigan since 1967 ________________________________________________________________ Sandy Bahr sandy.bahr(a)sierraclub.org 5:49 PM (23 hours ago) [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif] [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif] [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif] to CONS-FRED [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif] I was glad to see that AZ got proper recognition at the end of the article. We did put the AZ in crazy. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG<mailto:CONS-FRED-signoff-request@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG> Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

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Investigation into NC coal ash spill widens
by James Kotcon 21 Feb '14

21 Feb '14

Toward the end of the story is a great line: "It is hard to be on the same side of the table when environmental groups are not even allowed in the room" during negotiations). Sound familiar http://news.yahoo.com/investigation-nc-coal-ash-spill-widens-205733560.html JBK

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Unger landfill Bill SB 594 (was: Marcellus Update - February 14, 2014
by James Kotcon 17 Feb '14

17 Feb '14

SB 594 was introduced Friday (single reference to Judiciary). It requires drilling wastes to go to a separate cell and requires approval from the PSC and the local Solid Waste Authority. But it does not explicitly retain the tonnage caps. Instead, the SWA siting plan would identify the maximum amount of drill cuttings, and those drill cuttings would not count toward the solid waste tonnage cap imposed by solid waste laws. The bill does not mandate radiation monitoring, but requires DEP to propose emergency and legislative rules on liners, leachate, monitoring, etc. Is this an acceptable alternative to the DEP bill? JBK ________________________________ From: Clint Hogbin <crhogbin(a)gmail.com> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 7:39 PM To: James Kotcon Subject: FW: Marcellus Update - February 14, 2014 All: Here's an update on Marcellus legislative activities of this week: GOOD NEWS = The efforts to ask Chairman Tim Miley to NOT waive the review by House Judiciary Committee worked. He has refused to waive 2nd reference for HB4411. My APPRECIATION to everyone for the emails and phone calls! BAD NEWS = We have learned there will be a Committee Substitute offered in House Judiciary that is NO better than the current language in HB4411. This language reads like the WV-DEP wrote it - again allowing the unlimited landfilling of Marcellus waste statewide (but does provide for priority of MSW over Marcellus waste and provides for radiation detectors at landfills). GOOD NEWS = A non-profit watchdog group called WV-Citizens Action Group has been granted a public hearing on HB4411. The public hearing in the House Chambers for 5 pm on Monday, February 17, 2014. PLEASE ATTEND! GOOD NEWS = Senator(s) Kessler, Unger and Cann have introduced SB594. It can be viewed at: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb594%20int… Specifically, SB594 allow landfills to take horizontal drill cuttings and associated wastes ONLY if: 1. the solid waste authority adopts a siting plan to allow it; (meaning solid waste authorities can DENY accepting it and/or set a tonnage cap of the Marcellus cell if they decide to accept it) 2. the WV-PSC issues or amends a Certificate of Need (CON) to allow it; 3. the drilling waste is in a separate cell made for those wastes; 4. WV-DEP has to develop standards for the cell liner, leachate system and ongoing leachate management and testing to protect human health and the environment. SB594 will require local input and decision making over the management of Marcellus waste via the ten siting criteria in the siting plan. Those solid waste authorities that are comfortable with accepting the waste, can continue to do so. Those that have concerns, can evaluate those concerns at the local level and then issue or deny a permit via its siting plan. The landfills that are currently accepting the waste can continue to accept it until September 2014 or until the application for the CON or amended siting plan are denied whichever comes first. The two Class A landfills (Harrison and Ohio) that are accepting the drilling waste in large volumes already have a special cell and approval from the PSC and the local solid waste authority is OK with it. The counties that don't want the drilling waste will have the authority, under this bill, to refuse the waste by not approving it via the siting plan. NEXT ACTION ITEM: Please attend the public hearing set for 5 pm on Monday, February 17, 2014 in the House Chambers.

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HB 4411 landfill Hearing monday at 5 (was: DRAFT revised agenda for Monday
by James Kotcon 14 Feb '14

14 Feb '14

Does this affect our departure time for the bus? I think we need at least a few people for that hearing? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Denise Poole <deniseap(a)earthlink.net> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 3:19 PM To: Chuck Wyrostok; 'Angie Rosser'; 'Dan Taylor'; 'Dave McM'; 'Gary Z'; James Kotcon; 'Jim Sconyers'; 'John C'; 'Julie Archer'; 'Maya Nye'; 'Norm Steenstra'; 'Don Garvin'; 'David Sturm' Cc: 'Denise Poole'; 'Bill Price' Subject: Re: DRAFT revised agenda for Monday Yes, we need fewer speakers for Press Conference - can others please prepare press statements and make 12 copies for the Press Packet? Bring them to me at the WVEC table. ALSO - A PUBLIC HEARING ON HB 4411 IS SCHEDULED FOR 5:00 PM Denise -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Wyrostok Sent: Feb 14, 2014 3:12 PM To: 'Angie Rosser' , 'Dan Taylor' , 'Dave McM' , 'Gary Z' , 'Jim Kotcon' , 'Jim Sconyers' , 'John C' , 'Julie Archer' , 'Maya Nye' , 'Norm Steenstra' , 'Don Garvin' , 'David Sturm' Cc: 'Denise Poole' , 'Bill Price' Subject: DRAFT revised agenda for Monday Attached; The new, improved, get-it-while-supplies-last DRAFT agenda for Monday. Obviously still a lot to be ironed out. Denise & I spent over an hour this morning coming up with this as a beginning structure. Look it over and chime in.. Chuck Wyrostok Outreach Organizer Sierra Club, WV Chapter T: 877 252 0257 E. outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com www.marcellus-wv.com Water is Life...Keep It Clean Whenever there is a huge spill of solar energy, it's just called a nice day.....

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Fwd: Attend the WVU Law National Energy Conference 2014
by Jim Sconyers 13 Feb '14

13 Feb '14

Let's see --- conference sponsored by coal lawyers, and full color mug shots of two of the biggest friends of coal ever. I'm confident this will be totally unbiased.... But I'm going anyway - need to know their current party line. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: WVU College of Law Center for Energy & Sustainable Development < wvulaw(a)mail.wvu.edu> Date: Thu, Feb 13, 2014 at 12:26 PM Subject: Attend the WVU Law National Energy Conference 2014 To: jimscon(a)gmail.com Having trouble viewing this email? Click here <http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=c1e9879c-b87f-4eb9-b1e7-5…> * Speakers [image: US Senator Joe Manchin] Senator Joe Manchin III(D-W.Va.) * * Charles Patton * President & COO Appalachian Power * Where:* The Erickson Alumni Center West Virginia University One Alumni Drive Morgantown, WV 26506 Driving Directions<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bSqZP4Vnwz_eTQGhDVakNjF6Keqh6KGesjcNomczo-Tm…> *When:* Monday, February 24, 2014 at 8:30 AM EDT Add to my calendar<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bSqZP4Vnwz_eTQGhDVakNjF6Keqh6KGesjcNomczo-Tm…> WVU Law National Energy Conference 2014 *presented by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC* *REGULATION OF CO2 EMISSIONS FROM POWER PLANTS * *Flexibility and the Path Forward for Coal Dependent States* *February 24, 2014* WVU Erickson Alumni Center Anticipated rules from the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate CO2 emissions from power plants will have significant implications for energy and environmental policy makers, electric generators, and energy consumers nationwide. The rules will have profound impacts on coal dependent regions of the country (those with a significant coal extraction industry, or with electric utilities that rely heavily on coal-fired generation). This one-day conference will feature speakers from air and energy regulatory agencies, electric utilities, energy producers, academic institutions, environmental groups, and public policy organizations to explore legal, policy, economic, and other issues surrounding the new rules, including: 1. EPA's rulemaking process and the likely framework of the EPA rules. 2. Options available to states for complying with the EPA rules. 3. Options available to utilities and other energy producers for complying with the EPA rules. 4. Socio-economic implications for coal dependent states. The public is invited to attend the conference, and admission is free. Registration, however, is required for the lunch. *Click on the link below to register and RSVP for lunch.* *Register Now! <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bSqZP4Vnwz_eTQGhDVakNjF6Keqh6KGesjcNomczo-Tm…> * The conference is also offering Continuing Legal Education credit for attorneys for a standard fee. *Register for CLE <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bSqZP4Vnwz_eTQGhDVakNjF6Keqh6KGesjcNomczo-Tm…>* <http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/decline?oeidk=a07e8isy3qc299…> Conference Website<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bSqZP4Vnwz_eTQGhDVakNjF6Keqh6KGesjcNomczo-Tm…> Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at this event. *James Van Nostrand <james.vannostrand(a)mail.wvu.edu>* Director, Center for Energy and Sustainable Development WVU College of Law 304-293-5301 Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=8r5exaeab&m=1103830874683&ea=…> <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001yMnORnNYFB3CLcisOTUxRg%3D%3…> <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEVP_Inv_001> This email was sent to jimscon(a)gmail.com by wvulaw(a)mail.wvu.edu | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001yMnORnNYFB3CLcisOTUxRg%3D%3…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001yMnORnNYFB3CLcisOTUxRg%3D%3…>(tm) | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. WVU College of Law | West Virginia University | College of Law | PO Box 6130 | Morgantown | WV | 26506 -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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fyi, recent Rockefeller speech on Industry and our water pollution issues
by Paul Wilson 08 Feb '14

08 Feb '14

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/06/1275642/-Sen-Jay-Rockefeller-Slams… -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Re: [EC] [wvec-board] Senate Bill 474
by James Kotcon 04 Feb '14

04 Feb '14

Huffman's bill SB 474, is even worse than the HB 3075 by Nelson, Storch, et al. offered last year. That bill at least had a cap, in that it limited landfills from exceeding their cap for drill cuttings by no more than 40 %. the text of SB 474 consists of a single paragraph added to 22-15-8 as shown below. My position is that the landfill caps are sacred, and if the gas industry produced too much waste, they should haul it to PA or Ohio. JBK (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, a commercial solid waste facility may lawfully receive drill cuttings and associated drilling waste generated from horizontal well sites above the monthly tonnage limits of that commercial solid waste facility: Provided, That the drill cuttings and associated drilling waste are placed in a separate cell dedicated solely to the disposal of drilling waste. The secretary may allow solid waste facilities that are actively constructing a separate cell for drilling waste to accept drilling waste until September 30, 2014, without counting it towards the permitted monthly tonnage limits: Provided, That, That under no circumstances may a solid waste facility exclude or refuse to take municipal solid waste until it has reached its monthly permitted tonnage limits. ________________________________ From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> on behalf of dsgjr(a)aol.com <dsgjr(a)aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2014 8:31 AM To: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [wvec-board] Senate Bill 474 Huffman presented the DEP budget outlook at Senate Finance yesterday afternoon. This bill was just introduced yesterday. It is DEP's bill. So I got a copy of it when it was available, and after the Finance meeting had a conversation with Randy and Kristen Boggs and Scott Mandirola about it. I showed them the bill and asked why radiation meters and monitoring were not included in the bill, as Randy had said they would be. He was surprised and Kristen said it was a mistake done by bill drafting. They said they would fix that. But this is still a bad bill. Don In a message dated 2/3/2014 1:49:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, dan(a)ohvec.org writes: Allowing disposal of drill cuttings from well sites in commercial solid waste facilities Ugh, anybody else seen this yet? Thoughts on what to do? -Dan Taylor OVEC __._,_.___ Reply via web post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxb2s1dXQ3BF9TAzk3…> Reply to sender <mailto:DSGJr@aol.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bwvec-board%5D%20Senate%20Bill%20474> Reply to group <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bwvec-board%5D%20Senate%20Bill%20474> Start a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmczVrZmJqBF9TAzk3…> Messages in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/4119;_ylc=X3oDMTM1am5udWEz…> (4) Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZjA3cXB2BF9TAzk3MzU5N…> [Yahoo! Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlZTgwdW9lBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIxN…> * Privacy<http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> * Unsubscribe<mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> * Terms of Use<http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> . __,_._,___

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SB 373 Hearing Testimony
by James Kotcon 03 Feb '14

03 Feb '14

Attached is a start of testimony for tonight's hearing. I need more input on other items we consider important. JBK

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Freedom cartoon
by James Kotcon 31 Jan '14

31 Jan '14

Great cartoon that we should use. It focuses on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but it would not take too much to insert your favorite anti-regulatory issue. Jim Kotcon

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Fwd: This Week in OtherWords: The Minimum We Can Do to Fight Inequality
by Paul Wilson 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

great cartoon and an article by MaryAnn Hitt. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Emily Schwartz Greco, OtherWords <otherwords(a)ips-dc.org> Date: Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 12:19 PM Subject: This Week in OtherWords: The Minimum We Can Do to Fight Inequality To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com Problems viewing this email? Please visit our website at OtherWords.org<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=pupE5HdeSh1DKPnJuL6r%2Fb%2FBN%…> . [image: Other Words]<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=u1Pce4lU7nJbhC88l6Lcc4lBZljSSo…> *a project of the Institute for Policy Studies <http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=L1t8sOyntkolupLU%2BHb8M7%2FBN%…>* <http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=AIjqwxoNnNch84BRR0VOMr%2FBN%2B…> Bold Opinions for Newspapers and New Media [image: Emily Schwartz Greco] Dear Friend, This week in OtherWords, Sam Pizzigati and I explain how President Obama fell short in his State of the Union address on economic justice and energy and Mary Ann Hitt weighs in on West Virginia's water-contamination crisis. On our blog<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=g9BW4aeGMsmceiN0bHxHub%2FBN%2B…>, Karen Dolan sums up "the people's" response to Obama's remarks in verse. Do you need to access all our latest work in a single location? Please view our comprehensive and printable version<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=qewhO9%2BqCTqoxLsmwpr%2Fs7%2FB…>of this week's commentaries. Are you changing your email address or do any editors you know need to get OtherWords in their inbox every week? Just let me know at otherwords(a)ips-dc.org. Below you'll find our latest commentaries and a new cartoon. Sincerely, Emily Schwartz Greco Managing Editor, OtherWords ------------------------------ Our Latest 1. Another Chapter in Coal's Trail of Pollution<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=SXD0RcjePy9mMR%2FnC8WpFr%2FBN%…>/ Mary Anne Hitt *The West Virginia chemical spill underscores why we need to do more to safeguard our water supply.* 2. A Fast Track to Eroding Our Rights<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9JsuICra9BaardPHjFKWPr%2FBN%2B…>/ Wenonah Hauter *The Trans-Pacific Partnership would have disastrous implications for U.S. consumers.* 3. The Minimum We Can Do to Fight Inequality<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=sWC62hmtAhj3t4Xx1kWkeb%2FBN%2B…>/ Sam Pizzigati *Obama's State of the Union action agenda won't take us nearly far enough.* 4. Media Silence on an Irate Gun Company's Connection to Sandy Hook<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=m4D52XLAp%2BnYxqWtXSG3Tr%2FBN%…>/ Jason Salzman *How is Adam Lanza not part of this story?* 5. This Is What Climate Change Looks Like<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=AAkxm8YUQt7zmglNDZ8ATr%2FBN%2B…>/ Jill Richardson *California isn't experiencing cold weather this winter, but it's as vulnerable to the deepening climate crisis as the rest of the country.* 6. Wisconsin's Cheesy Innovation<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Eq0aED0GJUe67VOlS4EA1L%2FBN%2B…>/ Jim Hightower *By spraying city streets with cheese brine, Milwaukee aims to save money and reduce pollution.* 7. Short-Circuiting the Future<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=8Ai6LaKJhyyer4%2Bg%2FjVxcb%2FB…>/ Emily Schwartz Greco *Fracking is a bridge to nowhere.* 8. The Magic of De-Regulation<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=p5XM3k1l5pFHe0w41arwwr%2FBN%2B…>/ Khalil Bendib [image: The Magic of De-Regulation]<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=o%2BB92pnYyD07bExX7ZBh67%2FBN%…> Accompanies Mary Anne Hitt's op-ed, Another Chapter in Coal's Trail of Pollution <http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=PVnJ8l%2BQgRvv7%2F4%2BvV6nFr%2…>and Wenonah Hauter's op-ed, A Fast Track to Eroding Our Rights.<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=64IvByFSzjmgNpi3XQtHob%2FBN%2B…> ------------------------------ View a few tips<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rIcLbLQbD8c2BcKYVCSUp7%2FBN%2B…>for using our website, http://otherwords.org<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZNX7Vd46%2BDzWO%2BAWnYxx5b%2FB…> . *Email managing editor Emily Schwartz Greco at *otherwords(a)ips-dc.org* if you'd like to unsubscribe, change your subscription information, or provide feedback. We're always happy to hear from you.* [image: Creative Commons License] *Telephone:* (202) 234-9382 *Mailing Address:* 1112 16th St. NW, #600 Washington, DC 20036 otherwords(a)ips-dc.org otherwords.org<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=XryPZ0h7QBHsrPfiR8VyiL%2FBN%2B…> Unsubscribe<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=q2le9N%2Bm72bG%2FxXw5%2F11TL%2…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Small towns team up to power down
by Paul Wilson 28 Jan '14

28 Jan '14

Small towns team up to power down<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/Bml…> Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:25 AM PST Building on success in Chestertown, Md., the Center for Environment & Society at Washington College is partnering with four more towns on the Eastern Shore to help them significantly reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Murray Energy to sue EPA
by James Kotcon 28 Jan '14

28 Jan '14

Do you suppose Murray is beginning to question the wisdom of buying up ConSol's coal reserves? Maybe he is beginning to wonder if this global warming thing may affect his business decisions? Jim Kotcon >>>>> OBSERVER REPORTER Murray Energy to sue EPA Staff and wire reports Business Monday, January 27,2014 Murray Energy Corp. said in a news release Monday that it has notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of its intent to file a lawsuit against the agency "to combat the EPA's illegal promulgation of senseless and destructive regulations, with absolutely no regard for their job and family destruction." According to the release, the company, based in St. Clairsville, Ohio, said the Clean Air Act, as passed by Congress and signed into law, "clearly requires the Obama EPA to consider job losses in its issuance of regulations, and it has never complied with the law." In its official notice, Murray Energy demands that the EPA immediately comply with the Clean Air Act and evaluate the job losses "caused by its disastrous regulations. Indeed, over the past several years, the Obama EPA has promulgated a series of rules and regulations seeking to eliminate the United States coal industry, and the very good jobs and low-cost electricity that it provides. "Indeed, the lives and livelihoods of entire families in many regions of America are being destroyed." The company also said it believes "there will be virtually no environmental benefit from these radical EPA regulations." Murray noted that at least 392 coal-fired electric power plants in America have been closed or identified for closure by the EPA, which it said equates to a loss of about 100,000 megawatts of lowest cost electric power available across the country. In filing the notice and lawsuit, Murray Energy said it is fighting to protect coal miners, low-cost electricity for all Americans and for American manufacturers of products which must compete in the global marketplace. "Unfortunately, we had no choice but to file this notice and lawsuit," said Gary M. Broadbent, assistant general counsel and media director for Murray Energy. "The Clean Air Act is crystal clear in requiring the EPA to evaluate the negative impact that their regulations will have on jobs, but they have repeatedly been derelict in their duty." "We must defend these jobs, families, and America, and force the EPA and President Obama to comply with the law." Murray Energy also said there will be further litigation resulting from the Obama EPA's destructive and illegal actions, but declined to discuss them at this time. Murray Energy is one of the largest employers in the U.S. coal industry, providing more than 7,100 jobs and operating 13 active coal mines in six states. In October, Consol Energy Inc. announced the sale of all five of its longwall coal mines in West Virginia to a subsidiary of Murray Energy for $3.5 billion. The mines purchased by Murray were the McElroy, Shoemaker, Robinson Run, Loveridge and Blacksville No. 2 mines. The transaction, which was completed in early December, included the transfer of 3,722 hourly and salaried employees to Murray. At the time of the sale, Murray said the transaction would nearly double its coal production from 30.1 million tons to 58.6 million tons per year, and nearly triple its coal reserves from 859 million tons to almost 2.4 billion tons. The company's workforce doubled from 3,300 to 7,100 employees. Copyright 2014 Observer Publishing Company.All rights reserved.

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PUC to update 'external cost' for Minnesota power sources | St. Cloud TIMES | sctimes.com
by Duane 27 Jan '14

27 Jan '14

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20140126/NEWS01/301260004/PUC-update-externa… PUC to update 'external cost' for Minnesota power sources Written by Kirsti Marohn, St. Cloud Times, January 26, 2014 BECKER — A new push to calculate the true cost of the environmental and health effects of producing electricity could have a substantial impact on the future of Minnesota’s largest coal plant, located in Becker. The state Public Utilities Commission agreed last month to update the values it gives to so-called external costs. Those can range from climate change to higher infant mortality to an increased number of emergency room visits due to asthma. The values will help guide future decisions the state will make about aging power plants like Sherco in Becker and cleaner sources of electricity. “What this would do is to cause Minnesota to take a hard look before investments are made in power plants so that ... we have a sense of what those ultimate costs would be, and we’ll make fewer bad decisions,” said J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director with the nonprofit Fresh Energy. Minnesota law Minnesota passed a landmark law in 1993 that requires the PUC to consider external costs when weighing various energy options. The purpose was to create a level playing field between sources of electricity that emit a lot of pollution and those that don’t, said Beth Goodpaster, attorney with the nonprofit Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, which petitioned the PUC to update the values. Lawmakers recognized that there are costs associated with some sources of electricity that aren’t reflected in customers’ bills and aren’t paid for by utilities, Goodpaster said. “That way, a dirty resource would not be able to say, ‘We’re cheap,’ because they would have to actually include all the costs associated with it,” she said. Coal plants, for example, emit pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury that contribute to smog and affect human health. They also release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that are linked to global warming. While Minnesota’s law was groundbreaking, the values didn’t include all pollutants and haven’t been updated since 1996. See link above for the complete article.

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Fwd: Proposed fracking in national forest meets broad opposition
by Paul Wilson 25 Jan '14

25 Jan '14

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org> Date: Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 5:43 PM Subject: Proposed fracking in national forest meets broad opposition To: "birthplaceofrivers(a)tws.org" <birthplaceofrivers(a)tws.org> Hooking drinking water and the Elk chemical spill... http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-national-forest-fracking-20140123,0,987… Proposed fracking in national forest meets broad opposition The U.S. Forest Service considers allowing hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in George Washington National Forest in Virginia, stirring concern about risks to drinking water in the Washington, D.C., area. [image: George Washington National Forest]<http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-year-in-review-pol…> In the past, the U.S. Forest Service has made it a top priority to preserve the purity of the water in George Washington National Forest, but the land also has vast untapped deposits of natural gas. (U.S. Forest Service / January 7, 2014) By Neela Banerjee January 22, 2014, 7:08 p.m. BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- The headwaters of the Potomac River rise amid the hills and hollows of George Washington National Forest in Virginia. Small creeks dart past oak, white pine and hickory, become streams that nourish farmland and towns, and create a river that courses through two states and the nation's capital. About 4 million people depend on that water. For decades, the U.S. Forest Service identified preserving its purity as the top priority for the national forest. Now, the agency is considering allowing George Washington to become the first national forest to permit high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The million-acre forest sits on the eastern edge of the Marcellus shale formation, whose vast deposits of natural gas have touched off a drilling bonanza in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. All across the country, fracking's risks and rewards have splintered communities. But the potential risk to George Washington National Forest's water has drawn widespread opposition, including from most of the towns and counties nearby, members of Virginia's congressional delegation and Washington's mayor. The oil industry says any natural gas could be extracted with little harm to the national forest and its waters. The dispute mirrors dozens around the country as hydraulic fracturing unlocks oil and gas previously considered out of reach. But this time, it has stirred concerns not only about water in rural communities, but also about the drinking water of one of the nation's biggest metropolitan areas. "The Potomac is our exclusive water source. We don't have anywhere else to go for our drinking water if there's a mistake or problem," said George Hawkins, general manager of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. "And if there is, it would affect everyone at the [Environmental Protection Agency<http://www.latimes.com/topic/environmental-issues/u.s.-environmental-protec…>], every member of Congress<http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/u.s.-congress-ORGOV0000131…> ." Neighboring West Virginia offers a preview of disruption when water becomes unusable, even temporarily. In that case, chemicals used to wash coal were found in the Elk River two weeks ago. For at least four days, nine counties could use tap water only to flush toilets. In Virginia, counties such as Augusta and Rockingham near George Washington National Forest boast some of the state's richest agricultural land, and many towns benefit from tourism tied to the forest. "Local governments here are aware that their most important natural resource is their water," said Nancy Sorrells, a historian of the region and former Augusta County<http://www.latimes.com/topic/us/virginia/augusta-county-PLGEO10010110900000…>supervisor. On a mild winter morning, Sorrells and two lawyers from the Southern Environmental Law Center drove the narrow road that snakes up to the nearly 4,400-foot Reddish Knob, one of the highest points in Virginia. On one side of the windy summit, hardwood forest extends to the horizon. If fracking were allowed, Sorrells and the lawyers noted, huge trucks would navigate the sinuous roads into the mountainous terrain, forest land would be cleared for pipelines and hilltops would be flattened for compressor stations. Every decade or so, all national forests develop new plans to determine the best use of their resources. The draft plan released in 2011 for the George Washington forest would have effectively banned fracking. After an outcry from industry, the Forest Service decided to reconsider. Aware of the complexity and contentiousness of the issue, the agency has delayed a final decision several times. Fracking currently is permitted on only two Forest Service preserves, both in the West: Dakota Prairie National Grasslands in North Dakota and Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado. "Minerals have always been a part of what we've been about, but we have to weigh if it's appropriate to develop them in this forest with this set of conditions," said Ken Landgraf, planning staff officer for George Washington National Forest. "The 'why' of considering fracking gets to the use of national lands. If we are developing energy in this country and making it more secure, shouldn't national lands be part of the solution?" Fracking involves injecting millions of gallons of water laced with sand and chemicals deep underground to crack shale formations and unlock oil and gas. The process is exempt from some parts of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and energy companies do not have to disclose the chemicals they use if they consider them trade secrets. Technological advances would allow fracking in the forest while protecting its water, said Michael Ward, executive director of the Virginia Petroleum Council. He noted that the Forest Service could keep the most sensitive areas off-limits. "Though there are no leases in or around the forest now, it seems unreasonable to lock up that whole area for another 15 years until the next forest plan," he said. Fracking's effect on water supplies remains in dispute. Yet recent studies near fracking sites have discovered water contaminated by methane, arsenic and chemicals linked to infertility, birth defects<http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/physical-conditions/birth-defects-HEISY…>and cancer. Sarah Francisco, one of the Southern Environmental Law Center attorneys who rode up to Reddish Knob, said the possibility of fracking in the forest raised unsettling questions: Would the gas companies compete with municipalities for the forest's water? Once it has been used in fracking, how would the highly contaminated water be disposed of, since local treatment plants could not handle it? Would methane from wells migrate into the water, as it has in parts of Pennsylvania? Would accidental spills of chemicals or wastewater taint the watershed? The questions trouble Dave and Sharon Horn. Half of their 650 acres is wooded and merges into the George Washington National Forest. They raise beef cattle on the rest. They hike and hunt in the forest. A spring runs on the other side of Buck Hill by their house. Like many of the area's residents, Dave Horn's family has lived by the forest for generations. He does not want the land and water disturbed, and the oil industry has failed to reassure him. "They can say, 'We'll be very careful and do this and that,' but there's always potential for human error, and that leads to contamination," he said. "And all this will affect people downstream too." *neela.banerjee(a)latimes.com <neela.banerjee(a)latimes.com>* http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-national-forest-fracking-20140123,0,987… ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com ______________________________________________________________________ -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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HB 4277
by Jim Sconyers 23 Jan '14

23 Jan '14

Note that HB 4277 is apparently the Republicans' answer to water threats - sponsors are 4 Republicans. On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 6:32 PM, James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> wrote: > > > Attached is my quick review of Comm Sub SB 373. It looks like Unger > incorporated a number of ideas from the governor's bill, but removed any > role for the Dept. of Public Health and included most of Tomblin's > exemptions, plus added a few new ones. It makes Ungers bill more > comprehensive for the tanks that are covered, but it exempts way too many > tanks. > > > > Jim Kotcon > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Dan Taylor <danotbob(a)gmail.com> > *Sent:* Thursday, January 23, 2014 4:01 PM > *To:* Jim Sconyers > *Cc:* Angie Rosser; David McMahon; Chuck Wyrostok; James Kotcon; MAYA > NYE; Denise Poole; Don Garvin; Vickie Wolfe; Dan Taylor; Gary Zuckett; Beth > Little; Cindy Rank; John C; Julie Archer; Norm Steenstra; Robin Blakeman; > Viv Stockman; Rachel Huff; Margaret Chapman Pomponio; Greg Carroll > *Subject:* Re: Allied lobbyists group: 373 TALKING POINTS > > Just saw H. B. 4277 > > Looks even more useless than the governor's bill. Just an inventory? > > -Dan > > > > On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 3:37 PM, Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> resorting to protection via existing NPDES stormwater permits seems a >> red herring to me - doesn't address the real critical problem, seems to say >> no further protection needed >> >> >> On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 1:09 PM, Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org>wrote: >> >>> This bill is being irresponsibly fast tracked by the Senate, not >>> giving time for thorough analysis and stakeholder/public input. >>> Doesn't recognize DEPs current authorities to permit under the existing >>> NPDES program >>> Narrowly attempts to address only one example of threats to source water >>> Includes several AST exclusions >>> Relies on industry self inspection and self reporting >>> No funding for protection plan development >>> >>> I have not had a chance to read the CS so someone needs to verify >>> these points are still relevant. >>> >>> Angie Rosser >>> Executive Director >>> West Virginia Rivers Coalition >>> 304-637-7201 >>> >>> *From:* David McMahon <wvdavid(a)wvdavid.net> >>> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 21, 2014 2:21 PM >>> >>> *To:* Chuck Wyrostok <wyro(a)appalight.com>, Jim Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu>, >>> MAYA NYE <chemicalsafetyadvocates(a)gmail.com>, Angie Rosser<arosser(a)wvrivers.org> >>> *Cc:* Dan Taylor <danotbob(a)gmail.com>, Denise Poole<deniseap(a)earthlink.net>, >>> Don Garvin <DSGJr(a)aol.com>, Vickie Wolfe <ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com>, 'Dan >>> Taylor' <dan(a)ohvec.org>, Gary Zuckett <garyz(a)wvcag.org>, 'Beth Little'<blittle(a)citynet.net>, >>> Cindy Rank <clrank2(a)gmail.com>, 'Jim Sconyers' <jimscon(a)gmail.com>, 'John >>> C' <jbc329(a)earthlink.net>, Julie Archer <julie(a)wvsoro.org>, 'Norm >>> Steenstra' <norm(a)wvcag.org>, 'Robin Blakeman' <robin(a)ohvec.org>, 'Viv >>> Stockman' <viv(a)ohvec.org>, Rachel Huff <rachel(a)wvfree.org>, Margaret >>> Chapman Pomponio <margaret(a)wvfree.org>, Greg Carroll<greg.carroll(a)frontier.com> >>> >>> HI, >>> I saw Maya in cafeteria. Plan is to ask Unger to ask General >>> Servcies to leave capitaol open late so rally can occure in lower rotunda. >>> I have not idea if they accomplished this. >>> >>> Dave >>> On 1/21/2014 12:36 PM, Chuck Wyrostok wrote: >>> >>> Folks, I just talked to Greg Carroll. His road (and mine) are snowed >>> in pretty badly. He hasn’t heard whether the event has been moved inside >>> the capitol and feels it’s too risky to set up generator/sound system in >>> wet snow. He’d like to talk to someone asap. His phone 304 206 8849. >>> >>> >>> >>> Hopefully, we’ll both see you all later today….chuck w >>> >>> >>> >>> Chuck Wyrostok >>> >>> Outreach Organizer >>> >>> Sierra Club, WV Chapter >>> >>> T: 877 252 0257 >>> >>> E. outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com >>> >>> www.marcellus-wv.com >>> >>> >>> >>> Water is Life...Keep It Clean >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> *From:* James Kotcon [mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu>] >>> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 21, 2014 12:01 PM >>> *To:* MAYA NYE; Angie Rosser >>> *Cc:* David McMahon; Dan Taylor; Denise Poole; DSGJr(a)aol.com; >>> ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com; wyro(a)appalight.com; dan(a)ohvec.org; >>> garyz(a)wvcag.org; blittle(a)citynet.net; clrank2(a)gmail.com; >>> jimscon(a)gmail.com; jbc329(a)earthlink.net; julie(a)wvsoro.org; >>> norm(a)wvcag.org; robin(a)ohvec.org; viv(a)ohvec.org; rachel(a)wvfree.org; >>> margaret(a)wvfree.org >>> *Subject:* RE: Allied lobbyists group: CSB RECOMMENDATIONS >>> >>> >>> >>> Maya, et al.: >>> >>> >>> >>> This is a great list. I would point out that the Unger bill does have a >>> provision directing DEP to propose fees to support the permit program, >>> although it is not clear that there is enough focus on inspections and >>> enforcement. >>> >>> >>> >>> Tomblin's bill has reasonable language assuring DEP has authority to do >>> inspections, etc. and requires an annual inspection by a professional >>> engineer. It also specifies construction and performance standards, >>> financial assurance requirements, and makes it unlawful to deliver to an >>> unregistered tank. That last one makes the haulers responsible, which I >>> think is a good idea (so it will probably be gutted). Tomblin's bill also >>> requires source water protection plans. If only Tomblin's bill did not >>> have so many loopholes that almost no one is covered by it! >>> >>> >>> >>> Some of those might be worth adding to the list. >>> >>> >>> >>> Jim Kotcon >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> *From:* MAYA NYE <chemicalsafetyadvocates(a)gmail.com><chemicalsafetyadvocates(a)gmail.com> >>> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 21, 2014 11:18 AM >>> *To:* Angie Rosser >>> *Cc:* David McMahon; Dan Taylor; Denise Poole; DSGJr(a)aol.com; >>> ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com; wyro(a)appalight.com; dan(a)ohvec.org; >>> garyz(a)wvcag.org; blittle(a)citynet.net; clrank2(a)gmail.com; James Kotcon; >>> jimscon(a)gmail.com; jbc329(a)earthlink.net; julie(a)wvsoro.org; >>> norm(a)wvcag.org; robin(a)ohvec.org; viv(a)ohvec.org; rachel(a)wvfree.org; >>> margaret(a)wvfree.org >>> *Subject:* Re: Allied lobbyists group: CSB RECOMMENDATIONS >>> >>> >>> >>> All: >>> >>> >>> >>> This is what Pat McGinley came up with. >>> >>> >>> >>> *Components of a Comprehensive Above Ground Chemical Storage* >>> >>> *Bill Missing From Unger Bill* >>> >>> >>> >>> Most federal and state environmental protection statutes contain >>> significant opportunities for public participation. >>> >>> >>> >>> Bill should grant rights to citizens, public water suppliers as well >>> as municipal and county governments. Like other environmental protection >>> laws, such public participation rights should include: >>> >>> >>> >>> · A broad right of citizen access to information in DEP files >>> regarding permitting, inspection, enforcement actions, penalties and the >>> other information storage tank companies are required to submit under the >>> bill; >>> >>> >>> >>> · Grant citizen's a public hearing, right to comment upon >>> siting of tanks, permit applications, >>> >>> >>> >>> · Grant citizen's the right to seek administrative and >>> judicial review of siting, permitting and enforcement decisions, >>> >>> >>> >>> · Require notification of the public, water suppliers and >>> municipalities of permit applications, permit grants and denials, >>> >>> >>> >>> · Grant citizens (including water suppliers, municipal and >>> county governments) the right to object, to permit applications, grant of >>> permits, and settlements of DEP enforcement actions; >>> >>> >>> >>> · Grant citizens the right to (1) seek administrative and >>> judicial review of DEP permit and enforcement decisions; the right to seek >>> judicial enforcement of mandatory nondiscretionary duties of permittees and >>> DEP under the statute, permits and regulations; >>> >>> >>> >>> · Provide for attorneys and expert fees and costs to be >>> awarded citizens who substantially prevail in administrative actions or >>> upon judicial review. >>> >>> >>> >>> Other necessary provisions: >>> >>> >>> >>> · Specific storage tank setback requirements from source >>> waters where a spill or discharge may contaminate sources of public and >>> private drinking water. >>> >>> >>> >>> · Requirement that buffer zones be established to prohibit >>> location/construction of above-ground chemical storage tanks in close >>> proximity to source waters upstream from public drinking water intakes >>> (unless the director finds by clear and convincing evidence that there is >>> no possible hydrologic connection between the tanks and source waters (i.e. >>> no chance that the contents of a tank will reach stream or groundwater). >>> >>> >>> >>> · Owners of storage tanks should be *required* to submit >>> information about storage tanks and their contents - rather than leaving it >>> up to the DEP Secretary to request such information. >>> >>> >>> >>> · The regulatory program, including permitting of above ground >>> storage tanks, established by the bill should mandate additional DEP >>> staffing including inspectors and permit review staff with appropriate >>> expertise. >>> >>> >>> >>> · Require assessment of fees on tank owners to provide >>> adequate revenue to support the regulatory program. >>> >>> >>> >>> · Mandate monetary criminal (including imprisonment) and civil >>> sanctions with criminal and civil penalties to be imposed on corporate >>> managers and corporate entities adequate to provide serious deterrent to >>> violations of the statute. >>> >>> >>> >>> I will work on pulling all of your recommendations together on this >>> bill. >>> >>> >>> >>> Maya >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 2:29 AM, MAYA NYE < >>> chemicalsafetyadvocates(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> On Bayer report, it is page 116. >>> >>> >>> >>> Here is the text version: >>> >>> *8.3 Director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department * >>> >>> 2008-08-I-WV-R6 >>> >>> Establish a Hazardous Chemical Release Prevention Program to enhance >>> the prevention of accidental releases of highly hazardous chemicals, and >>> optimize responses in the event of their occurrence. In establishing the >>> program, study and evaluate the possible applicability of the experience of >>> similar programs in the country, such as those summarized in Section 5.3 of >>> this report. As a minimum: >>> >>> 1. Ensure that the new program: >>> >>> 1. Implements an effective system of independent oversight and >>> other services to enhance the prevention of accidental releases of highly >>> hazardous chemicals >>> >>> 2. Facilitates the collaboration of multiple stakeholders in >>> achieving common goals of chemical safety; and, >>> >>> 3. Increases the confidence of the community, the workforce, and >>> the local authorities in the ability of the facility owners to prevent and >>> respond to accidental releases of highly hazardous chemicals >>> >>> 2. Define the characteristics of chemical facilities that would >>> be covered by the new Program, such as the hazards and potential risks of >>> their chemicals and processes, their quantities, and similar relevant >>> factors; >>> >>> 116 >>> >>> c. Ensure that covered facilities develop, implement, and submit for >>> review and approval: >>> >>> 1. Applicable hazard and process information and evaluations. >>> >>> 2. Written safety plans with appropriate descriptions of hazard >>> controls, safety culture and human factors programs with employee >>> participation, and consideration of the adoption of inherently safer >>> systems to reduce risks >>> >>> 3. Emergency response plans; and, >>> >>> 4. Performance indicators addressing the prevention of chemical >>> incidents. >>> >>> 4. Ensure that the program has the right to evaluate the >>> documents submitted by the covered facilities, and to require >>> modifications, as necessary >>> >>> 5. Ensure that the program has right-of-entry to covered >>> facilities, and access to requisite information to conduct periodic audits >>> of safety systems and investigations of chemical releases; >>> >>> 6. Establish a system of fees assessed on covered facilities >>> sufficient to cover the oversight and related services to be provided to >>> the facilities including necessary technical and administrative personnel; >>> and, >>> >>> 7. Consistent with applicable law, ensure that the program >>> provides reasonable public participation with the program staff in review >>> of facility programs and access to: >>> >>> 1. The materials submitted by covered facilities (e.g., hazard >>> evaluations, safety plans, emergency response plans); >>> >>> 2. The reviews conducted by program staff and the modifications >>> triggered by those reviews; >>> >>> 117 >>> >>> 3. Records of audits and incident investigations conducted by the >>> program; >>> >>> 4. Performance indicator reports and data submitted by the >>> facilities, and; >>> >>> 5. Other relevant information concerning the hazards and the >>> control methods overseen by the program. >>> >>> h. Ensure that the program will require a periodic review of the >>> designated agency activities and issue a periodic public report of its >>> activities and recommended action items. >>> >>> *8.4 Secretary of West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services >>> and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection * >>> >>> 2008-08-I-WV-R7 >>> >>> Work with the Director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department to >>> ensure the successful planning, fee collection, and implementation of the >>> Hazardous Chemical Release Prevention Program as described in >>> Recommendation 2008-08-WV-R6, above, including the provision of services to >>> all eligible facilities in the State. >>> >>> *8.5 Kanawha-Putnam Emergency Planning Committee * >>> >>> 2008-08-I-WV-R8 >>> >>> Work with the Kanawha and Putnam counties Emergency Response Directors >>> to prepare and issue a revision to the Kanawha Putnam County Emergency >>> Response Plan and Annexes to address facility emergency response and >>> Incident Command when such functions are provided by the facility owner. >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Jan 20, 2014 at 5:45 PM, Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Links here >>> >>> >>> >>> Bayer Crop Science 2008: >>> http://www.csb.gov/csb-issues-report-on-2008-bayer-cropscience-explosion-fi… >>> >>> >>> >>> Dupont 2011: >>> http://www.csb.gov/dupont-corporation-toxic-chemical-releases/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> *Angie Rosser* >>> >>> Executive Director >>> >>> West Virginia Rivers Coalition >>> >>> 304-637-7201 >>> >>> www.wvrivers.org >>> >>> >>> >>> *From:* David McMahon [mailto:wvdavid@wvdavid.net] >>> *Sent:* Monday, January 20, 2014 5:42 PM >>> *To:* Angie Rosser; MAYA NYE; Dan Taylor >>> *Cc:* Denise Poole; DSGJr(a)aol.com; ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com; >>> wyro(a)appalight.com; dan(a)ohvec.org; garyz(a)wvcag.org; blittle(a)citynet.net; >>> clrank2(a)gmail.com; jkotcon(a)wvu.edu; jimscon(a)gmail.com; >>> jbc329(a)earthlink.net; julie(a)wvsoro.org; norm(a)wvcag.org; robin(a)ohvec.org; >>> viv(a)ohvec.org; rachel(a)wvfree.org; margaret(a)wvfree.org >>> *Subject:* Re: Allied lobbyists group: GOVERNOR'S SPILL BILL >>> >>> >>> >>> Thanks. I still do not have Chemical Safety Board recommendations. >>> >>> On 1/20/2014 5:34 PM, Angie Rosser wrote: >>> >>> Gov’s bill attached. >>> >>> >>> >>> *Angie Rosser* >>> >>> Executive Director >>> >>> West Virginia Rivers Coalition >>> >>> 304-637-7201 >>> >>> www.wvrivers.org >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> David McMahon >>> >>> e-Mail: wvdavid(a)wvdavid.net >>> >>> Land line: 304-415-4288 >>> >>> Fax: 810-958-6143 >>> >>> Physical address: 1018 Kanawha Blvd E. #1200 >>> >>> Charleston, WV 25301 >>> >>> Postal address: 1624 Kenwood Road >>> >>> Charleston, WV 25314 >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>> Maya Nye, Spokesperson >>> People Concerned About Chemical Safety >>> 179 Summers Street, Ste. 230 >>> >>> Charleston, WV 25301 >>> www.peopleconcernedaboutchemicalsafety.org >>> >>> 304-389-6859 >>> >>> ***Smell something funny?*** >>> Make a POLLUTION LOG. Start keeping track of what happens when you >>> smell something funny. Also, be sure to CALL and REPORT what you smell. >>> It may be the only way a problem is detected. If you smell something, >>> there IS a leak. Call 24 hrs. a day 1 (800) 642-3074 then let us know you >>> called it in. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ***Adverse effects from exposure?*** >>> >>> Document your health symptoms. Keep a log. If you have immediate >>> concerns, go to the doctor or the emergency room. Be sure to have them >>> document that you think your symptoms are as a result of exposure. >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from this email list, just hit reply and put >>> "unsubscribe" in the subject line. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>> Maya Nye, Spokesperson >>> People Concerned About Chemical Safety >>> 179 Summers Street, Ste. 230 >>> >>> Charleston, WV 25301 >>> www.peopleconcernedaboutchemicalsafety.org >>> >>> 304-389-6859 >>> >>> ***Smell something funny?*** >>> Make a POLLUTION LOG. Start keeping track of what happens when you >>> smell something funny. Also, be sure to CALL and REPORT what you smell. >>> It may be the only way a problem is detected. If you smell something, >>> there IS a leak. Call 24 hrs. a day 1 (800) 642-3074 then let us know you >>> called it in. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ***Adverse effects from exposure?*** >>> >>> Document your health symptoms. Keep a log. If you have immediate >>> concerns, go to the doctor or the emergency room. Be sure to have them >>> document that you think your symptoms are as a result of exposure. >>> --------------------------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from this email list, just hit reply and put >>> "unsubscribe" in the subject line. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> David McMahon >>> e-Mail: wvdavid(a)wvdavid.net >>> Land line: 304-415-4288 >>> Fax: 810-958-6143 >>> Physical address: 1018 Kanawha Blvd E. #1200 >>> Charleston, WV 25301 >>> Postal address: 1624 Kenwood Road >>> Charleston, WV 25314 >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Jim Sconyers >> jimscon(a)gmail.com >> 304.698.9628 >> >> Remember, Mother Nature bats last. >> > > __._,_.___ > View attachments on the web<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/attachments/folder/721240141/item/…> Reply > via web post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxMWNnY2RnBF9TAzk3…> Reply > to sender > <jkotcon@wvu.edu?subject=Re%3A%20Revised%20373%20Side-By-Side%20%28was%3A%20Allied%20lobbyists%20group%3A%20373%20TALKING%20POINTS> Reply > to group > <wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20Revised%20373%20Side-By-Side%20%28was%3A%20Allied%20lobbyists%20group%3A%20373%20TALKING%20POINTS> Start > a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmcnA3cXJqBF9TAzk3…> Messages > in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/4057;_ylc=X3oDMTM1MjU0OWVq…>(1) > Recent Activity: > > > Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaWo1MTlyBF9TAzk3MzU5N…> > [image: Yahoo! Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlb2lkcWttBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIxN…> > Switch to: Text-Only<wvec-board-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change+Delivery+Format:+Traditional>, > Daily Digest<wvec-board-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email+Delivery:+Digest>• > Unsubscribe <wvec-board-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe>• Terms > of Use <http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> • Send us > Feedback > <ygroupsnotifications(a)yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback+on+the+redesigned+individual+mail+v1> > . > > __,_._,___ > > _______________________________________________ > EC mailing list > EC(a)osenergy.org > http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec > -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

