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

05 Mar '23

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

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

04 Mar '23

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

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

03 Mar '23

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

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

02 Mar '23

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

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

01 Mar '23

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

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

28 Feb '23

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

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

27 Feb '23

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

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

26 Feb '23

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

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

25 Feb '23

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

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

24 Feb '23

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

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