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MVP Case Against Radicalized Protesters Advances in Federal Court

On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Roanoke Division) ruled in two of five cases before it in which Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), which is now majority-owned by EQT Corporation, sued radical protesters who blocked the construction of the pipeline in Roanoke County, Virginia. The court dismissed one count in the two cases (count #4) against the protesters, which the media focused on. The media doesn’t want to talk about the fact that there are five other counts, far more serious than the dismissed count, that the court is allowing to advance. These protesters are in a world of legal hurt over their illegal blocking of MVP construction. Read More “MVP Case Against Radicalized Protesters Advances in Federal Court”

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WV Supremes Rule Lower Court Erred in New Trial re Injection Well

Here’s an interesting lawsuit that never appeared on our radar. It involves a lease in Fayette County, West Virginia, and the right to establish an injection well in an old conventional well on the leased property. The party leasing and using the old injection well, Webb Construction, was later sued by the party leasing out the property, North Hills Group, after new board members over at North Hills. The lawsuit accused Webb of improperly using the old well as an injection well without first trying to see if the well could be rejuvenated as a productive gas well and building a pipeline to the well that leaked wastewater on North Hill’s property. A Fayette Circuit Court jury in 2022 found in favor of Webb and against North Hills, dismissing all claims against Webb. North Hills asked the judge to grant a new trial to overturn the jury verdict, which the judge did. North Hills won in the new trial. Read More “WV Supremes Rule Lower Court Erred in New Trial re Injection Well”

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Bucks County, PA, Judge Skeptical of “Sneaky” Climate Lawsuit

In March 2024, we reported that two Democrats and one anti-drilling RINO who run Bucks County, PA government (a Philadelphia suburb) fell for the bait by Big Green and filed a lawsuit against Big Oil companies for supposedly, knowingly, causing the Earth to toast to a cinder (see Bucks County, PA, Sues Big Oil for Causing “Climate Change”). The lawsuit seemingly came out of nowhere. Green groups hatched it secretly, including the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI) – a Rockefeller-funded D.C. activist group. There were no public meetings. No public input. No public announcements. It was completely hush-hush, with a total media blackout until the lawsuit was filed (see Bucks County, PA Lawsuit Against Big Oil Violated Transparency Law). A year later, a Bucks County Court judge held the first hearing to consider dismissing this fraud. The judge seemed inclined to do just that, calling the lawsuit filed by the county “sneaky.” Read More “Bucks County, PA, Judge Skeptical of “Sneaky” Climate Lawsuit”

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Cardinal Midstream Wins $52M Court Verdict Against Energy Transfer

Here’s a lawsuit we were unaware of, even though it’s been playing out for years. It’s quite complicated. On the surface, at a very basic level, Cardinal Midstream II (we assume a subsidiary of the Dallas-based Cardinal Midstream) sued Energy Transfer (ET) for not paying an “earnout” (which we’ll explain) after buying a gas gathering system in Beaver County, PA. The PA judge found in favor of Cardinal and ordered ET to pay $33 million plus $19 million in interest. The judge also found ET’s related claim of a “force majeure” event when its Revolution Pipeline exploded did not excuse ET from its obligation to Cardinal. Read More “Cardinal Midstream Wins $52M Court Verdict Against Energy Transfer”

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Maryland Public Service Comm. Kills Free Speech for Gas Utility

WGL service map (click for larger version)

If you’re a natural gas utility company operating in the People’s Republic of Maryland (a non-free state), your right to free speech just ended. The Washington Gas Light Company, now known as WGL Holdings, is a utility company that provides natural gas service to customers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, dating back to 1848. Essentially, the company services the D.C. swamp and surrounding counties (see the map). In 2021, WGL had the temerity to send an advertising flier to customers claiming that natural gas is “clean energy” and that using gas instead of all-electric would save “acres of trees.” The high and mighty of the Maryland Public Service Commission ruled last Thursday that WGL misled its customers and is not allowed to say such things. Free speech just died in the so-called “Free State.” (There’s a bit of irony for you.) Read More “Maryland Public Service Comm. Kills Free Speech for Gas Utility”

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Jury Makes Greenpeace Pay $660 Million to Energy Transfer re DAP

