Frack Check WV » cooperation

Ohio River Valley Water (ORSANCO) Cooperative Decision Acknowledged

Duane Nichols — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 09:05:57 +0000

Ohio River Watershed is quite extensive & important

Press Release: Groups Applaud Progress on Ohio River Protections

Environmental Law & Policy Center – Hoosier Environmental Council – Indiana Wildlife Federation – Kentucky Waterways Alliance – Lower Ohio River Waterkeeper – National Wildlife Federation – Ohio Environmental Council – Ohio River Foundation – Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition – PennFuture – Prairie Rivers Network – Sierra Club, Cumberland (Ky.) Chapter – Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter – Sierra Club Illinois Chapter – Sierra Club Ohio Chapter – Valley Watch – Watershed Organizations Advisory Committee – West Virginia Rivers Coalition

Groups Applaud Progress on Ohio River Protections

From: Vivian Stockman, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, 10/4/18

LANSING, W.VA. (October 4, 2018)—Environmental groups applauded a move to keep clean water protections for the Ohio River. The regional body charged with overseeing the health of the river, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, today decided not to vote on a controversial proposal that sought to replace 70 years of regional cooperation among eight states bordering the river in setting pollution control standards. The commission stated they intend to continue deliberations on the matter, and conservation groups see this as an opportunity for more meaningful dialogue about its implications for the future health of the river.

More than 5 million people depend on the Ohio River for their drinking water, and conservation groups staunchly opposed the move to outright scrap the current pollution-reduction arrangement. Massive public input in favor of regional cooperation helped convince commissioners to take a step back and reassess their options.

After the meeting, conservation groups applauded the action by the commissioners and by the governors who appointed them, including Govs. Bruce Rauner (Ill.), Eric Holcomb (Ind.), Matt Bevin (Ky.), Andrew Cuomo (N.Y.), John Kasich (Ohio), Tom Wolf (Pa.), Ralph Northam (Va.), and Jim Justice (W.Va.).

Environmental groups said:

“This is a positive step for the Ohio River and the 5 million people who depend on it for their drinking water, jobs, and way of life. We thank the commissioners and governors who decided to take a step back to assess the consequences of overturning 70 years of collaboration and cooperation around pollution standards. We also thank the over 6,500 members of the public for standing up and advocating during the comment process for a clean and healthy Ohio River, which is the foundation of our environment, economy, and regional identity.

“Serious problems such as sewage contamination, toxic pollution and harmful algal blooms continue to threaten the Ohio River and its many communities—and we firmly believe that the most effective, efficient and fair way to prevent pollution into the river is to work together. Pollution that enters the river upstream can impact communities downstream, which is why we need consistent, strong protections to protect people no matter where they live along the river.

“We appreciate the commissioners taking the time to gather the information that is needed to make an informed decision on the best way forward to reduce pollution into the Ohio River. We hope that the process moving forward will welcome additional input from the many stakeholders along the river and will continue to be transparent, inclusive, fair, and effective. We look forward to working with the states to improve the health of the Ohio River so that we can protect our drinking water, public health, economy, fish and wildlife, and way of life now and for generations to come.”

Conservation Groups on the Ground in West Virginia include:

Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (W. Va.): Robin L. Blakeman, robin@ohvec.org, (304) 840-4877
West Virginia Rivers Coalition: Angie Rosser, arosser@wvrivers.org, (304) 437-1274
Lower Ohio River Waterkeeper (Ind./Ky.): Jason Flickner, Jason@ohioriverwaterkeeper.org, (502) 276-5957
National Wildlife Federation: Jordan Lubetkin, lubetkin@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589
Ohio Environmental Council: David Miller, dmiller@theoec.org, (614) 487-7506

Other Groups willing to comment on the action include:

