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Climate Denier Steve Milloy Now a Director at Coal Giant Murray Energy, On CPAC Global Warming Panel Today | DeSmogBlog
by Duane 08 Mar '14

08 Mar '14

http://desmogblog.com/2014/03/06/climate-denier-steve-milloy-now-director-c… Note: Murray Energy late last year purchased five of the largest coal mines in WV from CONSOL Energy, namely the Robinson Run mine in Harrison Co., the Loveridge mine in Marion Co., the Blacksville II mine in Monongalia Co., the McElroy mine in Marshall Co., and the Ireland mine in Ohio Co. The primary owner is Robert Murray of the Cleveland area who has a long history of controversy regarding employee relations, unions, government regulations, and public relations. Now look at this: ........... "Climate Denier Steve Milloy Now a Director at Coal Giant Murray Energy, On CPAC Global Warming Panel Today" March 6, 2014 BRENDAN DEMELLE The Junkman has a new job, and yet again it involves defending fossil fuels and attacking science. Steve Milloy, who long ago dubbed himself "The Junkman," is listed as Director of External Policy & Strategy, Murray Energy Corporation, in a description of a global warming panel happening Thursday afternoon at the CPAC convention in Washington. That means he’s now deploying his anti-science, climate denialist PR spin for the largest privately-held coal producer in the U.S., Ohio-based Murray Energy Corp. Milloy apparently hasn’t bothered to update his online biography with this new title, and he didn’t respond to questions from DeSmogBlog about his exact start date. But it appears that he took the job with the coal company led by controversial conservative coal baron Robert Murray at some point last year. *Update: A Murray Energy spokesperson confirmed with DeSmog that Milloy began employment at the company on October 15, 2013.* Milloy appears on the roster of attendees at a White House meeting last Halloween, according to an Office of Management and Budget meeting log from Oct. 31, 2013. Milloy, appearing on behalf of Murray Energy Corp, was part of the coal industry coalition pushing back against efforts to improve mine safety rules protecting workers from respirable coal dust that can cause black lung disease, according to documents supplied at the meeting. Last September, Milloy wrote about Murray Energy briefly on his JunkScience.com blog without mentioning any ties to the company. Perhaps he hadn’t joined Murray yet, or didn’t see reason to declare his position? (*See update above*) The CPAC global warming panel taking place today in Washington features a cast of climate confusionists apparently seeking to permanently sink the GOP’s reputation on scientific matters. Alongside Milloy, the CPAC panel features Heartland Institute’s Joe Bast, CFACT’s Marc Morano, CEI’s Marlo Lewis and Frontiers of Freedom president George Landrith. With one exception — CEO of Abundant Power Group, Shannon Smith, a conservative who acknowledged in a recent tweet that “climate change is a reality” — the rest of the panel is stacked with a denier dream team of veteran apologists for tobacco companies, the Koch brothers, the chemical industry and dirty energy interests. Last year, climate denial was all the rage among most of CPAC’s young conservative attendees. So the right-wing audience will probably continue to buy the snake oil that all but Smith will be selling. AFTER TOBACCO AND TOXIC CHEMICALS, "CLEAN COAL" A NATURAL FIT FOR MILLOY? Steve Milloy’s new employer, Murray Energy, is a company with a clear position on climate change – 100% denial of science and reality. Here is what Murray Energy spokesperson, Gary Broadbent, told the National Journal last summer: "There is no relationship between the utilization of coal and climate change," company spokesman 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." Robert Murray, the company’s founder and president, is clearly a climate denier who once referred to global warming as “global goofiness.” Bob Murray is also known for repeatedly lashing out with defamation lawsuits against journalists. His company Murray Energy is also a funder of the Heartland Institute, the Chicago-based right wing group known for its attacks on climate science and its outrageous Unabomber billboard. According to Heartland’s 2012 fundraising plan — an internal document published originally on DeSmogBlog in February 2012 —Murray Energy gave $100,000 to Heartland in 2010 and was expected to give $40,000 in 2012. WHO IS STEVE MILLOY? A BRIEF HISTORY Milloy, an infamous tobacco- and chemical industry-funded PR flack, was an author of the 1998 American Petroleum Institute “communications plan” to attack science and undermine international action on climate change. Written in conjunction with many right wing think tanks and fossil fuel companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron and Southern Company, the industry’s goal was to launch "a national media relations program to inform the media about uncertainties in climate science." The 1998 API memo noted the “current reality” the industry faced: "Unless 'climate change' becomes a non-issue, meaning that the Kyoto proposal is defeated and there are no further initiatives to thwart the threat of climate change, there may be no moment when we can declare victory for our efforts." Three of the groups represented on the 2014 CPAC global warming panel were listed on the 1998 plan as possible channels to deploy the industry money to attack climate science, Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), Competitive Enterprise Institute and Frontiers of Freedom: Potential funding sources and fund allocators (p. 8) - Potential funding sources were identified as American Petroleum Institute (API) and its members; Business Round Table (BRT) and its members, Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and its members; Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and its members; and the National Mining Association (NMA) and its members. - Potential fund allocators were identified as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), Competitive Enterprise Institute, Frontiers of Freedom and the Marshall Institute. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, AND POLLUTING Milloy has been a loud-mouthed attacker of climate science ever since, and proud of it. He told Popular Science in 2012: "There's really only about 25 of us doing this. A core group of skeptics. It's a ragtag bunch, very Continental Army. … I'm happy to be a denier." Like many other polluter operatives, Milloy has affiliations with a number of fossil-friendly think tanks in addition to his role at Murray Energy. He's listed as an adjunct scholar at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, senior policy fellow at the Energy and Environmental Law Institute, ‘expert’ at the Heartland Institute, the publisher and editor emeritus of JunkScience.com and president of the consulting firm Steven J. Milloy, Inc. He previously served as an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, director of Science Policy Studies at the National Environmental Policy Institute and more. He also formerly served as a blogger and occasional on-air commentator at FoxNews.com. Milloy has defended everything from cigarettes to Agent Orange to asbestos to PCBs and dioxins to … well, you get the idea. If you produce a deadly and dangerous product that needs defending, then Steve Milloy is your man. His business card might as well read "science denier for hire." Apparently, Murray Energy is the latest polluter to make the call to book the Junkman’s disinformation services.