2 1

Revised 373 Side-By-Side (was: Allied lobbyists group: 373 TALKING POINTS
by James Kotcon 23 Jan '14

23 Jan '14

Attached is my quick review of Comm Sub SB 373. It looks like Unger incorporated a number of ideas from the governor's bill, but removed any role for the Dept. of Public Health and included most of Tomblin's exemptions, plus added a few new ones. It makes Ungers bill more comprehensive for the tanks that are covered, but it exempts way too many tanks. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Dan Taylor <danotbob(a)gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2014 4:01 PM To: Jim Sconyers Cc: Angie Rosser; David McMahon; Chuck Wyrostok; James Kotcon; MAYA NYE; Denise Poole; Don Garvin; Vickie Wolfe; Dan Taylor; Gary Zuckett; Beth Little; Cindy Rank; John C; Julie Archer; Norm Steenstra; Robin Blakeman; Viv Stockman; Rachel Huff; Margaret Chapman Pomponio; Greg Carroll Subject: Re: Allied lobbyists group: 373 TALKING POINTS Just saw H. B. 4277 Looks even more useless than the governor's bill. Just an inventory? -Dan On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 3:37 PM, Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com<mailto:jimscon@gmail.com>> wrote: resorting to protection via existing NPDES stormwater permits seems a red herring to me - doesn't address the real critical problem, seems to say no further protection needed On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 1:09 PM, Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org<mailto:arosser@wvrivers.org>> wrote: This bill is being irresponsibly fast tracked by the Senate, not giving time for thorough analysis and stakeholder/public input. Doesn't recognize DEPs current authorities to permit under the existing NPDES program Narrowly attempts to address only one example of threats to source water Includes several AST exclusions Relies on industry self inspection and self reporting No funding for protection plan development I have not had a chance to read the CS so someone needs to verify these points are still relevant. Angie Rosser Executive Director West Virginia Rivers Coalition 304-637-7201<tel:304-637-7201> From: David McMahon<mailto:wvdavid@wvdavid.net> Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 2:21 PM To: Chuck Wyrostok<mailto:wyro@appalight.com>, Jim Kotcon<mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu>, MAYA NYE<mailto:chemicalsafetyadvocates@gmail.com>, Angie Rosser<mailto:arosser@wvrivers.org> Cc: Dan Taylor<mailto:danotbob@gmail.com>, Denise Poole<mailto:deniseap@earthlink.net>, Don Garvin<mailto:DSGJr@aol.com>, Vickie Wolfe<mailto:ibtreehugger@gmail.com>, 'Dan Taylor'<mailto:dan@ohvec.org>, Gary Zuckett<mailto:garyz@wvcag.org>, 'Beth Little'<mailto:blittle@citynet.net>, Cindy Rank<mailto:clrank2@gmail.com>, 'Jim Sconyers'<mailto:jimscon@gmail.com>, 'John C'<mailto:jbc329@earthlink.net>, Julie Archer<mailto:julie@wvsoro.org>, 'Norm Steenstra'<mailto:norm@wvcag.org>, 'Robin Blakeman'<mailto:robin@ohvec.org>, 'Viv Stockman'<mailto:viv@ohvec.org>, Rachel Huff<mailto:rachel@wvfree.org>, Margaret Chapman Pomponio<mailto:margaret@wvfree.org>, Greg Carroll<mailto:greg.carroll@frontier.com> HI, I saw Maya in cafeteria. Plan is to ask Unger to ask General Servcies to leave capitaol open late so rally can occure in lower rotunda. I have not idea if they accomplished this. Dave On 1/21/2014 12:36 PM, Chuck Wyrostok wrote: Folks, I just talked to Greg Carroll. His road (and mine) are snowed in pretty badly. He hasn’t heard whether the event has been moved inside the capitol and feels it’s too risky to set up generator/sound system in wet snow. He’d like to talk to someone asap. His phone 304 206 8849<tel:304%20206%208849>. Hopefully, we’ll both see you all later today….chuck w Chuck Wyrostok Outreach Organizer Sierra Club, WV Chapter T: 877 252 0257<tel:877%20252%200257> E. outreach(a)marcellus-wv.com<mailto:outreach@marcellus-wv.com> www.marcellus-wv.com<http://www.marcellus-wv.com/> Water is Life...Keep It Clean ________________________________ From: James Kotcon [mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu] Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 12:01 PM To: MAYA NYE; Angie Rosser Cc: David McMahon; Dan Taylor; Denise Poole; DSGJr(a)aol.com<mailto:DSGJr@aol.com>; ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com<mailto:ibtreehugger@gmail.com>; wyro(a)appalight.com<mailto:wyro@appalight.com>; dan(a)ohvec.org<mailto:dan@ohvec.org>; garyz(a)wvcag.org<mailto:garyz@wvcag.org>; blittle(a)citynet.net<mailto:blittle@citynet.net>; clrank2(a)gmail.com<mailto:clrank2@gmail.com>; jimscon(a)gmail.com<mailto:jimscon@gmail.com>; jbc329(a)earthlink.net<mailto:jbc329@earthlink.net>; julie(a)wvsoro.org<mailto:julie@wvsoro.org>; norm(a)wvcag.org<mailto:norm@wvcag.org>; robin(a)ohvec.org<mailto:robin@ohvec.org>; viv(a)ohvec.org<mailto:viv@ohvec.org>; rachel(a)wvfree.org<mailto:rachel@wvfree.org>; margaret(a)wvfree.org<mailto:margaret@wvfree.org> Subject: RE: Allied lobbyists group: CSB RECOMMENDATIONS Maya, et al.: This is a great list. I would point out that the Unger bill does have a provision directing DEP to propose fees to support the permit program, although it is not clear that there is enough focus on inspections and enforcement. Tomblin's bill has reasonable language assuring DEP has authority to do inspections, etc. and requires an annual inspection by a professional engineer. It also specifies construction and performance standards, financial assurance requirements, and makes it unlawful to deliver to an unregistered tank. That last one makes the haulers responsible, which I think is a good idea (so it will probably be gutted). Tomblin's bill also requires source water protection plans. If only Tomblin's bill did not have so many loopholes that almost no one is covered by it! Some of those might be worth adding to the list. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: MAYA NYE <chemicalsafetyadvocates(a)gmail.com><mailto:chemicalsafetyadvocates@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 11:18 AM To: Angie Rosser Cc: David McMahon; Dan Taylor; Denise Poole; DSGJr(a)aol.com<mailto:DSGJr@aol.com>; ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com<mailto:ibtreehugger@gmail.com>; wyro(a)appalight.com<mailto:wyro@appalight.com>; dan(a)ohvec.org<mailto:dan@ohvec.org>; garyz(a)wvcag.org<mailto:garyz@wvcag.org>; blittle(a)citynet.net<mailto:blittle@citynet.net>; clrank2(a)gmail.com<mailto:clrank2@gmail.com>; James Kotcon; jimscon(a)gmail.com<mailto:jimscon@gmail.com>; jbc329(a)earthlink.net<mailto:jbc329@earthlink.net>; julie(a)wvsoro.org<mailto:julie@wvsoro.org>; norm(a)wvcag.org<mailto:norm@wvcag.org>; robin(a)ohvec.org<mailto:robin@ohvec.org>; viv(a)ohvec.org<mailto:viv@ohvec.org>; rachel(a)wvfree.org<mailto:rachel@wvfree.org>; margaret(a)wvfree.org<mailto:margaret@wvfree.org> Subject: Re: Allied lobbyists group: CSB RECOMMENDATIONS All: This is what Pat McGinley came up with. Components of a Comprehensive Above Ground Chemical Storage Bill Missing From Unger Bill Most federal and state environmental protection statutes contain significant opportunities for public participation. Bill should grant rights to citizens, public water suppliers as well as municipal and county governments. Like other environmental protection laws, such public participation rights should include: • A broad right of citizen access to information in DEP files regarding permitting, inspection, enforcement actions, penalties and the other information storage tank companies are required to submit under the bill; • Grant citizen's a public hearing, right to comment upon siting of tanks, permit applications, • Grant citizen's the right to seek administrative and judicial review of siting, permitting and enforcement decisions, • Require notification of the public, water suppliers and municipalities of permit applications, permit grants and denials, • Grant citizens (including water suppliers, municipal and county governments) the right to object, to permit applications, grant of permits, and settlements of DEP enforcement actions; • Grant citizens the right to (1) seek administrative and judicial review of DEP permit and enforcement decisions; the right to seek judicial enforcement of mandatory nondiscretionary duties of permittees and DEP under the statute, permits and regulations; • Provide for attorneys and expert fees and costs to be awarded citizens who substantially prevail in administrative actions or upon judicial review. Other necessary provisions: • Specific storage tank setback requirements from source waters where a spill or discharge may contaminate sources of public and private drinking water. • Requirement that buffer zones be established to prohibit location/construction of above-ground chemical storage tanks in close proximity to source waters upstream from public drinking water intakes (unless the director finds by clear and convincing evidence that there is no possible hydrologic connection between the tanks and source waters (i.e. no chance that the contents of a tank will reach stream or groundwater). • Owners of storage tanks should be required to submit information about storage tanks and their contents - rather than leaving it up to the DEP Secretary to request such information. • The regulatory program, including permitting of above ground storage tanks, established by the bill should mandate additional DEP staffing including inspectors and permit review staff with appropriate expertise. • Require assessment of fees on tank owners to provide adequate revenue to support the regulatory program. • Mandate monetary criminal (including imprisonment) and civil sanctions with criminal and civil penalties to be imposed on corporate managers and corporate entities adequate to provide serious deterrent to violations of the statute. I will work on pulling all of your recommendations together on this bill. Maya On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 2:29 AM, MAYA NYE <chemicalsafetyadvocates(a)gmail.com<mailto:chemicalsafetyadvocates@gmail.com>> wrote: On Bayer report, it is page 116. Here is the text version: 8.3 Director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department 2008-08-I-WV-R6 Establish a Hazardous Chemical Release Prevention Program to enhance the prevention of accidental releases of highly hazardous chemicals, and optimize responses in the event of their occurrence. In establishing the program, study and evaluate the possible applicability of the experience of similar programs in the country, such as those summarized in Section 5.3 of this report. As a minimum: 1. Ensure that the new program: 1. Implements an effective system of independent oversight and other services to enhance the prevention of accidental releases of highly hazardous chemicals 2. Facilitates the collaboration of multiple stakeholders in achieving common goals of chemical safety; and, 3. Increases the confidence of the community, the workforce, and the local authorities in the ability of the facility owners to prevent and respond to accidental releases of highly hazardous chemicals 2. Define the characteristics of chemical facilities that would be covered by the new Program, such as the hazards and potential risks of their chemicals and processes, their quantities, and similar relevant factors; 116 c. Ensure that covered facilities develop, implement, and submit for review and approval: 1. Applicable hazard and process information and evaluations. 2. Written safety plans with appropriate descriptions of hazard controls, safety culture and human factors programs with employee participation, and consideration of the adoption of inherently safer systems to reduce risks 3. Emergency response plans; and, 4. Performance indicators addressing the prevention of chemical incidents. 4. Ensure that the program has the right to evaluate the documents submitted by the covered facilities, and to require modifications, as necessary 5. Ensure that the program has right-of-entry to covered facilities, and access to requisite information to conduct periodic audits of safety systems and investigations of chemical releases; 6. Establish a system of fees assessed on covered facilities sufficient to cover the oversight and related services to be provided to the facilities including necessary technical and administrative personnel; and, 7. Consistent with applicable law, ensure that the program provides reasonable public participation with the program staff in review of facility programs and access to: 1. The materials submitted by covered facilities (e.g., hazard evaluations, safety plans, emergency response plans); 2. The reviews conducted by program staff and the modifications triggered by those reviews; 117 3. Records of audits and incident investigations conducted by the program; 4. Performance indicator reports and data submitted by the facilities, and; 5. Other relevant information concerning the hazards and the control methods overseen by the program. h. Ensure that the program will require a periodic review of the designated agency activities and issue a periodic public report of its activities and recommended action items. 8.4 Secretary of West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection 2008-08-I-WV-R7 Work with the Director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department to ensure the successful planning, fee collection, and implementation of the Hazardous Chemical Release Prevention Program as described in Recommendation 2008-08-WV-R6, above, including the provision of services to all eligible facilities in the State. 8.5 Kanawha-Putnam Emergency Planning Committee 2008-08-I-WV-R8 Work with the Kanawha and Putnam counties Emergency Response Directors to prepare and issue a revision to the Kanawha Putnam County Emergency Response Plan and Annexes to address facility emergency response and Incident Command when such functions are provided by the facility owner. On Mon, Jan 20, 2014 at 5:45 PM, Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org<mailto:arosser@wvrivers.org>> wrote: Links here Bayer Crop Science 2008: http://www.csb.gov/csb-issues-report-on-2008-bayer-cropscience-explosion-fi… Dupont 2011: http://www.csb.gov/dupont-corporation-toxic-chemical-releases/ Angie Rosser Executive Director West Virginia Rivers Coalition 304-637-7201<tel:304-637-7201> www.wvrivers.org<http://www.wvrivers.org> From: David McMahon [mailto:wvdavid@wvdavid.net<mailto:wvdavid@wvdavid.net>] Sent: Monday, January 20, 2014 5:42 PM To: Angie Rosser; MAYA NYE; Dan Taylor Cc: Denise Poole; DSGJr(a)aol.com<mailto:DSGJr@aol.com>; ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com<mailto:ibtreehugger@gmail.com>; wyro(a)appalight.com<mailto:wyro@appalight.com>; dan(a)ohvec.org<mailto:dan@ohvec.org>; garyz(a)wvcag.org<mailto:garyz@wvcag.org>; blittle(a)citynet.net<mailto:blittle@citynet.net>; clrank2(a)gmail.com<mailto:clrank2@gmail.com>; jkotcon(a)wvu.edu<mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu>; jimscon(a)gmail.com<mailto:jimscon@gmail.com>; jbc329(a)earthlink.net<mailto:jbc329@earthlink.net>; julie(a)wvsoro.org<mailto:julie@wvsoro.org>; norm(a)wvcag.org<mailto:norm@wvcag.org>; robin(a)ohvec.org<mailto:robin@ohvec.org>; viv(a)ohvec.org<mailto:viv@ohvec.org>; rachel(a)wvfree.org<mailto:rachel@wvfree.org>; margaret(a)wvfree.org<mailto:margaret@wvfree.org> Subject: Re: Allied lobbyists group: GOVERNOR'S SPILL BILL Thanks. I still do not have Chemical Safety Board recommendations. On 1/20/2014 5:34 PM, Angie Rosser wrote: Gov’s bill attached. Angie Rosser Executive Director West Virginia Rivers Coalition 304-637-7201<tel:304-637-7201> www.wvrivers.org<http://www.wvrivers.org> -- David McMahon e-Mail: wvdavid(a)wvdavid.net<mailto:wvdavid@wvdavid.net> Land line: 304-415-4288<tel:304-415-4288> Fax: 810-958-6143<tel:810-958-6143> Physical address: 1018 Kanawha Blvd E. #1200 Charleston, WV 25301 Postal address: 1624 Kenwood Road Charleston, WV 25314 -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maya Nye, Spokesperson People Concerned About Chemical Safety 179 Summers Street, Ste. 230 Charleston, WV 25301 www.peopleconcernedaboutchemicalsafety.org<http://www.peopleconcernedaboutchemicalsafety.org/> 304-389-6859<tel:304-389-6859> ***Smell something funny?*** Make a POLLUTION LOG. Start keeping track of what happens when you smell something funny. Also, be sure to CALL and REPORT what you smell. It may be the only way a problem is detected. If you smell something, there IS a leak. Call 24 hrs. a day 1 (800) 642-3074 then let us know you called it in. ***Adverse effects from exposure?*** Document your health symptoms. Keep a log. If you have immediate concerns, go to the doctor or the emergency room. Be sure to have them document that you think your symptoms are as a result of exposure. --------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this email list, just hit reply and put "unsubscribe" in the subject line. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maya Nye, Spokesperson People Concerned About Chemical Safety 179 Summers Street, Ste. 230 Charleston, WV 25301 www.peopleconcernedaboutchemicalsafety.org<http://www.peopleconcernedaboutchemicalsafety.org/> 304-389-6859<tel:304-389-6859> ***Smell something funny?*** Make a POLLUTION LOG. Start keeping track of what happens when you smell something funny. Also, be sure to CALL and REPORT what you smell. It may be the only way a problem is detected. If you smell something, there IS a leak. Call 24 hrs. a day 1 (800) 642-3074 then let us know you called it in. ***Adverse effects from exposure?*** Document your health symptoms. Keep a log. If you have immediate concerns, go to the doctor or the emergency room. Be sure to have them document that you think your symptoms are as a result of exposure. --------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this email list, just hit reply and put "unsubscribe" in the subject line. -- David McMahon e-Mail: wvdavid(a)wvdavid.net<mailto:wvdavid@wvdavid.net> Land line: 304-415-4288<tel:304-415-4288> Fax: 810-958-6143<tel:810-958-6143> Physical address: 1018 Kanawha Blvd E. #1200 Charleston, WV 25301 Postal address: 1624 Kenwood Road Charleston, WV 25314 -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com<mailto:jimscon@gmail.com> 304.698.9628<tel:304.698.9628> Remember, Mother Nature bats last. __._,_.___ View attachments on the web<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/attachments/folder/721240141/item/…> Reply via web post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxMWNnY2RnBF9TAzk3…> Reply to sender <mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu?subject=Re%3A%20Revised%20373%20Side-By-Side%20%28was%3A%20Allied%20lobbyists%20group%3A%20373%20TALKING%20POINTS> Reply to group <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20Revised%20373%20Side-By-Side%20%28was%3A%20Allied%20lobbyists%20group%3A%20373%20TALKING%20POINTS> Start a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmcnA3cXJqBF9TAzk3…> Messages in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/4057;_ylc=X3oDMTM1MjU0OWVq…> (1) Recent Activity: Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaWo1MTlyBF9TAzk3MzU5N…> [Yahoo! Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlb2lkcWttBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIxN…> Switch to: Text-Only<mailto:wvec-board-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Format:%20Traditional>, Daily Digest<mailto:wvec-board-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest> • Unsubscribe<mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms of Use<http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> • Send us Feedback <mailto:ygroupsnotifications@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20redesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> . __,_._,___

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Energy Efficient West Virginia - Position Announcement
by Frank Young 23 Jan '14

23 Jan '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Stacy Gloss <stacygloss(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 5:25 PM Subject: Energy Efficient West Virginia - Position Announcement To: Stacy Gloss <stacygloss(a)gmail.com> Hello, Energy Efficient West Virginia is seeking a well qualified program coordinator to work on an established energy efficiency campaign based in Charleston, West Virginia. Please help us in our search by sending this announcement to your networks or individuals that may be interested. Many thanks! Stacy Gloss Energy Efficient West Virginia Job Opportunity WV Citizen Action & Energy Efficient West Virginia Background: Energy Efficient West Virginia www.eewv.org <http://www.eewv.org/> is a four year old statewide nonprofit coalition formed by West Virginia Citizen Action Group (WV-CAG) and concerned citizens. EEWV includes consumer & environmental groups, small businesses, and clean energy contractors in its membership. The coalition has advocated for stronger energy efficiency public policies, through the Public Service Commission, at the legislature, and in supporting local projects in order to drive investment in improving the energy efficiency of West Virginia's building stock and industry. Energy efficiency is a job creator and economic driver as its the lowest cost option for meeting our electricity needs. EEWV's efforts have resulted in utilities offering stronger energy efficiency programs to help their customers save money on their bills through advocacy work and legal intervention. Position: WV-CAG has an opening for a full-time program coordinator / director to manage the operations of the Energy Efficient West Virginia campaign. The focus of this position will be on public education and outreach to build support for energy efficiency. This will include grant writing, partnering with organizations, outreach, project and meeting coordination, public presentations, advocating for Energy Efficiency policies at the state and local level, growing a volunteer base and maintaining EEWV's website and email communication efforts. This employee will also work with project partners on the campaign's policy and legal action strategies. The position is guided by a steering committee comprised of stakeholders in the energy efficiency coalition. Qualifications: * Bachelors or masters degree or other combination of related experiences * strong writing and communication skills * ability to work independently * demonstrated leadership experience * experience in grant writing and communication with funders * willingness to travel within WV and occasionally out of state * background and understanding in the field of energy efficiency, weatherization, building energy management or energy policy preferred * media, marketing, and event coordinating skills a plus * experience working on nonprofit campaigns Start date: March 5, 2014 To apply: Send resume and cover letter to Stacy Gloss, managing coordinator at stacy.eewv(a)gmail.com by February 12, 2014. -- Katey Lauer Coordinator The Alliance for Appalachia 402 King Ave Fayetteville, WV 25840 Work/Cell: (304) 546-8473 www.theallianceforappalachia.org <http://www.theallianceforappalachia.org/> www.ilovemountains.org <http://www.ilovemountains.org/>

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Re: [EC] WV water situation - response requested
by Paul Wilson 22 Jan '14

22 Jan '14

Check this out that was in the Daily Kos. - *Top West Virginia official: 'We have to trust the science even though there is no science to trust'*<http://kos.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=JPYlWxZCh%2BH2o%2FzHTHKfYoMl2Q…> On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 2:39 PM, Yarnell, Karen < Karen.Yarnell(a)fairmontstate.edu> wrote: > I had already received this. Here is a response from an ecologist at > Fairmont State University. > > > > Karen, > > > > I read the letter that Ms. Fox would like to send earlier today, and > appreciate some of her frustration. But the problem as I see it is not the > inability of the EPA et.al to communicate, but that chemicals do not have > to get any toxicity testing before they are used in the environment, unlike > medicines and the FDA. The is due to the power of the industrial complex > which controls congress and the state legislature. Having worked in > ecotoxicology for a while as a PhD student I called it bio-prostitution. > > > > I found it very funny, but not unexpected that Manchin and Tomblin who are > in the back pocket of the extractive industry in WV are both NOW calling > for inspections. You can bet that they already talked to the buddies and > said “hey look I’ve got to say this now, but you know I’ve got your back”. > > > > Anyway from what I know the letter would not do any good. It is congress > that has to say “before you can use this substance in the environment you > have to show it does no harm” the EPA does not have the money or the legal > right to do so, so the MSDS don’t have adequate information to protect the > public or the environment. > > > > Phil > > > > *From:* Paul Wilson [mailto:pjgrunt@gmail.com] > *Sent:* Tuesday, January 21, 2014 11:47 AM > *To:* Gary Nelson; Gwen Jones; Yarnell, Karen > *Subject:* Fwd: WV water situation - response requested > > > > Thought you guys might be interested in signing on to this letter from WV > scientists and health Professionals. best, paul > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: *Danielle Fox* <DFox(a)ucsusa.org> > Date: Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 11:15 AM > Subject: WV water situation - response requested > To: "pjgrunt(a)gmail.com" <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> > > Dear Mr. Wilson, > > I'm writing to see if you would be willing to sign on to a letter from > scientists and health professionals regarding the current water crisis > after the Elk River chemical spill. I have a PDF here the letter for your > review: > http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/center-for-science-and-democracy/let…. > > To say the least, there has been significant confusion and often > contradictory information regarding the safety of the water supply. Part of > the problem is that the EPA, CDC, and other government agencies have failed > to make scientific experts available to the public and the press to share > what is known and what is not known about the chemical that leaked into the > river. My colleague Gretchen Goldman has a blog post that details some of > the concerns we have: > http://blog.ucsusa.org/is-the-water-safe-the-west-virginia-chemical-spill-a… > . > > This ongoing situation allows us to demonstrate to federal officials that > their decisions limiting the ability of government scientists to share > their expertise with the public have significant real world consequences. > After we send the letter to EPA and CDC officials and make it public, we > will use it in follow-up meetings with agency staff. > > It would be helpful if you could respond to this message by tomorrow > evening so that we may get the letter ready this week. When you respond, > assuming you are willing to sign the letter, please let me know how you > would like to be listed: > > FULL NAME: > > TITLE, IF APPLICABLE: > > DEPARTMENT, IF APPLICABLE: > > INSTITUTION (for identification purposes only): > > CITY: > > ZIP CODE: > > FIELD OF STUDY: > > HIGHEST DEGREE ACHIEVED: > > Also, please feel free to send this letter on to colleagues. The letter is > open for signature by scientists and health professionals with or working > towards advanced degrees in their fields who live or work in West Virginia. > > I look forward to hearing back from you, and am happy to answer any > questions you might have. > > Best, > > Danielle Fox > > > -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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ideas for speakers for Sierrafest
by Sally Wilts 22 Jan '14

22 Jan '14

The committee working to organize Sierrafest for Sept 19-21st this year welcomes your ideas for possible speakers for the weekend. The tentative list we have generated includes: Bill McKibben Josh Fox Ben Stout Bill Hughes Maya Nye Sandra Fallon political candidate(s) Micheal Mann Thanks! Sally Wilts

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AST Side-By-side
by James Kotcon 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

Attached is my initial review of Sen. Unger's Water Resources Protection Act Amendments (SB 373) versus Governor Tomblin's AST bill. As I read the list of exemptions in Tomblin's bill, I have to wonder how many tanks would be covered (sounds like this is a very limited universe). While Tomblin's bill requires a comprehensive spill Response Plan and includes source protection and prevention plans, it also has broad, but nebulous language to protect confidential business information. Unger's bill (SB 373) applies to all tanks (over 1100 gal) , period, but is silent on several aspects covered in Tomblin's bill. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Vivian Stockman <vivian(a)ohvec.org> Sent: Monday, January 20, 2014 9:18 PM To: 'Paula Swearengin'; 'Jen Osha' Cc: 'Bill Price'; 'Danny Ray Cook'; 'Angie Rosser'; 'Robert L. Malin'; 'Dustin White'; 'DONNA BRANHAM'; 'Carey Jo Grace'; 'Karan Ireland'; 'Matt Sherman'; James Kotcon; 'Robin Blakeman'; 'michael morrison'; 'Chuck Nelson'; 'MAYA NYE'; 'Kat Wallace'; 'Parson Brown'; 'Daniel Chiotos'; 'Maria Gunnoe' Subject: legislative note For Tuesday, January 21, we need turn out in Senate Judiciary room (west Wing, second floor) about noon-ish (after the floor session) as the Senate Natural Resources committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 373, a Comprehensive Water Regulatory Bill. This is Senator Unger's (D-Berkley; majority leader) bill. Sen. Brooks McCabe (D-Kanawha) is wanting to change the bill, reportedly. McCabe wants to split is up, but Unger want to keep it as it, as do our peeps. Come out if you can. From

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FW: Gov's bill
by James Kotcon 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

In case it did not come through the first time. JBK ________________________________ From: Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org> Sent: Monday, January 20, 2014 5:35 PM To: Angie Rosser; Brent Walls; Cindy Rank; Dianne Bady; Don Garvin; Emily Russell; Evan Hansen; Helen Gibbins; James Kotcon; James Van Gundy; Kathleen Tyner; Margaret Janes Subject: Gov's bill Attached FYI Angie Rosser Executive Director West Virginia Rivers Coalition 304-637-7201 www.wvrivers.org<http://www.wvrivers.org>

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Re: [EC] Gov's bill
by James Kotcon 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

I counted no less that 20 exemptions, loopholes, and caveats, including plenty of blanket exemptions for many coal and gas facilities. And plenty of language to let DEP cover up "Confidential Business Information" (AKA "Dirty Secrets"). There may be some useful policy approaches in here, but it starts out on bad turf and the legislative findings are all about how important industry is for the economy. Let's insist that it is DOA. JBK ________________________________ From: Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org> Sent: Monday, January 20, 2014 5:35 PM To: Angie Rosser; Brent Walls; Cindy Rank; Dianne Bady; Don Garvin; Emily Russell; Evan Hansen; Helen Gibbins; James Kotcon; James Van Gundy; Kathleen Tyner; Margaret Janes Subject: Gov's bill Attached FYI Angie Rosser Executive Director West Virginia Rivers Coalition 304-637-7201 www.wvrivers.org<http://www.wvrivers.org>

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US to begin exporting 'fracked' gas
by Beth Little 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

So much for cheap gas and energy independence http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23317370

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WVU Law National Energy Conference 2014
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 17 Jan '14

17 Jan '14

This may be an interesting conference to attend at WVU on February 24. Free registration: http://energy.law.wvu.edu/energy-conference-2014 -Jonathan

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Water Vigil in Charleston, Jan. 21
by James Kotcon 17 Jan '14