This is a sweet victory for our side. Last summer, MDN told you about a lawsuit being heard to hold Big Green groups (namely Greenpeace) responsible for their actions. Energy Transfer (ET), the owner and operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAP), sued Greenpeace and other alleged instigators for $300 million for the damages sustained by the company due to violent protests incited by the groups in North Dakota in 2016 (see ET $300M Lawsuit v. Big Green Pipe Violence Gets Court Hearing). Yesterday, the jury decided the case in favor of ET and handed the company $660 million from Greenpeace! Read More “Jury Makes Greenpeace Pay $660 Million to Energy Transfer re DAP”

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AWMS Continues the Fight to Reopen Shuttered OH Injection Well

We’ve been tracking a story that we consider an ongoing tragedy for nearly a decade. American Water Management Services (AWMS) owns a wastewater injection well in Trumbull County, Ohio, that supposedly caused a low-level earthquake (that nobody could feel) in 2014. Actually, there are two injection wells located at the site, both operated by AWMS. They were both “temporarily” shut down by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources following the quake nobody could feel (see ODNR Temporarily Shuts Down Injection Wells After Low-Level Quake). ODNR allowed AWMS to reopen one of the injection wells but denied it the right to reopen the second well. AWMS has been locked in a legal battle to reopen the shuttered well and get compensated by the state for forcing it out of business (missed revenues). The battle continues to this day. Read More “AWMS Continues the Fight to Reopen Shuttered OH Injection Well”

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Appeals Court Rejects Anti Effort to Block Drilling Under Ohio Parks

A three-judge panel (all liberal Democrats) from the Ohio District Courts of Appeals for the Tenth District ruled yesterday that anti-fossil fuel fanatics don’t have the right to appeal a decision by the Ohio Oil & Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) to meet and award contracts to drill under (not on) several Ohio state parks, including the 20,000-acre Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County. The case was appealed by Earthjustice acting on behalf of the anti-fossil fuel Save Ohio Parks. In February 2024, a liberal Democrat judge from Franklin County ruled against antis (see Dem Judge Shuts Down Anti Effort to Block Drilling Under Ohio Parks). The antis appealed and have lost yet again. The only (final) step would be to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. Read More “Appeals Court Rejects Anti Effort to Block Drilling Under Ohio Parks”

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Judge Rules Virginia Can Stay Out of RGGI Carbon Tax…For Now

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Last November, a Floyd County Circuit Court judge ruled Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s effort to remove his state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme was not legal—therefore the state would, for now, remain in the carbon tax club (see Circuit Court Judge Rules Virginia Can’t Leave RGGI Carbon Tax). Youngkin promised to appeal the decision, which he did. Last week, the same court temporarily suspended its November decision that forced Virginia back into RGGI while the appeal continues. So for now, Virginia is not collecting the RGGI fee from power producers. Read More “Judge Rules Virginia Can Stay Out of RGGI Carbon Tax…For Now”

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EQT Sues Union Township (Washington County, PA) for Extortion

Here’s an explosive allegation. EQT Corporation and its pipeline subsidiary EQM Gathering are suing Union Township (located in Washington County, PA). Also named in the lawsuit are the town’s five supervisors. EQT’s allegation is that the town (and its supervisors) are attempting to extort big money from EQT to allow the company to connect gathering pipelines to several of its recently-drilled shale wells. Among the claims, the town wants $50,000 to issue a permit for ANY gathering pipeline that connects to a well. The town also (says EQT in the lawsuit) tried to extort $750,000 to repair a road slip caused by another company. Oh! And Union wants a $50,000 monthly “fee” from EQT to continue operating in the township. Read More “EQT Sues Union Township (Washington County, PA) for Extortion”

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Greedy Climate Grifters Squeal, Sue to Restore $20B EPA Slush Fund

Two months ago, a video circulated on social media featuring a Biden EPA political appointee talking about “tossing gold bars off the Titanic,” intentionally rushing to get billions of tax dollars recklessly out of the agency before Inauguration Day. The EPA’s new sheriff, Lee Zeldin, located $20 billion of those gold bars sitting at a Citibank bank account (see EPA Discovers Illegal $20 Billion Transfer from Biden’s Final Days). The money was meant to fund radical anti-Trump efforts related to the environment. Zeldin froze the account and is demanding the money be returned. At least one of the Democrat organizations who were promised the booty is now suing, demanding it receive the corrupt payments it was promised. Talk about chutzpah. Read More “Greedy Climate Grifters Squeal, Sue to Restore $20B EPA Slush Fund”