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2014 NETL Carbon Dioxide Capture Technology Meeting
by Duane 08 Mar '14

08 Mar '14

Dear Colleague: You are cordially invited to attend the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory's 2014 CO2 Capture Technology Meeting on July 29 - August 1, 2014 at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 2014 CO2 Capture Technology Meeting will provide a public forum to present carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology development status and accomplishments made under NETL's Carbon Capture Program. Accomplishments from NETL's Advanced Combustion Systems Program will also be highlighted. This year's meeting will include projects from three primary technology areas (post-combustion, pre-combustion, and advanced combustion systems) and various stages of development (lab-scale, bench-scale, and small pilot-scale). Presentations of solvent, sorbent, membrane, oxy-combustion, and chemical looping combustion technologies, as well as systems studies and modeling, will be included. The meeting will have open registration so that in addition to researchers, participants may include employees of other government agencies, electric utilities, research organizations, business, and regulatory agencies at the Federal, State and Local levels. The Sheraton Station Square Hotel is currently holding a block of rooms for this meeting until Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at the government rate of $125.00 plus tax. For further information regarding the hotel, transportation/directions, and registration visit our website at: http://netl.doe.gov/events/co2-capture-technology-meeting For further information regarding the program content please contact David A. Lang at: U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory P.O. Box 10940 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236 Phone: (412) 386-4881 E-mail: David.Lang(a)netl.doe.gov For questions regarding conference logistics, please contact Karen Lockhart at: NETL Event Management P.O. Box 10940 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236 Telephone: (412) 386-4763 Fax: (412) 386-6486 E-mail: karen.lockhart(a)contr.netl.doe.gov >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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PA-DEP puts gas drillers under watchful eye | TribLIVE
by Duane 24 Feb '14