Environmental Law & Policy Center (Ill.): Madeline Fleisher, mfleisher@elpc.org, (857) 636-0371
Hoosier Environmental Council (Ind.): Marianne Holland, mholland@hecweb.org, (317) 981-3210
Indiana Wildlife Federation: Emily Wood, wood@indianawildlife.org, (317) 875-9453
Ohio River Foundation (Ohio): Rich Cogen, rcogen@ohioriverfdn.org, (513) 460-3365
PennFuture (Pa.): Stephanie Rex, rex@pennfuture.org, (412) 463-2942
Sierra Club, Cumberland (Ky.) Chapter: Hank Graddy, hank.graddy@gmail.com, (859) 229-4033
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter (Ind.): Bowden Quinn, bowden.quinn@sierraclub.org, (317) 695-3046
Sierra Club Illinois Chapter: Cindy Skrukrud, cindy.skrukrud@sierraclub.org, 312-251-1680 x1015
Sierra Club Ohio Chapter: Cheryl Johncox, cheryl.johncox@sierraclub.org, (740) 360-0420
Valley Watch (Ind.): John Blair, Blair@valleywatch.net, (812) 464-5663

Tr-State Shale Coalition Renews Plans for WV, PA & OH

Duane Nichols — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 09:05:06 +0000

WV, OH, PA announce renewed “cooperation” on shale gas development

Appalachian states re-up commitment to Tri-State Shale Coalition

From an Article by Paul J. Gough, Pittsburgh Business Times, March 21, 2018

An effort started by the governors of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia to boost the development of shale gas resources has been extended for another three years.

The Tri-State Shale Coalition began life in 2015 with a memorandum of understanding between Gov. Tom Wolf, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and then-West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. It’s designed to market for local use the natural gas resources in the Marcellus and Utica shales to boost manufacturing, including petrochemical plants like the one that is being built in Beaver County by Shell Chemicals and another considered in Belmont County, Ohio, by PTT Global Chemical and Daelim.

The new agreement runs annually through December 31, 2021. The amendment to the agreement released Wednesday appears to have no other substantive changes, and the three states’ earlier agreement outlines ways the states can co-operate to market growth in natural gas and liquids.

“I’m proud to continue our successful collaboration with Ohio and West Virginia to ensure that we are doing everything we can to support additional development — and the jobs and economic growth that goes with it — in a region with an unprecedented natural resource,” Wolf said in a statement.

The three states have held a Tri-State Shale Summit every year since 2015, with the most recent one held in November in Canton, Ohio. Working with the three states are three economic development and philanthropic organizations in the region, the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and TeamNEO in Ohio.

MLK Day Offers Lessons For Most Occasions

Duane Nichols — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 23:16:51 +0000

Why We Turn Our Thoughts to Martin Luther King Jr.

By Michael M. Barrick, The Appalachian Chronicle, MLK Day 2016

“Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King / and recognize that there are ties between us, all men and women living on the Earth. / Ties of hope and love, sister and brotherhood, that we are bound together / in our desire to see the world become a place in which our children can grow free and strong. / We are bound together by the task that stands before us and the road that lies ahead. / We are bound and we are bound.” – From James Taylor’s song, “Shed a Little Light” on his “New Moon Shine” album from 1991.

LENOIR, N.C. – Over the weekend during the gathering of a number of friends, one of the folks in the group – a fifth grade teacher – shared that she had a white student ask her last week why we bother celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday. Her answer, which she shared with us, was masterful. In short, she said what James Taylor wrote in the song referenced above, though in her own words. Knowing her as I do, I know her point was made.

When I was teaching in a high school that had approximately 1,400 students, only one of which was black (until he transferred because of relentless bullying), I was often asked the same question. In response, I decided to develop a lesson plan that would enlighten the 15-year-old students I was teaching. The plan was consistent with the topic of “Great Ideas” which we were studying in the literature we were reading, from Leo Tolstoy to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

That young people continue to ask this question is disturbing, but not surprising. It is the culture in which they are being raised. Today, throughout Appalachia (and beyond) scores of businesses, churches and nonprofits owned or run by whites ignore the holiday, requiring their workers to clock in.

The implicit message is clear: Dr. King’s life does not matter. Therefore, we should not be surprised, that 33 years after the federal holiday was signed into law by President Reagan – yes President Reagan! – that there is a movement called Black Lives Matter.

Hence, it seems appropriate to review some key points of the lesson plan I used more than a decade ago. Parts of it follow. Perhaps it will help you understand or explain why we celebrate the life of Dr. King —-

See this: http://appalachianchronicle.com/2016/01/18/why-we-turn-our-thoughts-to-martin-luther-king-jr/

#. #. #. #. #.