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Fed Judge Tosses Landowner Lawsuit Against DRBC for Frack Ban

Earlier this month U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani dismissed the Wayne Land and Mineral Group (WLMG) v. Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) lawsuit that argued the DRBC had “taken” the property rights of landowners in eastern Pennsylvania, robbing them of their right to allow shale drilling on and under their land. It’s a sad and bitter end for landowners in PA’s Wayne and Pike counties where there is bountiful Marcellus shale waiting to be extracted. Read More “Fed Judge Tosses Landowner Lawsuit Against DRBC for Frack Ban”

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PA Gov. Claims Victory in Un-Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Pymts

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro can rest easy now that he’s got his “fix” of $2.1 billion in federal taxpayer money promised to him by the Bidenistas before they left town. As you may recall, the Trump administration put an immediate pause on some federal funds after Elon Musk’s DOGE kids discovered massive fraud in government programs. The pause sent Shapiro into a tailspin like a junkie cut off from his drug supplier, so he sued to restore his money fix (see PA Gov. Sues Trump Admin for Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Payments). As we said then, the pause was temporary, giving the Trump team time to sort out the fraudsters from legitimate payments. The Trump team has restarted the payments to PA, so Governor Huckster, er, a, Shapiro, is claiming victory. There was never any doubt the payments would restart once they were validated as legitimate. Read More “PA Gov. Claims Victory in Un-Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Pymts”

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Wastewater Injection Well in McKean County Fails 2 Integrity Tests

NOTE: An important update on this post can be found here: Correction: Injection Well in McKean County Did NOT Fail Tests.

In January 2024, MDN brought you the news that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved a plan by Catalyst Energy to convert an existing conventional gas production well on Route 646 in Cyclone (Keating Township, McKean County, PA) into a shale wastewater injection well (see PA DEP Approves Shale Wastewater Injection Well in McKean County). The DEP approved the plan on Jan. 11, 2024. Residents who live nearby and are opposed appealed the decision to the PA Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), a special court set up to hear appeals of DEP decisions. The EHB issued an opinion on Dec. 27 that allowed the well to move forward (see PA EHB Allows Wastewater Injection Well in McKean County to Open). Catalyst commenced injections on Jan. 22, subject to mechanical integrity and other requirements. However, the well failed DEP mechanical integrity tests….twice. Yet it continues to inject. Read More “Wastewater Injection Well in McKean County Fails 2 Integrity Tests”

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PA Gov.’s Carbon Tax Plan for Gas Power Blocking New Projects

Yesterday, MDN told you that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a “fast-track” plan from the country’s largest electric grid, PJM Interconnection (which covers all or parts of 13 states, including PA, OH, and WV) to change how the grid operator decides which new power plants can connect to the system first (see FERC Approves PJM Plan to Fast-Track New Gas-Fired Power Plants). The new policy *favors* adding natural gas-fired power over other types of power like unreliable solar and wind. The problem is that new gas-fired power plants that will come to the front of the line in PJM states will not be built in Pennsylvania but in other states like Ohio and West Virginia. Why? Read More “PA Gov.’s Carbon Tax Plan for Gas Power Blocking New Projects”

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PA Gov. Sues Trump Admin for Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Payments

What Elon Musk’s audits of federal money payments to NGOs, states, and individuals are finding is beyond shocking. It’s criminal. There is MASSIVE fraud happening across all of government. As you’ll read in another post today, Lee Zeldin, Trump’s new EPA Administrator, found $20 BILLION in money transfers from the EPA to a bank the Biden people affected just before leaving. It is perhaps the biggest theft of money in history! The Biden folks called it “throwing gold bricks off the Titanic.” This is stuff people should go to jail for for the rest of their lives. President Trump put a pause on the transfer of money from certain programs (not Medicare, not Medicaid, not payments to individuals). The pause has Democrats, like PA Gov. Josh Shapiro, squealing like pigs being weaned from mother’s milk. Shapiro filed a lawsuit to force the return of mother’s milk. Typical. The Dems are spending junkies. Read More “PA Gov. Sues Trump Admin for Pausing $2B in Energy-Related Payments”