Last month the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave permission to TransCanada’s Columbia Pipeline group to start up a portion of the Mountaineer XPress Pipeline in West Virginia (see FERC OK’s Mountaineer XPress Pipe to Start Up in WV). Columbia says the rest of the Mountaineer project is now ready to go online.
Read More “Rest of Mountaineer XPress Pipeline Ready to Go Online Now”
Here’s something we didn’t know: In West Virginia there’s a regulation on the books, put there decades ago (pre-shale), that stipulates wells targeting “deep” formations including the Utica Shale must be at least 3,000 feet apart.
Read More “Bill to Encourage More Utica Wells Advances in WV Legislature”
It’s no secret that getting a gas pipeline project of any kind approved in New York State is an uphill battle because our governor, Andrew Cuomo, blocks all new pipelines in a bid to keep his left wing supporters happy. An important project from Williams, the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) which would beef up capacity along the Transco pipeline system going into New York City, is about to get two hearings with the state Dept. of Environmental Conservation.
Read More “It’s Time to Support Williams’ NESE Project in NY – Here’s How”
Yesterday MDN began our lead story about a big fine for Antero Resources by saying, “This has to be a record-high amount for a fine plus remediation work, at least in the Marcellus/Utica.” We humbly admit we were wrong. In checking our records, we found that in a similar case from 2014, Trans Energy paid even more, quite a bit more. We researched what this whole business is about, why Antero and others were fined, interviewing a top Antero official, and we now have a far better understanding of what happened and why.
Read More “The Real Story of Antero’s $11M Clean Water Act Violations”
This has to be a record-high amount for a fine plus remediation work, at least in the Marcellus/Utica. Antero Resources has cut a deal with three government entities–the U.S. Dept. of Justice, federal Environmental Protection Agency, and West Virginia Dept. of Environmental Protection–to pay a $3.15 million fine and spend another $8 million to mitigate and restore 32 sites in West Virginia.
NOTE: MDN posted an important followup to this story after speaking with Antero, providing more context and background, here: The Real Story of Antero’s $11M Clean Water Act Violations.
Read More “Antero to Pay $11M in Fines/Restoration for Clean Water Violations”
Yesterday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted TransCanada’s Columbia subsidiary permission to begin a partial startup of the Gulf XPress Project that adds additional compression to the Columbia Gulf Transmission pipeline to flow more Marcellus/Utica gas to the Gulf Coast.
Read More “FERC Approves Partial Startup of Columbia’s Gulf XPress Pipe”
Ohio’s current Governor, Mike DeWine, is an establishment-type swamp dwelling Republican. DeWine was Attorney General for Ohio in November 2017 when he was manipulated into suing Energy Transfer claiming the Rover Pipeline project was guilty of “polluting state waters while constructing a natural gas pipeline across Ohio” (see OH EPA Director Manipulates Atty General to Sue Rover Pipeline). The lawsuit has essentially gone nowhere since that time.
Read More “ET Still Fighting Ohio AG re Rover Pipe Enviro Violations”
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has just declared full-on war with Energy Transfer and its Sunoco Logistics subsidiary by directing the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to suspend all reviews of clean water permit applications and other pending approvals for all of ET/Sunoco’s pipeline projects in the state, including Mariner East 2 (ME2) and the Revolution pipeline project.
Read More “PA Gov Wolf Declares War on ET/Sunoco – No New Pipeline Permits”
Pennsylvania’s largest operating natural-gas fired electric generating plant, Lackawanna Energy Center (LEC) near Scranton (in Jessup), will soon receive a permit officially allowing and capping sulfur dioxide emissions from the plant. Should nearby residents be concerned?
Read More “PA DEP to Issue “Acid Rain Permit” to Scranton Gas-Fired Power Plant”
The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) is doing a happy dance that they’ve shaken down XTO Energy $425,000 to settle a violation by XTO for drilling a shale well in Belmont County a year ago that exploded and caught fire.
Read More “ODNR Shakes Down XTO Energy $425K for First Responders”
Let’s be honest. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (Democrat) is a swamp dweller–an establishment guy who, when it really counts, votes with his own sleazy party against the best wishes of the United States (he’s done it multiple times). However, Manchin is one of the better Democrats in Congress when it comes to energy issues.
Read More “WV Sen. Manchin Supports Marcellus/Utica, Rejects “Green New Deal””
The so-called Green New Deal plan being floated, which isn’t really a plan as much as general sentiments, was not only refuted by Democrat WV Sen. Joe Manchin yesterday, it’s also being refuted by some of the left’s biggest thinkers. Earnest “Hair” Moniz, former Secretary of Energy under Lord Obama, says the Green New Deal and its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050 is, in a word, crazy.
Read More “Democrat Ernest “Hair” Moniz Pees All Over Green New Deal”
Our use of language and the word radicalized is intentional. In the same way some otherwise peace loving and normal Americans have become radicalized by fringe elements of Islam, it’s also happening in the environmental movement. Otherwise rational people are becoming radicalized–with an irrational, intense hatred against fossil fuels like natural gas. It’s totally bonkers. One of the places it’s happening–Vermont.
Read More “Radicalized Senator Intros Bill to Ban New Pipelines in Vermont”
The West Virginia House Energy Committee passed a bill yesterday that appears to be picking up steam and possibly headed for approval by both the House and Senate. It’s an interesting bill that allows local natural gas utilities to pay drillers to drill new gas wells in areas where there is not a reliably sufficient supply of gas.
Read More “WV Bill Would Let Utilities Pay Producers to Drill New Gas Wells”
One of the long-running complaints from shale drillers across Pennsylvania has been the amount of time it takes the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue a simple permit–like an erosion and sediment control permit.
Read More “PA DEP Southwest Office Says Permit Backlog Down 75%”
The New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), thoroughly corrupted by, and a political tool of, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, continues to have a bad week. Monday we told you about a recent court decision that gives new hope for both the Constitution and Northern Access Pipeline projects (see Recent Fed Court Decision Gives NY Pipes Hope for Bypassing Cuomo). A second court decision has just been issued that allows Northern Access to take a huge step forward.
Read More “Federal Court Slaps Down NY DEC Rejection of Northern Access Pipe”