See also the comic book (“graphic history”) entitled “March, Book Two” by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell at the following:

http://www.npr.org/2015/01/29/382173865/low-key-real-life-heroism-in-march-book-two

Performance Standards of the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD)

Duane Nichols — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:22:19 +0000

: “Voluntary Shale Standards”

“Voluntary Shale Standards” for Marcellus Shale Development”

From the Article by Casey Junkins, Wheeling Intelligencer, April 14, 2013

Some environmental groups are concerned about the Center for Sustainable Shale Development. So are some industry groups. For Andrew Place, that means the center must be doing something right.

Place, interim director of the Pittsburgh-based Center for Sustainable Shale Development, said the center’s mission is to “support continuous improvement and innovative practices through performance standards” for drilling in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations. The organization formed last month.

To date, industry representatives are CONSOL, Chevron, EQT Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell. Chesapeake Energy and Range Resources are two companies that have not signed. He also noted a number of environmental groups – the Group Against Smog and Pollution, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Heinz Endowments – are signed on as partners.

Membership and Purpose

Place said the center’s work and standards would cover West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania – areas with burgeoning drilling and fracking activity – as well as New York and other states that have placed a moratorium on fracking.

Chevron Corp., which has drilling operations in Marshall County and maintains some acreage in Ohio County, is one of the founding members of the center, as is CONSOL, which also has active drilling operations in Marshall County in collaboration with Noble Energy.

“The group’s standards will certainly make an impact in the areas where these founding companies are operating,” Place said. “I have a farm in southwestern Pennsylvania. Wearing my landowner hat, if I know that a company abides by these standards, I will think better of them.”

Other founding members of the center include the Heinz Endowments, GASP, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Center are the Clean Air Task Force, EQT Corp., Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Royal Dutch Shell, and the William Penn Foundation. The new standards established by the voluntary organization include: – limitations on the flaring of excess methane, which is identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a potent greenhouse gas, and other hydrocarbons; – reduced engine emissions from drilling rigs, compressor motors and trucks; – vapor controls on condensate tanks; – groundwater monitoring and protection; – improved well designs; – stricter wastewater disposal methods; – the use of less toxic fracking fluids; – the elimination of diesel fuel for fracking; – seismic monitoring before drilling begins.

Questions and Concerns

“We appreciate this diverse group’s support for our member companies’ development of natural gas and engaging in a process to embrace its clear environmental and public health benefits,” said Kathryn Klaber, chief executive officer of the coalition. She added her association’s members are “vigorously committed to compliance with this stringent framework.”

Environmental groups also have expressed concern over the center. According to the Associated Press, the Sierra Club opposes its work, and the group No Frack Ohio said the plan “simply puts green lipstick on a pig.”

Place said the center’s goals do not include seeking to change federal or state laws, noting he believes these performance standards are no substitute for regulation. “This was always seen as version 1.0,” he said. “We have weekly meetings now. Environmentalists and industry representatives are in the same room, thinking of how we can work together.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See the Video here <<<<<<<<<<<<

Comments from the Group Against Smog and Pollution on April 18^th:

When we decided to participate in CSSD, we knew we’d take some criticism from others who are concerned about fracking. However, if CSSD is successful, it will result in meaningful reductions in the impacts of shale gas development on communities, human health, and the environment. I think a lot of the skeptics will view CSSD more positively in a couple years when CSSD has achieved some tangible results.

One common misconception I’d like to address: while the standards are voluntary and are no substitute for regulations, some have taken the term “voluntary” to mean compliance with the standards is based entirely on the honor system. However, the CSSD certification process will include ongoing measures to ensure companies are meeting these performance standards (e.g., third-party inspections, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, etc.)

Also, these standards are a work in progress, they don’t address every negative impact posed by shale gas production, but additional standards will be added over time and existing standards will be updated to ensure they remain more rigorous than the status quo.

Some specifics regarding the CSSD standards:

Standards 5 and 6 require companies to conduct geological studies prior to drilling a well and meet ongoing water monitoring requirements. These are similar to underground injection control requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act that would apply nationwide if not for the Halliburton Loophole.