17 Jan '14

In case you have not seen it, here are the details as of late last night. More planning is happening by the minute, but just do it. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2014 5:46 PM https://www.facebook.com/events/1441712489379104/ Bill Price, Organizing Representative Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program Beyond Coal to Clean Energy Campaign Phone: 304-389-8822 (Cell) Email: bill.price(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bill.price@sierraclub.org>

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Jon Stewart on the Elk River spill
by James Kotcon 14 Jan '14

14 Jan '14

Another black eye for West Virginia, but for those on the ground who appreciate gallows humor, here's the latest. Jim Kotcon http://www.thewrap.com/jon-stewart-west-virginia-spill-building-chemical-ta…

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FW: Solar arrives! MN Judge finds solar PV electricity cheaper than natural gas (without subsidies)!!
by James Kotcon 09 Jan '14

09 Jan '14

Woo Hoo! Jim Kotcon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bradley Stark <bradley.stark(a)gmail.com<mailto:bradley.stark@gmail.com>> Date: Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 2:17 PM Subject: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Solar arrives! MN Judge finds solar PV electricity cheaper than natural gas (without subsidies)!! To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)lists.sierraclub.org<mailto:CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS@lists.sierraclub.org> Solar opinion with highlights attached. This opinion stands for the proposition that peaker plants are cheaper when solar than natural gas which are more for intermediate needs. Opinion makes a very good point. As demand may fluctuate with demographic changes, solar is the quickest and most scalable energy resource. The opinion also notes that a consideration is that for peaker plants during summer generate less power and with uncertain demand projections (back up) needs, solar makes more sense than building a natural gas plant that remains idle for periods when no peak demand and recognizes the advantages of distributed power. * Article by: DAVID SHAFFER<http://www.startribune.com/bios/10645931.html> , Star Tribune * Updated: January 2, 2014 - 11:51 AM A judge’s ruling notably said the renewable energy proposal would be a better deal for ratepayers. Minnesota soon could see at least a sevenfold expansion of solar power. In an unprecedented ruling, a judge reviewing whether Xcel Energy<http://www.startribune.com/topics/entities/xcel-energy.html>should invest in new natural gas generators vs. large solar power arrays concluded Tuesday that solar is a better deal. If the finding by Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman is upheld by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Edina<http://www.startribune.com/topics/places/edina.html>-based Geronimo Energy plans to build about 20 large solar power arrays on sites across Xcel’s service area at a cost of $250 million. “It says solar is coming in a big way to the country and to Minnesota,” Geronimo Vice President Betsy Engelking said of the ruling. Geronimo’s Aurora Solar Project would receive no state or utility subsidies, but would qualify for a federal investment tax credit. Engleking said it is the first time in the United States that solar energy without a state subsidy has beaten natural gas in an official, head-to-head price comparison. “The cost of solar has come down much faster than anyone had anticipated,” she said in an interview. “This is one of the reasons solar is going to explode.” The largest of the Geronimo projects would be five times bigger than the state’s largest solar array in Slayton, Minn. Some would cover up to 70 acres of land. The proposed sites are in 17 counties, mostly in central, eastern and southeastern Minnesota. It is the first time the state has used a competitive bidding process for a major power generation project. The commission ordered the trial-like proceeding to force energy companies to compete on price. Xcel, based in Minneapolis<http://www.startribune.com/topics/places/minneapolis.html>, and three other energy companies offered various proposals, mostly generators powered by natural gas. Xcel’s plan included a new gas generator at its Black Dog plant in Burnsville<http://www.startribune.com/topics/places/burnsville.html>, where the utility intends to retire the remaining coal-burning units. In a 50-page ruling, Lipman said “the greatest value to Minnesota and Xcel’s ratepayers is drawn from selecting Geronimo’s solar energy proposal …” If the Aurora project is built, Xcel likely would purchase the power under a long-term agreement. That could help Xcel toward its requirement to get 1.5 percent of its power from the sun by 2020 under a new state energy law. Xcel also is counting on rooftop solar systems, community-owned arrays and its own large projects to meet that goal. Lipman said that if solar alone can’t supply all of Xcel’s extra power needs in the next few years, the utility could take up an offer to purchase surplus energy from Great River Energy, the state’s second-largest power company. The judge also said Xcel will have time to consider other generation projects if electrical demand picks up. Xcel said in a statement that it appreciated Lipman’s work, but that it disagreed with some of the findings and would file a written response. Under the PUC’s rules, the competitors and other interests can take exception to the judge’s ruling before the five-member commission takes a vote. Geronimo already does business with Xcel, selling the output of its Prairie Rose Wind Farm in Rock County, in far southwestern Minnesota. Two of four planned wind farms that Xcel will add in the next two years — near Windom, Minn., and near Jamestown, N.D. — are being built by Geronimo. The company has built two smaller wind farms in southeastern Minnesota and is about to construct two more wind farms in Michigan and Nebraska for other utilities. Other competitors The other competitors considered by the judge were Houston-based Calpine, which proposed a gas turbine in Mankato at its existing power plant there and Chicago-based Invenergy, which proposed gas turbines at Cannon Falls and Hampton. Xcel also proposed two gas units near Hankinson, N.D. “We are reviewing the [judge’s] recommendations, and will evaluate our next steps in the docketed proceeding,” Craig Gordon, Invenergy vice president of sales and marketing, said in an e-mail Tuesday. If the Aurora Project is approved, Geronimo said the solar arrays would be built in 2015 and 2016. Engelking said that Geronimo already has signed deals for land and that it has identified more sites than needed in case some don’t work out. Each of the ground-mounted arrays would be next to an existing substation, avoiding transmission-line costs. She said the company still needs state or local permits. But the company has visited with local governments and has pledged to make payments in lieu of taxes ranging from $50,000 to $110,000 a year. Geronimo, a renewable energy developer, doesn’t intend to own the projects, she said. Its financing partner, Enel Green Power, has the first option to acquire them, she said. But it’s possible Geronimo could make a deal to sell the arrays to Xcel or other energy companies, she said. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG<mailto:CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG> Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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FW: You Can Shape The Future of Sierra Club's Climate Movement Process!! Survey and Dialog Process- Action Required
by James Kotcon 24 Dec '13

24 Dec '13

I completed the questionnaire at the link below, but I urge you to check it out, as it gives a pretty good synopsis of what a strong conservation campaign might look like. A lot of the suggestions of things to do, such as to help build allies, are pretty obvious, yet we do relatively few of them. The dialogue process described for Jan. 6-8 for a climate campaign is also important. I am out of town those days (Stink Bug meetings in New Jersey)and it would be a good idea to identify a new volunteer to coordinate that campaign. If climate change is an issue you are ready to tackle, let's plan a Chapter call for Jan. 2-4 to begin some Chapter-level campaign planning. Anybody interested? Jim Kotcon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sarah Hodgdon <sarah.hodgdon(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:sarah.hodgdon@sierraclub.org>> Date: Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 5:07 PM Subject: You Can Shape The Future of Sierra Club's Climate Movement Process!! Survey and Dialog Process- Action Required To: Sarah Hodgdon <sarah.hodgdon(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:sarah.hodgdon@sierraclub.org>> Cc: Spencer Black <sblackmsn(a)yahoo.com<mailto:sblackmsn@yahoo.com>>, Robin Mann <robinlmann(a)gmail.com<mailto:robinlmann@gmail.com>>, Josh Aufhauser <josh.aufhauser(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:josh.aufhauser@sierraclub.org>> To: Group and Chapter Leaders, Campaign Leadership Teams and Grassroots Network Teams From: The Climate Movement Task Force Scientists have issued increasingly urgent warnings about the pace and extent of climate disruption. As the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, the Sierra Club needs to respond to these warnings by leading a stronger and bolder climate movement. Input from all parts of Sierra Club is essential to build a climate movement strong enough to achieve a clean energy future. That's why the Sierra Club Board of Directors just voted to establish the Climate Movement Task Force to make sure that every part of our organization is involved in developing an effective and inclusive movement to fight climate disruption. To that end, we have two major upcoming steps where your participation is critical: #1- A leadership questionnaire to solicit input from Sierra Club chapter and national team leaders. #2- A dialogue process to solicit recommendations from chapter and team leaders on key questions. The Climate Movement Task Force’s previous engagements have included: Distributing a survey to the entire organization's staff and volunteers; issuing an online sign-up for project updates; conducting dialogues with the senior management group and Council of Club Leaders at the annual meeting; and organizing a meeting with a well-balanced group of 40 staff and volunteers in September. Building on what has been learned in our process to date, we now seek more specific information from leaders and members of Sierra Club chapters and groups, national leadership teams, and staff teams. The Sierra Club's chapters, groups, and teams are on the front-lines of the fight against climate disruption, and your input on how to build a stronger climate movement within and beyond the Sierra Club is critical. STEP ONE- We are inviting participation in a questionnaire<https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BZCVC7P> aimed specifically at the leadership of chapters, groups, and teams. The questionnaire focuses on learning how your Club chapters/groups and/or teams are engaged, what works when building a climate movement, what can be changed, and more. The deadline for survey answers is January 10, 2014. Please forward to active and engaged members of your Chapter/Group ExCom or other campaign team members with whom you work regularly. Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BZCVC7P STEP TWO- We want to solicit feedback from chapter and team leadership on some key questions through an intentional dialogue process. We are asking each of these entities to convene discussions on building a stronger climate movement. We are asking each Chapter/Group or Team to determine your “dialogue leader.” The dialogue leader role can be designated as the Chair or Team lead or someone else designated by that leader(s). The person in this role should be able to both participate in a prep call in advance of their dialogue process and convene that Chapter/Group or Team’s dialogue conversation. The process will take 90 minutes and involve discussion of three questions which result in answers that are collated and will be used to inform the task force’s recommendations. Your dialogue leader or someone else should be prepared to record the results of your conversation using an online survey tool. We will send a more detailed email to everyone who RSVP's below. To prepare to do this, we are offering three orientation calls for the dialogue leaders from each entity to walk through the questions in real time and answer any questions about the process. Then those leaders will convene dialogue sessions in person or by phone to gather input and put forward recommendations from their own specific chapters, groups and teams between January 15 and February 15, 2014 and due by February 21. Please RSVP for one of the three orientation calls<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1utuTqR73TDuyB1HCM4yPjn9IMPwvLd9bRNZQguEEOT…> which will be held on the following dates: January 6 4 pm pst, 5 pm mst, 6 pm cst, 7 pm est January 7 6 pm pst, 7 pm mst, 8 pm cst, 9 pm est January 8 4 pm pst, 5 pm mst, 6 pm cst, 7 pm est By late February, we will compile the results and begin shaping recommendations. We will meet with the Conservation Department Leadership Group, the Sierra Club Board Advisory Committees and the Executive Staff. We will make our final recommendations to the full board in March and expect final decisions on climate movement building from the Board of Directors in April of 2014. Ultimately, the Climate Movement process is designed to chart the course for a bigger, stronger and more effective Sierra Club that will play a leadership role in solving the 21st Century’s most important crisis. Sincerely, Spencer Black, Vice-President, Sierra Club Board of Directors Robin Mann, Member, Sierra Club Board of Directors Sarah Hodgdon, National Program Director p.s. Email josh.aufhauser(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:josh.aufhauser@sierraclub.org> if you would like to receive future updates about this task force.

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Fwd: E&E: EPA hits gas driller with historic civil penalty for filling W.Va. wetlands
by Paul Wilson 23 Dec '13

23 Dec '13

FYI, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Fred Heutte" <phred(a)sunlightdata.com> Date: Dec 19, 2013 6:20 PM Subject: E&E: EPA hits gas driller with historic civil penalty for filling W.Va. wetlands To: <CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS(a)lists.sierraclub.org> Cc: EPA hits gas driller with historic civil penalty for filling W.Va. wetlands Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E reporter Published: Thursday, December 19, 2013 A subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy will pay a $3.2 million penalty and spend $6.5 million to restore 27 West Virginia sites where it allegedly discharged fill material into streams and wetlands as part of its natural gas drilling operations, U.S. EPA said today. The civil penalty is one of the largest ever levied by EPA for filling wetlands, rivers or streams without a Clean Water Act permit. The agreement requires Chesapeake, the country's second-largest natural gas producer, to implement a plan to ensure compliance with federal and state water laws at its natural gas drilling sites in West Virginia -- including many that involve hydraulic fracturing. "With this agreement, Chesapeake is taking important steps to comply with state and federal laws that are essential to protecting the integrity of the nation's waters, wetlands and streams," said Robert Dreher, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. EPA and West Virginia alleged that Chesapeake Appalachia LLC funneled discharged sand, dirt, rocks and other fill material into streams and wetlands to construct well pads and other platforms for natural gas operations. The agency said the 27 sites affected 2.2 miles of streams and more than 3 acres of wetlands. Sixteen of the sites involved the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Chesapeake will be required to fully restore the wetlands and streams where feasible under the settlement. It will also undertake other mitigation projects for areas that cannot be restored. Gordon Pennoyer, a spokesman for Chesapeake, called the settlement a "key milestone" in resolving claims relating to surface construction that occurred before November 2010. "The company is fully committed to regulatory compliance and is working with the Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to restore the impacted sites," Pennoyer said. EPA discovered the discharges through public tips as well as routine inspections. Chesapeake also disclosed 19 potential violations after an internal audit. EPA issued compliance orders for violations at 11 of the sites in 2010 and 2011, and since then Chesapeake has taken steps to restore those areas. EPA's settlement comes a year after Chesapeake also pleaded guilty to three Clean Water Act violations at a natural gas site in Wetzel County that is also at issue in today's action. Last year, Chesapeake was sentenced to pay a $600,000 penalty to the government for allegedly discharging crushed stone into a local stream. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS list, send any message to: CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

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Fwd: InsideClimate News: Gas Pipeline Boom Fragmenting Pennsylvania's Forests
by Paul Wilson 10 Dec '13

10 Dec '13

fyi, paul w. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Fred Heutte <phred(a)sunlightdata.com> Date: Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 12:20 PM Subject: InsideClimate News: Gas Pipeline Boom Fragmenting Pennsylvania's Forests To: CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS(a)lists.sierraclub.org http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20131210/gas-pipeline-boom-fragmenting-pe… forests Gas Pipeline Boom Fragmenting Pennsylvania's Forests Many of the pipelines to serve fracking are being built deep in the state's 16 million acres of forest. 'The scale of this thing is off the charts.' By Naveena Sadasivam, InsideClimate News Dec 10, 2013 Jerry Skinner stands in his garden, looking into the distance at the edge of a forested mountain. Amid the lush shades of green, a muddy brown strip of earth stands out. It's the telltale sign of a buried pipeline. "The pipelines are all around this property," Skinner said. "When I came here, the county had an allure that it doesn't have anymore. I'm not sure I want to live here anymore." Skinner is the resident naturalist at the Woodbourne Forest and Wildlife Preserve, a 650-acre forestland that runs through parts of northeastern Pennsylvania that are experiencing intensive gas drilling because of a hotly contested method called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Around his house, in the town of Dimock, gas wells have sprung up and a vast network of interconnected pipelines transports the gas underground. Skinner worries that as drilling activity heads deeper into forests and pipelines chop up large blocks of land, rare species native to Pennsylvania will be driven out. In recent years, Pennsylvania has become ground zero for fracking, along with neighboring states that sit atop a large shale reserve known as the Marcellus Formation. Pennsylvania has more than 6,000 active gas wells, and Marcellus-related production has soared to 12 billion cubic feet per day, six times the production rate in 2009. Gas drilling has long raised concerns about water contamination and air pollution. But until recently, little public attention has been paid to the pipelines that must be built to carry the gas. In Pennsylvania, concerns about these pipelines are growing because many of them are being built in the state's 16 million acres of forest, which include some of the largest contiguous blocks of forestland east of the Mississippi River. Nearly 700,000 acres of forestland already have been leased for drilling, allowing companies to cut paths through pristine stretches of trees, fragment forests, decrease biodiversity and introduce invasive species. "In Pennsylvania, the gas companies are working in essentially the most ecologically sensitive area of the commonwealth," said John Quigley, who served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for two years under former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell. "The scale of this thing is off the charts. It's unprecedented." Of particular concern are gathering lines, the pipes that carry gas from wells to long-distance transmission lines. Although they are often the same size as transmission lines and operate at the same pressure levels, about 90 percent of the nation's gathering lines aren't regulated by state or federal authorities. In fact, regulators don't even know where many gathering lines are located, even though they sometimes run close to homes and businesses. Gathering lines are likely to generate even more controversy in the years ahead. The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, an industry group, estimated two years ago that more than 400,000 new miles of gathering lines will be installed by 2035. Concerns about forest fragmentation due to industrial activity are not unique to Pennsylvania. In Alberta, Canada, for instance, recent oil and gas projects have reduced core forest area, including habitats for Woodland Caribou. As pipelines, roads and well pads slash across forests in Alberta, the Woodland Caribou, which tends to avoid forest edges, has been driven close to extinction. Biologists and other forestry experts said curtailing or reversing the trend in Pennsylvania would be difficult because Pennsylvania's land management system is so fragmented. Although the state oversees 16 million acres of forest, it does not own mineral rights for about 2.2 million of them, leaving those areas open to drilling. The Nature Conservancy released a report three years ago projecting that under a medium-growth scenario, a minimum of 6,000 well pads with 60,000 wells will be drilled in Pennsylvania by 2030—and that two- thirds of them will be in forest areas. In 2011, in testimony before the Maryland House Environmental Committee as an independent environmental consultant, Quigley warned that the cumulative effect of gas drilling "will dwarf all of Pennsylvania's previous waves of resource extraction combined," and that Maryland must avoid the mistakes that Pennsylvania has made. Industry Dismisses Fears On average, each well pad requires 8.8 acres to be cleared, according to The Nature Conservancy. About three of these acres are for the well pad itself, while the rest are needed for infrastructure such as roads, pipelines and water impoundments. In total, the conservancy estimated that 61,000 forest acres in Pennsylvania will be cleared by 2030. The group believes this deforestation will affect an additional 91,000 to 220,000 acres of interior forestland near the developed areas. The gas industry disagrees with conservationists about the impact of pipeline corridors on wildlife habitats. Right-of-ways with "widths typical of single natural gas pipeline facilities are not likely to present major problems," said Catherine Landry, communications director for the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America. John Stoody, director of governmental and public relations for the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, said: "Wildlife is invited to cross our rights-of-way happily and safely anytime they like." He also pointed out the tradeoff in using pipelines: When compared to trains and trucks, Stoody said, pipelines are a safer means of transportation with lower greenhouse-gas emissions. The American Gas Association similarly denied that pipeline corridors cause forest fragmentation. In fact, they "can actually enhance habitat by serving to connect fragmented forest, allowing pathways for wildlife and creating forest edge meadowlands," said Christina Nyquist, a spokeswoman for the organization. She cited alternate detrimental factors, contending that roadways, urbanization, agriculture and other human activities are the more likely culprits. For decades now, ecologists and conservationists have been studying how human activities have disrupted forest ecosystems, including how far the impact extends from the actual site of a pipeline right-of-way. They have confirmed that the reverberations go deep into woodlands. Recently, for example, researchers in Wyoming concluded that energy development in the state was leading to excessive habitat alteration and accelerating the decline of songbirds. Scientists abroad have also examined the relationship between forest fragmentation and habitat loss. Researchers in Australia analyzed several forest areas in India, South America and Indonesia and found that linear clearings like those linked to road and pipeline construction block the movement of some native animals and serve as pathways for invasive species. "Pipelines are going in and dissecting forest habitats and creating corridors within (them)," said Margaret Brittingham, an ecologist at Penn State University who has been studying the impact of gas drilling on forest habitats, concentrating on songbirds in Pennsylvania. She and others have discovered that right-of-ways enable larger animals to move into parts of the interior forest they had not explored. As a result, interior species become exposed to new predators. Brittingham and her colleagues predict that as more forest territory is chopped up into smaller pieces, habitat for specialists—species that require a specific set of conditions for survival—will decrease, which may in turn lead to their extinction. Those include the scarlet tanager, the blue-headed vireo and the hooded warbler. In contrast, animals that tend to do well around people will likely increase in number. Raccoons, deer, crows and blue jays are among them. "It's a shift in the competitive advantages that you give species," Brittingham said. "It's biotic homogenization." Fighting for Rights In their fight to preserve forests and biodiversity, conservationists and other wildlife advocates in Pennsylvania have confronted another adversary – the state's property-rights system. In Pennsylvania, surface and mineral rights are sold separately. That means while the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources oversees 16 million acres of forest, it owns only 85 percent of the mineral rights in that area. The remaining 15 percent is still controlled by people who once owned parcels of the land—even though they have sold their parcels to the state. Those people can negotiate individual contracts for mineral-exploration leases, including fracking. In a study of land-usage patterns in Pennsylvania's interior forests, Brittingham and her colleagues found that development is greater on properties with private ownership of mineral rights. They said the split in private and public management of land will complicate the preservation efforts by agencies and nonprofit groups. A major test case involves the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. In 1923, the federal government purchased that forest, piece by piece, but landowners were given the option to sell surface rights or both surface and mineral rights. As a result, 93 percent of the mineral rights in the 510,000-acre forest are now held by a vast number of private owners. Citing this surface-mineral rights bifurcation, the gas industry argues that the U.S. Forest Service cannot regulate drilling in the Allegheny because it does not own most of the mineral rights there. Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and the Allegheny Defense Project insist the Forest Service has such authority as part of its overall mission to protect the forest. In October, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the gas industry. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has logged a mixed record in its forestry-management efforts. In 2010, the agency released a 48-page presentation on the state's forestland, mapping ecologically sensitive regions, areas with gas leases and forest patches that had been severely fragmented. The department concluded that it could not lease out any more land for gas drilling without causing significant damage to forest habitats. A few months before the study was released, the state issued two gas- drilling leases totaling more than 64,000 forest acres. The sale brought in $250 million and has led to approval for construction of 438 shale gas well pads. After those leases were issued, the administration of Gov. Ed Rendell imposed a moratorium on the leasing of forestland. That measure remains in effect. However, the current version of the 2010 presentation, which has been revised under the administration of Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican who strongly supports the drilling industry, is only 12 pages long and no longer contains the strongly worded conclusion that any further leasing would be severely detrimental to forest ecosystems. "Since the 2010 analysis, many things have changed—including our understanding of the development patterns and impacts, and technology related to horizontal drilling," said Christina Novak, press secretary for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Novak also said the agency continues to maintain that the regions referenced in the 2010 presentation "are important areas to protect and consider if additional drilling is contemplated." Corbett once declared that he wanted to "make Pennsylvania the Texas of the natural gas boom." A month after taking office in 2011, he repealed a policy meant to minimize environmental damage to state parks. The architect of that repeal, Corbett's former environmental protection commissioner, Michael Krancer, now works at a law firm with clients in the gas industry. Last year, Corbett signed Act 13, which requires oil and gas companies to pay an impact fee for their projects. In 2012, the state distributed 60 percent of the more than $200 million it collected through that law to counties and municipalities. The money was spent on reducing taxes and repairing roads and stormwater drains. The remaining 40 percent of the impact fee was divided among various state agencies, including the Department of Environmental Protection, Public Utility Commission and Marcellus Legacy Fund, which distributed funds for environmental and infrastructure projects. Act 13 also requires the state to study the placement of natural gas gathering lines and investigate their environmental impact. The study, conducted last year, recommended that pipeline operators consult with experts to restore vegetation in right-of-ways and identify better ways to assess the environmental footprint of their activities. The Business Case Since activists and state regulators have little legal leverage over where gas wells are dug and pipelines laid in Pennsylvania, some environmental groups are looking for other strategies. Working with the University of Tennessee, the Nature Conservancy has produced Development by Design, a software tool that allows pipeline companies to find routes that minimize ecological damage while also being cost-effective. "Making the business case for these kinds of sustainability issues is absolutely key," said Quigley, the former Pennsylvania environmental commissioner. The conservancy is testing a beta version with four companies. Currently the software can analyze habitat fragmentation, provide information to minimize sediment loss and help evaluate the effect of pipeline crossings on rivers. "Some companies seem to be very interested, others less so," said Nels Johnson, the conservancy's deputy state director for Pennsylvania. "The real question is whether [the companies will] use it in a way that fundamentally changes the way they do planning." For residents of Pennsylvania, the software will likely come too late. One of those residents, Emily Krafjack, is president of the grassroots group Connection for Oil, Gas & Environment in the Northern Tier. Since 2010, she has been providing property owners with information about pipelines in an effort to balance gas-industry exploration with safeguarding landowners' rights, the environment and the region's traditional way of life. She said the rampant development—the rumbling of construction trucks, the ever-greater intrusion into forests—has caused Pennsylvania to lose its charm. On a recent drive around some of the forestlands, Krafjack pointed to the pipeline right-of-ways that periodically sliced through the forest. She said she sometimes struggles to recognize her hometown. "I'm over 50 now," Krafjack said, "and I just can’t catch my breath." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS list, send any message to: CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FW: McKinley-WVU Energy Forum Agenda
by James Kotcon 05 Dec '13

05 Dec '13

Attached is the schedule and speakers list for the McKinley Energy Forum Monday. Any suggestions for homework on the 5 topics outlined would be appreciated. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2013 4:59 PM To: James Kotcon Subject: Fwd: McKinley-WVU Energy Forum Agenda ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Seibert, Devon <Devon.Seibert(a)mail.house.gov<mailto:Devon.Seibert@mail.house.gov>> Date: Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 8:35 AM Subject: McKinley-WVU Energy Forum Agenda To: "Seibert, Devon" <Devon.Seibert(a)mail.house.gov<mailto:Devon.Seibert@mail.house.gov>> Ladies and Gentlemen, Attached is the approved agenda. You will see on the second page the list of participants. Many of you have forwarded to us your short bio and photo but we are still waiting for a few. Please get those to me as soon as possible. Please let me know if you have any questions for Monday. Thanks, Devon Devon Elizabeth Seibert Legislative Director Congressman David McKinley, P.E. (WV-1) 412 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-4172<tel:202-225-4172> http://mckinley.house.gov/ [facebook-logo]<https://www.facebook.com/RepMcKinley> [Twitter_Logo_65] <https://twitter.com/RepMcKinley> [HOR_Symbol] <http://mckinley.house.gov/>

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Some Republicans champion Solar
by Beth Little 03 Dec '13

03 Dec '13

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/27/solar-power-war/

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Fwd: 93% support govt actions to regulate gas development to avoid damaging forest and streams important for hunting, fishing and hiking
by Paul Wilson 02 Dec '13

02 Dec '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org> Date: Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 10:09 AM Subject: 93% support govt actions to regulate gas development to avoid damaging forest and streams important for hunting, fishing and hiking To: "birthplaceofrivers(a)tws.org" <birthplaceofrivers(a)tws.org> Gas drillers should minimize impact on nature, poll says<http://www.post-gazette.com/local/marcellusshale/2013/12/02/Gas-drillers-sh…> December 1, 2013 10:42 PM By Don Hopey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Results of a poll by The Nature Conservancy in the six-state Marcellus Shale gas region of the Appalachians indicate strong support for better regional planning to minimize impacts on forest and water resources, as well as tougher environmental safeguards. The poll, scheduled for release at noon today, also shows that a majority of those polled -- 54 percent -- say conservation of natural habitats and water resources should be a higher priority than shale gas development, even if that would produce higher energy costs. Forty-two percent of those polled say creation of new natural gas industry jobs should be a higher priority. "Clearly people value forests and rivers and natural habitats, and they don't want to see natural gas development come at the expense of those areas," said Nels Johnson, the oil and gas lead for the conservancy's North America Energy Program. Asked about government actions to regulate shale gas development, overwhelming majorities said they support requiring drilling companies to: avoid damaging forests and streams important for hunting, fishing and hiking (93 percent); follow regional plans for location of wells and pipelines to minimize wildlife habitat impacts (93 percent); mitigate adverse impacts to forests and water quality (92 percent); and base well locations on sound science (91 percent). Majorities above 80 percent said they favored requiring drillers to take measures to prevent methane releases during drilling, performing regional studies to determine how much water fracking will use and where it will come from, and establishing a state commission to set gas drilling standards. Mr. Johnson said he was surprised by the strong public support for regional planning for locating shale gas development sites. "There's been a lot of polling on fracking and a lot of attention paid to economic issues, but not much focus by policymakers on natural habitat issues," he said. "But this [poll] shows that even though the policymakers aren't focused on valuable habitat, the public is." The Nature Conservancy poll release is the first part of a multistage program aimed at minimizing the shale gas development impacts on natural habitat and water resources. The conservancy also is working with drilling companies to develop new tools to guide the industry's siting of well pads, pipelines and other shale gas infrastructure to minimize damage to natural habitats. Travis Windle, a spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a gas industry lobbying organization, said he wasn't aware of any coalition member companies working with the conservancy. Mr. Windle declined to comment on the poll results because he hadn't had a chance to review them, but said a Robert Morris University poll released in November demonstrated "strong public support" for the shale gas industry. "It's a false choice to suggest that we can have affordable and reliable energy and job growth or we can protect our environment," he said, "and our industry continues to work collaboratively with a broad base of stakeholders to make certain that we continue to achieve these shared goals." Of the 1,002 people nationwide polled by Robert Morris, 42 percent support fracking, 33 percent oppose it and 25 percent were unsure. Three out of 4 said fracking will make the nation more energy independent. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Nature Conservancy poll -- based on August telephone interviews with 1,250 voters in the shale gas regions of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland -- has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. Don Hopey: dhopey(a)post-gazette.com or 412-263-1983. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/marcellusshale/2013/12/02/Gas-drillers-sh… ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com ______________________________________________________________________ -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Some facts about outdoor lighting
by Beth Little 29 Nov '13

29 Nov '13

http://www.darksky.org/assets/2013/WorldwideEnergyWaste.jpg?utm_source=Nov.+ 27+eNews <http://www.darksky.org/assets/2013/WorldwideEnergyWaste.jpg?utm_source=Nov. +27+eNews&utm_campaign=Nov.+26+eNews&utm_medium=email> &utm_campaign=Nov.+26+eNews&utm_medium=email

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A Greener way to frack for natural gas??
by Paul Wilson 26 Nov '13

26 Nov '13

This showed up on the E-magazines latest email issue. http://www.emagazine.com/earth-talk/greener-ways-to-frack-for-natural-gas/ -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: 2 stories on carbon emissions
by Paul Wilson 20 Nov '13

20 Nov '13

Coal continues to dominate global carbon emissions<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/QEY…> Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST Despite explosive growth in renewable energy consumption, continued strong growth in coal consumption has further consolidated coal as the dominate source of carbon dioxide emissions. Global carbon emissions set to reach record 36 billion tons in 2013<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/IVJ…> Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST Global emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels are set to rise again in 2013, reaching a record high of 36 billion tons - according to new figures from the Global Carbon Project. The biggest contributors to fossil fuel emissions in 2012 were China (27 per cent), the United States (14 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent), and India (6 per cent). The projected rise for 2013 comes after a similar rise of 2.2 per cent in 2012. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Two for one in solar power: New process could revolutionize solar energy harvesting
by Paul Wilson 18 Nov '13

18 Nov '13

Two for one in solar power: New process could revolutionize solar energy harvesting<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/V82…> Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST A process that could revolutionize solar energy harvesting has been efficiently demonstrated in solution for the first time. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: NEWS: EPA Weakens Key Water Protections In Kentucky
by Jim Sconyers 15 Nov '13

15 Nov '13

Wow! This is awful. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sean Sarah <sean.sarah(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Fri, Nov 15, 2013 at 2:15 PM Subject: NEWS: EPA Weakens Key Water Protections In Kentucky To: Sean Sarah <sean.sarah(a)sierraclub.org> *Link to release: * https://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2013/11/epa-approves-weakenin… *Link to EPA Decision: * https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4xljUDF_SgsTzdLYzlLdVo3VjQ/edit?usp=shari… *For Immediate Release: *November 15, 2013 *Contact: *Sean Sarah, Sierra Club, 330 338-3740 sean.sarah(a)sierraclub.org *EPA Approves Weakening of Water Protections in Kentucky * *Washington, DC – *Today, the Environmental Protection Agency allowed the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection to change how toxic selenium pollution from mountaintop removal mines is measured for the purposes of determining compliance with the Clean Water Act. Selenium, which causes significant biological damage to fish native to the waters of Appalachia, is a toxic pollutant discharged from valley fills into rivers and streams below mountaintop removal sites. The EPA-backed changes to how Kentucky measures selenium pollution allow the state to rely on an impractical and complicated test of tissue samples from fish rather than the current practice of directly sampling the water discharged below mountaintop removal mines and other selenium sources. EPA’s capitulation gives a free pass to industry and will allow unacceptably high levels of selenium pollution to continue flow into Kentucky’s waterways. *In response Bruce Nilles, Senior Director of the Beyond Coal Campaign at Sierra Club, issued the following statement:* “We are deeply disappointed that the EPA approved Kentucky's request to weaken protections against water pollution from mountaintop removal mines. A straightforward approach has been replaced with a highly complicated system that will be hard to enforce, and could allow mountaintop removal companies to mine without accountability for the environmental destruction they force on the communities of Appalachia. In addition to being impractical to enforce, Kentucky’s fish-tissue standard is weaker than a Bush-era proposal that the scientific community emphatically rejected because it would not protect sensitive fish and other wildlife. Mountaintop removal mining is one of the most destructive forms of resource extraction; polluting hundreds of miles of streams and actively destroying our mountain heritage. It is critical that community groups, environmentalists and the people of Appalachia do everything we can to stop attempts by mountaintop removal companies and their political friends to roll back the inadequate standards currently in place. Today, the EPA failed in their commitment to protect our natural spaces and clean water. They’ve allowed Kentucky to change the rules of the game and stack the deck against communities across the region. The EPA has let the people of Appalachia down, allowing an even more aggressive assault on our clean water protections, in a region where coal pollution has already devastated water quality and endangered public health. It’s time to enact real reform that puts a halt to this most devastating form of mining.” *###* -- Cheers, Sean Sarah Regional Communications Manager (NE, SE) Sierra Club, Beyond Coal Campaign O: 202 548-4589 C: 330 338-3740 -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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Fwd: Sierra Club co-signed a letter in opposition to federal tax subsidies for biomass power facilities that burn trees
by James Kotcon 09 Nov '13

09 Nov '13

This may be on interest to energy activists in WV. WV Public Radio this morning interviewed Carl Irwin (he is with WVU's National Research Center for Coal and Energy) on an energy conference being held in Morgantown this week to promote renewable energy, and he talked extensively about co-firing wood with coal in power plants. Is that something we are for or against? JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Joshua Ruschhaupt <joshua.ruschhaupt(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 9:12 PM Subject: Re: Sierra Club co-signed a letter in opposition to federal tax subsidies for biomass power facilities that burn trees To: CONS-FRED(a)lists.sierraclub.org --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Nice letter! Please tell me you sent a copy of this to Senator Udall, who is a major supporter of biomass. The letter didn't specify which Senator it was addressing. Let me know what the distribution of this letter was. I will keep and use this letter during the legislative session here in CO when the inevitable biomass bill comes. Warm regards, Joshua Ruschhaupt Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter Director USPS: 1536 Wynkoop St., 4B, Denver, CO 80202 UPS/FedEx/other: 620 16th St., Ste 300, Denver, CO 80202 Physical address through early Jan. 2014: 620 16th St., Ste 300, Denver, CO 80202 303.454.3362 www.rmc.sierraclub.org www.facebook.com/sierraclubrmc P.S. Get your Winter Gala<http://action.sierraclub.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=170321> tickets before they sell out! On Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 11:23 AM, Doris Cellarius <doris(a)cellarius.org>wrote: > --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- > ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > I apologize if you have already seen this but it is relevant to the issue > of burning trees for energy that Joshua has asked about. > > > > Hi all, > > > > Here is another resource for forest protection work, and it is also > relevant for climate activism. The Sierra Club and thirteen other > environmental organizations (incl. Center for Biological Diversity, > Greenpeace, and NRDC) have co-signed a letter in opposition to federal tax > subsidies for biomass power facilities that burn trees or other forest > material. The letter has some very useful information in it, so I > recommend it as a resource for Club activists working on forest and climate > issues. In addition to highlighting the dangers to forests, the letter > discusses the carbon emissions from biomass facilities, and also notes that > subsidies for biomass pull limited federal funds away from supporting less > environmentally damaging energy alternatives. The letter can be viewed at: > > > http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/debunking_the_biomass_myth/pdf… > > > > Best, > > Douglas Bevington, Chair > > National Forest Team > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To > unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: > CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv > Lists support site for more information: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] from High Country News; Pro-coal arguments win the day at Denver EPA hearing on CO2 regulations
by James Kotcon 08 Nov '13