24 Feb '14

http://triblive.com/state/marcellusshale/5133437-74/pollution-drillers-stat… PA-DEP puts gas drillers under watchful eye | TribLIVE Article by Tony LaRussa, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, February 22, 2014 In early August, state environmental regulators ended the long-standing practice of allowing Marcellus shale gas drillers to operate without a plan as to how they would control air pollution at well sites. But rather than just issue rules for how to limit pollution, the state Department of Environmental Protection gave drillers a choice — submit an air-quality plan for approval, or use pollution control systems that keep emissions below standards set by the federal government. Between Aug. 1 and Nov. 30, none of the 979 drilling applications issued across the state — including 355 in the Pittsburgh area — submitted air-quality plans to the PA-DEP, said Amanda Witman, a spokeswoman for the state's environmental agency. “We consider this a win-win because it helps keep the air clean by requiring drillers to keep pollution emissions lower than the federal guidelines while at the same time eliminating some of the time and effort drillers have to spend preparing air-quality plans as well the time it takes for us to review and process them,” Witman said. The change giving drillers the option ends the practice of granting blanket exemptions, which had been done since 1996, according to the PA-DEP. Patrick Creighton, a spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry trade group, said he is “not surprised” that drillers are opting to follow the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines set in April 2012. “The industry recognizes that the new federal guidelines represent a robust effort to reduce air pollution,” Creighton said. “The folks who work in this industry expect to be around a long time, so there is an incentive for them to get it right the first time when it comes to safeguarding the environment, a spokesman for Range Resources, said the company began capturing emissions at well sites in 2011. “ The materials contained in those emissions are exactly what we are in the business of selling,” he said. “So not only does it make good business sense not to release them, it benefits the environment and safety.” While environmentalists support the state's effort to control air pollution at well sites by enacting rules for issuing drilling permits, they are calling for better monitoring. “We always like to see stronger (air pollution) emission controls put in place, but one of our biggest concerns is the cumulative impact these well-sites can have,” said Lauren Burge, a staff attorney for the Group Against Smog and Pollution, or GASP. “Even though the amount of air pollution released at an individual well might be very small, when you have a lot of them operating in an area, the total amount emitted can be a concern,” she said. “We'd like to see more done to determine what that cumulative impact is, as well as the potential health effects.” GASP and the Environmental Defense Fund are calling on the DEP to make sure drillers verify that the air-pollution controls they use reduce emissions. Lisa Kasianowitz of the state DEP said drillers are in fact required to demonstrate their compliance with EPA standards within 180 days after they start drilling. “We have started both short- and long-term studies in the state, in which air testing devices at well sites regularly take readings that will be analyzed to determine whether additional regulations are needed to limit air pollution,” Kasianowitz said. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Check out “Fracking Our Future” by mediasanctuary on Vimeo
by Duane 24 Feb '14

24 Feb '14

Check out “Fracking Our Future” by mediasanctuary on Vimeo. The video is available for your viewing pleasure at http://vimeo.com/63270096 Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Longview Reaches Agreement with Foster Wheeler
by Duane 12 Feb '14

12 Feb '14

Longview Reaches Settlement With Foster Wheeler Over Repairs Peg Brickley February 10, 2014 2014 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Longview Power LLC has struck a deal with one of three contractors that it has been battling over problems at its West Virginia power plant, winning the support of German engineering firm Foster Wheeler AG for its drive to get out of bankruptcy. ... Document DJFDBR0020140210ea2al6s24 See this legal document . .. ... https://dr201.s3.amazonaws.com/li/13-12211/dk000905-0000.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId… Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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3 fire companies at scene of SW Pa. gas well fire - The York Daily Record
by Duane 11 Feb '14