Standard 10 is similar to a recent EPA rulemaking requiring green completions (as opposed to wasteful well completion flaring). However, the CSSD standard requires companies to meet this standard 1 year earlier than the federal regulation. During the federal rulemaking the American Petroleum Institute argued it would not be feasible for industry to meet the reduced emission completion standard by this deadline.

Standards 11, 12, and 15 will significantly reduce emissions from trucks, frack pumps, drill rigs, and stationary compressor engines.

Joe Osborne, Legal Director, Group Against Smog and Pollution
Office: 412.924.0604, Cell: 617.909.8365, www.gasp-pgh.org

Disagreement Already Over Center for Sustainable Shale Development

Duane Nichols — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 17:54:21 +0000

The Center for Sustainable Shale Development (New)

From an article by Kevin Begos, Associated Press, March 21, 2013

The Sierra Club and some other environmental groups are harshly criticizing a new partnership that aims to create tough new standards for fracking. The criticism came a day after two of the nation’s biggest oil and gas companies made peace with some national and regional environmental groups, agreeing to go through an independent review of their shale oil and gas drilling operations in the Northeast.

If Shell Oil, Chevron Appalachia and other companies are found to be abiding by a list of stringent measures to protect the air and water from pollution, they will receive the blessing of the new Pittsburgh-based Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD), created by environmentalists and the energy industry.

But some are questioning whether a partnership between environmentalists and the oil and gas industry should exist at all. “We know that our continued reliance on dirty, dangerous fossil fuels, like natural gas, will not solve the climate crisis, even with the best controls in place,” said Deb Nardone, a Sierra Club campaign director, who called the new plan “akin to slapping a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.” “The majority of natural gas must stay in the ground if we want any chance of avoiding climate disaster,” Nardone said.

An Ohio environmental group wasn’t happy, either. “This deal in no way represents the interests or agreement of the people being harmed by fracking in Ohio,” said Sandy Buchanan, the director of Ohio Citizen Action. “A hydraulic fracturing peace treaty? Not so fast, my friend.”

In addition to Shell and Chevron, the participants in the new center include the Environmental Defense Fund, the Heinz Endowments, the Clean Air Task Force, EQT Corp., the Group Against Smog and Pollution and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. The organizers hope to recruit new members, too.

The project will cover Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio — where a frenzy of drilling is under way in the huge, gas-rich Marcellus and Utica Shale formations. If fracking is approved in New York and other states in the East that have put a hold on new drilling, it could apply there, too.

The Environmental Defense Fund responded to the Sierra Club criticism by noting that the new plan is meant to be a complement to strong regulations, not a replacement.

“When an opportunity comes to engage companies constructively and hold them to a higher standard, we’re going to take that opportunity every time,” said Mark Brownstein, EDF associate vice president. He added that the new partnership with oil and gas companies comes with “a heavy dose of trust but verify” reality.

Brownstein noted that extensive oil and gas fracking is already taking place in many states and that it makes sense to improve standards in those places in every way possible.

During fracking, large volumes of water, along with sand and hazardous chemicals, are injected into the ground to break rock apart and free the oil and gas. In some places, the practice has been blamed for air pollution and gas leaks that have ruined well water, but President Barack Obama’s administration and many state regulators say the practice is safe when done properly.

The PA Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Kevin Sunday said the agency “applauds this collaboration between natural gas operators and non-governmental organizations. The best practices this group’s document speaks to — better on-site waste management practices, more recycling of wastewater, progressive fracturing fluid disclosure, and protecting private water supplies — are vital concepts of responsible gas development. ”

Sunday said the state has toughened standards over the last few years, and he praised “a cooperative spirit among oil and gas stakeholders to continually raise the bar of performance.”

Another person who was involved with the creation of the Pittsburgh center suggested that the Sierra Club and others are missing a key point.

John Hanger, the former director of the Pennsylvania DEP, wrote in a blog post Thursday that “ultimately, it will matter not that individual gas producers like or dislike CSSD. What will be decisive is that consumers of gas from Washington DC to Maine and from New York to Chicago will demand that their gas is certified as sustainably managed.”

The Pittsburgh project will be overseen by a 12-member board consisting of four seats for environmentalists, four for industry and four for independent figures, including former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill and Christine Todd Whitman, the former New Jersey governor and Environmental Protection Agency chief.

———

See CSSD Online: http://www.sustainableshale.org