08 Nov '13

The last of EPA's originally scheduled listening session on the proposed carbon standards is today in Philadelphia, but I suspect that a few additional ones will be scheduled closer to home. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Frank Zaski <frankzas(a)aol.com> Date: Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 1:22 PM Subject: Re: [Coal Volunteers List] from High Country News; Pro-coal arguments win the day at Denver EPA hearing on CO2 regulations To: verena_owen(a)prodigy.net, pjgrunt(a)gmail.com, coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org Here are a few more talking points: *Surveys** find more citizens are concerned about global warming and want government and business action to address it.* Examples: *Americans*' Concerns About Global Warming on the Rise http://www.gallup.com/poll/161645/americans-concerns-global-warming-rise.as… More than half of people in *Columbus* say that more should be done about global warming at all levels of government http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/filtered/?action=add_filt… Poll Shows *Latinos* Overwhelmingly Support Obama Call For Action on Industrial Carbon Pollution http://www.nrdc.org/media/2013/131017.asp *Michigan*: 63% opposed the government shutdown that would interfere with the EPA developing standards to reduce the carbon pollution from the nation's power plants. http://www.usclimatenetwork.org/hot-topics/climate-polling (There is a lot of other climate research in this site.) *Negative climate change impacts on the Midwest* ANN ARBOR—Climate change will lead to more frequent and more intense Midwest heat waves while degrading air and water quality and threatening public health. Intense rainstorms and floods will become more common, and existing risks to the Great Lakes will be exacerbated. http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/21105-climate-change- to-profoundly-affect-the-midwest-new-report-says More climate change impacts on the Midwest from the draft National Climate Assessment report: Decreasing agricultural productivity, habitats for many tree species driven northward, disruptions to forest ecosystems, .. degraded air quality, .. change in the range and distribution of important commercial and recreational fish species,.. increased invasive species, declining beach health, .. harmful blooms of algae, to name a few more. http://ncadac.globalchange.gov/download/NCAJan11-2013-publicreviewdraft-cha… *Global warming impact allergies*. Dr. Weber predicts that Michigan will see *more ragweed* in the fall because we don't get a killing freeze as early as we used: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/21809196/could-global-warming-impact-alle… Higher levels of CO2 benefits the growth of *poison ivy* whose growth and potency has doubled since the 1960s<http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/health/climate-change-is-making-po…>, With CO2 rates expected to rise from 400 parts per million to 560 ppm in the next 30 to 50 years, it could double again. The enhanced poison ivy won't just threaten humans; it could also kill trees at a faster pace. http://www.weather.com/home-garden/garden/poison-ivy-growing-out-control-th… *Moose die off* because climate change allows the survival of many more parasites. Moose are the upper Midwest equivalent of polar bears. http://greatlakesecho.org/2013/10/22/fears-rise-about-possible-moose-die-of… *Methane: *Also mention to the EPA that more needs to be done to reduce methane emissions. The International Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) latest report finds that methane is *34 times* stronger a heat-trapping gas than CO2 over a 100-year time scale and *86 times* more than CO2 over 20 years. http://americanenergycoalition.com/2013-news/natural-gas-is-more-harmful-th… -----Original Message----- From: Verena Owen <verena_owen(a)prodigy.net> To: pjgrunt <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com>; Coal Alerts < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Sent: Wed, Nov 6, 2013 11:04 am Subject: Re: [Coal Volunteers List] from High Country News; Pro-coal arguments win the day at Denver EPA hearing on CO2 regulations The good news is that there is still time to go to one of the listening sessions EPA is holding: DC, Dallas and Seattle tomorrow and Chicago and Philadelphia on Friday! Let's show up and tell EPA we want strong and just carbon standards and why we need them. Verena I know that the sessions in Lenexa,KS and San Francisco were great: RESIDENTS CALL FOR STRONG CARBON POLLUTION LIMITS FROM EXISTING POWER PLANTS Clean air advocates testify at regional EPA office in Lenexa Monday, November 4, 2013 Contact: Alison Flowers, 303-246-6297, alison.flowers(a)sierraclub.org Glen Hooks, (501) 744-2674, glen.hooks(a)sierraclub.org *Lenexa, KS* -- Today residents from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa testified at the regional Environmental Protection Agency office in Lenexa, calling on officials to enact the strongest possible limits on pollution levels of the carbon pollution that disrupts our climate, threatens our communities and that is linked to life-threatening air pollution like the smog that triggers asthma attacks. Traveling hundreds of miles, clean air advocates, including health professionals, community leaders and residents, attended the Environmental Protection Agency's public listening session for its upcoming proposal of carbon pollution protections from coal and gas-fired power plants. “Hundreds of people like me took time off of work and brought their friends and families to speak out in favor of strong protections against climate pollution today,” said *Larry Lazar, a former climate change denier turned climate action leader from Eureka, Mo., who attended the listening session. *“The things we love most about the Midwest are at risk. It's time to wake up and put these life-saving safeguards in place.” Coal and gas-fired power plants emit more than 2.3 metric tons per year of carbon pollution, approximately 40% of total U.S. energy-related carbon pollution. Carbon pollution is the main contributor to climate disruption, which costs Americans both economically and environmentally. Last year alone, Americans spent over $140 billion as a result of devastating droughts, raging wildfires, tragic floods, record heat and powerful storms - $1,110 per American. “If the clean air protections are strong enough, then rich fossil fuel companies will no longer get a free pass to pollute,” said *Glen Hooks, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign.* “They won't be able to dump unlimited amounts of climate pollution into our air anymore.” "The need for action by EPA has never been more urgent," said *Andy Knott, campaign representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign in Missouri.* "From droughts to floods to violent storms here in the Midwest, the evidence of climate disruption and its impacts on people, the economy and public budgets is undeniable. In 2011 and 2012, Missouri ranked 7th in the nation in federal disaster recovery spending at $2.5 billion. Missouri also has a long way to go to reduce its contribution to climate disruption, as 80% of its electricity comes from coal. We call on EPA to adopt strong safeguards that reduce power plant carbon pollution.” The proposed safeguards would also protect families from dangerous air pollution like toxic mercury and dirty soot. EPA listening session includes stroller parade of concerned parents Tuesday, November 5, 2013 Contact: Nathan.Landers(a)sierraclub.org SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 office in San Francisco was full to capacity today as the agency hosted an official listening session to hear from Bay Area residents on a nationwide proposal to limit carbon pollution from power plants. Coal and natural gas power plants are the country's biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions causing storms, droughts and wildfires, and other climate problems that have affected millions of Americans. These plants currently have no legal limit on the amount of carbon pollution they can emit into the air. The event began with a “stroller parade” of determined moms and dads with kids in tow demanding stronger carbon pollution protections, and it included a press conference with representatives from the Sierra Club, Climate Parents, the California Wind Energy Association, Union of Concerned Scientists, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and the San Francisco Department of the Environment. *Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued the following statement:* "The Environmental Protection Agency must propose strong and just standards that can curb this dangerous carbon pollution and put us on a path toward cleaner and more stable sources of energy. We cannot afford weakened or watered-down protections. "Power plants are responsible for 40 percent of total U.S. energy-related carbon pollution, which fuels the increased frequency of extreme weather. My hometown in New Jersey was caught in the path of superstorm Sandy, and my family is not alone in suffering the pain of an unraveling climate—these storms, wildfires, droughts, and record heat waves are affecting the lives of millions of people across the country. Carbon pollution is also linked to dangerous air pollution like the smog that triggers asthma attacks. The EPA has a moral and legal imperative to limit these unchecked emissions as a threat to public health. "These new standards should be a call to action for U.S. innovation in clean energy. Solar and wind technology have grown by leaps and bounds in just a few short years, and these clean energy technologies are ready to provide inexpensive power and create jobs across America. We have the potential to build a clean energy economy here at home that will clear our air and water and provide more equitable economic opportunities for thousands of U.S. families." Background: The EPA’s listening sessions are the first public effort to get input from key stakeholders across the country, including here in San Francisco. This proposal for cleaning up existing coal and natural gas power plants follows September’s announcement of a carbon pollution standard for new power plants. The San Francisco listening session is one of 11 scheduled nationwide to ensure input from all Americans. Power plants are responsible for 40 percent of the carbon pollution in the U.S. that causes climate disruption. Coal plants alone are responsible for one-third of U.S. emissions. ------------------------------ *From:* Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> *To:* Coal Alerts <coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 6, 2013 9:37 AM *Subject:* [Coal Volunteers List] from High Country News; Pro-coal arguments win the day at Denver EPA hearing on CO2 regulations Got this issue yesterday from the HCN email list. fyi, paul Pro-coal arguments win the day at Denver EPA hearing on CO2 regulations Document Actions - Share this: - Like<http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/pro-coal-…> - Tweet<http://twitter.com/home?source=highcountrynews&status=Pro-coal+arguments+wi…> - Tip Jar<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/pro-coal-arguments-win-the-day-at-denver-epa-…> - Email<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/pro-coal-arguments-win-the-day-at-denver-epa-…> - Print this Emily Guerin<http://www.hcn.org/@@search?portal_type%3Alist=Blog+Post&Creator=eguerin&so…> | Nov 04, 2013 11:12 AM <http://www.hcn.org/@@search?portal_type%3Alist=Blog+Post&Creator=eguerin&so…> At 5 a.m. on Oct. 30, coal miners and residents of Moffat County, Colorado, gathered at a McDonald’s in Craig<http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2013/oct/25/moffat-county-residents-wil…> for a pancake breakfast before boarding buses to Denver chartered by Peabody Coal. They were headed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s listening tour,<http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/public-listening-sessions> in which the agency travels around the country seeking input on its new regulations for existing coal-fired power plants, which it plans to release next June. The EPA already debuted its proposal for new power plants<http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/2013-proposed-carbon-polluti…> in September, and has since turned its attention to drafting rules for existing plants, which could have a much more profound effect on the coal industry, and on emissions, given that few new coal plants are being built anymore.<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/dispatch-from-a-colorado-coal-confab-where-ne…> Craig’s economy is highly dependent on coal – there are three near-by mines and a large coal plant – so naturally, people wanted to tell EPA Region Eight Administrator Shaun McGrath, EPA Region Eight Air Program Director Carl Daly and other officials how carbon dioxide regulations would affect them. They were joined in Denver by boilermakers, coal company executives, trade groups and politicians from other coal-dependent areas around the West, many of whom took the EPA to task for scheduling its listening sessions far from areas like Wyoming and West Virginia where coal is mined and burned. [image: EPA co2 hearing map]<http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/public-listening-sessions> Jessica Unruh, a North Dakota state senator who works in the lignite coal industry, told the EPA that its choice of meeting locations “disenfranchises from the process people whose livelihoods will be directly affected.” And House Republicans went so far as to accuse the EPA of selective listening. “EPA conspicuously failed to schedule any listening sessions in states where electricity price increases may be the highest as a result of the agency’s (new regulations),” reads a blog post from the House Energy and Commerce Committee website.<http://energycommerce.house.gov/blog/obama-administration-shuns-communities…> But, as political news website *The Hill*notes<http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/327589-gop-epas-regulat…>, the tour does include “states that produce large amounts of coal. The tour includes dates in Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania – which all ranked in the top ten <http://www.nma.org/pdf/c_production_state_rank.pdf> as recently as 2011, according to National Mining Association figures.” The distance didn’t seem to stop many coal industry employees from making the long trip to Denver last week, with speakers hailing from Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Minnesota. Over the course of the day-long session, a few themes emerged: *Local economic impacts* A number of retirees from Wyoming and Montana, some of whom had worked in the coal industry, said they were worried about the price of electricity rising if the EPA further regulates coal plants. Regulations “usually cost the consumer in the end,” said Carl Dickerson, a coal miner from Wyoming who said he spoke up at the Denver listening session “for his family.” Many others were concerned about the loss of jobs in coal and related industries if plants shut down rather than install the expensive carbon capture technology that would allow them to continue operating. Some workers worried they wouldn’t be able to transition to jobs in natural gas if coal power is regulated out of existence. “If natural gas replaces coal, we’ll experience tens of thousands of lost jobs in maintenance workers like myself,” said Jason Small, a union boilermaker from East Helena, Mont. (As *HCN* has reported before<http://www.hcn.org/issues/44.19/economics-not-environmental-regs-are-batter…>, low natural gas prices are a major contributor to that fuel’s popularity, not just the EPA’s regulation of coal emissions). *Asset stranding* Utility and trade group representatives worried new carbon dioxide regulations would force the closure of plants that had just spent lots of money to comply with previous EPA regulations on mercury, nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide. (For more on asset stranding, read “Will stricter emissions limits mean stranded assets for investors?”<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/stranded-assets-and-climate-deniers>) Wade Boeshans, who traveled from North Dakota to represent the Lignite Energy Council, told the EPA his members “have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in improved technology that is at risk of being stranded if your regulations are not flexible or appropriate.” And because so many of North Dakota’s power plants are mine-mouth, meaning they are fed by a single coal mine that has no other buyer, a power plant shut down would also strand investments in coal mines. *Singling out coal* A number of speakers who supported carbon dioxide regulations criticized the EPA for targeting coal-fired power plants for their contributions to climate change while giving natural gas a free pass. Kathleen Bailey, who described herself as “a concerned citizen,” asked EPA not to “be a natural gas promoter,” citing the many ways in which natural gas and oil extraction pollutes ground and surface water. “I am very concerned that you will be promoting the conversion from coal plants to natural gas plants rather than helping clean coal,” she said. *“A drop in the bucket”* Many coal supporters worried any reduction in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions will be insignificant because China and other countries will still be burning lots of fossil fuels. But Denver resident Josh Phillips refuted those claims, arguing that “the U.S., and specifically Colorado, has a chance to lead here in reducing carbon emissions.” That pioneering sprit, he said, is what “made our country great.” Listening to their comments, the arguments of the pro-coal types seemed to carry the day. They definitely won the epic travel award, coming in from much further than the majority of the pro-regulation speakers. They also were not just interested citizens; they represented companies, utilities and industry groups. Environmental and renewable energy groups made a somewhat poor showing, leaving self-identified private and concerned citizens from Denver to make their arguments. Or perhaps they’re just waiting for the EPA to visit San Francisco or Seattle next week, when they’re much more likely to be the majority in the room. *Emily Guerin is a correspondent for* High Country News. *She Tweets* *@guerinemily*. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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 -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org.

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FW: Election Night! Clean Sweep for the Climate. Hell YES!!!
by James Kotcon 07 Nov '13

07 Nov '13

FYI, Some good news from around the country. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: jeff tittel <jeff.tittel(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:jeff.tittel@sierraclub.org>> Date: Wed, Nov 6, 2013 at 9:56 AM Subject: RE: Election Night! Clean Sweep for the Climate. Hell YES!!! To: Michael Bosse <michael.bosse(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:michael.bosse@sierraclub.org>>, Bruce Nilles <bruce.nilles(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bruce.nilles@sierraclub.org>> Cc: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-list@sierraclub.org>>, Cathy Duvall <cathy.duvall(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:cathy.duvall@sierraclub.org>>, Melissa Williams <Melissa.Williams(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:Melissa.Williams@sierraclub.org>>, GAS-LEADERSHIP-TEAM(a)lists.sierraclub.org<mailto:GAS-LEADERSHIP-TEAM@lists.sierraclub.org>, Eric Huber <eric.huber(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:eric.huber@sierraclub.org>> In New Jersey all incumbent Democratic Senators Won ,Christie went hard after 4 of our Champions all won close races .Democrats maintain 24-16 lead and one of our strongest envronmetally assembly person was elevated to the Senate .In the Assembly Dems will lost 1 seat and he was bad on the environment , there are 2 races that are too close to call -they are strong enviro's that currently trailing but could still win based on provisional ballots. Assembly worse case 45 - 35 democrat.We passed a minimum wage ballot question 60%- 40 % and local open space referendums passed.On the governors race Christie Big win is not as big as media plays it about 500,000 democrats stayed home. Christie got only 5% more votes the 4 years ago and about the same number of votes as Corzine when he won in 2005 or McGreevey in 2001.He won mostly because , you have paid off the democratic bosses/ construction unions to support you and you have week incompetent candidate that you outspend 20 to 1 not including $25 million in TV ads paid by government promoting you. Jeff Tittel, Director NJ Sierra Club 145 W Hanover St Trenton, NJ 08618 609-656-7612<tel:609-656-7612>: phone 609-656-7618<tel:609-656-7618>: fax ________________________________ From: Michael Bosse [mailto:michael.bosse@sierraclub.org<mailto:michael.bosse@sierraclub.org>] Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2013 11:57 PM To: Bruce Nilles Cc: #Coal; Cathy Duvall; Melissa Williams; GAS-LEADERSHIP-TEAM(a)lists.sierraclub.org<mailto:GAS-LEADERSHIP-TEAM@lists.sierraclub.org>; Eric Huber Subject: Re: Election Night! Clean Sweep for the Climate. Hell YES!!! A solid assist from Gas in Colorado's Front range where we also invested and won 3 out of 4 fracking ballot initiatives. Fort Collins and Boulder passed extensions to their fracking morotoriums, Lafayette Colorado amended its charter to ban fracking. In Bloomfield (small suburban area between Denver and Boulder) we are currently behind 49% to 51%.? We were outspent in these races by about 90 to 1.? http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24460947/900-000-spent-four-color… On Tue, Nov 5, 2013 at 8:44 PM, Bruce Nilles <bruce.nilles(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:bruce.nilles@sierraclub.org>> wrote: We won the VA Gov's race against a climate denier, we won against Xcel who tried a ballot initiative to stop Boulder from seizing the grid so they could provide 100% clean energy, and we won all four county races in Whatcom County, the site of the massive coal export facility in NW Washington. ?Coal took a drubbing from coast to coast. ?So delicious. "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...." -- Bruce Nilles Sierra Club 415-977-5640<tel:415-977-5640> (o) 608-712-9725<tel:608-712-9725> (c) www.beyondcoal.org<http://www.beyondcoal.org> twitter: @brucenilles -- ___________________ Michael Bosse Deputy National Program Director Sierra Club (415) 977 5681<tel:%28415%29%20977%205681> -- Scott Elkins Director of Grassroots Effectiveness Sierra Club Minneapolis, MN NEW 612-259-2442<tel:612-259-2442> (w) 612-720-0793<tel:612-720-0793> (c) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS-FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG<mailto:CONS-FRED-signoff-request@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG> Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Breakthrough for solar cell efficiency
by Paul Wilson 26 Oct '13

26 Oct '13

Breakthrough for solar cell efficiency<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/l0D…> Posted: 25 Oct 2013 11:31 AM PDT Scientists have just revealed the fundamental aspect of a new approach to growing InGaN crystals for diodes, which promises to move photovoltaic solar cell technology toward record-breaking efficiencies. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Sale of Consolidation Coal
by James Kotcon 19 Oct '13

19 Oct '13

Recent reports suggest that ConSol is re-structuring, and will shift its emphasis form coal to natural gas production. The article below identifies Murray Energy as a likely buyer for ConSol's WV mines. Owner Robert Murray gained fame with the 2007 Crandall Canyon Mine collapse in Utah, and has a record as one of the dirtier operators in the industry. I think he will be the next Don Blankenship and, if nothing else, this may provide a window for outreach to UMWA. Note Murray's climate rhetoric below. Also, we may want to pay attention to ConSol's moves in the gas industry. JBK >>>>> First Published October 17, 2013 4:54 am CHARLESTON GAZETTE What if Murray buys CONSOL’s W.Va. mines? October 17, 2013 by Ken Ward Jr. It seems like a lot of folks in the coal and energy media are pretty convinced that Murray Energy <http://www.ohiovalleycoal.com/> is getting ready to buy most of CONSOL Energy’s West Virginia coal-mining operations. We’ve seen stories so far this week from Barron’s<http://blogs.barrons.com/stockstowatchtoday/2013/10/14/consol-energy-how-so…>, the Wall Street Journal<http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/10/15/consols-unexpectedly…>, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review<http://triblive.com/business/headlines/4886153-74/consol-quarter-wells#ixzz…>. Privately-held Murray Energy was among the companies listed in last week’s Wall Street Journal story<http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142405270230452070457912966416485…> about CONSOL’s efforts to restructure itself, as were Chris Cline’s Foresight Energy and Alliance Resource Partners. The more recent Wall Street Journal<http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/10/15/consols-unexpectedly…> item also mentioned a possible bid by coal industry veteran Ben Statler<http://alumni.wvu.edu/awards/academy/benjamin_m__statler>, formerly of CONSOL and PinnOak Resources. Much of the media speculation appears to be traced back to this information, recounted by the Tribune-Review in its story<http://triblive.com/business/headlines/4886153-74/consol-quarter-wells#ixzz…>: Coal & Energy Price Report in Knoxville, Tenn., said Consol is “very close” to a deal to sell the mines to St. Clairsville, Ohio-based Murray Energy Inc., newsletter editor Jim Thompson said, attributing his information to multiple industry contacts without identifying them. He said Consol likely will sell its Shoemaker, Robinson Run, McElroy, Blacksville and Loveridge mines, plus related assets such as barges and transportation equipment “as a pure thermal coal domestic play.” Those mines produce coal for electricity generation and have output of 28 million to 30 million tons a year. Thompson did not know the price, but Clarkson Capital Markets analyst Jeremy Sussman in New York said in a report that Shoemaker, Robinson Run and McElroy may be worth about $450 million each. The story continued: Thompson called Murray Energy and CEO Bob Murray a “very strong player in the industry,” and the transaction would double its output, adding 30 million tons to the 30 million in annual production it already has. “It would give them a stronger position in northern Appalachia and better access to reserves they already own. It’s about as close as you can come to a win-win for Consol and Murray, and the people who work at those coal mines.” Murray Energy officials have declined to comment, as they did last night when I contacted them for a response to the continued media reports. Meanwhile, though, Darren Epps at SNL Financial had a piece that examined some of the implications if such a deal ends up happening. The headline is pretty much on the money: Potential deal with CONSOL would make Murray Energy a force in Northern App<http://www.snl.com/InteractiveX/Article.aspx?cdid=A-25407584-10802>. The story explains: A rumored deal involving CONSOL Energy Inc. and Murray Energy Corp. would make the privately held Murray a dominant producer in Northern Appalachia, but also raises questions about the legacy liabilities associated with the mines involved in a potential deal. If Murray were to acquire the mines, the company would own seven of the 13 highest-producing Northern Appalachia mines, based on data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. Murray already owns the Century and the Powhatan No. 6 mines in Ohio. The CONSOL mines reportedly for sale are the company’s union assets. Doyle Trading Consultants LLC said Oct. 14 that the union assets have more than $3 billion in legacy liabilities associated with them. In an Oct. 15 note, BB&T Capital Markets analyst Mark Levin placed the number at about $4 billion. Doyle said Murray works with the United Mine Workers of America at Powhatan No. 6. “Assuming [the report] is right, we wonder what will happen to the company’s legacy liabilities (~$4B), and if so, how they will be valued,” Levin said. “We also wonder if CNX would decide to keep the Baltimore export terminal.” Currently, Murray Energy has no active mines in West Virginia, though the company employs West Virginians at its operations across the river in Ohio. And the mines CONSOL is looking to unload — Blacksville 2, Loveridge 22, McElroy, Robinson Run, and Shoemaker — are among the state’s top producers. They’re also probably as well positioned as any coal operations in West Virginia going forward. As we explained in a story on Sunday<http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201310120025?page=2>: Those CONSOL mines are generally considered by industry experts to be more insulated from some of the pressures affecting the rest of the mining business. CONSOL uses advanced longwall mining machines, and its operations generally produce high-sulfur coal that can be burned by scrubber-equipped power plants that are considered less likely to be shuttered by utilities. And generally speaking, Northern Appalachian coal production – which includes Northern West Virginia — has not been projected to show the steep declines that are ongoing in Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, where large-scale surface mining has been more prevalent and a larger share of high-quality reserves are believed to have been mined out. It’s important to remember that these CONSOL mines have long-standing relationships with the United Mine Workers of America union. Generations of West Virgina UMWA miners have provided for their families by working at CONSOL operations in northern West Virginia and in the north-central part of the state. And that brings us to some of the other potential implications of this rumored deal between Murray Energy and CONSOL. The coal industry isn’t all about tonnage and pricing and stuff like that. As we’ve all learned from the Patriot Coal bankruptcy<http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/10/15/mining-for-victory-umwas-p…>, what financial analysts call “legacy liabilities” our neighbors think of as their health-care benefits and pensions. Hundreds of coal miners and their families stand in line while waiting to attend a rally at the Century Mine near Beallsville, Ohio, for Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/The Intelligencer, Scott Mccloskey) West Virginia’s coal industry still provides important jobs and tax revenues, along with the coal it produces for power plants and steel mills. But the state remains at a sort-of crossroads, examining the broader implications of coal on our the climate of our planet, the health of our communities and our environment, the safety and health of the industry’s workers, and where coalfield economies are headed over the long-term. So it’s worth pointing out that the vast majority of Murray Energy’s mines are non-union operations. And at mines where workers were unionized — such as Maple Creek in Pennsylvania and Powhatan in Ohio — the UMWA and Murray Energy have not always gotten along so well (see here<http://old.post-gazette.com/neigh_washington/20010923wacover2.asp>, here<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/08/17/372685/-The-REAL-Bob-Murray-Broken…> and here<http://www.umwa.org/?q=news/umwa-statement-regarding-layoffs-murray-energy-…>, for example). So far, the UMWA isn’t saying anything about the rumors of a CONSOL sale to Murray, and union officials seem to know little more than the rest of us about what’s happening behind the scenes. Over the years, CEO Bob Murray has been an outspoken opponent of government efforts to force reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, arguing despite the overall scientific consensus<http://skepticalscience.com/97-percent-consensus-cook-et-al-2013.html>, that global warming science is “highly speculative,” as he told a House committee back in 2007<http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg34820/pdf/CHRG-110hhrg34820.pdf>: You see, so-called ‘‘global warming’’ is a human issue to me, not just an environmental one. The unfolding debate over atmospheric warming in the Congress, the news media, and by the pundits has been skewed and totally one-sided, in that they have been preoccupied with possible, speculative environmental disasters of climate change. However, few are giving adequate attention to the destruction that we will definitely see for American working people from all of the climate change proposals that have been introduced in the House and Senate to date. While some want us to believe that the science behind so-called ‘‘global warming’’ is certain, to the contrary, the actual environmental risk associated with carbon emissions is highly speculative. It is a fact, however, that every proposal introduced to date will provide a far more certain risk that carbon dioxide emission limits will destroy coal and manufacturing dependent communities and inflict great hardships on America’s families. And it wasn’t so long ago — last July — that one of Murray Energy’s companies, the Ohio Valley Coal Co., pleaded guilty in federal court to criminal violations of the Clean Water Act <http://www.justice.gov/usao/ohs/news/07-13-12_Col.html> arising from two coal-slurry release incidents that prosecutors said polluted Captina Creek in Belmont County, Ohio. The Associated Press reported at the time<http://www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/539904.html> that Murray Energy: … Acknowledged in a statement Friday that it had reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio “to resolve potential charges, stemming from two incidents.” Murray, based in northeast Ohio’s Pepper Pike and in St. Clairsville in southeast Ohio, said Ohio Valley began two years ago to install the “pipe-within-a-pipe system” designed to eliminate the potential for another release. Murray said its independently operated subsidiary also has installed equipment and controls to monitor the pipeline. Of course, another of Murray’s companies, Genwall Resources, also pleaded guilty to two criminal charges<http://www.justice.gov/usao/ut/news/2012/03-09.html> stemming from the 2007 collapse of the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah<http://www.msha.gov/Genwal/CrandallCanyon.asp>, a disaster that killed six miners and three rescue workers. Murray’s company also later settled with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, though the company continued to say the criminal charges and the citations had nothing to do with the cause of the mine disaster.<http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=23305832&itype=storyID> During last year’s presidential election, Murray Energy was at the forefront of the industry’s “war on coal” campaign to defeat President Obama’s re-election effort<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/mitt-romney-campaigns-wit_n_147639…>. Murray raised money and hosted fundraisers and media rallies for Republican nominee Mitt Romney. After the strategy failed, some in the coal industry wanted to reassess their campaign, as the National Journal’s Coral Davenport reported<http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-coal-lobby-s-fight-for-survival…>: Privately, many people working for the coal lobby concede that time has finally come for coal to face up to climate change. They don’t want the coal industry to look like a science-denying dinosaur—a charge that’s also been leveled against many Republicans on the far right. They recognize that the game has changed, with a new energy market and administration that will regulate them against their will. They believe it’s time to stop the war, engage the enemy, and to ask it for help, both in developing environmental regulations and researching the new technology. But that thought turns the stomach of the corporate chiefs at some of the country’s oldest coal companies—the titans used to the halcyon days of coal power. Where does Murray Energy fit in to this difference of views among members of the industry lobby group, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity? Davenport explained: One of ACCCE’s most important members is Ohio-based Murray Energy, the nation’s largest privately owned coal producer. “There is no relationship between the utilization of coal and climate change,” company spokesman Gary Broadbent wrote to me in an e-mail. “Our members of Congress, and particularly the Obama administration, confuse scientific facts and evidence with their own beliefs.” And what about the idea that carbon-capture technology can save coal? “The government has already spent substantially on carbon capture and storage (“CCS”) technology, and we have not made progress,” Broadbent wrote. “The promise of CCS technology is used by politicians to pretend that they are doing something for the coal industry, when they are not.” Just last month, in a speech at the Bluefield Coal Show, Bob Murray continued his harsh criticism of the Obama administration, saying the following: The is no question that the United States coal industry is being destroyed by the actions of President Barack H. Obama and his radical followers and supporters … Mr. Obama’s actions are a human issue to me, as I know the names of many of the Americans whose jobs and family livelihoods are being destroyed as he appeases his radical environmentalist, unionist, liberal elitist, Hollywood character, and other constituents. These folks are my employees. These good Americans only want to work in honor and dignity. But, when their jobs and those of their neighbors are eliminated in the coal mining areas of America, they have no one to sell their homes to, which is generally their only possession. Thus, these people, who only want to work, are prohibited from doing so and fall to the negative side of the economic ledger for the rest of their lives. This is not the America that I have always cherished. Many prominent Americans are now discussing the need to impeach President Obama … Maybe you will want to be a part of this effort. What will happen if Murray Energy buys these CONSOL mines? Stay tuned … we might just find out. This entry was posted on Thursday, October 17, 2013

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Latest from First Energy
by James Kotcon 16 Oct '13

16 Oct '13

Dave, Danny, et al: Sorry I missed the Harrison County meeting tonight, car issues delayed me getting to the field, so I was planting till after dark. Mon Power filed a new case this summer for "vegetation management" of their transmission lines. This was proposed based on an order by the PSC as a result of the derecho wind storm and outages last summer. They propose to treat distribution lines with herbicide, and trim or remove trees where necessary, and are proposing a rate increase to cover costs. They estimate the cost of vegetation management at $15,000 PER MILE. I think I want a job with Mon Power as a lumberjack. JBK

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FW: WV climate change call
by James Kotcon 15 Oct '13

15 Oct '13

Lina was an active student a few years back and is now doing work with the Citizen's Climate Lobby, which advocates for a revenue-neutral carbon tax. She is interested in getting West Virginians organized on the issue. I had earlier expressed some interest, but pointed out that a carbon tax, even a revenue-neutral one, tends to disproportionately impact fossil fuel-producing states like West Virginia, and can exacerbate the transfer of wealth from poor states like West Virginia to the richer states of the northeast and west coast. At any rate, please consider joining us to see where we can go from here. And please forward this invite to anyone you think might be interested. Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: Lina <bird_lina(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 5:49 PM To: James Kotcon Subject: WV climate change call Hi Jim, Lina Bird here - hope things are going well this semester! It was great seeing you at the fracking conference last summer. I just wanted to let you know that the Citizen's Climate Lobby is hosting a conference call specifically for West Virginians - after talking to you last summer, I realized that there are specific issues in WV that weren't being addressed by the national group, and since they really want a WV chapter, we hit on the idea of having a state specific call. Can you pass on the info below to anyone you think might be interested? I know you mentioned there is a student 350.org group - perhaps some of them might want to join the call? And of course, if your schedule allows, it would be great if you'd join as well! WV conference call for the Citizen's Climate Lobby: Wednesday, October 16th, 8 PM EST. We'll be talking about the idea of a revenue neutral carbon tax, and the specific issues West Virginia faces in this framework. To join, simply call 712-432-3900, then enter the code 741043#. Thanks, Lina.

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FE's statement accepting PSC order
by James Kotcon 10 Oct '13

10 Oct '13

The story below includes press statements from FirstEnergy indicates that they view their responsibilities toward energy efficiency as "providing financial contributions for ...weatherization programs...". This suggests that continued emphasis on the Phase II EE plan and stakeholder process will be needed as FE is appears to be re-framing the Settlement in ways to minimize EE. Perhaps the RFP process will be an essential step, but I think FE will continue to stall on EE. JBK >>>>> THE STATE JOURNAL FirstEnergy agrees to PSC terms for WV asset transfer Posted: Oct 09, 2013 5:04 PM EST Updated: Oct 09, 2013 5:06 PM EST FirstEnergy Corp. on Oct. 9 said it had agreed to conditions set by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia pertaining to asset transfers<http://www.statejournal.com/story/23630518/psc-approves-harrison-power-plan…> among its subsidiaries in West Virginia. Following is the text of the company's statement: "Mon Power and Potomac Edison today agreed to conditions included in the Public Service Commission of West Virginia's order authorizing the completion of the companies' generation transaction. The transaction will reduce an average residential customer's bill by about $1.50 per month. The transaction will also provide Mon Power with 100 percent ownership of the Harrison Power Station in Haywood, W.Va., and preserves the opportunity to use locally mined coal, sustaining employment and benefitting the regional economy. "Mon Power and Potomac Edison, as part of the order, will also bring more jobs to the state, as well as provide financial contributions for economic development, weatherization programs and low-income assistance for paying utility bills. "Holly Kauffman, president of FirstEnergy's West Virginia Operations, said further: 'This has been a long and complex proceeding. We appreciate the support of the parties in negotiating a reasonable settlement, and are pleased that the Public Service Commission has allowed us to move forward with implementing our cost-effective plan to provide our customers with electricity generated in the heart of our West Virginia service territory.'" The PSC issued its order on Oct. 7. On Oct. 8, the West Virginia Citizen Action Group said it will appeal the PSC's order to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

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from Center for Media & Democracy: FrackSwarm
by Paul Wilson 10 Oct '13

10 Oct '13

FrackSwarm: Harnessing the Power of the Anti-Fracking Movement in Web Resource [image: Image of FrackSwarm logo]Like so many other environmental issues fracking too is controversial – with a profit motive on one side and environmental and human welfare on the other. Who to believe? There is so much information swirling around in the media and at the dinner table it's often difficult to decipher the valid from the outlandish. One thing is for certain, however, all across the U.S. people are organizing and digging through the propaganda in hopes of uncovering the truth. As the movement against fracking grows, and as awareness of the dangers mounts, FrackSwarm will be well positioned to be the key information portal for the movement. Read more<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=VxThySaCBb%2B347zWWMCMHU3uA1oy…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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A Community Toolkit on Fracking from UCS
by Paul Wilson 09 Oct '13

09 Oct '13

Dear Paul, [image: Fracking information toolkit]<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=bqQiTOf5GZO5MHaiCTXkdA> How will my city hold up against the next superstorm? What's the truth about the effect of fracking on my drinking water? These days our communities are faced with more and more complex issues. To make smart decisions that protect the health, welfare, and environment of our communities, we need access to current, accurate scientific information. With tools like our recently-released *fracking information toolkit*<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=ggp7iE6Bwn4kpR5VUitgIw> that helps citizens and policy makers make informed decisions on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and our*upcoming webcasted*<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=oB9Gyti8CDfMumXAK_M3MQ> forum on how communities can improve prediction, response, and recovery in the face of extreme weather events—UCS is working to integrate science into community decision making so we can better plan for a healthier and safer future. *—Karla* -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Cartoon from Union of Concerned Scientists
by Paul Wilson 09 Oct '13

09 Oct '13

See it here: http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/pulse/cartoon-October-2013.html -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Fwd: News -- 150th Coal Plant Set for Retirement -- Coal on the Declinate
by Paul Wilson 08 Oct '13

08 Oct '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Orli Cotel <orli.cotel(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Tue, Oct 8, 2013 at 11:23 AM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Fwd: News -- 150th Coal Plant Set for Retirement -- Coal on the Declinate To: #BOD <bod-open(a)lists.sierraclub.org>, #Coal-Volunteers < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Congratulations, everyone! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Big news! Sample tweets below -- spread the word!!! Today, @Sierra Club & growing coalition of local allies announced the retirement of its 150th #coal plant. http://sc.org/1a7LPuD Through grassroots activism across the US, we are telling the dirty, outdated & deadly #coal industry that enough is enough. http://sc.org/1a7LPuD #Coal plant #150 just retired. Now we must ensure that the transition to clean energy happens in a way that protects workers. http://sc.org/1a7LPuD http://sc.org/1a7LPuD en español -- http://sc.org/17dTR4n For Immediate Release -- Tuesday, October 8, 2013 Contact: Oliver.Bernstein(a)sierraclub.org *Coal on the Decline -- 150 Coal Plants Set for Retirement Movement sparks shift to clean energy, major carbon reductions * SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Today the Sierra Club and a growing coalition of local, regional and national allies announced the retirement of its 150th coal plant -- a significant milestone in the ongoing campaign to move the country beyond coal no later than 2030. With today’s announcement that the Brayton Point Power Station in Massachusetts would retire by 2017, the campaign officially marked 150 coal plants that have announced plans to retire since 2010. According to the Clean Air Task Force, retiring these 150 coal plants will help to save 4,000 lives every year, prevent 6,200 heart attacks every year and prevent 66,300 asthma attacks every year. Retiring these plants will also avoid $1.9 billion in health costs. Sierra Club has made the announcement public via a video on YouTube featuring a special acoustic performance by indie alternative group Nico Vega <https://content.sierraclub.org/coal/150-plants-retired>. “The closure of the Brayton Point Power Station is a powerful example of how local action can have a global impact," said *Michael R. Bloomberg, philanthropist and Mayor of New York City*. "Over the last three years, action by individual communities - in partnership with the Sierra Club and Bloomberg Philanthropies - has led to the closure of 150 coal plants, one at a time. We will continue to support those who are on the ground working to close the nation's dirty coal plants, which kill 13,000 Americans every year and threaten the future of our planet." “Plant by plant and community by community we are not only curbing our country’s carbon pollution, but we are also saving lives,” said *Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club.* “By moving our country off of dirty, dangerous coal, we are creating new opportunities for clean energy and thousands of new American jobs to protect workers and public health. The transition from coal to clean energy can and will transform our economy by establishing a huge new sector of good jobs that power our communities without poisoning our children.” "New England is leading the nation in the move away from dirty coal and toward innovative renewable energy solutions like our growing offshore wind industry," said *James McCaffery, New England Beyond Coal campaign representative for the Sierra Club*. "This is a testament to the great work of local residents who have been fighting to clean up the air in the region for more than a decade," “Our coalition of environmental, conservation, public health and civil rights groups has achieved a milestone that few thought possible,” said *Verena Owen, a veteran volunteer leader who co-leads the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign*. “In 2010, analysts expected about 30,000 megawatts of coal would retire over the next decade. But in less than three years the campaign has nearly doubled these predictions, securing the retirement of more than 58,000 megawatts: more than one sixth of the entire nation’s coal capacity and more than one quarter of all coal plants in the country. Through grassroots activism and the power of passionate Americans across the country, we are telling the dirty, outdated and deadly coal industry that enough is enough.” The coal industry is facing multiple threats, including rising coal costs, falling clean energy prices, a motivated grassroots coalition of organizers working to move the nation off coal, and the growing national demand to tackle climate-disrupting carbon pollution from coal plants, which was the centerpiece of the climate strategy President Obama announced in June. With strong carbon pollution standards in place, these coal plants must either clean up their pollution through modern pollution controls, or transition away from burning dirty coal. Indeed, as utilities and energy companies realize that coal is an increasingly bad investment, they are transitioning their resources to cleaner, renewable sources of energy like wind and solar. Today, the United States has more than 60,000 megawatts of installed wind capacity, enough to power the equivalent of 15 million American homes. In fact, the state of Texas produces so much wind energy, that if Texas were a country, it would be the world's sixth ranking wind energy producer. Meanwhile, states across the country are already being powered by renewable energy. In 2012, Iowa and South Dakota received more than 20 percent of their energy from wind, and nine states produced more than 10 percent of their electricity from wind energy. What’s more, this year the U.S. joined three other countries with more than 10,000 megawatts of installed solar capacity. Solar is the fastest growing energy option in the US, and in states like New Jersey, North Carolina, California and Illinois, solar power is both creating local jobs and providing clean, affordable electricity. This growth in clean energy has helped to create more jobs across the country. Clean energy industries now employ nearly 200,000 Americans. ### -- Oliver Bernstein National Communications Strategist Sierra Club Phone: 512.477.2152 Cell: 512.289.8618 twitter.com/oliveroliver To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FW: [Coal Volunteers List] New SACE Blog: Closing Coal Plants - A Billion Dollar Industry
by James Kotcon 06 Oct '13

06 Oct '13

FYI. Fascinating data on power plant closure job impacts. Jim Kotcon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Angela Garrone <angela(a)cleanenergy.org<mailto:angela@cleanenergy.org>> Date: Wed, Oct 2, 2013 at 12:41 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] New SACE Blog: Closing Coal Plants - A Billion Dollar Industry To: TENNESSEE-NEWS(a)lists.sierraclub.org<mailto:TENNESSEE-NEWS@lists.sierraclub.org>, COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE(a)lists.sierraclub.org<mailto:COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE@lists.sierraclub.org>, coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org>, nonewcoalplants(a)energyjustice.net<mailto:nonewcoalplants@energyjustice.net>, TREEHUGS-L(a)list.pace.edu<mailto:TREEHUGS-L@list.pace.edu> We just had a new blog go live all about the potential for significant job creation caused by retirement and decommissioning of coal plants. A good piece to combat the endless "job killing" rhetoric thrown at environmental groups. Enjoy and share! http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2013/10/02/closing-coal-plants-a-billion-dollar… Thanks Angela -- Angela Garrone | Southeast Energy Research Attorney Southern Alliance for Clean Energy P.O. Box 1842 Knoxville, TN 37901 angela(a)cleanenergy.org<mailto:angela@cleanenergy.org> | 865-637-6055<tel:865-637-6055> ex. 23 http://www.cleanenergy.org http://blog.cleanenergy.org<http://blog.cleanenergy.org/> CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION / WORK PRODUCT: The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed, and may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or confidential attorney work product. If you receive this message in error, please send a reply e-mail to the sender and delete the material from any and all computers. Unintended transmissions shall not constitute waiver of the attorney-client or any other privilege. -- Angela Garrone | Southeast Energy Research Attorney Southern Alliance for Clean Energy P.O. Box 1842 Knoxville, TN 37901 angela(a)cleanenergy.org<mailto:angela@cleanenergy.org> | 865-637-6055<tel:865-637-6055> ex. 23 http://www.cleanenergy.org http://blog.cleanenergy.org<http://blog.cleanenergy.org/> CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION / WORK PRODUCT: The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed, and may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or confidential attorney work product. If you receive this message in error, please send a reply e-mail to the sender and delete the material from any and all computers. Unintended transmissions shall not constitute waiver of the attorney-client or any other privilege. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:becki.clayborn@sierraclub.org> with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list%2Bunsubscribe@sierraclub.org>. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org>.