11 Feb '14

http://www.ydr.com/state/ci_25111940/3-fire-companies-at-scene-sw-pa-gas 3 fire companies at scene of SW Pa. gas well fire The Associated Press UPDATED: 02/11/2014 Dillner, Pa.—Emergency dispatchers say at least three fire companies have responded to a report of a natural gas well explosion and fire in southwestern Pennsylvania, within miles of the West Virginia border. A Greene County 911 supervisor says the fire was reported shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday in Dunkard Township, near Bobtown. That's about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh. The 911 supervisor says there have been no immediate reports of injuries, though an ambulance and emergency medical crews have been summoned to stand by at the scene. It was not immediately clear who owns the well or what caused the well to catch fire. Crews at the scene were reporting that intense flames have kept them from getting too close to the well. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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More on Longview / Mepco
by Andrew Liebhold 31 Jan '14

31 Jan '14

Longview Power Reaches $18 Million Settlement with FirstEnergy Daily Bankruptcy Review Brickley, Peg Longview Power LLC's coal-mining affiliate, Mepco Holdings LLC, is lined up to receive $18 million under a settlement involving the closure of a Pennsylvania plant by FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) The deal was announced Monday in a status conference with Judge Brendan Shannon, who is presiding over Longview and Mepco's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The companies filed for protection from creditors last year, weighed down with debt after the flawed launch of the $2 billion Longview electric plant. Kirkland & Ellis LLP's Ray Schrock, attorney for Longview and Mepco, said the agreement was "critical to the future of Mepco," which has two major customers, Longview and FirstEnergy. Last year, FirstEnergy closed its Hatfield's Ferry Power Station in Pennsylvania, a coal-fired facility that was suffering due to low electricity prices. The loss of a customer posed a threat to Mepco and could have translated into higher prices for Longview, Mr. Schrock said. Early cancellation of the contract also raised the possibility of damage claims against FirstEnergy. The settlement allows FirstEnergy a way out of its supply contract with Mepco at the Hatfield's Ferry plant, but assures business through 2018 with FirstEnergy's Fort Martin plant in West Virginia, Mr. Schrock said. Ready cash has been an issue for Longview throughout much of its restructuring effort, which has been marked by a fight with contractors over who's to blame for the operational issues that have plagued Longview's coal-fired electric plant. Some $58 million worth of borrowing power was tied up in the dispute, pushing Longview toward a cash shortage that would have limited its options in bankruptcy. Existing lenders stepped up with a lifeline and an offer to fund Longview's emergence from Chapter 11. Whether that happens, however, may depend on the outcome of a hearing next week where Longview will debate an affiliate of Norwegian construction company Kvaerner ASA (KVAER.OS), Siemens Energy Inc., a unit of Siemens AG (SI, SIE.XE), and German engineering firm Foster Wheeler AG (FWLT) over the status of their claims in its bankruptcy case. Longview and the contractors have been pointing fingers at each other since before the plant's 2011 launch over the delays and operational troubles that have kept it from operating at full capacity. The contractors are asserting a combined $360 million worth of claims against Longview, claims which, if recognized by the court, could be enough to trip up the company's bid to exit bankruptcy. Longview has rescheduled its Chapter 11 plan confirmation hearing for March 10 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del. The month's delay was calculated in part to give Judge Shannon time to sort through the contractor disputes. (Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review covers news about distressed companies and those under bankruptcy protection. Go tohttp://dbr.dowjones.com) Write to Peg Brickley at peg.brickley(a)wsj.com

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LONGVIEW POWER, LLC. bankruptcy update . .. ...
by Duane 31 Jan '14

