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<i><font size="+1"><b>April 7, 2020</b></font></i><br>
<br>
[warnings -- concrete examples of the ways the GOP are using the
pandemic as cover for unpopular policies]<br>
<b>Drilled News </b>Investigating Delay on Climate Action<br>
<b>The Climate and Environmental Rules Being Rolled Back During the
COVID-19 Pandemic</b><br>
The Drilled News Climate & COVID-19 Policy Tracker is keeping an
eye on climate change-related rollbacks by the Trump administration
and state governments amid the coronavirus crisis, along with favors
to oil and gas, and other energy and climate-related industries.<br>
By Amy Westervelt<br>
<br>
We've been covering how the fossil fuel industry and its allies in
the Trump administration have wasted no time in leveraging the
COVID-19 pandemic to increase the federal government's financial
favors to oil and gas. The administration is also moving fast to
stall or roll back regulations that the industry finds onerous, and
push forward with other policies that may benefit the petroleum
sector.<br>
<br>
These changes are especially worrying right now, because they're
happening even as climate scientists say that industrial nations
must slash their carbon pollution within roughly a decade for all
nations to have a chance of averting catastrophic climate change.<br>
<br>
We're documenting and mapping these fossil fuel-friendly changes
here, on the Drilled News Climate & COVID-19 Policy Tracker,
along with other moves affecting additional energy and
climate-related industries. <br>
<br>
If you have a tip, please send it to <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:pitches@drillednews.com">pitches@drillednews.com</a> <br>
<b>Federal Government:</b><br>
<blockquote><b>FERC to Fast-Track Requests for Relief</b> -- In its
proposal the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission states, “We want
to assure regulated entities that we will expeditiously review and
act on requests for relief, including but not limited to, requests
for cost recovery necessary to assure business continuity of the
regulated entities' energy infrastructure in response to the
national emergency.“ Status: Pending; proposed notice was
published April 2nd, official notice scheduled for April 7, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Rollback of Fuel Efficiency Standards</b> --Reduces Obama-era
CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, which required
U.S automakers to achieve 55 mpg across their fleets by 2025, to
about 40 mpg by 2026. Status: Enacted March 30, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Request for Oil and Gas Royalty Relief</b> -- Senate
Republicans sent a letter to Department of Interior Secretary,
David Bernhardt, to request request royalty relief and automatic
lease extensions for oil and gas operations on public lands. Oil
and gas royalties for drilling offshore brought in $3.8 billion to
the U.S. Treasury in 2019. Critics argue that the royalty rate for
onshore drilling should have been increased long ago: it was set
at 12.5% in 1920 and has remained there. Status: Pending; letter
sent March 30, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>EPA Temporary Waiver on Summer Low-Volatility Gas Requirements</b>
-- “EPA intends to provide additional flexibility to the
marketplace to transition from winter-grade, high volatility
gasoline to summer-grade low vapor pressure gasoline. Due to the
steep fall-off in gasoline demand as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, gasoline storage capacity is limited and more time is
needed to transition the distribution system in order to come into
compliance for the summer driving season. EPA will temporarily
waive the summer low volatility requirements and blending
limitations for gasoline.“ Winter-blend gasoline emits more
volatile organic compounds when used in warmer weather. Status:
Enacted March 27, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Request to Establish a Strategic Reserve for Uranium</b> -- The
National Uranium Miners Association requests the Trump
Administration establish a strategic reserve for uranium, and
purchase strategic stockpiles of critical minerals to fill it.
Status: Pending, letter sent March 27, 2020.<br>
<b><br>
</b><b>Temporary EPA Compliance Enforcement Discretion</b> -- “The
EPA does not expect to seek penalties for violations of routine
compliance monitoring, integrity testing, sampling, laboratory
analysis, training, and reporting or certification obligations in
situations where the EPA agrees that COVID-19 was the cause of the
noncompliance and the entity provides supporting documentation to
the EPA upon request.“ Status: Enacted March 26, 2020.<br>
<b><br>
</b><b>Regulatory Relief from the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA)</b> -- Provides immediate regulatory relief and fee
exceptions for a wide range of chemical manufacturers, including
petrochemical manufacturers. Status: Enacted March 25, 2020.<br>
<b><br>
</b><b>Request for “Critical Infrastructure“ Designation and
Compliance Waivers</b> -- In a letter to President Trump, the
American Petroleum Institute requested “critical infrastructure“
for every piece of the fossil fuel supply chain, and a waiver of
what it called “non-essential compliance obligations.“ Status:
Compliance waiver enacted, critical infrastructure designation
pending; letter sent March 20, 2020.<br>
<b><br>
</b><b>Request for Regulatory Relief and Reduced Fees for the Coal
Industry</b> -- The National Mining Association has requested a
reduction in the Black Lung Excise Tax, elimination or reduction
in royalty payments, reduction in fees collected for the Abandoned
Mine Land Fund, and an increase in the availability of credit to
the industry. Status: Pending; letter sent March 18, 2020.<br>
</blockquote>
<b>State, Regional, and Local Governments:</b><br>
<blockquote><b>California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and
Washington Fuel Breaks Project</b> - Department of Interior and
Bureau of Land Management Fuel Breaks Project -- DOI has approved
a $275 million BLM plan to construct and maintain a system of up
to 11,000 miles of strategically placed fuel breaks to control
wildfires within a 223 million- acre area in portions of
California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Critics
say it's an expensive end-run around environmental regulations
aimed at protecting native vegetation and vulnerable species such
as the Greater sage-grouse. Status: Enacted April 1, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Broomfield, CO - Temporary Restraining Order Against the City's
Emergency Decree to Pause Fracking Flowback During
Shelter-in-Place</b> -- Flowback is when fracking fluids flow
back up the well bore after a well is fracked; air pollution is
particularly likely during flowback and can include toxics like
benzene, a carcinogen. Because of their proximity to oil and gas
operations, residents of Broomfield, CO were at risk of toxic
exposure during shelter-in-place orders, so the city issued an
emergency decree for local operations to cease fracking flowback
during the pandemic. Extraction Oil was able to get a temporary
restraining order to block the city's order. It's the first test
of Colorado's SB181, passed in 2019, which prioritizes public
health and safety over oil and gas production and allows local
governments to enact more stringent safeguards than the state's.