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FW: [Coal Volunteers List] Federal Court orders EPA to move on coal ash regulations
by James Kotcon 06 Oct '13

06 Oct '13

FYI. Jim Kotcon From: Verena Owen<mailto:verena_owen@prodigy.net> Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 5:13 PM To: coal volunteer list<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org> Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Federal Court orders EPA to move on coal ash regulations NEWS: FEDERAL COURT ORDERS EPA TO MOVE AHEAD ON COAL ASH REGS Thursday, October 3, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 3, 2013 Contact: Jennifer Duggan, Environmental Integrity Project (802) 225-6774; mailto:jduggan@environmentalintegrity.org Jared Saylor, Earthjustice (202) 236-5855; jsaylor(a)earthjustice.org<mailto:jsaylor@earthjustice.org> Sean Sarah, Sierra Club (202) 548-4589; sean.sarah(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:sean.sarah@sierraclub.org> Federal Court Orders EPA to Move Forward on Coal Ash Regulations Judge to offer more details in the next 30 days but takes first step towards federal enforceable safeguards Washington, D.C. – A federal judge agreed with environmental and public health groups<http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/RCRA_NOI_Order.pdf> that the Environmental Protection Agency needs to set federal regulations for the safe and proper disposal of toxic coal ash. A copy of the judge’s order can be found here: http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/RCRA_NOI_Order.pdf The groups filed the lawsuit in April 2012<http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/FinalComplaint_4-5-12.pdf> challenging the EPA’s lack of federal regulations for America’s second largest industrial waste stream. The order of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia offered little details about the timing or substance of the EPA’s rulemaking but said it will issue a Memorandum Opinion within the next 30 days with more specifics. For now, the decision marks the first step towards federally enforceable safeguards, monitoring, and protections against coal ash. In its order, the court did deny one of the environmentalists claims regarding testing procedures for coal ash contamination, but more details are needed before the groups are fully able to understand the implications. Coal ash has already contaminated more than 200 rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers<http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/in-harm-s-way-coal-ash-contamina…> with toxic pollutants like arsenic, lead, selenium and mercury. In 2008, a spill at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant in Harriman, Tennessee, dumped one billion gallons of coal ash over 300 acres, destroying homes and poisoning rivers. That spill led to the EPA proposing in May 2010 the first federal regulations for coal ash disposal. The agency never finalized that rulemaking, leaving open the opportunity for the power generating industry and some members of Congress to push for legislation that would prevent the EPA from ever setting federal regulations. The following statement is from the groups that filed the lawsuit: Appalachian Voices (NC); Chesapeake Climate Action Network (MD); Environmental Integrity Project (DC); Earthjustice (DC); French Broad Riverkeeper (NC); Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KY); Moapa Band of Paiutes (NV); Montana Environmental Information Center (MT); Prairie Rivers Network (IL); Sierra Club (DC); and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (eight southeast states): “The impacts of coal ash pollution are being felt across the country. Our groups represent millions of Americans who want clean water, clean air and healthy living. We turned to the courts to force the EPA to set long overdue protections from this toxic menace. This decision marks the first step towards federally enforceable safeguards from coal ash. For decades, coal ash has been dumped into unlined and unmonitored pits, poisoning water supplies and the communities that rely on them. No one should have to live in fear of the coal ash dump in their backyard, and we hope the EPA will finally adopt regulations that protect all nearby communities.” For information about coal ash in North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, Illinois, Tennessee or other southern states, as well as the implications this decision will have locally, please contact the following representatives Sandra Diaz, Appalachian Voices, (828) 262-1500; sandra(a)appvoices.org<mailto:sandra@appvoices.org> (North Carolina) Diana Dascalu-Joffe, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, (703) 772-2472; Diana(a)chesapeakeclimate.org<mailto:Diana@chesapeakeclimate.org> (Maryland) Hartwell Carson, French Broad Riverkeeper, (828) 258-8737; hartwell(a)wnca.org<mailto:hartwell@wnca.org> (North Carolina) Mary Love, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, (502) 541-7434; mbloveky(a)yahoo.com<mailto:mbloveky@yahoo.com> (Kentucky) William Anderson, Moapa Band of Paiutes (702) 865-2787; wanderson(a)mvdsl.com<mailto:wanderson@mvdsl.com> (Nevada) Anne Hedges, Montana Environmental Information Center, (406) 443-2520; ahedges(a)meic.org<mailto:ahedges@meic.org> (Montana) Traci Barkley, Prairie Rivers Network, (217) 621-3013; tbarkley(a)prairierivers.org<mailto:tbarkley@prairierivers.org> (Illinois) Ulla Reeves, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, (828) 713-7486; ulla(a)cleanenergy.org<mailto:ulla@cleanenergy.org> (Southeast) ### -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:becki.clayborn@sierraclub.org> with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list%2Bunsubscribe@sierraclub.org>. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org>. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:becki.clayborn@sierraclub.org> with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list%2Bunsubscribe@sierraclub.org>. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org<mailto:coal-volunteers-list@sierraclub.org>.

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter Streams below fracking wastewater treatment show elevated salts, metals, radioactivity
by Paul Wilson 04 Oct '13

04 Oct '13

Streams below fracking wastewater treatment show elevated salts, metals, radioactivity<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/zqS…> Posted: 02 Oct 2013 06:26 AM PDT Elevated levels of radioactivity, salts and metals have been found in river water and sediments at a site where treated water from oil and gas operations is discharged into a western Pennsylvania creek. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Jim Hightower article: Colorado’s Fracking Disaster
by Paul Wilson 28 Sep '13

28 Sep '13

Colorado’s Fracking Disaster In Colorado's flood-struck areas, a tsunami of floodwater and destructive debris swamped fracking infrastructure. By Jim Hightower <http://otherwords.org/author/jim-hightower/> [image: Jim Hightower] <http://otherwords.org/author/jim-hightower/> As the people of Colorado are presently learning, it’s horrendous enough to suffer the ravages of a natural disaster, but it’s doubly horrific to then be faced with a more devastating unnatural disaster. First came the epic floods<http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/20/20606351-colorado-town-unlivable…> that recently ripped through the front range, tearing up towns, roads, waterways, mountain homes and businesses, farms, and lives. Just awful. But now comes the added horror of unknown levels of poisonous contaminants pouring out of many of the thousands of fracking sites that pock this area. Big Oil frackers were already notorious in Boulder and Weld Counties for the environmental, health, and economic damage being done by this ravaging method of forcing gas out of the rock deep under Earth’s surface. Now, though, the corporate wells, tanks, ponds, and other fracking infrastructure<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/19/did-floods-cause-a-frackin…> have been swamped by a tsunami of floodwater and destructive debris. [image: Hightower-Fracking-East Boulder County United] East Boulder County United/Facebook Even in the chaos of people scrambling to get out of the flood’s way and to secure their property, many residents were so alarmed by seeing this mess of flooded wells, overturned tanks of highly toxic chemicals and wastewater, and ruptured lines that they paused to take pictures and videos<http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/first-colorado-was-on-fire-then-it-flooded…> . They then posted these on websites and Facebook pages to document this unexpected threat of widespread, long-term damage from fracking contaminants and to alert neighbors to the dangers. After all, the frackers themselves weren’t telling the public about this unfolding disaster, the big media outlets were curiously incurious about it, and regulators were also silent. So, like the pamphleteers of old, the people formed their own network of communication — and they’ve now turned it into a citizens’ action network. To see some of their photos, videos, and actions, go to www.facebook.com/EastBoulderCountyUnited. OtherWords <http://otherwords.org/> columnist Jim Hightower<http://www.jimhightower.com/> is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker. He’s also editor of the populist newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown<http://www.hightowerlowdown.org/> . OtherWords.org -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Op/Ed on EPA Carbon rules
by James Kotcon 22 Sep '13

22 Sep '13

As you should know by now, EPA announced new rules for carbon emissions from power plants yesterday, and the response by politicians in West Virginia was pretty pro-coal. Here is an Op/Ed I put together in response to yesterday's carbon rule. Please send me any feedback, as I would like to get a response out soon. Jim Kotcon

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FW: DAILY UPDATE 22 September 2013. News of interest to Mon river watershed denizens.
by James Kotcon 22 Sep '13

22 Sep '13

Near the bottom of this article, it says PJM has agreed that closing Hatfields Ferry, et al. will not harm reliability. Anyone have a copy of that PJM letter? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ Trio of FirstEnergy plant closings in region should make lawsuit moot, utility says Stephanie Strasburg | Tribune-Review The coal-fired Mitchell Power Station in Union, which is planned for closure due to decreasing demand for power and an inability to keep up with new EPA regulations. About Brian Bowling Brian Bowling<mailto:bbowling@tribweb.com?subject=RE:%20Trio%20of%20FirstEnergy%20plant%20closings%20in%20region%20should%20make%20lawsuit%20moot,%20utility%20says%20story%20on%20TribLIVE.com> 412-325-4301 Staff Reporter Pittsburgh Tribune-Review<http://triblive.com/home/> Contact Us<http://triblive.com/home/contactus/> | Video<http://triblive.com/home/video/> | Photo Reprints<http://photos.triblive.com/mycapture/> By Brian Bowling<mailto:bbowling@tribweb.com?subject=RE:%20Trio%20of%20FirstEnergy%20plant%20closings%20in%20region%20should%20make%20lawsuit%20moot,%20utility%20says%20story%20on%20TribLIVE.com> Published: Saturday, September 21, 2013 9:00 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago An eight-year legal effort by Pennsylvania and four other states to force three power plants to meet modern pollution limits could end without a court decision. FirstEnergy, which acquired the coal-fired power plants in Armstrong, Greene and Washington counties when it bought Allegheny Energy Inc. in 2011, contends that U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti should dismiss the 2005 lawsuit because the company closed the Armstrong plant and will close the others on Oct. 9. Company spokeswoman Stephanie Thornton said they are not closing the plants because of the lawsuit, but the closings should end the dispute. Company officials are “hopeful that the court will decide ... that we have no Clean Air Act liability,” she said. Regulators in the five states believe the judge should allow them to pursue their claim that the utility ignored state and federal pollution laws for more than two decades. ‘Not interrelated' John Poister, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency doesn't comment on pending lawsuits. But he noted, “The two issues are not interrelated. The suit is not affected by FirstEnergy's decisions regarding the future of the two plants.” When Congress amended the Clean Air Act in the 1970s, it established national air pollution limits but exempted older power plants from meeting them. The rationale was that companies should not be forced to install expensive pollution controls on plants nearing the ends of their lives and, if they took steps to extend operations of the plants, companies could install the controls with the upgrades. The states contend that many utilities, including Allegheny Energy, made upgrades but ignored the requirement to install pollution controls. FirstEnergy contends the work done at the plants — Armstrong Power Station in Armstrong County, Mitchell Power Station in Washington County and Hatfield's Ferry Power Station in Greene County — between 1993 and 1999 wasn't enough to trigger the requirement. The lawsuit seeks fines for the violations and an injunction to keep the company from operating the plants without installing controls. In asking Conti to dismiss the case, FirstEnergy contends that appellate court decisions have established that regulators had to seek civil penalties within five years of a violation. Since the last plant modification was in 1999 and the states didn't file the lawsuit until 2005, they missed that deadline, FirstEnergy claims. PJM request denied Lawyers for the states disagree and argue that similar state law violations alleged in the lawsuit have that statute of limitations. An injunction, FirstEnergy claims, would be moot because it will close the plants. The company has partially disassembled the Armstrong plant. The states contend that a request by PJM Interconnection that FirstEnergy keep Hatfield and Mitchell open shows they could continue operating. Valley Forge-based PJM oversees stability of the region's power grid. By filing a maintenance plan with the state, the utility could keep operating permits active until they expire in 2017, the states claim. FirstEnergy could decide “to reactivate the plants by reinstalling equipment, rehiring staff and entering into new coal contracts,” the states argue. Thornton said that First-Energy rejected PJM's request and hasn't changed its plan to close the plants. “We are confident there are no reliability issues that would require us to keep the plants in operation,” she said. PJM sent a letter to FirstEnergy on Thursday saying that it agrees the plants can be retired without hurting the grid's reliability FirstEnergy suggested Conti could dismiss the lawsuit but stipulate that it could reopen if the company attempts to reactivate the plants. Brian Bowling is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Don Strimbeck, Sec/Treas Upper Mon River Assoc UpperMon.org MonRiverSummit.org WVU t-shirts & prints - FindHarri.com 109 Broad Street, P. O. Box 519 Granville WV 26534-0519 304-599-7585 (fax 4131) dcsoinks(a)comcast.net<mailto:dcsoinks@comcast.net>

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FW: [wvec-board] Unplugging from the Power Grid- A jolt to utilities
by James Kotcon 20 Sep '13

20 Sep '13

Perhaps this is the next battle ground. We need to prepare comprehensive plans to engage the PSC so that utilities do not suppress renewables and EE in a vain effort to prolong their monopoly. JBK ________________________________ From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> on behalf of Patience Wait <pwaitster(a)gmail.com> Sent: Friday, September 20, 2013 7:24 AM To: James Kotcon; wvec-board Subject: Re: [wvec-board] Unplugging from the Power Grid- A jolt to utilities Yes. The utility industry is very concerned. The Edison Electric Institute report mentioned is here: http://www.eei.org/ourissues/finance/Documents/disruptivechallenges.pdf As a result, the industry is trying to figure out ways to make it punitively expensive for consumers to switch to renewables, through such approaches as a monthly "surcharge" to homes with solar panels, to "pay for" using the distribution part of the grid. Dominion Power in Virginia is trying to get this in place. And when I say punitive, I mean a monthly charge of as much as $100 - so $1200 a year! Patience On Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 8:58 PM, Frank Young <fyoung(a)mountain.net<mailto:fyoung@mountain.net>> wrote: This article can be read online here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-unplug-electric-grid-delivering-030… ________________________________ From: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com<mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com> [mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com<mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of cindy rank Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 8:51 AM To: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com<mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com> Cc: Bill Howley; Cathy Kunkel; Mary Ellen Cassidy Subject: [WVHCBOARD] Unplugging from the Power Grid WALL STREET JOURNAL September 17, 2013, 11:05 p.m. ET Companies Unplug From the Electric Grid, Delivering a Jolt to Utilities By REBECCA SMITH<http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7476> and CASSANDRA SWEET<http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7459> At Kroger's food-distribution center in Compton, Calif., a tank system converts organic waste into biogas to produce electricity used by the facility. On a hill overlooking the Susquehanna River, two big wind turbines crank out electricity for Kroger<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=KR> Co.'s Turkey Hill Dairy in rural Lancaster County, Pa., allowing it to save 25% on its power bill for the past two years. Across the country, at a big food-distribution center Kroger also owns in Compton, Calif., a tank system installed this year uses bacteria to convert 150 tons a day of damaged produce, bread and other organic waste into a biogas that is burned on site to produce 20% of the electricity the facility uses. These two projects, plus the electric output of solar panels at four Kroger grocery stores, and some energy-conservation efforts are saving the Cincinnati-based grocery chain $160 million a year on electricity, said Denis George, its energy manager. That is a lot of money that isn't going into the pockets of utilities. >From big-box retailers to high-tech manufacturers, more companies across the country are producing their own power. Since 2006, the number of electricity-generation units at commercial and industrial sites has more than quadrupled to roughly 40,000 from about 10,000, according to federal statistics. Experts say the trend is gaining momentum, spurred by falling prices for solar panels and natural gas, as well as a fear that power outages caused by major storms will become more common. "The battle cry is Hurricane Sandy," said Rick Fioravanti, vice president of energy-storage technology at DNV Kema, a Netherlands-based consulting company. The growing number of companies that are at least partly energy self-sufficient is sending a shudder through the utility industry, threatening its revenues and growth prospects, according to a report earlier this year by the Edison Electric Institute, a trade association for investor-owned electric companies. State and federal regulators say they are worried that utilities could end up with fewer customers to pay for costly transmission lines and power plants. Utility executives, meanwhile, are asking themselves a disquieting question: "Am I going to just sit here and take it and ultimately be a caretaker of a museum, or am I going to be part of that business" that's emerging, said Nick Akins, chief executive of American Electric Power<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AEP> Co., a big Ohio-based utility. AEP is considering helping its customers install their own generating facilities. On-site generation still accounts for less than 5% of U.S. electricity production. But it is peeling off some of the bulk sales that utilities find especially profitable. And some of the companies getting into the business think it is approaching a tipping point called "grid parity," at which point power would be as cheap to make as to buy from a utility. Since 2007, when the first solar arrays went up on its store roofs in California, the installed costs of Wal-Mart Stores<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WMT> Inc.'s solar systems have dropped from $6 or $8 per watt of capacity to about $3.50 per watt, said David Ozment, the company's senior director of energy management. He said he expects the retailer to be paying as little for solar power as utility power "in less than three years," opening the floodgates to solar expansion. Wal-Mart produces about 4% of the electricity it uses but intends to make 20% by 2020, taking advantage of idle acreage on thousands of store rooftops. On-site generation isn't a new idea. It existed before the electric grid—the interconnected system of power plants, substations and transmission lines that ferry power thousands of miles—was stitched together beginning in the 1920s. But for most of the past 50 years, the practice was associated mostly with remote locations like Alaska fish canneries or industrial facilities like oil refineries that generated lots of waste heat that could be harnessed for power production. Almost overnight, that niche market has gone decidedly mainstream. Six years ago, Google<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG> Inc. attracted attention by installing big solar arrays atop its Silicon Valley complex in California. Other tech companies followed suit, worried about ensuring power supplies for energy-hungry server farms and achieving sustainability objectives. Apple<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AAPL> Inc. now gets 16% of its electricity from solar panels and fuel cells that run on biogas. Apple's data center in Maiden, N.C., makes all the power it consumes, a company spokeswoman said. BMW<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=BMW.XE> AG's assembly plant in South Carolina, which made 300,000 vehicles last year, gets half its electricity from an on-site energy center that burns methane piped to it from a nearby garbage dump. Drugstore chain Walgreen<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WAG>Co., which has solar panels at 155 stores, plans to install them at 200 more. Falling equipment prices make on-site generation increasingly attractive. From 2002 to 2012, the cost of installed solar systems fell by half, according to an August report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Companies also have the option of leasing big solar systems, rather than incurring the capital cost of buying them. Many "clean energy" projects also qualify for federal and state subsidies. In the case of solar installations, there is a 30% federal tax credit, which is set to drop to 10% in 2017. Government officials say a shift to greener energy resources is good since it reduces the output from coal-fueled power plants, which produce about 40% of the nation's electricity and are the most polluting. But analysts say the importance of subsidies has been waning, overshadowed by steep declines in the cost of power-generating equipment. For example, the cost of solar modules—the biggest single component in a rooftop solar system—has dropped about 80% in the past four years, to about 65 cents a watt from about $4 a watt, said Galen Barbose, a senior researcher at the lab. Companies also are turning to wind turbines and technologies like fuel cells, batteries, small natural-gas turbines and reciprocating engines, which are natural-gas-fueled cousins of the auto's internal combustion engine. Engineering and technology company SAIC<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=SAI> Inc. is installing enough generating capacity at a data center outside New York to meet the center's core needs, with batteries for backup power. The system uses reciprocating engines burning natural gas, an option considered reliable in storms because gas pipelines are buried. A report released by the White House in August estimated that power outages caused by bad weather cost the U.S. economy $18 billion to $52 billion a year in lost productivity from 2003 to 2012. Demand for fuel cells in the U.S. is coming primarily from telecom companies, hotels and universities, said David Wright<http://topics.wsj.com/person/W/David-Wright/5739>, CEO of ClearEdge Power Inc., a manufacturer in Hillsboro, Ore. Many buyers want reliable on-site generation as a hedge against storm-related outages. By next year, Verizon Communications<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=VZ> Inc. plans to install $100 million worth of fuel cells from ClearEdge and Bloom Energy, as well as solar panels, at 19 data centers and other facilities in seven states, including New York and New Jersey. Some traditional utility companies are edging into the on-site generation business. Edison International<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=EIX>, which owns big utility Southern California Edison, recently bought a Chicago-based developer of rooftop solar projects, SoCore Energy LLC, and it is an investor in solar-finance company Clean Power Finance. As power production becomes more decentralized, "I want to make sure the company is deeply involved," said Edison CEO Ted Craver. Write to Rebecca Smith at rebecca.smith(a)wsj.com<mailto:rebecca.smith@wsj.com> and Cassandra Sweet at cassandra.sweet(a)dowjones.com<mailto:cassandra.sweet@dowjones.com> __._,_.___ Reply via web post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGo3a2VtBF9TAzk3…> Reply to sender <mailto:pwaitster@gmail.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bwvec-board%5D%20Unplugging%20from%20the%20Power%20Grid-%20A%20jolt%20to%20utilities> Reply to group <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bwvec-board%5D%20Unplugging%20from%20the%20Power%20Grid-%20A%20jolt%20to%20utilities> Start a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZ2xsdG10BF9TAzk3…> Messages in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/3700;_ylc=X3oDMTM1NHRkMmV2…> (2) Recent Activity: Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmMGMxdXNoBF9TAzk3MzU5N…> [Yahoo! 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Re: [EC] from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs
by John Christensen 20 Sep '13

20 Sep '13

3 2

from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs
by Paul Wilson 19 Sep '13

19 Sep '13

Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/zfP…> Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:48 AM PDT Findings show carbon pollution from power plants can be cut cost-effectively by using wind, solar and natural gas. It’s less costly to get electricity from wind turbines and solar panels than coal-fired power plants when climate change costs and other health impacts are factored in, according to a new study. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Unplugging from the Power Grid- A jolt to utilities
by Frank Young 19 Sep '13

19 Sep '13

This article can be read online here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-unplug-electric-grid-delivering-0305 00879.html _____ From: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of cindy rank Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 8:51 AM To: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com Cc: Bill Howley; Cathy Kunkel; Mary Ellen Cassidy Subject: [WVHCBOARD] Unplugging from the Power Grid WALL STREET JOURNAL September 17, 2013, 11:05 p.m. ET Companies Unplug From the Electric Grid, Delivering a Jolt to Utilities By <http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7476> REBECCA SMITH and <http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7459> CASSANDRA SWEET At Kroger's food-distribution center in Compton, Calif., a tank system converts organic waste into biogas to produce electricity used by the facility. On a hill overlooking the Susquehanna River, two big wind turbines crank out electricity for <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=KR> Kroger Co.'s Turkey Hill Dairy in rural Lancaster County, Pa., allowing it to save 25% on its power bill for the past two years. Across the country, at a big food-distribution center Kroger also owns in Compton, Calif., a tank system installed this year uses bacteria to convert 150 tons a day of damaged produce, bread and other organic waste into a biogas that is burned on site to produce 20% of the electricity the facility uses. These two projects, plus the electric output of solar panels at four Kroger grocery stores, and some energy-conservation efforts are saving the Cincinnati-based grocery chain $160 million a year on electricity, said Denis George, its energy manager. That is a lot of money that isn't going into the pockets of utilities. >From big-box retailers to high-tech manufacturers, more companies across the country are producing their own power. Since 2006, the number of electricity-generation units at commercial and industrial sites has more than quadrupled to roughly 40,000 from about 10,000, according to federal statistics. Experts say the trend is gaining momentum, spurred by falling prices for solar panels and natural gas, as well as a fear that power outages caused by major storms will become more common. "The battle cry is Hurricane Sandy," said Rick Fioravanti, vice president of energy-storage technology at DNV Kema, a Netherlands-based consulting company. The growing number of companies that are at least partly energy self-sufficient is sending a shudder through the utility industry, threatening its revenues and growth prospects, according to a report earlier this year by the Edison Electric Institute, a trade association for investor-owned electric companies. State and federal regulators say they are worried that utilities could end up with fewer customers to pay for costly transmission lines and power plants. Utility executives, meanwhile, are asking themselves a disquieting question: "Am I going to just sit here and take it and ultimately be a caretaker of a museum, or am I going to be part of that business" that's emerging, said Nick Akins, chief executive of <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AEP> American Electric Power Co., a big Ohio-based utility. AEP is considering helping its customers install their own generating facilities. On-site generation still accounts for less than 5% of U.S. electricity production. But it is peeling off some of the bulk sales that utilities find especially profitable. And some of the companies getting into the business think it is approaching a tipping point called "grid parity," at which point power would be as cheap to make as to buy from a utility. Since 2007, when the first solar arrays went up on its store roofs in California, the installed costs of <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WMT> Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s solar systems have dropped from $6 or $8 per watt of capacity to about $3.50 per watt, said David Ozment, the company's senior director of energy management. He said he expects the retailer to be paying as little for solar power as utility power "in less than three years," opening the floodgates to solar expansion. Wal-Mart produces about 4% of the electricity it uses but intends to make 20% by 2020, taking advantage of idle acreage on thousands of store rooftops. On-site generation isn't a new idea. It existed before the electric grid-the interconnected system of power plants, substations and transmission lines that ferry power thousands of miles-was stitched together beginning in the 1920s. But for most of the past 50 years, the practice was associated mostly with remote locations like Alaska fish canneries or industrial facilities like oil refineries that generated lots of waste heat that could be harnessed for power production. Almost overnight, that niche market has gone decidedly mainstream. Six years ago, <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG> Google Inc. attracted attention by installing big solar arrays atop its Silicon Valley complex in California. Other tech companies followed suit, worried about ensuring power supplies for energy-hungry server farms and achieving sustainability objectives. <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AAPL> Apple Inc. now gets 16% of its electricity from solar panels and fuel cells that run on biogas. Apple's data center in Maiden, N.C., makes all the power it consumes, a company spokeswoman said. <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=BMW.XE> BMW AG's assembly plant in South Carolina, which made 300,000 vehicles last year, gets half its electricity from an on-site energy center that burns methane piped to it from a nearby garbage dump. Drugstore chain <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WAG> WalgreenCo., which has solar panels at 155 stores, plans to install them at 200 more. Falling equipment prices make on-site generation increasingly attractive. >From 2002 to 2012, the cost of installed solar systems fell by half, according to an August report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Companies also have the option of leasing big solar systems, rather than incurring the capital cost of buying them. Many "clean energy" projects also qualify for federal and state subsidies. In the case of solar installations, there is a 30% federal tax credit, which is set to drop to 10% in 2017. Government officials say a shift to greener energy resources is good since it reduces the output from coal-fueled power plants, which produce about 40% of the nation's electricity and are the most polluting. But analysts say the importance of subsidies has been waning, overshadowed by steep declines in the cost of power-generating equipment. For example, the cost of solar modules-the biggest single component in a rooftop solar system-has dropped about 80% in the past four years, to about 65 cents a watt from about $4 a watt, said Galen Barbose, a senior researcher at the lab. Companies also are turning to wind turbines and technologies like fuel cells, batteries, small natural-gas turbines and reciprocating engines, which are natural-gas-fueled cousins of the auto's internal combustion engine. Engineering and technology company <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=SAI> SAIC Inc. is installing enough generating capacity at a data center outside New York to meet the center's core needs, with batteries for backup power. The system uses reciprocating engines burning natural gas, an option considered reliable in storms because gas pipelines are buried. A report released by the White House in August estimated that power outages caused by bad weather cost the U.S. economy $18 billion to $52 billion a year in lost productivity from 2003 to 2012. Demand for fuel cells in the U.S. is coming primarily from telecom companies, hotels and universities, said <http://topics.wsj.com/person/W/David-Wright/5739> David Wright, CEO of ClearEdge Power Inc., a manufacturer in Hillsboro, Ore. Many buyers want reliable on-site generation as a hedge against storm-related outages. By next year, <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=VZ> Verizon Communications Inc. plans to install $100 million worth of fuel cells from ClearEdge and Bloom Energy, as well as solar panels, at 19 data centers and other facilities in seven states, including New York and New Jersey. Some traditional utility companies are edging into the on-site generation business. <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=EIX> Edison International, which owns big utility Southern California Edison, recently bought a Chicago-based developer of rooftop solar projects, SoCore Energy LLC, and it is an investor in solar-finance company Clean Power Finance. As power production becomes more decentralized, "I want to make sure the company is deeply involved," said Edison CEO Ted Craver. Write to Rebecca Smith at <mailto:rebecca.smith@wsj.com> rebecca.smith(a)wsj.com and Cassandra Sweet at <mailto:cassandra.sweet@dowjones.com> cassandra.sweet(a)dowjones.com __._,_.___ <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwZXM0ZzJyBF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjIxMjMEc2VjA2Z0c gRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMzc5NTk1MDc1?act=reply&messageNum=22123> Reply via web post <mailto:clrank2@gmail.com?subject=Re%3A%20Unplugging%20from%20the%20Power%20 Grid> Reply to sender <mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20Unplugging%20from%20the%20 Power%20Grid> Reply to group <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJkcDIxODk3BF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDbnRwYwRzd GltZQMxMzc5NTk1MDc1> Start a New Topic <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/message/22123;_ylc=X3oDMTM1cjhqcXU4 BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjIxMjME c2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMzc5NTk1MDc1BHRwY0lkAzIyMTIz> Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD;_ylc=X3oDMTJkdXVoMTZ0BF9TAzk3MzU5Nz E0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA3Z0bARzbGsDdmdocARzdGltZQ MxMzc5NTk1MDc1> Visit Your Group Working since 1967 for the conservation and wise management of West Virginia's natural resources <http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJjb2VvNWk1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwO DEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDZ2ZwBHN0aW1lAzEzNzk1OTUwNzU-> Yahoo! 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FW: America's Dirtiest Power Plants report
by James Kotcon 18 Sep '13

18 Sep '13

The attached report identifies the top 100 largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the utility sector. I suspect that there may be a few large oil refineries or aluminum mills that would also make a top 100 list, but coal-fired power plants are, by far, the largest emitters as a group. What is interesting is that, of the five plants in WV that made the top 100 list, three (John Amos, Harrison and Mitchell) are the ones that AEP and FE want to transfer from deregulated states to WV. Thanks to Dan Heyman for uncovering this one, and be on the lookout for the news story he is producing. Enjoy. JBK ________________________________ From: West Virginia News Service (WVNS) <wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org> Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 8:40 PM To: James Kotcon Subject: report should be attached. Dan -- [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/wvns_logo.png]<http://wvns.publicnewsservice.org> West Virginia News Service Toll-free: 1-800-317-6705 Email: wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org<mailto:wvns@publicnewsservice.org> Fax: 1-208-247-1830 www.publicnewsservice.org<http://www.publicnewsservice.org> [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/twitter_icon.…]<http://www.twitter.com/PNS_WV> [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/facebook_icon…] <http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService>

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FW: {GT} October 5th & 6th Free Energy Efficiency Workshops
by James Kotcon 17 Sep '13

17 Sep '13

This may be worth checking out. I am out of town that weekend, can anyone make it? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: morgantowngreenteam(a)googlegroups.com <morgantowngreenteam(a)googlegroups.com> on behalf of Aaron Sutch <asutch(a)mountain.org> Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 2:37 PM To: morgantowngreenteam; James Kotcon Subject: {GT} October 5th & 6th Free Energy Efficiency Workshops Hello All, Here is a great opportunity to attend two energy efficiency workshops. Both are free. On October 5th there is a hands-on home energy efficiency workshop from 9am-4pm at the Glenmark Lowes outside of Morgantown. On October 6th there is a 'saving money with energy efficiency' workshop at WVU.1pm-5pm (Allen Hall Rm 406, Evansdale campus). See attached for more information and registration instructions. Best, -- Aaron Sutch Energy Program Manager 505 730 3943 [The Mountain Institute]<http://www.mountain.org/> www.mountain.org<http://www.mountain.org> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MorgantownGreenTeam" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to morgantowngreenteam+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to morgantowngreenteam(a)googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/morgantowngreenteam. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

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PA's Suite Codes, Can it happen here? (Was: DAILY UPDATE 12 September 2013.
by James Kotcon 17 Sep '13

17 Sep '13

I ran into some PA residents discussing this on Saturday, but was not familiar with the issue till i saw Don Strimbeck's News post (below). Is WV-DEP doing this too? JBK ________________________________ From: dsborowiec(a)aol.com<mailto:dsborowiec@aol.com> To: dsborowiec(a)aol.com<mailto:dsborowiec@aol.com> Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 2:41 AM Subject: Auditor General’s Investigation of DEP Important for Southwest PA excerpt: People are entitled to the truth about what is in water they drink. Is that a debate we even need to be having? Aren’t some things so obvious they should go without saying? What possible reason is there for the DEP, under the direction of Governor Corbett, to withhold information from residents about something this important? http://canon-mcmillan.patch.com/groups/jesse-white-state-representative-46t… Auditor General’s Investigation of DEP Important for Southwest PA It’s great to say we should all work together on every issue all the time, but there comes a point when you have to realize the other side has no intention of doing so under any circumstances whatsoever. Posted by Jesse White<http://canon-mcmillan.patch.com/users/jesse-white-state-representative-46th…> , September 11, 2013 at 08:36 AM <http://canon-mcmillan.patch.com/groups/jesse-white-state-representative-46t…> Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene Depasquale gave an interview to the Scranton Times-Tribune last week in which he was asked about the ongoing audit of the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s handling of water quality issues related to Marcellus Shale drilling. His response to the question was “The only thing I could say is, it’s a good thing we’re doing the audit.” Eugene Depasquale and I were both elected to the State House in 2006 and our offices were across the hall from one another in the Capitol for several years. I believe Eugene is an honest public servant and a good person, and I consider him a friend. I have no doubt that his audit of DEP will be objective and accurate, even though the Corbett administration has recently slashed budgets for investigators, limiting manpower and resources. To refresh everyone’s memory, the basis of the audit is the DEP’s use of “Suite Codes” to limit the amount of information given to people about what DEP found in their water. This scheme was uncovered through the sworn testimony of DEP lab chief Taru Upadhyay in a deposition taken last year. Based on that testimony, here’s what was apparently happening. You have concerns about your water because you live near drilling operations, so you call DEP to check it out. The DEP inspector comes to your house, takes a sample, marks it with a “Suite Code” and sends it off to the lab for testing. The lab tests over thirty different chemicals and substances as required by federal law, the results of which are stored in the DEP lab computer. So far so good, right? But when it’s time to generate the report based on the test results, that “Suite Code” tells the computer to only give back results for a handful of the things DEP tested for, not all of them. So the DEP inspector gets a report out of the computer that is purposely incomplete, but you don’t know that because you’d have no way to know. And when the inspector shows up with that report, they can be technically correct when they say, “According to the report I received from the lab, there is no evidence of any contamination.” But what they know, and you don’t, is that they purposely told the computer to leave out results of dozens of chemicals known to be found in frac water and flowback water. Many of them are known or suspected carcinogens, which means they can cause cancer. The results are sitting in the DEP computers, but you had no way of knowing you got less than the complete results. The DEP has not denied this practice, but they haven’t explained it either. We also learned that they developed a “Suite Code” specifically designed to provide proper results for drilling-related water quality concerns; unfortunately (but not surprisingly) it has never been used by DEP. Furthermore, you would think the Marcellus Shale Coalition would be with us on this. If they don’t believe drilling operations impact the water, wouldn’t they want all the facts out there to help prove their point? The facts should be allowed to speak for themselves, plain and simple. I have provided the Auditor General and his staff information about many problems occurring here in the 46th District, and will continue to do what I can to shed light on these inexcusable practices by the DEP. People are entitled to the truth about what is in water they drink. Is that a debate we even need to be having? Aren’t some things so obvious they should go without saying? What possible reason is there for the DEP, under the direction of Governor Corbett, to withhold information from residents about something this important? The DEP is clearly taking their marching orders from the Corbett Administration to stonewall anyone who asks the tough questions. It’s great to say we should all work together on every issue all the time, but there comes a point when you have to realize the other side has no intention of doing so under any circumstances whatsoever. On an issue as important as letting parents and grandparents know whether their drinking water could put their children or grandchildren at risk of cancer, I decided that standing up for what’s right and demanding accountability is more important than pandering for the sake of politics.