31 Jan '14

https://www.adr.com/Markets/GlobalNewsStory?docID=1-DN20140113010177-65BP95… LONGVIEW POWER, LLC. bankruptcy update . .. ... By Peg Brickley, Wall Street Journal, January 13, 2014 Longview Power LLC has asked for the help of a mediator to address a long-running dispute with contractors that threatens to hobble its bid to exit bankruptcy. Creditors have already started to vote on the power plant's Chapter 11 emergence plan, which proposes to swap more than $1 billion worth of debt for equity. Longview's lawyers said in court papers that they "cannot overstate the importance of moving towards emergence as quickly as possible" with a balance-sheet cleansing plan that also provides money to fix the troubled plant. Built at a cost of $2 billion, Longview's plant has been unable to operate at full capacity due to significant technical issues. Those issues are at the heart of the fight Longview has been engaged in with its contractors: an affiliate of Norwegian construction company Kvaerner ASA (KVAER.OS), Siemens Energy Inc., a unit of Siemens AG (SI, SIE.XE) and German engineering firm Foster Wheeler AG (FWLT). The company's attorneys said in a letter to the judge on Sunday that Longview is prepared to continue litigation but would like a mediator to facilitate "productive settlement negotiations." The contractor fights are also the subject of an arbitration that began before Longview's bankruptcy filing. With a Feb. 10 hearing on the company's restructuring plan looming, Longview would prefer to have peace with one or more of the contractors, the letter said. Longview's financing calls for the company to get out of Chapter 11 in March. The company filed for Chapter 11 protection Aug. 30, after construction delays and technical trouble rendered it unable to cover its debts. (Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review covers news about distressed companies and those under bankruptcy protection. Go to http://dbr.dowjones.com)

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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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Allegheny County to monitor air in drilling near airport - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
by Duane 22 Jan '14

22 Jan '14

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/marcellusshale/2014/01/21/County-to-monit… Allegheny County to monitor air in drilling near airport By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, January 20,2014 The first big Marcellus Shale gas development project in Allegheny County, on county-owned land near Pittsburgh International Airport, will get special air pollution monitoring attention from the Allegheny County Health Department before and after the drilling begins. The county announced Monday that it will soon begin air quality monitoring on more than 9,000 acres in Findlay where Consol Energy Inc. plans to drill 47 shale gas wells and construct 17 miles of gas collection lines and 12 miles of water supply lines. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, who has been a shale gas development supporter, requested the pre- and post-drilling monitoring after hearing the concerns of residents of the area and state Sen. Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon, and state Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Moon. "We are extremely confident that our partner in this project, Consol Energy, will conduct the drilling and extraction in a safe and environmentally responsible manner," Mr. Fitzgerald said in a news release. "That being said, this is also the first project of this size in Allegheny County and we want to ensure that this is done in a health-conscious way." Mr. Fitzgerald said Mr. Smith recommended the monitoring plan and it is "a proactive way to ensure the air quality in the area of the project." Mr. Smith said he and Mr. Mustio want to make sure that the concerns of their constituents are addressed and energy exploration "is done in the most responsible way." The county, which signed a shale gas development lease with Consol a year ago, expects to receive an estimated $500 million over 20 years. Consol expects to extract "dry" natural gas, mostly methane, and so-called "wet" gases, which include butane and ethane compounds that are valuable in the plastics processing industry and bring higher prices. Kate O'Donovan, a spokeswoman for Consol, said the company wasn't aware of the county air monitoring plans. "It's something we'll have to look into," she said. According to the county, Consol will begin development of drilling pads, impoundments and pipelines in the second quarter of 2014, with drilling on the first two wells in July. "This project represents the first large-scale development of a wet gas field in Allegheny County," said Jim Thompson, the Health Department's deputy director of environmental health. "... we will conduct an air monitoring study in a community near to the project to make certain there are no unforeseen problems." Marcellus Shale gas drilling operations and gas compressor stations release tons of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds into the air annually, although NOX emissions have declined in Pennsylvania due to the shutdown of several coal-burning power plants. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, even short-term exposure to nitrogen oxides can impair respiratory health, causing throat and lung inflammation and exacerbating asthma. It can also lead to higher concentrations of airborne particulate matter. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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