Status: Enacted March 31, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>California and Nevada - Protections Removed for the Sage Grouse</b>
-- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied Endangered Species
Act protection for the bi-state sage grouse, an iconic bird that
roams western Nevada and eastern California, stating that
voluntary conservation efforts have been enough to protect
populations of the bird. The sage grouse population has continued
to decline under voluntary conservation efforts. Status: Enacted
March 30, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>California - Request to Delay All Air Resources Board
Rulemaking to 2021 </b>--Assemblyman Jim Frazier sent a letter
to the Californiia Air Resources Board asking that it delay voting
or meeting on all proposed regulations until 2021. Status:
Pending; letter sent March 27, 2020.<br>
<b><br>
</b><b>West Virginia - House Bill 4615 to define and protect
critical infrastructure</b> -- Expands definition of “critical
infrastructure“ to include a wide range of oil, gas and pipeline
facilities, slapping fines as high as $20,000 on anyone found
guilty of causing “damage, destruction, vandalization, defacing or
tampering“ that totals $2,500 or more. Status: Enacted March 27,
2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Louisiana - Request for regulatory relief for oil and gas </b>--
Request from the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association for a lift on
plugging requirements for idle wells, fast-tracking of permits for
new wells, an extension on financial requirements for inactive
wells, and extensions and deferments on testing that ensures oil
and gas operations are not contaminating water sources. Status:
Enacted March 26, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Pennsylvania - Exemption for Mariner East Pipeline</b> -
Texas-based Energy LP has been granted a waiver via the Department
of Community and Economic Development from Gov Wolf's emergency
coronavirus shutdown. The waiver enables the company to continue
construction on the controversial Mariner East pipeline, across 17
locations in Pennsylvania. <br>
<b><br>
</b><b>California - Request for Delay in At-Berth Emissions
Regulations at Ports</b> -- California Association of Port
Authorities is requesting a delay on At-Berth emissions
regulations that were to take effect this year. Status: Pending;
letter sent March 24, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Texas - Waiver of Regulatory Requirements</b> -- Oil and gas
operators in the state may apply for a waiver of regulatory
requirements on a case-by-case basis. Environmental groups have
already documented an increase in methane emissions in the state's
shale oil fields. Status: Enacted March 24, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>South Dakota - House Bill 1117, expansion of “incitement to
riot“ law</b> -- Expands the definition of incitement to riot to
include “intentional use of force or violence by three or more
persons“ that causes “any damage to property.“ Status: Enacted
March 23, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>California - Request to Delay Electrification of Big Rigs</b>
-- The current California Air Resources Board plan would require
that by 2030, 50% of all medium-to-heavy trck sales would need to
be zero-emission vehicles, and 15% of all other truck sales would
need to be as well. The Truck & Engine Manufacturers
Association has asked for a delay or modification. Status:
Pending; letter sent March 23, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Massachusetts - Designation of natural gas construction
projects as “essential“</b> -- As building trades prepare to
strike in Massachusetts, the governor extends definition of
“essential construction“ to include various oil and gas projects,
including the Weymouth natural gas compressor, which has no clear
customers. Status: Enacted March 23, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>South Dakota - Senate Bill 151 to designate and protect
critical infrastructure</b> -- Expanded “critical
infrastructure“ designation to include any oil, gas or utility
equipment, and raised the charges for causing “substantial
interruption or impairment“ of such facilities to felonies.Status:
Enacted March 18, 2020.<br>
<br>
<b>Kentucky - House Bill 44 protecting key infrastructure</b> --
Designates “natural gas or petroleum pipelines“ as “key
infrastructure assets“ and made causing damage that totals more
than $1,000 or tampering “in a manner that renders the operations
harmful or dangerous“ felony charges of “criminal mischief in the
first degree.“ Status: Enacted March 16, 2020.<br>
</blockquote>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.drillednews.com/post/the-climate-covid-19-policy-tracker">https://www.drillednews.com/post/the-climate-covid-19-policy-tracker</a>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>[California aspirations]<br>
</p>
<p><b>Californian Carbon-Negative Roadmap</b><br>
Apr 5, 2020<br>
Just Have a Think<br>
Carbon Negative Emissions. The latest 'buzz phrase' in Climate
Science. But it's not just a vague concept. Our scientists tell us
that removing huge quantities of carbon dioxide from our
atmosphere is now the only way we can keep warming within
controllable limits. And a new study by a research team
co-ordinated by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
explains exactly how California will lead the way to that elusive
goal.<br>
</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYtm-wZduk0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYtm-wZduk0</a><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
[Digging back into the internet news archive]<br>
<font size="+1"><b>On this day in the history of global warming -
April 7, 2009 </b></font><br>
<p>In a story entitled "New Data Show Rapid Arctic Ice Decline," the
Washington Post observes: "The new evidence -- including satellite
data showing that the average multiyear wintertime sea ice cover
in the Arctic in 2005 and 2006 was nine feet thick, a significant
decline from the 1980s -- contradicts data cited in widely
circulated reports by Washington Post columnist George F. Will
that sea ice in the Arctic has not significantly declined since
1979."<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/06/AR2009040601634.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/06/AR2009040601634.html</a><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
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