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Fw: Less than a week away! Who has the power? Wheeling, WV Talk
by Sally Wilts 16 Sep '13

16 Sep '13

Seem to have short notice of their events! ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Energy Efficient West Virginia <energyefficientwestvirginia(a)gmail.com> To: sallywilts(a)yahoo.com Sent: Monday, September 16, 2013 4:18 PM Subject: Less than a week away! Who has the power? Wheeling, WV Talk Less than a week away! Who has the power? Wheeling, WV Talk Moving Energy Efficiency Forward in the Mountain State... View this email in your browser Facebook Twitter Website You're invited! WHO HAS THE POWER? (View the Flyer In Your Browser) What: Panel Discussion // Forum on Electric Utilities in West Virginia Policies and Programs to: Lower rates Employ Renewables Empower Communities with Panel Speakers: Cathy Kunkel // Energy Efficient West Virginia James van Nostrand // WVU College of Law Aaron Sutch // The Mountain Institute Local Community Members // Energy conservation, efficiency and renewable projects around Wheeling and near by communities Moderated by Mary Ellen Cassidy When: Thursday, September 19, 2013 at noon Where: Main Floor // First State Capitol 1413 Eoff Street, Wheeling, WV Contact: Mary Ellen Cassidy // Jay Good // 304-312-4444 The event is free to the public. For CLE credit for legal professionals inquire with Jay Good at 304-312-4444. Share Tweet Forward to Friend Copyright © 2013 Energy Efficient West Virginia, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you joined our mailing list at a local event or on our website. Our mailing address is: Energy Efficient West Virginia 1500 Dixie St.Charleston, WV 25311 Add us to your address bookunsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

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Fwd: Darrell Scott and Tim O'Brien : Song and Video: "Keep your Dirty Lights On"
by Jim Sconyers 16 Sep '13

16 Sep '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Aaron Isherwood <aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 1:48 PM Subject: Fwd: Darrell Scott and Tim O'Brien : Song and Video: "Keep your Dirty Lights On" To: Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com>, Glen Besa <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org>, Axel C Ringe <onyxfarm(a)bellsouth.net>, Brian Paddock <bpaddock(a)twlakes.net> Enjoy...! Aaron Friends Darrell and Tim contacted me about writing a song. They knew I was producing a new film. They wrote this amazing song, and we gave them the footage for the music video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GInMaWUud4 Please share this link with everyone you know and all the lists. You can post it on all social media, as well. We are all happy to give you a free license to use this song and video on web sites, your own videos and promotional materials, etc. Just send me a request with details. All the best, Mari-Lynn Mari-Lynn Evans CEO and Executive Producer Evening Star Productions -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last. *There is no Planet B!*

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Beech Ridge Wind HCP and ITP document
by Frank Young 13 Sep '13

13 Sep '13

At 286 pages, it is rather intense (or even boring?) at several points. I am particularly interested in the Project Operations protocols (aka adaptive management techniques) descriptions which start on document page 100 (PDF page 107). Direct PDF link is here: http://www.fws.gov/westvirginiafieldoffice/PDF/beechridgehcp/August_2013_Bee ch_Ridge_%20FHCP.pdf I noted several references to the "Shoenfeld estimator"- developed by WV Highlands Conservancy's Peter Shoenfeld- for determining total numbers of bat/bird fatalities by correcting for ground search results that are subject to several kinds of influences toward inaccuracy. 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FW: Save Your National Forests From Hydrofraking!
by Beth Little 10 Sep '13

10 Sep '13

Please distribute. From: Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics [mailto:jennifer@fseee.org] Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 2:06 PM To: blittle(a)citynet.net Subject: Save Your National Forests From Hydrofraking! <http://e2ma.net/oz/13120590906/214339203/1408143/spacer.gif> If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may <http://e2ma.net/map/view:CampaignPublic/id:1408143.13120590906/rid=bd36e13a…> see it online. Share This: <http://social.e2ma.net/next/e/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://social.e2ma.net/next/t/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://social.e2ma.net/next/f/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://social.e2ma.net/next/l/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://cdn.e2ma.net/userdata/1408143/images/e1292443300> <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241682967/1408143/b64/aHR0cDovL2Zz…> Environmental activist Lopi LaRoe created this Smokey Bear parody to call attention to the dangers of fracking on public lands. Visit our website <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683122/1408143/b64/aHR0cDovL2Zz…> to learn more about how the Forest Service is attempting to squelch LaRoe’s free speech. <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683123/1408143/b64/aHR0cHM6Ly9k…> DonateNow September, 2013 Dear FSEEE Supporter, I’m writing to ask for your help in combating one of the greatest threats to our public lands today: the unregulated use of hydraulic fracturing or fracking. At stake is the most precious resource provided by our public lands: clean water. More than 60 million Americans receive their drinking water from a source originating in a National Forest. Freshwater rivers, streams, and underground reservoirs sustain innumerable ecosystems and are crucial to both wildlife and people. We need your help to ensure that National Forests are protected from the environmentally detrimental impacts of fracking and that the industry is held accountable when damage occurs. With your help, FSEEE will challenge this threat to our public lands and water supplies every step of the way. With consumer demand for cheap power increasing, the natural gas industry is looking to our National Forests as the next frontier for production. No region of the country is immune from the potential damage caused by natural gas fracking, but a lack of environmental regulations has left our National Forests and the clean water they produce extremely vulnerable. One of the most important mandates of the U.S. Forest Service, indeed, one of the reasons it was established in 1905, is to protect the nation’s supply of clean water. But you would never know that by the way the agency allows the natural gas industry to run roughshod over our public lands while threatening environmental activists with prosecution and jail time (visit our website, <http://www.fseee.org> www.fseee.org, to read more about FSEEE’s efforts to defend those who speak out about the dangers of fracking). Hydrofracking endangers our precious freshwater resources on many fronts. The process itself requires the use of huge amounts of water—a single well can use 5 million gallons—which is mixed with a slew of toxic chemicals. This noxious slurry is injected at high pressure into the ground where it can contaminate subsurface waters and reservoirs. And much of the chemical mixture returns above ground where fracking fluid endangers National Forest ecosystems when spills occur. A lack of consistent and effective disposal techniques often results in the remaining fluid ending up as pollutants in our streams and rivers. Current fracking practices are a risky proposition at best. Despite the threat that existing wells pose to water supplies, the Forest Service has failed to regulate fracking. At the same time, the natural gas industry denies ANY responsibility for the environmental contamination caused by fracking. The natural gas industry is powerful, and the Forest Service is complacent, but FSEEE is prepared to challenge this freewheeling experiment on every front. First, we must cease the development of new natural gas wells on those National Forests where the federal government owns both the surface occupancy and subsurface mineral rights. On these forests, the federal government has complete control over whether to issue fracking leases. The Forest Service makes leasing decisions about fracking during the planning process. FSEEE will monitor forest plans now being revised and insist that the Forest Service properly document the potential environmental hazards associated with fracking when completing the obligatory environmental reviews. There is no requirement forcing the Forest Service to open these lands to fracking, and FSEEE will ensure that the federal government prioritizes the protection of our public lands and waters over private profits. Second, we must ensure that regulations that protect human health and ecosystem integrity are in place when fracking on public lands does occur. Regrettably, fracking is already occurring on some of our public lands. That’s particularly true for the millions of acres of so-called “split estate” lands in the eastern U.S. where the Forest Service owns only the surface while the underground minerals are in private ownership. On these National Forest acres, the Forest Service can regulate industry’s access to its underground minerals, but it cannot deny access to them without condemning and paying for the underground oil and gas. But the Forest Service CAN regulate how the miners use the surface of these National Forests, including how they store and transport fracking fluids on Forest Service lands. This regulation is done through a “surface occupancy permit,” which companies must obtain before they can build access roads or start drilling. FSEEE knows that one of the best ways to ensure that environmental safeguards are implemented is to hold drillers responsible for any damage they cause. To date, the fracking industry has not been required to disclose the toxic stew of chemicals that are used in fracking under the claim that the mixture is a trade-secret. But the real reason they want to keep this chemical mix a secret is that when toxins show up in someone’s well, a town’s water supply or a nearby stream, no one is able to prove that fracking is at fault or which driller is responsible for the mess. Drillers claim that without proof a chemical contaminant came from their operation, they can’t be held responsible. FSEEE has been consulting with cutting-edge scientists to find ways to ensure that gas producers are held liable for any water pollution that results from this industry. In the coming year, FSEEE will be campaigning for a federal rule that requires oil and gas companies to include a non-toxic unique “tracer” in the fracturing fluids used to break up the underground shale rock. We will work to ensure that the Forest Service requires “tracer” use as a condition of getting a surface occupancy permit for natural gas development on National Forests. Tracers can pin liability on drilling companies, even if they refuse to disclose their fracking chemicals. If contamination occurs, a positive tracer will finger the culprit just like DNA can identify the perpetrators of crime. In fact, DNA is a possible tracer chemical because it is non-toxic and can be synthesized in an unlimited number of sequences so that each and every natural gas well can be identified individually. The tracer needs to be unique to each gas well, move with the fracking fluid underground and be readily detectable even at very small concentrations in water wells or streams. Several new technologies are being developed, but without a federal rule requiring industry to label its fracking fluid, none are likely to become commercially viable. A National Forest tracer rule for fracking would catalyze needed research and development in this field. Requiring that industry label its fracking fluids to avoid escaping liability for pollution is a sensible step to take. The National Forests were created to protect water quality and watersheds. To carry out that overriding mission, the Forest Service needs to cease fracking on those lands where they are legally entitled to do so. The Forest Service can and must say “no” to the big-money interests of the natural gas industry. The future of our forests and water resources are too precious to gamble on fracking. And where the Forest Service has no choice but to issue fracking leases, they must ensure that liability for any water pollution can be pinned squarely on the polluter. Tracer technology is the best guarantee that those who pollute our water are held accountable for damages and clean-up. We need your help to ensure that our National Forests and freshwater resources are safe from fracking. Please make a special contribution to FSEEE today. Your gift makes our work possible. Thank-you! Sincerely, Andy Stahl Executive Director P.S. Please see the “ Action Alert <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683124/1408143/b64/aHR0cDovL2Zz…> ” on our website and join us in demanding that the Forest Service hold the natural gas industry accountable when fracking results in environmental damage. P.P.S. You can contribute by sending a gift online using the "Donate Now" button below or by calling us at 541-484-2692. Thank you! <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683125/1408143/b64/aHR0cHM6Ly9k…> DonateNow P.O. Box 11615 | Eugene, OR 97440 US This email was sent to <mailto:blittle@citynet.net> blittle(a)citynet.net. 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1 0

from Saturday's Washington Post: : U.S. Forest Service mulls fracking in key national forest
by Paul Wilson 09 Sep '13

09 Sep '13

*U.S. Forest Service mulls fracking in key national forest<http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/QJTXP3/C57BVM/34JPBP/GKKSX6K/JEE4XO/…> * The decision will settle whether the drilling method may be used at George Washington National Forest. ( Darryl Fears, The Washington Post) -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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

1 0

FW: [WVHCBOARD] whistleblowers
by Frank Young 07 Sep '13

07 Sep '13

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia University is bringing whistleblowers to Morgantown to discuss the role they've played in environmental issues. A panel discussion is set for Sept. 18. Among the panelists is Rick Plitz, a former senior associate at the U.S. Climate Change Science Program who exposed White House censorship of reports on global warming in 2005. Also participating is Jack Spadaro, a former head of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy who reported attempts to whitewash an investigation into a Kentucky coal slurry spill. The third panelist is Wilma Subra, a Louisiana scientist who exposed misleading statements by the Food and Drug Administration that seafood harvested in the Gulf of Mexico was safe to consume after the 2010 oil spill. This event is being produced with the Government Accountability Project. _____ From: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Cynthia D. Ellis Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2013 10:31 PM To: West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Subject: [WVHCBOARD] whistleblowers WVU hosting environmental whistleblower forum http://www.wowktv.com/story/23366616/wvu-hosting-environmental-whistleblower -forum -- Cynthia D. Ellis RR 1 Box 163 Red House, WV 25168 304 586-4135 304 206-0083 [no service at residence] cdellis(a)wildblue.net "The wars of the twenty-first century will be fought over water." Ismail Serageldin, World Bank __._,_.___ <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwZzJyYmdrBF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjIwODIEc2VjA2Z0c gRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMzc4NjA3NDU1?act=reply&messageNum=22082> Reply via web post <mailto:cdellis@wildblue.net?subject=Re%3A%20whistleblowers> Reply to sender <mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20whistleblowers> Reply to group <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJkdjRkZjU1BF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDbnRwYwRzd GltZQMxMzc4NjA3NDU1> Start a New Topic <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/message/22082;_ylc=X3oDMTM1YW84MXZx BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjIwODIE c2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMzc4NjA3NDU1BHRwY0lkAzIyMDgy> Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD;_ylc=X3oDMTJkcDZoZnRhBF9TAzk3MzU5Nz E0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA3Z0bARzbGsDdmdocARzdGltZQ MxMzc4NjA3NDU1> Visit Your Group Working since 1967 for the conservation and wise management of West Virginia's natural resources <http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJjbGVnajNvBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwO DEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDZ2ZwBHN0aW1lAzEzNzg2MDc0NTU-> Yahoo! Groups Switch to: <mailto:WVHCBOARD-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Fo rmat:%20Traditional> Text-Only, <mailto:WVHCBOARD-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest> Daily Digest . <mailto:WVHCBOARD-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> Unsubscribe . <http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> Terms of Use . <mailto:ygroupsnotifications@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20r edesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> Send us Feedback . <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=108108/grpspId=1705064177/msgId= 22082/stime=1378607455> __,_._,___

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Fwd: E- the Environmental Magazine Piece on Fracking
by Paul Wilson 06 Sep '13

06 Sep '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 4:50 AM Subject: E- the Environmental Magazine Piece on Fracking To: Patricia Matejcek <patachek3(a)gmail.com> Cc: Alison Robb <nature(a)cape.com>, Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> *Concern Grows Over Fracking Public Lands*[image: wildlands]<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Y9hnx-fniUx3esXBMaf4IzrFvC9mVSxw3G7GWhbhworo…> On May 16, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced new rules for fracking - or hydraulic fracturing – on public lands that environmental groups say do not go far enough to protect public health. There are more than 1 million fracked wells across the U.S.… *Continue Reading »*<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Y9hnx-fniUx3esXBMaf4IzrFvC9mVSxw3G7GWhbhworo…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FW: WV Coal Association Chairman Files for Chapter 11 for Coal Company and Longview Power Plant
by Frank Young 31 Aug '13

31 Aug '13

_____ From: The Power Line [mailto:comment-reply@wordpress.com] Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2013 12:05 PM To: fyoung(a)mountain.net Subject: [New post] WV Coal Association Chairman Files for Chapter 11 for Coal Company and Longview Power Plant Bill posted: "I don't usually post about the WV coal industry, unless there is a connection to electricity issues. In the past week, just such a story dropped into my lap. WV Coal Association Chairman James Laurita, Morgantown coal baron, filed for Chapter 11 reorgan" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on The Power Line <http://s.wordpress.com/i/emails/blavatar-default.png> <http://calhounpowerline.com/author/ourlinksblog/> <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/08/31/wv-coal-association-chairman-files-f or-chapter-11-for-coal-company-and-longview-power-plant/> WV Coal Association Chairman Files for Chapter 11 for Coal Company and Longview Power Plant by <http://calhounpowerline.com/author/ourlinksblog/> Bill I don't usually post about the WV coal industry, unless there is a connection to electricity issues. In the past week, just such a story dropped into my lap. WV Coal Association Chairman James Laurita, Morgantown coal baron, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in federal bankruptcy court. <http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file- for-bankruptcy/> Here is a link to Ken Ward's post about the situation, including some very interesting links to the bankruptcy filing, in particular <https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/782015/keffer-affid avit.pdf> an affidavit filed by Longview CEO Jeffery Keffer. I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the situation after you read Mr. Keffer's affidavit. To me, the whole Longview project looks like one big charlie foxtrot from start to finish. Laurita is the current scion of the family that has owned MEPCo, a coal company that operates in the Morgantown area. It appears that MEPCo had no experience with operating a coal-fired power plant, but that is just what they contracted for in the 2000s. Remember that the 2000s were the go-go years of deregulated electricity. Suckers were pulled into the market by hucksters like Enron's Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. It appears that the Laurita family took the bait and ventured into a quagmire. They contracted with Siemans and Foster Wheeler, to international power plant giants, to build them a $2 billion plant with a rated capacity of only 695 megawatts. Those number alone indicate how crazy the scheme must have been. Laurita, of course, blames the contractors for all his problems. But that is just like a coal industry executive. And now everyone is suing everyone else. Throughout the bankruptcy filing, Laurita continues to claim that if the plant were working perfectly, his companies would be making money. Meanwhile, here in the real world, things are different. Here's how Mr. Keffer explains the current situation: 31. The Debtors' ability to manage through the challenges arising from the Contractors' Failures have also been affected by the current economic environment. Wholesale electricity prices have fallen significantly since construction on the Power Facility began in 2007 as a result of, among other things, the broader recession that commenced around that time, resulting in reduced electricity demand and substantial reductions in natural gas prices. Lower natural gas prices have been caused, at least in part, by the rapid expansion of natural gas production and natural gas inventories arising from the discovery of new shale deposits and the development of new extraction techniques. The presence of low-price natural gas reduces the variable costs of natural-gas fired power facilities and reduces the wholesale market price for all generators. Year-to-date, the average price per megawatt for electricity sold into the PJM on a day-ahead basis was approximately $33 per megawatt-hour-approximately 52 percent of the average power price forecasted for 2013 when construction began on the Power Facility in 2007. 32. Wholesale coal prices have also continued to fall as global markets face oversupply and as U.S. power generators have continued to shift away from coal fired technologies. The Debtors believe this shift results from, among other things, increased costs associated with environmental and regulatory compliance and pressures resulting from fierce industry competition with natural gas-fired power facilities. The coal industry as a whole has idled mines and reduced production in order to compete. 33. Moreover, the power generation and coal production industries are highly competitive on both a regional and national level. For example, Mepco does not compete solely with other regional mines, but also competes against national and international competitors that transport coal into the region. Similarly, Longview Power competes to deliver electricity to PJM against other coal-fired power generation stations as well as natural gas-fired power, nuclear power, and renewable energy, among other sources. This competitive environment has added anadditional layer of complexity to the Debtors' existing challenges. Translation: "We drank the kool-aid in the early 2000s and thought that Cheney would kill renewable power forever and that the Cheney administration would create the perfect environment for coal-fired generation." Instead of taking responsibility for making a $2 billion mistake, Keffer starts the next paragraph this way: 34. The Debtors, however, believe they can compete effectively once they are no longer hamstrung by the Contractors' Failures. As noted above, the Power Facility uses designs, equipment, processes, and technology that have made it one of the most efficient coal-fired power plants in the country-when the Power Facility can operate at full capacity. Note that "when" in the last sentence. That should be an "if." And we know that "if" is fantasy. The drop in demand is not the result of "the recession," but a long term trend, something acknowledged by everyone in the electricity business (except Mr. Laurita and Mr. Keffer). Early in his affidavit, Mr. Keffer states: "the Power Facility has only had a capacity factor of 68 percent since Longview Power took possession [in December 2011]." Hey, compared with other coal fired merchant plants in PJM, that 68% capacity factor looks pretty good. The current capacity factor for "steam" generators, almost entirely coal fired plants, in the most recent quarterly report by the PJM market monitor is 48.5%. The market monitor lists the Jan-June 2012 capacity factor for PJM steam generators at 41.4%. If Longview can't make money with a capacity factor significantly higher than other coal fired generators, their prospects for the future look grim, contractor problems or not. <http://calhounpowerline.com/author/ourlinksblog/> Bill | August 31, 2013 at 12:05 pm | Tags: <http://calhounpowerline.com/?tag=falling-demand> Falling Demand | Categories: <http://calhounpowerline.com/?cat=1> Uncategorized | URL: <http://wp.me/piwFb-1Tj> http://wp.me/piwFb-1Tj <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/08/31/wv-coal-association-chairman-files-f or-chapter-11-for-coal-company-and-longview-power-plant/#respond> Comment <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/08/31/wv-coal-association-chairman-files-f or-chapter-11-for-coal-company-and-longview-power-plant/#comments> See all comments Unsubscribe or change your email settings at <https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=973223b16743effc39ef5047389b30e8&email =fyoung%40mountain.net> Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: <http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/08/31/wv-coal-association-chairman-files-f or-chapter-11-for-coal-company-and-longview-power-plant/> http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/08/31/wv-coal-association-chairman-files-fo r-chapter-11-for-coal-company-and-longview-power-plant/ <http://wordpress.com> Thanks for flying with WordPress.com <http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=calhounpowerline.wordpress.com&blog=4 415465&post=7273&subd=calhounpowerline&ref=&email=1&email_o=wpcom>

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Fwd: Longview tumbling
by James Kotcon 30 Aug '13

30 Aug '13

FYI. JBK Begin forwarded message: From: Bill Bishop <bbish(a)austin.rr.com> Date: August 30, 2013, 9:32:27 AM CDT To: Oliver Bernstein <oliver.bernstein(a)gmail.com> Subject: tumbling Longview Power, MEPCO file for bankruptcyAugust 30, 2013 by Ken Ward Jr. ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/files/2013/08/longview.jpg ) Here’s today’s news from Longview Power and MEPCO: Longview Power, LLC today announced that it and certain of its affiliates, including Mepco Holdings, LLC and its affiliates, commenced Chapter 11 proceedings in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Both Longview and Mepco intend to operate their businesses as they continue to negotiate a chapter 11 plan with their lenders to de-risk their balance sheet. Longview ( http://www.longviewpower.com/ ), of course, operates a fairly new coal-fired power plant outside of Morgantown. And MEPCO’s CEO is James Laurita Jr., the chairman of the West Virginia Coal Association. There’s more background here ( http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/19/idUSWNA950020120619 ). Here’s the rest of their press release: When able to operate at full capacity, Longview’s 700 megawatt supercritical coal fired power generation facility is one of the most efficient coal-fired power plants in the country and has one of the lowest air emissions profiles of any such power plant. Construction failures and defects have prevented the power plant from operating reliably at its designed capacity. Longview’s Mepco affiliate and its predecessors have engaged in coal mining and processing operations in and around West Virginia for more than 50 years. Currently, Mepco owns or operates three active underground coal mines and one active surface mine located in northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. “After careful consideration of available alternatives, the Company determined that filing for Chapter 11 was a necessary and prudent step that allows us to strengthen and operate our businesses without interruption while continuing to restructure the Company’s balance sheet,” said Jeffery Keffer, CEO of Longview Power. “The Company has been in consensual negotiations with our senior lenders toward a Chapter 11 plan to maximize value; those negotiations remain ongoing. We remain confident that the Company and our lenders will reach an agreement on the terms of a Chapter 11 plan in the near term.” “I want to make clear that we will continue to conduct business as usual and our operations and employees will not be affected by the Chapter 11 filing,” Jim Laurita, Jr., CEO of Mepco added. “We will continue to provide our customers with the level of service they have come to expect from this great company and its employees. This is the best option the Company has to negotiate its balance sheet with the Company’s lenders.” The Company has filed customary, so-called “first day” motions to ensure the Company obtains the benefits of the Chapter 11 filing and continues to operate its business in the ordinary course and without interruption. The Company expects that these motions will be heard by the Court immediately after Labor Day and will continue to operate in the ordinary course in the meantime. Employees should expect that all payroll and benefits will continue as they have without interruption. The Company has engaged Lazard as its investment banker and Alvarez & Marsal North America, LLC as its restructuring advisor. The Company is represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, as primary restructuring counsel, and Dentons US LLP for all issues related to Longview’s pending arbitration proceedings. More Sharing ServicesShare ( http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300&username=xa-4d2b47597ad291fb )|Share on print ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file-… )Share on facebook ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file-… )Share on twitter ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file-… )Share on email ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file-… ) This entry was posted on Friday, August 30, 2013 at 9:19 am and is filed under Business ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/category/business/ ), Uncategorized ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/category/uncategorized/ ). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file-… ) feed. You can leave a response ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file-… ), or trackback ( http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2013/08/30/longview-power-mepco-file-… ) from your own site Bill Bishop 1415 Alameda Dr. Austin, TX 78704 512.428.9067 ( tel:512.428.9067 ) 512.636.9057 ( tel:512.636.9057 ) mobile www.dailyyonder.com -- Eitan Bencuya National Communications Strategist Sierra Club 202-495-3047 ( tel:202-495-3047 ) o 415-255-5521 ( tel:415-255-5521 ) m eitan.bencuya(a)sierraclub.org -- Kim Teplitzky Deputy Press Secretary, Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Pittsburgh, Pa 412-802-6161 (o) 267-307-4707 (c) skype: kim.teplitzky @kim_t

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Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Background: How Solar and EVs Will Kill the Last of the Industry Dinosaurs
by James Kotcon 29 Aug '13

29 Aug '13

I have been saying this for a year, now it looks like experts are saying it too. JBK ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Edward Mainland <emainland(a)comcast.net> Date: Sat, Aug 24, 2013 at 6:27 PM Subject: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] Background: How Solar and EVs Will Kill the Last of the Industry Dinosaurs To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)lists.sierraclub.org How solar and EVs will kill the last of the industry dinosaurs ( http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/how-solar-and-evs-will-kill-last-of-industr… ) By Giles Parkinson August 23, 2013 >From ReNewEconomy Several years ago, Tony Seba, an energy expert from Stanford University, published a book called Solar Trillions, predicting how solar technologies would redefine the world’s energy markets and create an investment opportunity worth tens of trillions of dollars. Most people looked at him, he says, as if he had three heads. That was possibly because the book was written before the recent plunge in the cost of solar modules had taken effect, and before most incumbent utilities had woken up to the fact that solar – even with minor penetration levels – was turning their business models upside down. Seba is now working on a new book, with even more dramatic forecasts than his first. His new prediction is that by 2030, solar will make the fossil fuel industry more or less redundant. Even more striking is his forecast that electric vehicles will do the same thing to the oil industry by around the same date. The predictions are made on the basis that the cost of solar and EV batteries will continue to fall, while the cost to consumers of sourcing energy from fossil fuels through the grid or liquid fuels will continue to rise. Before the decade is out, Seba says, both technologies will pass a tipping point that will eventually sweep the incumbents aside, just as technology and cost developments have done in the computer, internet, media, photographic and telecommunications industries. “I am incredibly optimistic that by 2030, nuclear, coal, gas, big hydro, and oil will be all but obsolete,” Seba told RenewEconomy in an interview in San Francisco last month. “The world will be mostly powered by solar and wind, and most new vehicles will be electric. The architecture of energy markets is going from centralized to distributed – in liquids and the electric market.” The working title for the book is “Disrupting energy – how Silicon Valley is making coal, nuclear, oil and gas obsolete.” It is pinned on the theme that decentralised generation and storage will replace the centralised, hub and spoke model that has prevailed for the last century. The impact of decentralised generation is already being felt. The striking part of Seba’s prediction is the speed with which it will happen. First, on the technology cost issue. For EVs, Seba says the success of Tesla – in sales and in reputation – has changed the conversation around EVs, particularly after it won the 2013 Car of the Year award. “Basically, EVs were supposed to be expensive and underpowered and weak and 50 years away. Tesla showed all that was wrong. The EV will do to oil what solar will do to coal, nuclear and gas. EVs are a disruptive technology, there is no doubt about that. “The propaganda says that it is too expensive and has little range. But if you look at the cost curve of batteries, even Detroit is saying that by 2020 lithium-ion batteries will be at $US200/kWh. “The tipping point for the mass market to move from internal combustion engines to EVs is between $US250 and $US300/kWh. Once it gets to $US100/kWh, it is all over. I think we will get to $US250/kWh by 2020. By 2030, when batteries are at $100/kWh, gasoline vehicles will be obsolete. Not on their way out, obsolete.” Seba thinks that mass migration will start around 2018 to 2020. On solar it is a similar story. “When I wrote my first book, a lot of people looked at me like I had three heads,” Seba says. “They thought I was way too optimistic because the conversation then was about grid parity for solar in 2060, or 2070. “And what you hear is the same thing we heard 20 years ago, that this is not going to happen, that it is difficult, that power needs specialised scale, that it can only be done like this. When in fact, over the last few years, a country like Germany has pioneered the move from a few dozen central power plants to more than a million producers. “Australia has done the same thing. Bangladesh has a million solar installations. So the poorest people in one of the poorest countries are adopting solar unsubsidised. Solar is already cheaper than grid – what people are paying for electricity – in dozens of countries already. And that is despite huge fossil fuel subsidies. “The sun is more democratic than any other source of energy. Coal is in pockets, gas is in pockets, oil is in pockets. The sun shines a little bit more in some places than others, but everyone gets sunshine. And the thing about solar, is that it can be built on a distributed basis.” Can solar really be built on a scale that would meet the bulk of the world’s electricity needs? Seba points to the computer industry, where he worked in the 1990s, and to the internet and telecommunications. All three were dominated by huge, centralised technologies. All three industries have been turned upside down by new “distributed”, or hand-held devices. He says the same thing will happen in electricity. “This is not in the future. We are going from big centralised power plants to decentralised generation, to decentralised storage, and to decentralised distribution. “It is just a matter of policy makers understanding this and making regulations appropriately. In India, about $30-40 billion goes to subsidise diesel. The grid there is already obsolete. It went down and 500 million people didn’t notice, because they are not on the grid. “If they stop subsidising diesel and put it into solar, they could bring 100 million people a year into solar. If all you do is stop subsidising diesel, you can, in five years, bring solar electricity to 500 million people who are not on the grid today. The biggest threat from all this radical change is to the traditional utility model, Seba says. “Utilities as we know them are over. They are the land line telephone companies of 20, 30 years ago. We will start using them as back-up, as world goes distributed and every house has solar, and factories do the same, and they are stuck with these stranded investments. “What they will try to do is to keep jacking up prices – which makes solar even more affordable. It will be this death spiral. You will see bankruptcies. Finally, it will not make sense. He says markets will be redesigned, and there will be huge opportunities for new companies – he dubs them the Ebays of the electricity world – that can aggregate and trade distributed production, and that can manage the process. “You will need a market, but instead of assuming 10 or 100 producers, you will need market that assumes million or tens of millions of power producers. So you will need some companies that can do that. Markets will get interesting – storing, trading etc. there will be huge opportunities for innovative companies. “And then you need to know how to manage energy without thinking about it. Most of us don’t know enough. We don’t know enough about cars. Why ask same of consumers for electricity. “So companies will do that – they will do that better than utilities do. The Nests, the Apples, Googles, Sungevity, and Suncity, are getting into the home, and getting trust of consumer. “Most consumers don’t trust utilities, but utilities don’t understand this, because they treat consumers like ratepayers. When you buy a car, or a shirt you are treated well. But in the electricity industry, you are not. “The big conversation is about solar panels, and storage and EVs, but that is just beginning of the conversation. We have so many other technologies that will change the way electricity is traded, used, stored. Utilities have no idea about that.” So, what could possibly go wrong? Well, policy will be critical, and right now the conservative right is lined up against renewable and disruptive technologies, and firmly on the side of the incumbents. Seba doesn’t understand why. “In ideological terms, there is no more libertarian energy source than solar. Why do libertarians, at least in the US, align themselves with conservative parties? “Why are they supporting coal and big refineries and power generation? Ideologically it makes no sense. Part of what is going on is an information war. $8 trillion can buy you a lot of information, and can help you spread a lot of misinformation. “ __._,_.___ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

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Check this out
by Beth Little 29 Aug '13

29 Aug '13

This is an old ad from when Exxon was Humble Oil (which became Standard Oil in the interim) - actually BRAGGING about melting glaciers. http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/what-would-the-humble-oil -ad-look-like-today.html

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Fwd: [fom] FW:] MANCHIN TO CHAIR CONGRESSIONAL FIELD HEARING ON THE FUTURE OF THE COAL INDUSTRY
by James Kotcon 28 Aug '13

28 Aug '13

Is anyone interested in organizing something? I'm available! JBK >>> Bill Price <bill.price(a)sierraclub.org> 8/28/2013 3:00 PM >>> Jim, See below. Maybe some activists can show up. Bill Price, Organizing Representative >>>>> >From Senator Manchin’s office: August 27, 2013 Contact: Jonathan Kott 202-228-1810 ( tel:202-228-1810 ) MANCHIN TO CHAIR CONGRESSIONAL FIELD HEARING ON THE FUTURE OF THE COAL INDUSTRY Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will host a Congressional field hearing in Morgantown, WV to examine the current state of coal-generated electricity in U.S. power markets and the challenges and opportunities the coal industry faces in the future. Senator Manchin serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. A list of witnesses will be available later in the week. Senator Manchin will be available before the hearing to speak with members of the media. WEDNESDAY, September 4 Participate in Press Opportunity before the Energy Field Hearing When: 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Where: West Virginia University’s Erickson Alumni Center, Kennedy Club Room (Room 102), One Alumni Drive, Morgantown. What: Senator Manchin will deliver remarks and take questions from the media regarding energy policy during this press opportunity. PLEASE NOTE: Members of the media who wish to cover this event, must RSVP to Deputy State Director Sara Payne Scarbro at sara_payne(a)manchin.senate.gov. Email Subject Line: FIELD HEARING. Will Host ENR Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Public Field Hearing _______________________________________________ CCC.justice mailing list CCC.justice(a)lists.citizenscoalcouncil.org http://lists.citizenscoalcouncil.org/listinfo.cgi/ccc.justice-citizenscoalc… -- Debbie Jarrell Co-Director Coal River Mountain Watch The outcome is the action as well as inaction of us all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SLu4FyUQjsQ

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from High Country News: New tech to trace fracking fluid could mean more accountability
by Paul Wilson 27 Aug '13

