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

16 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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

15 Dec '22

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

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