27 Aug '13

New tech to trace fracking fluid could mean more accountability Document Actions - Share this: - Like<http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/fracking-…> - Tweet<http://twitter.com/home?source=highcountrynews&status=New+tech+to+trace+fra…> - Tip Jar<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/fracking-technology-oil-and-gas-drilling-regu…> - Email<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/fracking-technology-oil-and-gas-drilling-regu…> - Print this - Comments (4)<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/fracking-technology-oil-and-gas-drilling-regu…> Tay Wiles<http://www.hcn.org/@@search?portal_type%3Alist=Blog+Post&Creator=taywiles@h…> | Aug 22, 2013 02:55 PM <http://www.hcn.org/@@search?portal_type%3Alist=Blog+Post&Creator=taywiles@h…> As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency comes under fire for abandoning studies that linked contaminated water to hydraulic fracturing, and oil and gas companies consider how to fix their public image around<http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/can-the-oil-and-gas-industry-fix-its-public-i…> the issue, states<http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovHickenlooper/CBON/1251611065764> are trying to figure out how much transparency to demand from the industry. Meanwhile, researchers are racing to find the most effective tracer to mix with fracking fluid that could dramatically change how the industry works. This fall, a company founded by scientists from Rice University in Houston will conduct a field test of a tracer made with what chemistry and materials science professor Andrew Barron believes is the key ingredient to success: nano rust. Barron and other researchers hope this tracer will settle once and for all whether oil and gas companies are damaging drinking water, and, in the event of contamination, allow communities to determine who – or what – is at fault. [image: pavilion.jpg] <http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/images-2/pavilion.jpg>A hydraulic fracturing site near Platteville, Colorado. “People (with contaminated wells) usually say (I know it was fracking) ‘because I’ve got methane in my water,’” Barron said. “(But) it’s difficult to discern whether it’s from one source or another.” With new tracer technology to help narrow it down, “It may turn out it was Halliburton that contaminated your water, and in another case, it may turn out it’s the municipal dump that’s dumping into a stream that has ground water close to it.” For their field test, Barron’s company will mix nano rust particles into at least two million gallons of fracking fluid before pumping it into the ground for hydraulic fracturing <http://www2.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing> (a process that uses pressurized water, sand and chemicals<http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Hyd…> to break up rock and release gas underground). Texas-based Southwestern Energy will host the testing at one of their wells and has also funded some of Barron’s tracer research. When asked if that’s a conflict of interest, Barron asks where else he might be able to test his technology in the field. “It’s not going to be the EPA (to fund us). And I haven’t noticed Matt Damon giving me a research check recently,” he jests, referring to the actor-screenwriter whose so-so 2012 film*Promised Land* made Damon a target<http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/matt-damon-called-liar-by-pro-frackin…> for industry criticism. Barron, and FracEnsure, anticipate they may publish results from the field test in a Society of Petroleum Engineers<http://www.spe.org/unitedstates/> journal. Tracers that can already be used in fracking fluid today usually either dilute too quickly or rely on radioactive material, which isn’t a great way to test for contaminated water without contaminating it in the process. Barron says his nano rust solution is harmless, detectable at low concentrations and also lasts at least several weeks, and possibly more, making it easier to detect a slow-moving problem. Depending on the results, Barron hopes to have the nano rust tracer on the market within a year. He and his colleagues launched a company in 2011, FracEnsure, to use the nano rust product to provide a service for companies, state governments or individuals, in which they test water for contamination upon request. As far as costs go, that will depend on the market. “It’s not the dollar amount; it’s what percentage of the total cost of the well it is. We’re aiming that (the price for our tracer) should be far less than 10 percent of (the cost of) the chemicals" that the drilling company is already using. A second tracer company, BaceTrace, which popped up last year, is FracEnsure’s biggest competition so far. BaceTrace began as a research project out of Duke University, with grant money from the school, and also hopes to complete a field test before the end of the year. When CEO Justine Chow combined her biology undergraduate work with her curiosity to find a fracking fluid tracer during her graduate work, she came up with what she says may be the perfect solution: artificial deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. Just a thimbleful amount is needed for 7 million gallons, or 11 Olympic-sized swimming pools, of fracking fluid. BaceTrace Chief Technology Officer Jake Rudulph holds a small amount of DNA tracer. Photo by Jake Rudulph. Each tracer is a unique sequence, and each well will be assigned its own tracer, which allows a precise accounting of where the contamination came from. If a tracer assigned to well A shows up in an aquifer, that’s evidence that that well or a fracture in the rock linked to it is connected to that aquifer. If multiple DNA-based tracers come up in one sample of flowback water, or one aquifer, that means there’s an underground connection in the fractures between the wells in which the injection fluid for each gets mixed. “It would be interesting for the company to know that,” Chow says. “They’d probably be more productive if they didn’t spread fractures out so far.” The Duke team has already had several oil and gas companies express interest in the DNA tracer when it’s available. This interest raises the question: If these tracers have the potential to show that a project is contaminating a community’s drinking water, then why are these companies chomping at the bit to try it out? “This technology is another way for our industry to add a level of transparency to what we do and gain the public’s trust,” Christina Fowler, a spokesperson for Southwestern Energy writes in an email. Where lawsuits arise over contamination, the tracers will help plaintiffs support claims that their water has in fact been contaminated by local oil and gas development as opposed to other causes, and on the flip side, would help defendants – which Southwestern has been in the past<http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/new-lawsuit-filed-in-fracking-cou…> on this issue – prove they’re not the source of the pollution, Fowler says. In line with improving public trust, the new technology could help regulators sidestep trying to require companies togive away the specific ingredients<http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2013/03/21/legislation-would-have-fracking…> in their fracking fluid, which the industry often regards as proprietary information. There’s a chance company leaders may be more willing to let an outside party trace their fluid than they are to give away their specific formula for fracking fluid. Yet whether these new technologies will ultimately be useful in holding the oil and gas industry to a higher standard of accountability hinges on whether tracer tests have adequate safeguards to ensure companies do not manipulate results. Both FracEnsure and BaceTrace are working out the kinks and considering applications outside the oil and gas industry. It takes a couple of days to test water samples in a lab to determine whether they contain a tracer, Chow says; she’s hoping to develop the technology to be instantaneously detectable in the field. And water management and the agriculture industry might also benefit from a reliable tracer technology, in order to better understand how various water sources interact underground. “If the general public and the states have the information, then you can make a decision,” about whether to continue or begin drilling in certain locations, Barron said. “Irrespective of which direction you come from, the information is important.” *Tay Wiles is the online editor of *High Country News. *Follow her on Twitter @taywiles. Platteville, Colorado photo from Mark Udall Flickr.* -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: more on frack win
by Paul Wilson 26 Aug '13

26 Aug '13

not sure how this might relate to WV fracking..... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Edward M Dobson <edobson(a)iglide.net> Date: Fri, Aug 23, 2013 at 9:09 PM Subject: more on frack win To: CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS(a)lists.sierraclub.org *Excerpt: * * * *“[Winning bidder company] **currently holds no legal interest in the properties.” * ** *Interesting setback for industry. Tim DeChristopher must be talking to his publisher.* ** * - Ed* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS list, send any message to: CONS-AWL-RESILIENT-HABITATS-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 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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Fwd: Lead Debate vs. Fracking Debate
by Paul Wilson 22 Aug '13

22 Aug '13

fyi, looks like it might be helpful for the Fracking folks and should be linked on the WV-fracking website. best, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, Aug 21, 2013 at 8:13 AM Subject: Fwd: Lead Debate vs. Fracking Debate Remember when the oil industry was forced to phase out leaded gasoline? Until that time in the early-1970s, oil companies spent decades denying that lead was harmful and attacked the researcher who probed it to be a harmful neurotoxin. Sound familiar? See this terrific piece in The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/19/fracking-debate-lead-pet… - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM list, send any message to: CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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from ScienceDAily e-newsletter: How shale fracking led to an Ohio town's first 100 earthquakes
by Paul Wilson 20 Aug '13

20 Aug '13

How shale fracking led to an Ohio town's first 100 earthquakes<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/WDM…> Posted: 19 Aug 2013 07:27 AM PDT Since records began in 1776, the people of Youngstown, Ohio had never experienced an earthquake. However, from January 2011, 109 tremors were recorded and new research reveals how this may be the result of shale fracking. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Colbert on Gag Oder
by James Kotcon 19 Aug '13

19 Aug '13

----- Original Message ----- From: dsborowiec(a)aol.com To: dsborowiec(a)aol.com Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 12:58 PM Subject: Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert Report: Hallowich family story about fracking makes national news If you have not seen this, it is worth a look. If you have, pass it on. JBK ----- Original Message ----- From: dsborowiec(a)aol.com To: dsborowiec(a)aol.com Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 12:58 PM Subject: Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert Report: Hallowich family story about fracking makes national news Hyperlink below is a wonderful and hilarious blasting of Range Resources, and support for the Hallowich family ordeal, on the Colbert Report. If you have not seen this, prepare to laugh as Stephen Colbert makes fun of fracking and Range Resources. Using humor to show what a bully Range Resources is to local residents who oppose them. http://m.comedycentral.com/colbertnation_video.rbml?id=the-word---gag-gift&… ----- Original Message ----- From: dsborowiec(a)aol.com To: dsborowiec(a)aol.com Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2013 1:29 PM Subject: use THIS link for the Colbert Report on the fracking "Gag Gift" - Hallowich gag order settlement sorry, the other link isn't working properly today.. this one loads correctly.... http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/428642/august-15-201…

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The Social Cost of Carbon
by James Kotcon 18 Aug '13

18 Aug '13

Here are some economics on the "Social Cost of Carbon" which is what the emissions of carbon dioxide actually cost us. As explained in the link below, EPA already uses these numbers as part of their estimates of the costs and benefits of various energy regulations. (Would WV ever consider doing so?) Also, the "cost" is not a specific number, but one that varies largely depending on two factors: 1) the year in which emissions occur; and 2) the "discount rate" (roughly analogous to the interest rate or rate of inflation predicted to occur in the future, i.e., the future value of a dollar). EPA uses a range of rates to provide a range of predicted values for the benefits of damages avoided for a given amount of carbon emissions reductions. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/EPAactivities/economics/scc.html The Union of Concerned Scientists has a recent editorial explaining some of the rationale and issues regarding the recent update to the SCC. http://blog.ucsusa.org/the-social-cost-of-carbon-setting-the-record-straigh… Compared to the values used by AEP and FE during the power plant transfer cases, these values from EPA are much higher. Enjoy. JBK

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Pipeline Break in Wetzel County
by James Kotcon 18 Aug '13

18 Aug '13

Is it just me, or do we see an unusual streak of candor in DEP admitting that they won't go in to sample until pollution levels have already dissipated? JBK http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201308170011#.UhC4bMv5reg.email --- This message was sent by jkotcon(a)wvu.edu via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses. To stop receiving any emails from AddThis, please visit: http://www.addthis.com/privacy/email-opt-out?e=blcTCRYWGg0XIg4UDEwcBgw

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter; Mountaintop mining pollution has distinct chemical signatures
by Paul Wilson 16 Aug '13

16 Aug '13

Mountaintop mining pollution has distinct chemical signatures<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/Nt-…> Posted: 15 Aug 2013 10:36 AM PDT Three elements commonly found at elevated levels in an Appalachian river polluted by runoff from mountaintop coal mining have distinctive chemistries that can be traced back to their source, according to a new study. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FirstEnergy's EE practices
by James Kotcon 13 Aug '13

13 Aug '13

I just ran across this article in an e-mail from last week. I had heard some of this before, but putting it all together like this is pretty interesting. Would it be a good idea to start highlighting how bad First Energy is at efficiency, and urge the PSC to get independent contractors to do EE? This may be useful in both preventing a repeat of these kinds of problems, as well as creating the perception that some type of EE program is inevitable. This may all be moot if some kind of settlement gets agreed to, or we might apply it to the EE Stakeholder/Phase II process, which would be going forward in either case. Perhaps something like this could turn into a WVNS story? Whaddya Tink? Jim Kotcon On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 1:26 PM, Vanessa Pierce <vanessa.pierce(a)sierraclub.org> wrote: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-a-utilitys-shady-business-o… How a Utility’s Sketchy Efficiency Practices Could Be Costing Ratepayers More Than $400M Is FirstEnergy “hiding” efficiency on its books to the detriment of ratepayers?ADAM JAMES: JULY 12, 2013 FirstEnergy is one of the nation’s biggest investor-owned utilities, and it has a big problem. Efficiency investments, required by statute in the state of Ohio since 2008, mandate that utilities such as FirstEnergy make investments in saving energy. These efficiency targets are good for customers, who will save billions ( http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/energy-efficiency-target-could-… ) of dollars over the lifetime of the investments. However, these same investments could hurt the bottom lines of vertically integrated utilities, which profit from selling electrons and building new electrical infrastructure as customers use more energy, instead of less. Efficiency programs are a clear example of the tension between what’s good for customers and what’s good for utilities. In some cases, utilities are adjusting their business models to account for these changing market dynamics. However, there are still companies that are engaging in business practices to avoid or mismanage efficiency investments. These practices have a real price tag, to the tune of millions of dollars, as customers miss out on opportunities to save energy and lower their bills. Exploiting Loophole Savings: $368 Million In 2008, a law was passed requiring FirstEnergy to help customers save energy. FirstEnergy still had no efficiency programs lined up ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=bbf7c580-3147-42d3-a94…. ) by the middle of 2009, so in a scramble to meet its end-of-year goals, it proposed ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=e9546cf4-f4b7-420b-8fb… ) purchasing and hand-delivering 3.75 million 100-watt equivalent compact florescent light bulbs, two per customer in their territory, for a cost of $21 per customer. This is about three times what those bulbs would cost ( http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/firstenergy_light_bulbs… ) at a retail store such as Home Depot. Despite opposition from interested stakeholders, the commission approved ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=5ffa3899-2740-4cae-975… ) the programbefore ( http://www.toledoblade.com/Energy/2009/10/10/Concerns-voiced-over-mercury-i… ) public backlash ( http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/light_bulbs.htm ) derailed ( http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20091007/FREE/910079967 ) it. FirstEnergy later sold the bulbs at a discount through retailers. Again behind on implementing an industrial efficiency program in 2011, FirstEnergy created ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=0d57b475-28de-4088-807… )an incentive program for its industrial customers. These overly lucrative incentives led to the three-year budget for the program being depleted ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/CaseRecord.aspx?Caseno=09-1947&link=DIVA ) in less than eight months as many projects went forward that perhaps shouldn’t have, before the company finally lowered incentives. These actions stranded contractors ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=410b8b5a-c8d8-401b-a71… ) who had lined up to complete these projects across the state. "Going in, of course, we couldn’t predict how popular the program would be, but its success did not diminish opportunities for our customers to participate in other energy efficiency programs. We did not turn projects away based on savings achieved through the mercantile program," said FirstEnergy's senior spokesman Christopher Eck. Overall, FirstEnergy has invested less in efficiency than other utilities. A good example: FirstEnergy invested approximately as much in helping residential customers save energy between 2009 and 2012 as Dayton Power & Light, a utility that is one-quarter ( http://www.puco.ohio.gov/emplibrary/files/util/MktMonitoringElecCustSwitchR… ) the size of FirstEnergy. In addition, FirstEnergy has shown compliance by relying heavily on a loophole that allows it to count existing efficiency projects at large consumer facilities toward its total. These “loophole savings” accounted for over 50 percent of its total claimed savings, compared to18 percent ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=55b65ebb-0700-492a-bb8… ) from American Electric Power and 18 percent ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=267ab02e-5247-47b9-b04… ) from Dayton Power & Light and Duke. FirstEnergy’s reliance on loophole savings between 2009 and 2012 displaced new energy efficiency projects that would have reduced customer energy bills $253 million over time -- instead raising customers’ energy bills by at least $115 million by offsetting new energy-efficiency projects. “If we could truly implement these programs in the way that they were meant to, electricity prices would fall and homes and businesses would receive some much-needed financial relief," said Dan Sawmiller, senior campaign representative with Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. Weak Capacity Market Bids: $39 Million Every year, PJM holds a ( https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/fecorp/about.html )capacity auction ( http://www.pjm.com/~/media/markets-ops/rpm/rpm-auction-info/2016-2017-base-… ) to secure enough resources to meet electricity demand three years in advance. The payments that all the generators receive are based on the capacity price, which is set by the most expensive marginal resource needed to meet demand. FirstEnergy ( https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/fecorp/about.html ) witnessed a stunning 56 percent decrease in capacity prices in the PJM auction ( http://www.pjm.com/~/media/about-pjm/newsroom/2013-releases/20130524-pjm-ca… ). The next day, FirstEnergy’s share price dropped 6.5 percent. As a utility with 20,000 megawatts of generating capacity, FirstEnergy benefits from higher capacity prices. Every megawatt of capacity clearing in the auction creates more revenue for the company, and the more expensive the last marginal generating unit is, the more it gets back across its whole portfolio. This year, the clearing price in its territory fell from $357 per megawatt-day to $114 per megawatt-day, which translated to a massive financial hit to the company. On the other hand, lower capacity prices were good for customers, who are paying less to have their electricity needs met. FirstEnergy was partially responsible for the lower prices that hurt them. The company bid in 75 percent of the projected energy savings it will achieve before the delivery year, which applied downward pressure on capacity prices in the auction. In other words, since total demand was lower, more expensive generators were edged out, making the clearing price that is paid to all the resources lower as well. So while FirstEnergy stands to collect $6.9 million on efficiency from the auction, it will likely lose quite a bit more than that on other generators in its portfolio. FirstEnergy didn’t bid the energy efficiency into the market voluntarily. It was required by the Public Utility Commission to do so, in part to help “lock in” commitments, since making the bids into capacity markets requires delivery or a risk of being fined. The end result was good for customers, but not great for FirstEnergy. Remarkably, the story took another turn last month, as a last-minute amendment by Senator Seitz (R-Green Township) in the Ohio statehouse would have required the state public utilities commission to renegotiate the terms of the efficiency commitments with FirstEnergy. If FirstEnergy succeeded in lowering its efficiency requirements during the negotiations, the company could risk being hit with a fine by PJM for reneging on its auction bid -- with the bill ultimately being footed by FirstEnergy’s customers. The amendment did not pass. This isn’t the first time the capacity markets have been home to some shady business. Last year, FirstEnergy’s Ohio distribution utilities could have bid around 360 megawatts of energy efficiency into the 2015/2016 auction. Instead, they only bid one-fifth or one-sixth of that, and ultimately only 36 megawatts cleared in the auction. This could potentially hurt customers in three ways. First, they missed out on the payments from efficiency bids that could be used to offset the costs of making the investments, which in this case would have amounted to $39 million in additional revenues going toward paying off the efficiency upgrades. Second, consumers could be forced to pay for power plants they do not need, since demand is lower but the market has no way to recognize it. Third, in some cases this can lead the overall clearing price to be much higher than it could have been -- and customers will pay those extra costs. Fortunately, because the marginal unit in that auction wouldn’t have been displaced with a full efficiency bid, these last two outcomes didn’t materialize. But that will not always be the case. Upon reaching out to FirstEnergy, the utility correctly pointed out that this analysis assumes that all 360 megawatts would be eligible in the PJM region and that it owned the resources. "It would have been irresponsible for the company to bid projected savings into the auction for years in which it had no approval to run energy efficiency programs. If we had we done so and the savings had not materialized, the price our customers would have paid for generation service could have been much higher. The savings we bid into the auction reflected actual savings that had already been installed and that the company owned," said FirstEnergy's Eck. However, FirstEnergy did not take any steps to ensure that it had ownership of the resources, and there were a significant amount of credits it left on the table. "Our PUCO-approved program met all applicable laws and regulations and we’re proud of its success," said FirstEnergy's Eck. Former Commissioner Cheryl Roberto’s dissenting opinion ( http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/TiffToPDf/A1001001A12G18B41251E34808.pdf ) points this out, stating that “the burden is on the Companies [FirstEnergy] to demonstrate that its actions are aligned with both its own interests and those of its customers. [...] The information in our record is insufficient to find that the Companies dedicated sufficient resources to reliability.” In fact, this is one reason that the Commission ordered FirstEnergy to require ownership as a condition of participating in its programs the following year. Electricity prices have fallen in Ohio by 1.4 percent since passing efficiency standards. But that's just a small portion of what could be realized if utilities offered up the full amount of energy efficiency on their books. *** GTM Editor Stephen Lacey contributed to this story. Adam James is a Research Assistant for Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress and the Executive Director of the Clean Energy Leadership Institute ( http://cleanenergyleaders.org/ ). You can email him at ajames(a)americanprogress.org and follow him on Twitter @adam_s_james. Tags: capacity market ( http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tag/capacity+market ), energy efficiency ( http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tag/energy+efficiency ), firstenergy ( http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tag/firstenergy ), ohio ( http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tag/ohio ), ratepayers ( http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tag/ratepayers ), utilities ( http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tag/utilities ) Vanessa Pierce Eastern Regional Director, Beyond Coal Campaign Sierra Club | 50 F Street NW | Washington DC 20001 Tel: 202-675-6691 (w) 801-652-5151 (c)

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Fwd: Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic In Groundwater Near Fracking Sites
by Paul Wilson 10 Aug '13

10 Aug '13

This is from the Huffington Post. Click on the photo or articles title. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 7:15 AM Subject: Fwd: Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic In Groundwater Near Fracking Sites To: Alison Robb <nature(a)cape.com>, Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com>, Becky Bartovics <bartovi(a)earthlink.net> fyi Begin forwarded message: *From: *Patricia Matejcek <patachek3(a)gmail.com> *Date: *August 10, 2013 12:14:12 AM EDT *To: *CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG *Subject: **Fwd: Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic In Groundwater Near Fracking Sites* * * ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: HuffPost Green <dailybrief(a)huffingtonpost.com> Date: Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 3:43 PM Subject: Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic In Groundwater Near Fracking Sites ** Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic In Groundwater Near Fracking Sites GREEN <http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/URGdfSuomE…> [image: Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic In Groundwater Near Fracking Sites]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: t]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> [image: f]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> Study Finds High Levels Of Arsenic In Groundwater Near Fracking Sites<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: A Growing Sense of Urgency]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: t]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> [image: f]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> A Growing Sense of Urgency<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: Is The Antarctic Ozone Hole Causing Warming?]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: t]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> [image: f]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> Is The Antarctic Ozone Hole Causing Warming?<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> ------------------------------ Creationists, Climate Change Deniers Rebuffed In Kentucky<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: t]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> [image: f]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> Continue reading<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> Raging Wildfire Forces 1,800 To Evacuate<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: t]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> [image: f]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> Continue reading<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> <http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> <http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> <http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> ------------------------------ [image: A Reality Show With Depth: Live Ocean Exploration]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> A Reality Show With Depth: Live Ocean Exploration<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: t]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> [image: f]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> Continue reading<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> ------------------------------ [image: Philippe Cousteau And Others Push Major Marine Initiative]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> Philippe Cousteau And Others Push Major Marine Initiative<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> [image: t]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> [image: f]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVwKcJSYX…> Continue reading<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> ------------------------------ [image: Advertisement]<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/UgVvwuYQyd…> ------------------------------ Received this from a friend? Sign Up<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/Tn0BZ78g-_…>for alerts from The Huffington Post Forward<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/forward/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/bd…> • Unsubscribe<http://link.huffingtonpost.com/oc/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/5bc6d74…> Huffington Post, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 <http://link.huffingtonpost.com/51d26d8465dfa34d7a8a5e2c13tm8.mep/TKnXbiKfgo…> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM list, send any message to: CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Royal Dutch Shell: They've Really Got a Friend in Pennsylvania
by Beth Little 10 Aug '13

10 Aug '13

Here's a sterling example of corporate/political corruption in fracking. Royal Dutch Shell: They've Really Got a Friend in Pennsylvania By Walter Brasch <http://thedemocraticdaily.com/author/brasch/> | <http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2013/08/10/royal-dutch-shell-theyve-friend-pe nnsylvania/> August 10, 2013 - 7:55 am | by Walter Brasch Royal Dutch Shell, which owns or leases <http://www.shell.us/aboutshell/projects-locations/appalachia.html> about 900,000 acres in the Marcellus Shale, had a great idea. It wanted to frack the Ukraine. But, there was opposition. So, Royal Dutch Shell decided to create a junket for some of the Ukrainians opposed to fracking to show them just how wonderful fracking is. They were going to bring the Ukrainians to northeastern Pennsylvania, and give them an all-expenses-paid four day tour. The tour was to begin at the end of July. Other shale gas corporations have created press junkets, where they lay out a nice day or two of activities, complete with handouts, trinkets, meals, and lodging. Members of the establishment press often go on these junkets. Some take what they're told, rework it, and put it into print or on the air. Now, the people of the Ukraine anti-fracking movement aren't idiots. They weren't just going to take whatever they were shown and told. So, they contacted the state's leading fractivists and anti-fracking organizations. They wanted to learn all the facts-not just what was spoon-fed to them. They were willing to talk to anti-fracking activists when there were no other scheduled activities. But Royal Dutch Shell was monitoring FaceBook and the Internet, and saw that the Ukrainians were trying to talk to the grassroots movement in Pennsylvania to get all sides of the issue. What a company with solid PR would do would be to just deal with it-and hope that its side could be presented, and the people would make reasonable decisions. But, Royal Dutch Shell, apparently, has some rather lame six-figure income PR people and administrators. Royal Dutch Shell decided it didn't want to deal with having any opposition to its PR tour. So, the company that has about $360 billion in assets-and made about a $27 billion profit last year, placing it No. 1 on the Fortune 500 list-cancelled the tour less than a week before it was to begin. But the story doesn't end with a cancelled press junket. Royal Dutch Shell is embedded into Pennsylvania politics. The foreign-owned company was thinking about building an ethane cracker plant about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. A cracker plant takes natural gas and breaks it up to create ethylene, primarily used in plastics. Royal Dutch Shell considered placing the plant beside the Ohio River in Pennsylvania, Ohio, or West Virginia. All three states were interested, but Pennsylvania held out the most lucrative corporate welfare check for the company, which had spent <http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?id=e01&year=2012> $14.5 million in lobbying during 2012, about 10 percent of all lobbying costs for all gas and oil corporations. The Pennsylvania legislature handed over a 15 year exemption from local and state taxes, apparently without consulting local officials <http://publicsource.org/investigations/potter-township-forgotten-player-bri nging-shell-oil-pa> in Beaver County's Potter and Center townships. Tom Corbett, who never met a gas driller he didn't like, then approved a $1.65 billion tax credit over 25 years, tweeting <http://triblive.com/news/2008446-74/jobs-state-plant-permanent-shell-indust ry-corbett-numbers-tax-billion#axzz2DbxQ6ptB> , "A crackerplant would create up to 20,000 permanent jobs in Southwest PA." The reality is considerably lower. Shell stated it planned to hire only 400 to 600 persons; because of the location, many new employees would probably be Ohio and West Virginia residents. Even if all possible indirect jobs-including more low-wage clerks at local fast food restaurants-were added, the most would be about 6,000-7,000 employees. Pennsylvania may have been able to attract the plant without giving up so much corporate welfare. A Shell news release <http://www.shell.us/home/content/usa/aboutshell/media_center/news_and_press _releases/2012/03152012_pennsylvania.html> stated the company "looked at various factors to select the preferred site, including good access to liquids rich natural gas resources, water, road and rail transportation infrastructure, power grids, economics, and sufficient acreage to accommodate facilities for a world scale petrochemical complex and potential future expansions." Even then, Shell said it could be "several years" before construction would begin. At the proposed location, the Horsehead Corp., which signed an agreement with Shell to sell the land, has until April 30, 2014, before Shell could begin construction. Corbett may have believed that extending corporate welfare to Royal Dutch Shell was just good business, and would spur job creation and the economy. But, there is another probability for his generosity, and it's both personal and political. Dory Hippauf's "Connecting the Dots" series <http://commonsense2.com/2011/12/naturalgasdrilling/connecting-the-dots-the- marcellus-natural-gas-play-players-part-1/> explains why Corbett may have been so generous with extending tax credits and subsidies, and it begins with billionaire Terrance (Terry) Pegula, who sold <http://www.forbes.com/profile/terrence-pegula/> East Resources to Royal Dutch Shell in 2010 for $4.7 billion. East Resources, according to <http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article326485.ece> reporting in the Buffalo News, had "a less-than-stellar track record in the environmental dicey business of drilling for natural gas." Terry and Kim Pegula donated <http://marcellusmoney.org/company/shell> $280,000, and Shell donated <http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor_details.phtm l?&c=123883&i=33&s=PA&y=2010&summ> about $358,000, to Corbett's political campaign for governor. As governor, Corbett appointed Pegula in March 2011 to the newly-formed Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, which was loaded with pro-fracking energy company executives prior to being disbanded after fulfilling Corbett's vision to produce a pro-industry report. The story continues at Penn State, where the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research (MCOR) announced that with funding provided by General Electric and ExxonMobil-which donated a combined $2 million to Penn State, the University of Texas, and the Colorado School of Mines-it would offer a <http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/03/gas_drilling_industry_pa ying_p.html> "Shale Gas Regulators Training Program." The Center had previously said it wasn't taking funding from private industry. However, the Center's objectivity may have already been influenced by two people-Tom Corbett, who sits on the university's board of trustees, and Terry Pegula. Hippauf made a few more connections. Pegula, a Penn State graduate, is full owner of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Penn State had Division II ice hockey teams that played in a 1,350 seat stadium. That would change. In September 2010, Penn State announced that Pegula and his wife, Kim, donated $88 million, the largest individual gift in Penn State's history, to fund a world-class 6,000-seat ice hockey arena; the men's and women's ice hockey teams would now become Division I athletics; the arena will be completed this Fall. While understanding a person's motives is difficult, it's possible the Pegulas wanted to do something nice for Penn State. It's also possible they saw Penn State as a feeder school to the NHL, especially the Sabres. There is also another possibility. On the day Pegula gave the money to Penn State, he said <http://onwardstate.com/2010/09/18/pegula-marcellus-shale-development-good-f or-students/> , "[T]his contribution could be just the tip of the iceberg, the first of many such gifts, if the development of the Marcellus Shale is allowed to proceed." So, now we have connections between Penn State, a billionaire with connections to Penn State and Pennsylvania's governor, and the world's largest gas and oil multi-nation corporation, which has substantial holdings in Pennsylvania-and is afraid to allow Ukrainians to hear about the negative effects of shale gas drilling. [Dr. Brasch's latest book is Fracking Pennsylvania <http://www.greeleyandstone.com/mediaroombooks/frackingpennsylvania.html> , an in-depth look at the effects of fracking upon health, the environment, and the economy; he also discusses the politics of fracking. The book is available at www.greeleyandstone.com <http://www.greeleyandstone.com/> , amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookstore.] http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/10/1230262/-Royal-Dutch-Shell-They-ve- Really-Got-a-Friend-in-Pennsylvania# <http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/10/1230262/-Royal-Dutch-Shell-They-ve -Really-Got-a-Friend-in-Pennsylvania> http://themoderatevoice.com/185340/royal-dutch-shell-theyve-really-got-a-fri end-in-pennsylvania/comment-page-1/ http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2013/08/10/royal-dutch-shell-theyve-friend-pen nsylvania/ http://www.laprogressive.com/royal-dutch-shell-fracking/

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] TIME highlights Beyond Coal in article on climate change as a public health issue
by Paul Wilson 09 Aug '13

09 Aug '13

fyi, for those of you who are not on this SC list. paul w ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mary Anne Hitt <maryanne.hitt(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 9:08 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] TIME highlights Beyond Coal in article on climate change as a public health issue To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org Greetings Beyond Coal team, Check this out - TIME has a new article about the power of focusing on the public health impacts of climate change, and they cite the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign as the prime example of the environmental movement doing it right. This is a testament to the great work you've all been doing, and to your efforts nationally and locally to build meaningful partnerships with health professionals. Kudos! Mary Anne http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/08/rebranding-climate-change-as-a-public… Public Health <http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/public-health/> Rebranding Climate Change as a Public Health Issue Why medical professionals may be the best messengers for global warning right now By Courtney Subramanian<http://healthland.time.com/author/courtneysubramanian/> @cmsub <http://www.twitter.com/cmsub>Aug. 08, 20135 Comments<http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/08/rebranding-climate-change-as-a-public…> - - - - - - inShare1 - Read Later<http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/08/rebranding-climate-change-as-a-public…> To most people, climate change <http://topics.time.com/climate-change/> means melting snowcaps and helpless polar bears sweltering under escalating temperatures. But most of the world’s populations aren’t likely to see an iceberg in their lifetimes, much less a stranded polar bear in the wild. Which explains why the dangers of these environmental changes haven’t exactly earned high priority on most people’s list of attention-worthy crises. (Does anyone remember Al Gore <http://topics.time.com/al-gore/>’s $300 million We Campaign<http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1837761,00.html>?) The politicization of climate change — the never-ending debate over whether it exists, for example, and the ensuing back-and-forth over its causes, its implications and potential solutions — further discourages the public from action. But what if climate change were instead about an increase in childhood asthma, or a surge in infectious diseases, or even an influx of heat-induced heart attacks? Would that hold more resonance for the average citizen of the world? That’s what some climate change experts are hoping, as they steer the conversation about global warming<http://topics.time.com/global-warming/> toward the public health issues it raises. Last week, the journal *Science* featured a special <http://www.sciencemag.org/site/special/climate2013/> issue <http://www.sciencemag.org/site/special/climate2013/> on climate change and included a study on the complex yet growing connection between global warming and infectious diseases. *MORE:* Infectious Disease Could Become More Common In a Warmer World—Especially for Plants and Animals<http://science.time.com/2013/08/02/infectious-disease-could-be-more-common-…> According to a recent study<http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10584-012-0513-6.pdf>, framing global warming as a public health issue rather than as an environmental or national security one produces the most emotionally compelling response among people, since it focuses on the immediate implications a warmer climate could have on people’s lives. This strategy also has the benefit of providing a sense of hope that the problems can be addressed and avoided, if people take action early enough. Matthew Nesbit, co-author of the study, says such positive actions are critical for communicating the importance of climate change to a broader and more diverse proportion of Americans who may not care about environmental issues. “It’s easy to become fatalistic about the problem,” he says. “You have to give them a sense of hope that they can become part of something that addresses the problem.” For example, tying the frequency of extreme weather events, such as last year’s devastating Hurricane Sandy, widespread wildfires or the recent summer heat waves to global climate change can help people to appreciate the immediacy of the problem. As people deal with the public health consequences of such events — from floods to contaminated water to heat-related illnesses — the impact that environmental events have on health starts to hit home. To exploit this potential, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a Climate and Health Program in 2009, and associate director George Luber has been advising 16 states as well as New York City and San Francisco officials, on regional climate change problems and the public health issues they entail. (*MORE: *States Show Improvements but Remain Unprepared for Public-Health Emergencies<http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/27/states-show-improvements-but-remain-u…> ) The Obama administration also seems to be getting the message. In an energy speech in June at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the President laid out his plans for climate change. Speaking in the midst of a blistering heat wave that was roasting the Northeast, Obama called on policymakers to readdress global warming and implement new pollution standards. And he emphasized that such action was necessary not only to preserve the planet, but also our health. “Don’t tell folks that we have to choose between the health of our economy or the health of our children,” he said as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. “By simply having him put those two words in his speech makes an enormous difference in people recognizing that it’s a public health problem,” says Dr. Georges Benjamin, director of the American Public Health Association (APHA). By re-branding global warming as a health issue, the administration is hoping to bypass the political quagmire that has kept climate change initiatives such as regulating greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants or passing renewable energy standards from being implemented. Earlier this month, the White House chose to honor medical and environmental professionals in its Champions of Change<http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/07/12/protecting-human-health-changing-…> program, for their efforts in “protecting public health in a changing climate.” (*MORE: *Fighting Climate Change by Not Focusing on Climate Change<http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2085220,00.html#ixzz2bEErBpj2> ) But even Champion of Change recipient Gary Cohen, co-founder and president of global non-profit Healthcare Without Harm <http://www.noharm.org/>, says that the re-branding will require the backing of medical professionals, who serve as the hubs of education for raising community awareness about the health consequences of climate change. That’s why Healthcare Without Harm, for example, is trying to transform the healthcare industry into a greener sector — encouraging hospitals to adopt more environmentally friendly energy resources and waste management practices — and informing medical professionals about the close connection between climate change and medicine. “Healing is their core mission,” Cohen says. “It’s the one sector of the economy that has an ethical framework that underpins it.” Sabrina Mccormick, an environmental documentary filmmaker and sociologist at George Washington University, agrees that doctors have a unique role that can transcend political differences. “[The public is] kind of attuned to their expertise and we really care about what they say,” McCormick says. “They have a potential for an impact that scientists may not have.” Indeed, a 2012 Gallup poll<http://www.gallup.com/poll/159035/congress-retains-low-honesty-rating.aspx> found that the American public ranked nurses with the highest honesty rating (85%) while doctors placed third with 70%. That’s why anti-smoking advocates, for instance, focused on educating medical professionals to quit smoking first before addressing the greater public. Cohen believes doctors can do the same for climate change as long as they are prepared and educated to lead by example as environmentally responsible stewards. And they have reason to be hopeful. The environmental group Sierra Club was successful in doing just that with its “Beyond Coal<http://content.sierraclub.org/coal/>” campaign, which shut down coal power plants in several states by eliciting the help of local stakeholders, including physicians, who informed local residents about the respiratory problems that the plants triggered among its workers and children in the area. (*MORE:* ’Coal Kills Every Day’: Michael Bloomberg Pledges $50 Million to Fight the Coal Industry<http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2084476,00.html> ) It’s also encouraging that more physicians, particularly newly minted ones, are inclined to join in the climate change conversation. The American Medical Association has hosted state-based courses on climate change since 2011 <http://www.amednews.com/article/20110404/opinion/304049959/4/>, educating doctors about how to prepare for and respond to climate-related illnesses and injuries. In May 2011, the journal* Lancet* hosted a worldwide symposium on climate change and health concerns, drawing international experts to discuss the health implications of a changing climate while the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has since shifted its efforts to focusing on the health concerns emerging from global warming after winning the Nobel Peace Prize for its 2007 report<http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_ipcc_fourth_assessmen…> . Such efforts to embed awareness into medical training are important, says Nesbit and other experts, since the re-branding is not about spin as much as it is about changing the type of dialogue people have about climate change. “You’re creating the context and the relationship around which people are discussing, interacting and bumping into information about climate change,” he says. For instance, he says pediatricians may start to explain how higher regional pollen counts, which may be contributing to their patients’ asthma and allergies, could be due in part to changing climates that boost pollen production of trees. And the timing may also be right for such conversations as well. With unemployment now below 7%, coupled with the frequency in extreme weather, people may be more inclined to accept public health efforts aimed at reducing their exposure to potentially costly health problems that might be emerging from changing patterns in the global climate. Among young voters, a new poll found<http://www.lcv.org/issues/polling/recent-polling-on-youth.pdf> that 79% were more likely to vote for a candidate who supports taking action on the issue, regardless of the candidate’s party. (*MORE:* Dengue Fever Creeps Back Into the U.S. — and Climate Change Isn’t Helping<http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/10/dengue-fever-creeps-back-into-the-u-s…> ) The hope is that seeing climate change as a health issue will spur more people into pushing for environmental reforms, but that’s still a big ‘if.’ “My biggest concern is that like many things in prevention, people might want to put it off,” says Benjamin. “We don’t have 20 years to wait like the tobacco campaign. Every year we wait puts us behind the eight ball, and I think it’s important to move that message.” Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/08/08/rebranding-climate-change-as-a-public… -- Mary Anne Hitt Director, Beyond Coal Campaign Sierra Club Twitter <http://twitter.com/#!/maryannehitt> | Blog<http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/coal-director/> 304-876-7064 (w) | 540-239-0073 (c) www.beyondcoal.org -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: EPA Fracking Cover Up?
by Paul Wilson 06 Aug '13

06 Aug '13

somebody with Fracking experience want to check this out? David is a SC member in Massachusetts and this was posted to the Club's COAST-OCEAN-FORUM. best, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 8:11 AM Subject: Fwd: EPA Fracking Cover Up? To: Alison Robb <nature(a)cape.com>, Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Cc: Dan Proctor <dproctor(a)post.harvard.edu>, "Woll Jr. Woll" < ewoll(a)sandw.com>, Becky Bartovics <bartovi(a)earthlink.net> fyi Begin forwarded message: *From: *Patricia Matejcek <patachek3(a)gmail.com> *Date: *August 6, 2013 3:51:58 AM EDT *To: *CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG *Subject: **Fwd: EPA Fracking Cover Up?* * * Wanted to make sure you saw this and signed ~ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sarah Alexander, Food & Water Watch <act(a)fwwatch.org> Date: Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 2:03 PM Subject: EPA Fracking Cover Up? Last week, there was breaking news from EPA whistle-blowers that in 2012 the EPA abandoned an investigation of fracking-related water contamination in Dimock, Pennsylvania after an EPA staff member raised the flag that it was likely caused by fracking¹. There's an unfortunate trend here, because they've also abandoned their fracking-related water contamination investigations in Pavillion, Wyoming² and Weatherford, Texas³. This is unbelievable, and totally unacceptable. Will you join me today in calling on President Obama and his new EPA administrator Gina McCarthy to immediately reopen these investigations and deliver safe drinking water to the residents of these communities while the investigations commence?<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/R?i=egZWsTPol7SnKCbtRCiDsQ> Thanks for taking action, Sarah Alexander Deputy Organizing Director Food & Water Watch act(at)fwwatch(dot)org ________________ 1. Internal EPA report highlights disputes over fracking and well water<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/R?i=EaDKPGChiqXx05jT7yJgbQ>. LA Times, July 27, 2013. 2. EPA Drops Fracking Probe in Wyoming<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/R?i=gapXuEGo-WOnCYNRITCTSg>. Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2013. 3. EPA halted 'fracking' case after gas company protested<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/R?i=K1kUzAAtToHJ1rIQ-l_x-Q>. USA Today, January 16, 2013. ------------------------------ *Sent by Food & Water Watch to patachek3(a)gmail.com * Donate: https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Donation2?df_id=1040&1040.donation=form1<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/R?i=qRRIdagK3zEA0t-AftwcQA> Contact us: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/about/contact-us/<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/R?i=NTulgC0n2nw_h04hUrJ2Gw> Visit us online: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/R?i=jplniXpIWoch-kELvUBjmQ> Unsubscribe: https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/CO<http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/CO?i=fqOPrwbrMk2h6Fw1TSKntXj0EWbIp0Zi…> Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink. Food & Water Watch, 1616 P Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 • (202) 683-2500 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM list, send any message to: CONS-WPST-COASTOCEAN-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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FW: DEP Public Notice - Comment period begins on draft TMDLs in Monongahela River Watershed
by Frank Young 02 Aug '13

02 Aug '13

-----Original Message----- From: dep.online(a)wv.gov [mailto:dep.online@wv.gov] Sent: Friday, August 02, 2013 4:55 PM To: fyoung(a)mountain.net Subject: DEP Public Notice - Comment period begins on draft TMDLs in Monongahela River Watershed The following was sent to you because you are a Member of the DEP Public Notice mailing list. =========================================================== Friday, August 2, 2013 @ 4:53 PM =========================================================== The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announces a comment period and public meeting on draft Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired streams in the Monongahela River watershed. A Total Maximum Daily Load is a plan of action used to clean up streams not meeting water quality standards. Each of the streams under TMDL development has been identified as violating state water quality standards and the federal Clean Water Act requires TMDL development for them. The pollutants addressed in this project are acidity (pH), total iron, total manganese, total selenium, dissolved aluminum, chlorides and fecal coliform. After consideration of public comments, DEP will submit final draft TMDLs to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval. A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., August 20, 2013 to present a general discussion of the TMDL development process and to answer questions regarding the proposed TMDLs. The meeting will be held at Fairmont State University in the Falcon Center, Conference Room 3, Room 303, 2101 Locust Ave., Fairmont, WV. Parking is available to guests on the third floor of the parking garage across from the Falcon Center. The DEP invites public comment on all aspects of the draft TMDLs. The comment period begins August 2, 2013 and extends through September 3, 2013. Written comments may be submitted by U.S. Mail, electronic mail, and fax. The preferred form for comment submissions is e-mail or disk in order to expedite the review and response process. Written comments should be postmarked no later than September 3, 2013. Comments should be sent to: Steve Young, ATTN: Monongahela River TMDL Comments West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection 601 57th Street Charleston, WV 25304 E-mail: stephen.a.young(a)wv.gov The TMDLs will be available for review by close of business August 2, 2013 on DEP's webpage: www.dep.wv.gov/tmdl CDs may also be obtained by calling Steve Young at (304) 926-0495, TTY 711 (304) 558-2751. =========================================================== To view past notices of open public comment periods or to unsubscribe from this Mailing List, login at: http://apps.dep.wv.gov//MLists2/

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West Virginia Seeks "Reset" on Coal With EPA
by Frank Young 02 Aug '13

02 Aug '13

West Virginia Seeks "Reset" on Coal With EPA Greg Stotelmyer , Public News Service-WV http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/33778-1 Join the discussion: facebook.com/PublicNewsService <http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService> Twitter: @pns_news <http://twitter.com/#!/pns_news> @pns_WV <http://twitter.com/#!/pns_WV> Google+: plus.to/publicnewsservice <http://plus.google.com/106260479325451709866> (08/02/13) CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was briefed Thursday by a West Virginia delegation about the impact the agency's new policies could have on the state's coal industry. The Obama administration is moving to limit carbon emissions from new power plants. Politicians and industry leaders who attended the 45-minute meeting said EPA administrator Gina McCarthy was receptive to their concerns. "And, I really think that we are going to have the opportunity to hit the reset button and begin a dialogue that hopefully encourages coal to be a part of the president's energy plan going forward," said Tim Miley, the Democratic speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates. West Virginia is the third-largest energy producing state. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin also attended the meeting. He maintains the EPA's policies are overzealous and have led to the closing of coalmines and power plants. But environmental groups back the direction the EPA is heading. "We've never been entirely satisfied with the EPA," said John McFerrin, secretary of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. "But we're more satisfied now than at some times in the past. And, they certainly do not need to be reined in." U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia called the meeting a very respectful, direct and productive discussion about how the EPA's policies have hurt the coal industry. "If anything just trying to prohibit the use of the product we're depending on," he said. "That makes no sense whatsoever. And, I told them that the war on coal is not an optical illusion, it was real." Manchin said the delegation invited McCarthy, who is in her first week as administrator of the EPA, to come to West Virginia to see first hand the impact of the agency's decisions. McFerrin disagrees with how Manchin characterizes the situation. "By any meaningful definition, it isn't a war on coal," he said. "The proper way to look at it is, the dealings and industry that has gotten to do whatever it pleased for the last, oh, forever and if not getting to do everything that you want to do is your definition of war, then I suppose it is." Click <http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/33778-1> here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/33778-1 --- To be removed from this list please send an e-mail to remove(a)publicnewsservice.org <mailto:remove@publicnewsservice.org?subject=remove> and put the word "remove" in the subject line.

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WV NEWS SERVICE
by Frank Young 30 Jul '13

30 Jul '13

For several years Public News Service (locally known as WV News service) has been a voice for progressive reporting of news. Its local affiliate- WV News Service (http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/state/WV ) - has financial support from WV Highlands Conservancy and other state organizations. And its West Virginia reporters are always on the lookout for and begging for the kinds of news articles that are of interest to you and me. Just click on the above link for a sample of the kinds of news coverage they offer. Let's try to make use of this valuable service. And it costs us nothing unless we decide to voluntarily offer fiscal support to WVNS. Frank Young _____ From: Public News Service [mailto:outreach@publicnewsservice.org] Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2013 1:23 PM To: fyoung(a)mountain.net Subject: "Mem-Ben-Ar" - Member Benefits Webinar! 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First Energy's plant closures-Pittsburgh Post-gazette
by James Kotcon 25 Jul '13

25 Jul '13

Yesterday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a great story on what some are calling the FE fiscal train wreck. To summarize, FE is foundering in deregulated states, and is counting on the TrAILCo transmission line and the Harrison transfer to bail out the company. How do we use this? "Since FirstEnergy Corp. announced its $4.7 billion acquisition of Greensburg-based Allegheny Energy Inc. in February 2010, the Akron, Ohio-based buyer has said it will close seven of the 10 coal-fired power plants that it picked up in the purchase. FirstEnergy also is looking to sell two-thirds of its hydropower assets, much of which came from Allegheny Energy. So what was the company thinking?"Full story is at: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/region/firstenergys-plant-closure… JBK

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Fwd: Final Draft of letter for First Energy stakeholder meeting
by James Kotcon 23 Jul '13

23 Jul '13

For those who want to know what we are for, in terms of EE, this excellent letter gives fairly specific details of what we want. I will be presenting this to the FE Stakeholder meeting tomorrow. It has my name on it, but Jeff Loiter and staff at Optimal Energy did all the technical writing, and I corrected some minor grammar. (I really like having staff!) I especially like all the commercial & industrial program suggestions for EE. The Sierra Club is not always known for being business-friendly, so this is a great twist to bring to the table. Enjoy. JBK P.S. I am not sure this is intended to be a public document yet, but once FE gets it in their hands, it is unlikely we will keep the genie in the bottle. >>> Mark Kresowik <mark.kresowik(a)sierraclub.org> 7/23/2013 3:49 PM >>> Attached is a final draft of the memo formatted as a letter from us to First Energy before the stakeholder meeting. Please review ASAP so Jim can print copies for the stakeholder meeting tomorrow. Zack, once we have sign off, can you also email a copy to Mr. Jack tonight? Mark

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Beginning to monetize the real value of PV in WV
by James Kotcon 23 Jul '13

23 Jul '13

A fascinating perspective on solar power in WV. Enjoy. JBK Beginning to monetize the real value of PV in WV ( http://groups.google.com/group/wva-sun/t/55155c416c8a8885 ) Bill Howley <billhowley(a)hughes.net> Jul 22 10:37AM -0400 I have attached a copy of a new study out of Carnegie Mellon that begins to monetize the impact of renewable power on the actual displacement of fossil fuel power in different parts of the US. PV is particularly valuable in the heavily coal dependent PJM and MISO regions. Because PV in WV directly displaces coal-fired power, the health benefits, expressed in the study in monetary terms are among the highest in the US. Here's an example from the report: Solar panels in Indiana, Ohio, or West Virginia achieve significant health and environmental benefits by displacing coal-fired generators. Despite a poor solar resource, a 1-kW PV panel in Ohio provides $105 in health and environmental benefits per year ($75/MWh)---15 times more than the same panel in Arizona. Remarkably, if the goal is to improve air quality and human health, Arizona and New Mexico are among the worst locations for solar. On the basis of this analysis, either a feed-in tariff or an SREC market that would provide PV producers with at least $75/MWh (one SREC) would be justified simply in terms of the health benefits we create for everyone in WV, including the rate payers that would be subsidizing the market or the FIT. Now we have a number to start with. There are some serious flaws in the study in its analysis of wind, but their PV analysis looks good. Here is my critique of the wind part of the study, as well as how the study was misinterpreted in the WaPo - http://calhounpowerline.com/2013/07/21/wapo-clueless-blogger-starts-well-en… -- *Bill Howley Research* -- PO Box 3 -- Chloe, WV 25235 -- 304-655-8255

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Life is Good
by Allan Tweddle 19 Jul '13

19 Jul '13

Jim Kudos for your editorial "Life is better". But if I may, I'd like to expand that to illustrate how government intervention through regulation has also improved our lives. First I should disclose that as a Canadian I was until my company transferred me to California, a member of the Progressive Conservative party there. While that party name may seem to be an oxymoron, the truth is it was a party dedicated to careful thoughtful progress while taking into consideration the lessons of the past, so “...we would not be doomed to repeat the mistakes!” That's a concept that the right wing in this country has abandoned...and sadly in Canada too. Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and even Ronald Ragan are undoubtedly spinning in their graves at the obstructionist no progress attitude of the GOP today. But I digress. As an engineer who has been challenged by air quality issues and opportunities for the last 50 years, I have seen time and time again how regulatory agencies pushed the technology envelopes and demanded cleaner air even when B.A.C.T* was not good enough or the technology beyond it was seemingly possible. Let me give you some examples. (*Best Available Control Technology) My father when I was a teenager, had a Cadillac. That car when new had a 90 day 4000 mile warranty and was lucky to get a 11 or 12 miles to the gallon. The California Air Resources Board, (CARB is the State’s primary air regulatory agency for mobile sources), recognizing scientifically the serious smog conditions in Southern California in particular were caused primarily by automobile emissions, began in the late 50’s, early 60’s, a process of demanding through regulations an improved control of emissions in vehicles. That process for the last 45 years has brought us today to automobiles that are 98% cleaner than they were when they started in 1968. During those efforts, CARB realized that requiring clean emissions in new vehicles was not enough. They then demanded that the automobile companies design and build vehicles so that the emission performance would exist for the first hundred thousand miles of the vehicle's life...assuming proper maintenance. The automobile industry fought them every step of the way. What’s the result? today’s vehicles are cleaner, far more efficient, and much better made. My wife’s 2009 Cadillac today has a six-year 100,000 mile warranty and we regularly achieve an average of 26.4 miles to the gallon. That's progress! Let me give you another example. As an engineer I was retained by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in Los Angeles to examine the economic impact of a more Stringent rule that they were proposing to eliminate, not reduce, but eliminate all volatile organic compounds from coatings on furniture. That meant eliminating what for many years ago we all remember was the smell of drying paint. It was the evaporation of the volatile organic compounds on the manufacture of new furniture and painting of architectural elements, that was clearly in the science based opinion of SCAQMD, contributing to the smog of Southern California. The furniture industry in Southern California, which at the time was the second-largest concentration of furniture manufacturers in United States, screamed bloody murder. Jobs! Economic chaos! You've all heard the mantra. They argued that not only were no such coatings available at the time, (and they weren't), but that if the rule was implemented the entire industry would either die or leave Southern California and go to Mexico where no such rules existed. SCAQMD set a goal of implementing the rule five years hence from its announcement. So it was the regulators who press the technology which, within four years, was successful. Through innovation, pressured by regulatory demands for cleaner air, VOC free coatings were made available before the fifth year arrived and are now the standard for those coatings today. These are just two examples I offer to show how we have made major progress in cleaning up the air we breathe by regulatory agencies, in other words the government, pressing for "dramatic change" by pushing the technological envelopes. These were not market forces that brought these changes about, but Government regulators acting with scientific evidence and thoughtful legislative support from both progressive and conservative legislators who demanded that "Life should be better" in California. Today Obama's Pressure for "dramatic changes" in coal fired power plants is certainly and scientifically justified. As we see all around us in West Virginia the serious health damages that are caused to citizens everywhere, we must ask, no demand, that nothing less than zero emissions be tolerated. Alternative energy sources are dramatically lower in emissions. Why should we tolerate anything less...except to protect coal company profits. And in spite of the deniers, it is now quite clear, we are by our in action and a century of the escalating emission of greenhouse gases causing serious damage to our planet. Why should we tolerate anything less than clean air and a safe planet for our grandchildren. While there may be an ER for citizens whose health is compromised by air and water pollution, there is no ER for the planet! Yes, "Life will be better" when we stop killing each other and our planet. And the irony, which has been shown so many times before, and as I pointed out in the examples above, the economic opportunities and advantages of cleaning up our act are clearly available once we reintroduce and embrace the concept of being Progressive Conservatives. Allan

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NYTimes.com: Pollution Leads to Drop in Life Span in Northern China, Research Finds
by william.depaulo 12 Jul '13

12 Jul '13

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Meshea Poore announces bid for Capito's seat
by James Kotcon 09 Jul '13

09 Jul '13

FYI. http://www.statejournal.com/story/22793964/kanawha-delegate-announces-bid-f… Also, a Gazette story this week suggested Glen Gainer was considering a run for McKinley's seat. Both would be outstanding candidates for us. JBK

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Re: [EC] Comments on air rules
by DSGJr＠aol.com 08 Jul '13

08 Jul '13

Great, Jim. Thanks for doing this. don garvin In a message dated 7/8/2013 9:04:15 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, jkotcon(a)wvu.edu writes: Attached are my draft comments. Most of the rules changes are technical updates. The only one I am seriously concerned about is the loophole for facilities to meet the "condensable" PM standards in 45-CSR-14. Please let me know if you have any concerns about these, as they are due by close of business today. JBK

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Comments on air rules
by James Kotcon 08 Jul '13

08 Jul '13

Attached are my draft comments. Most of the rules changes are technical updates. The only one I am seriously concerned about is the loophole for facilities to meet the "condensable" PM standards in 45-CSR-14. Please let me know if you have any concerns about these, as they are due by close of business today. JBK

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Fwd: Boston Globe: Opposition to Fracking Increases in New England
by Paul Wilson 05 Jul '13

05 Jul '13

FYI, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "David Dow" <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Jul 5, 2013 5:52 PM Subject: Boston Globe: Opposition to Fracking Increases in New England To: "Alison Robb" <nature(a)cape.com>, "Paul Wilson" <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com>, "Becky Bartovics" <bartovi(a)earthlink.net> Cc: Fracking opposition stepped up in N.E.<http://links.bostonglobe.com/t.do?id=553943:56920:AD07700B-551E-4EA9-9146-D…> Opposition to the drilling technique known as fracking is growing in New England as lawmakers consider banning it.<http://links.bostonglobe.com/t.do?id=553944:56920:AD07700B-551E-4EA9-9146-D…>

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Lawsuit challenges use of coal ash for remediating mine waste
by Frank Young 27 Jun '13

27 Jun '13

THE STATE JOURNAL Lawsuit tests use of coal ash for remediating mine waste Posted: Jun 26, 2013 2:50 PM EST Updated: Jun 26, 2013 2:57 PM EST By Pam Kasey Residents living near the LaBelle Refuse Site, a coal waste site located along the Monongahela River in southwestern Pennsylvania, are going to court over what they claim is illegal disposal of coal ash and treatment of coal mine waste. The Citizens Coal Council, a national alliance of citizens' groups, filed a <http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/news_reports/documents/2013_06_26_FIN AL_CCC%20Canestrale%20Complaint.pdf> legal complaint against Matt Canestrale Contracting Inc. on June 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Attorneys from the Environmental Integrity Project, Public Justice, and Goldberg, Persky & White P.C. representing CCC announced the lawsuit. Canestrale disposes of more than 100,000 tons per year of coal combustion residuals, or CCRs - commonly known as coal ash - from FirstEnergy's Mitchell plant and GenOn Energy's Elrama plant at an old, <https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Luzerne+Township,+PA&hl=en&ll=39.999479,-79. 970083&spn=0.032481,0.084543&sll=41.286062,-75.893555&sspn=4.077969,10.82153 3&oq=Luzerne+township,+PA&hnear=Luzerne,+Fayette,+Pennsylvania&t=h&z=14> unlined coal waste disposal site at LaBelle, Pa., on the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh. It's an activity FirstEnergy calls a " <https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/fecorp/newsroom/news_releases/first energy-announces-plans-to-beneficially-use-scrubber-materia.html> coal mine reclamation project" and CCC's attorneys call a "coal ash mine dump" - a difference of language that points to a gap, a still ill-formed gray area, in the ongoing dialogue about the disposition of CCRs. Electric utilities and coal producers like to mix alkaline coal ash with acidic coal mine refuse as a mine remediation technique. Both industries claim it's a mutually beneficial arrangement that makes good use of what otherwise would be alkaline power plant waste to solidify and neutralize coal refuse that otherwise would create acidic, polluting runoff and leachate. But citizens' and environmental groups point to evidence that the acidic and alkaline materials don't neutralize each other and the coal ash doesn't solidify, and that adding coal ash to coal refuse only increases the leaching of toxic substances. But there's not yet any clear regulatory guidance. The Environmental Protection Agency encourages beneficial re-use of any waste product for substances that are judged to be safe. For CCRs, that can mean, for example, re-use in cement block or in drywall. For CCRs that aren't re-used, the agency currently is in a long-delayed process of determining whether those that are disposed of should be regulated as hazardous waste or as household waste. But even that won't address the question of their use for coal mine reclamation. That is expected to be addressed by the federal Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement, possibly not until after the EPA's delayed rules are finalized. "One of the goals of this suit is to illustrate that we do need a good rule from OSM," said Public Justice attorney Richard Webster. The June 26 complaint alleges that Canestrale is violating the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and state laws designed to protect rivers and streams as well as laws that reduce fugitive particulate matter pollution. The refuse site is polluting local streams with high levels of sulfate, iron, manganese and other salts that damage fish and other aquatic life, according to suit. It also is leaking aluminum, manganese, sulfates and total dissolved solids into groundwater at levels that are above Pennsylvania drinking water standards. Fugitive particulate matter also blows from trucks hauling coal ash without required covers, the suit states. Concerns about pollution caused by the refuse site prevent local residents from hunting, fishing and engaging in outdoor recreation along the Monongahela River and its tributaries near the dump, the groups say. Canestrale currently is seeking the site's third permit renewal since it opened in 1998, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. And when FirstEnergy committed earlier this year to close its Little Blue Run coal ash impoundment at the West Virginia-Pennsylvania border by 2017, it announced that it would shift the disposal of 3 million tons per year of power plant scrubber waste to the LaBelle Refuse Site. The arrangement would have to be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the company said at the time.

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The Coal Lobby's Fight for Survival
by James Kotcon 27 Jun '13

27 Jun '13

>From the National Journal. Full story at: http://news.yahoo.com/coal-lobbys-fight-survival-060025322.html "The coal industry hopes that even if U.S. coal production shuts down, it could find salvation in overseas markets, by exporting coal to China and Europe. But Obama put the kibosh on that this week, too. He called on all world governments to end public funding for coal-fired power plants—a move the U.S. can enforce through its influence in organizations like the World Bank. "That definitely sent a signal that the U.S. doesn't support coal in the world," said Jennifer Morgan, an analyst with the World Resources Institute, a think tank." In the coming weeks, the {Coal Lobby} will roll out a new public-relations and lobbying blitz aimed at resetting its message and defusing antagonism with the administration. Instead of saturating Fox News with "war on coal" ads, the group will send Duncan on cable news and the editorial-board circuit to talk about coal's role in the economy and how to create a "path forward" for with new technology. Anyone want to speculate on what the efforts on coal exports will do? I have not followed that aspect of Obama's Climate Action Plan. And the key pitch of the story is that the Coal lobby will have to surrender the "War on Coal" rhetoric, and ask the Obama Administration for help, or it won't survive at all. Jim Kotcon

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Fwd: [CONS-EQST-WATER-FORUM] Study: Drinking Water Contamination Linked to Fracking, Horizontal Drilling | Common Dreams
by Paul Wilson 27 Jun '13

27 Jun '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 9:54 AM Subject: Fwd: [CONS-EQST-WATER-FORUM] Study: Drinking Water Contamination Linked to Fracking, Horizontal Drilling | Common Dreams To: Alison Robb <nature(a)cape.com>, Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com>, Becky Bartovics <bartovi(a)earthlink.net> fyi Begin forwarded message: *From: *John S Glenn <Johnsglenn(a)hotmail.com> *Date: *June 26, 2013 9:17:37 AM EDT *To: *CONS-EQST-WATER-FORUM(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG *Subject: **[CONS-EQST-WATER-FORUM] Study: Drinking Water Contamination Linked to Fracking, Horizontal Drilling | Common Dreams* * * *http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/25-4*<http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/25-4> Well, We all knew that years ago; what happens henceforth? Just guess. <snip> Published on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 by Common Dreams Study: Drinking Water Contamination Linked to Fracking, Horizontal Drilling Concentrations of methane in drinking water near gas wells six times higher than levels farther away - Andrea Germanos, staff writer <snip - more > John S Glenn 214 N 17th Street Fernandina Beach, FL 32034-2608 Home: 904-261-9468 Skype: 904-572-1812 Cell: 904-583-4128 OnStar 904-652-6897 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-EQST-WATER-FORUM list, send any message to: CONS-EQST-WATER-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/ -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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President's Climate Action Plan
by James Kotcon 25 Jun '13

25 Jun '13

>From the White House web page. The graphics are short on details, but he seems to have hit many of the key elements. http://www.whitehouse.gov/share/climate-action-plan JBK

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Fwd: CONFERENCE CALL TUES (Jun 25): Obama Climate Plan and the Sierra Club
by Jim Sconyers 24 Jun '13

24 Jun '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Julia Reitan" <julia.reitan(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jun 24, 2013 4:07 PM Subject: CONFERENCE CALL TUES (Jun 25): Obama Climate Plan and the Sierra Club To: <CCL-CHAPTER-CHAIRS(a)lists.sierraclub.org> TO: Chapter Staff and Volunteer Leaders FR: Office of Chapter Support: Julia Reitan, Gwyn Jones, Greg Casini Please join the call if you can! Obama Climate Plan and the Sierra Club Please join us at 9pm EST, 6pm PST Tuesday evening for a call with Michael Brune to report on the President's Climate Change Plan announcement and the Club's response. Mary Anne Hitt, Beyond Coal Campaign Director, will also discuss details of the anticipated announcement on power plant standards. There will be Q&A with Michael Brune and Mary Anne Hitt for questions submitted in advance or during the call via email. If you have specific questions please email them to michael.bosse(a)sierraclub.org ahead of or during the call. Please share this invitation with other members and supporters of the Sierra Club. Tuesday 9pm EST, 6pm PST 1-866-501-6174 2000001# -- Julia Reitan Director, Office of Chapter Support Sierra Club 85 Second St, 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 415-977-5597 julia.reitan(a)sierraclub.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CCL-CHAPTER-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CCL-CHAPTER-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] WEBINAR: Help Stop Toxic Water Pollution from Power Plants!
by Paul Wilson 18 Jun '13

18 Jun '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Becki Clayborn <becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 4:29 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] WEBINAR: Help Stop Toxic Water Pollution from Power Plants! To: #Coal-Volunteers <coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Help Stop Toxic Water Pollution from Power Plants! Join us for a Webinar on Thursday June 27th at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT <https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/160279351> EPA has proposed a rule that could end the dumping of toxic water pollution from coal power plants! Coal power plants are the source of nearly three-quarters of the toxic water pollution in this country, dumping millions of pounds of poisons into the water each year (ie: arsenic, selenium, boron, cadmium, mercury and lead) which in turn can affect our drinking water, fishing areas and local rivers and streams. The water pollution standards for coal plants are 31 years old, and 4 out of 5 plants lack any limits on the toxic metals they emit. This EPA rule is about to change that. This summer we will focus much of our field work on showing strong support for this standard to reduce toxic water pollution from coal plants. Our successful demonstration of public support for water standards on coal fired power plants will protect our communities from dangerous chemicals that can lead to birth defects, cancer and even death. To learn more about the toxic water pollution standard for power plants, and the activities that will help build support across the nation, please join us for this webinar on June 27 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 6pm MT / 5pm PT. Speakers will cover the details of the rule; how the rule will affect power plants, examples of activities and events in the works for the summer, and the next steps to take locally. There will also be a Q&A session at the end of the call. This call will be recorded for future viewing. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/160279351 *Title:* Help Stop Toxic Water Pollution from Power Plants! *Date:* Thursday, June 27, 2013 * Time:* 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. *System Requirements* PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Mac®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer Mobile attendees Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet -- Becki Clayborn Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Internal Capacities and Communications Coordinator Chicago, IL 312-251-1680 630-881-3480 (cell) -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ To sign up for this list, email becki.clayborn(a)sierraclub.org with the subject and message "SUBSCRIBE #coal-volunteer" --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: FW: DEP Public Notice - 2014 Proposed Legislative Rules Hearing Scheduled
by James Kotcon 14 Jun '13

14 Jun '13

>>> Angie Rosser <arosser(a)wvrivers.org> 6/13/2013 6:04 PM >>> Triennial Review Public Hearing on July 15, 6:00pm. Comment period ends July 29th. Next step: Angie will pull together draft comments and will circulate those next week for group review and editing. =========================================================== The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled public hearings for its 2014 proposed legislative rules for the Division of Water and Waste and Voluntary Remediation and Development Program. All three hearings will take place at the DEP’s Charleston headquarters, 601 57th Street S.E., Charleston, WV 25304. Oral and written comments will be limited to the proposed revisions and will be made a part of the rulemaking record. Copies of the rules are available from the Secretary of State’s office or from the DEP at www.dep.wv.gov/pio/Pages/Rules.aspx. You may also obtain printed copies of the information by calling the phone numbers listed below. Written comments may be submitted to the Public Information Office at the above address. Comments may also be e-mailed to DEP.Comments(a)wv.gov. The hearing date, location and time for all three rules are the same. The public record will be opened, comments will be taken, the record closed and then the next rule will follow. Division of Water and Waste Management 47CSR2 – Requirement governing Water Quality Standards The comment period for this rule ends July 29, 2013. 47CSR5A – Rules for Individual Certification of Activities Requiring a Federal Permit The comment period for this rule will end at the conclusion of the hearing. The public hearing for these rules will begin at 6 p.m., Monday, July 15 in the Coopers Rock Training Room. For more information on the Water and Waste Management Rules call 304-926-0495. Division of Land Restoration 60CSR30 – Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Rule The public hearing will begin at 6 p.m., Monday, July 15 in the Coopers Rock Training Room. The comment period will end at the conclusion of the hearing. For more information on the Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment rule call 304-926-0455.

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grad ass't. position Marcellus/birds
by Frank Young 10 Jun '13

10 Jun '13

Subject grad ass't. position Marcellus/birds http://www.osnabirds.org/Jobs/Ph-D--GRADUATE-ASSISTANTSHIP.aspx -- Cynthia D. Ellis RR 1 Box 163 Red House, WV 25168 304 586-4135 304 206-0083 cdellis(a)wildblue.net Thousands have lived without love---not one without water. ~W.H. Auden __._,_.___ <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwOWtxcTAyBF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjEzMzUEc2VjA2Z0c gRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMzcwOTEwNzgy?act=reply&messageNum=21335> Reply via web post <mailto:cdellis@wildblue.net?subject=Re%3A%20grad%20ass%27t%2E%20position%20 Marcellus%2Fbirds> Reply to sender <mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20grad%20ass%27t%2E%20positi on%20Marcellus%2Fbirds> Reply to group <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJkbWNwOTIzBF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDbnRwYwRzd GltZQMxMzcwOTEwNzgy> Start a New Topic <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/message/21335;_ylc=X3oDMTM1YjY5ZnBy BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjEzMzUE c2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMzcwOTEwNzgyBHRwY0lkAzIxMzM1> Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD;_ylc=X3oDMTJkN2txYWNwBF9TAzk3MzU5Nz E0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA3Z0bARzbGsDdmdocARzdGltZQ MxMzcwOTEwNzgy> Visit Your Group Working since 1967 for the conservation and wise management of West Virginia's natural resources <http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJjZDZtYmt0BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwO DEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDZ2ZwBHN0aW1lAzEzNzA5MTA3ODI-> Yahoo! Groups Switch to: <mailto:WVHCBOARD-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Fo rmat:%20Traditional> Text-Only, <mailto:WVHCBOARD-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest> Daily Digest . <mailto:WVHCBOARD-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> Unsubscribe . <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> Terms of Use . <mailto:ygroupsnotifications@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20r edesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> Send us Feedback . <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=108108/grpspId=1705064177/msgId= 21335/stime=1370910782> __,_._,___

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from today's Washington Post: Utilities, solar advocates battle over future rates
by Paul Wilson 10 Jun '13

10 Jun '13

*NATION* *Utilities, solar advocates battle over future rates<http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/8VXTM7/S3JJQR/ZZER1R/5OLO03/26HKVE/6…> * Distributed generation threatens century-old business model of electricity providers. ( by Lenny Bernstein , The Washington Post) -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: Webinar: Grid Integration of Wind Energy
by Paul Wilson 09 Jun '13

09 Jun '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: UCS Science Network <sciencenetwork(a)ucsusa.org> Date: Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 5:51 PM Subject: Webinar: Grid Integration of Wind Energy To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com [image: UCS Science Network] *Webinar on Wind Energy* Join UCS on June 19 for a webinar exploring the tools available for accommodating more wind energy while ensuring a reliable electricity supply. *Register for the Webinar Today<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=_KsYanSjl5Pq-3QnEDlmyw> * Related Links Ramping Up Renewables: Energy You Can Count On<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=y1SM6SifswZ0ou4XVJYMNw> Renewable Electricity Standards Deliver Economic Benefits<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=65Ri8EnQBDTu7UkP4NxR8Q> Renewables are Ramping Up to Notable Levels in the U.S.<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=MPszWD1UgIWQGo4m1wt64g> Tell A Colleague Please encourage your colleagues to sign up<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=uhsTGkiXrCY9ZWYiNM1Gng>and help increase our effectiveness in creating a healthy environment and a safer world. CLICK HERE<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=zvmTRz_yz39ESyFh-cqadg> . WEBINAR INVITATION June 19: Grid Integration of Wind Energy Dear Paul, In 2012, wind energy was the number one source of new electricity generating capacity in the U.S., beating out natural gas. Nine states now generate more than 10 percent of their electricity from wind. But what happens when the wind doesn’t blow? Join Steve Clemmer, director of energy research for the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Michael Milligan, principle researcher for the Transmission and Grid Integration Group at the National Renewable Energy Lab, for a Wind Powering America webinar exploring the tools available today for accommodating more wind energy while ensuring a reliable electricity supply. *Webinar: Grid Integration of Wind Energy<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=EX1zhLTT8mXy4F-OhUjvjA> * *Date:* Wednesday, June 19 *Time:* 3:00-4:00 p.m. EDT *Register for the webinar today.<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=TmDie0w7oQ0MUTijMVjFqw> * Sincerely, [image: David Anderson] Dave Anderson Outreach Coordinator Climate & Energy Program Union of Concerned Scientists The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. UCS is a 501(c)(3) organization. All gifts are tax deductible. You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely. <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=2O8cwVtVjwRl8GlHeq4hYA> Union of Concerned Scientists 2 Brattle Square Cambridge, MA 02138-3780 Phone: 800-666-8276<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=DhaoB8xevi2snvyPkbgVVA> Fax: 617-864-9405 <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=ARFSTJ6FFHVIyx_hjbnqzA> *ucsaction(a)ucsusa.org* <ucsaction(a)ucsusa.org> *www.ucsusa.org* <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=OX60MbzjKo9gg8PrPIpptQ> *About UCS* <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=BeMrGyOAfvwSSmLIhW0V3Q> | *Take Action* <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=4-R0Phh5P9c2z2rDoUFHqA> | *Donate * <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=nptdGl3ZURNO3SWSsqqmpQ> | *Contact Us*<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=n5_hmq_KAOLP2gpazWzkkQ>| *Privacy Policy* <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=i7wR3ih823423A5n1TpOjQ>| *Unsubscribe*<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/CO?i=WjTv4khtNRgrpTJ5_Pmx9CsZvLQX0lez&cid=178…>| *Update Your Profile*<http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=_j4JvKF6esfqL7B-Me0vKw> © Union of Concerned Scientists. All rights reserved. [image: powered by CONVIO] <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=RKir5KPFraKFF3NY3b4OuA> nonprofit software <http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=q7SxseaUTPNR7sDAmScJ1Q> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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Fwd: AlterNet: Sandra Steingraber on Pro-fracking Greens
by Paul Wilson 09 Jun '13

09 Jun '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 6:56 PM Subjec Pro-Fracking Greens Called Out in Ecologist Sandra Steingraber's New Manifesto <http://act.alternet.org/go/34336?t=17&akid=10540.278737.KYAI4r> By Jeff Biggers, YES! Magazine In a statement, ecologist Sandra Steingraber denounced Illinois’ new fracking regulations and described the need for a movement dedicated to abolishing fracking nationwide. READ MORE»<http://act.alternet.org/go/34336?t=18&akid=10540.278737.KYAI4r> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 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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