Current Issue Latest News climate ACTION NM officials press for setbacks amid pushback from oil and gas industry Climate action On Earth Day, EOPA elected officials praise how Inflation Reduction Act is working and condemn fossil fuel industry for plastic pollution climate action Offshore wind does more than aid NY, NJ clean energy futures CLIMATE action CA climate leaders fight […]
Offshore wind does more than aid NY, NJ clean energy futures
“The public has had ample opportunity to weigh in on the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project since it was first proposed in 2018. Regulators are continuing to monitor the project as it moves through the development process.
Though some have attempted to tie up development in the courts, towns do not have standing to challenge these types of projects. Rather than throw up additional barriers, we should have confidence in the regulatory process and prepare to welcome Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind as a critical step to building a clean energy future that will create union jobs and improve public health . . .” More
“When Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine the country had already been grappling with dwindling water resources. Against this backdrop of water insecurity, Putin has cynically exploited Ukraine’s vulnerability to advance his own geopolitical agenda. He seized upon this his opportunity to exert control and leverage over the country.
Putin hopes his calculated exploitation of Ukraine’s water insecurity will give him a long-term strategic war advantage. Moreover, the conflict in eastern Ukraine has further exacerbated water insecurity, with critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants and irrigation systems damaged or destroyed by hostilities . . .” More
“Developing an offshore wind industry in Maine will create family-supporting jobs that offer a path to the middle class. It will put Maine on the leading edge of new technology that we can export to other places, bringing investment back home. And it can be done in a way that appropriately balances impacts and benefits to make sure Mainers aren’t left out . . .Through community engagement and an open, transparent process, we can ensure development occurs in the best way possible and that our communities see the incredible benefits that will follow this new industry . . .” More
Those who suffer from illness related to fossil fuel operations the most live in environmental justice communities. Read more HERE.
Across California and New Mexico, industrial oil and gas wells are operating just feet from homes, schools and hospitals, increasing community risks of asthma, preterm birth, cancer and premature death. Too many community members living near oil and gas wells are chronically ill, and too many have lost their lives due to the toxins they have to breathe daily. To make matters worse in these states oil companies have abandoned wells that leak methane— a climate super-pollutant over 80 times more climate-heating than carbon dioxide over the short term. Wells that leak methane likely also leak other dangerous air pollutants like benzene and volatile organic compounds . . . Read more HERE.
EPA RULES TO REDUCE POLLUTION FROM FOSSIL FUEL-FIRED POWER PLANTS HELPS HEALTH FOR MILLIONS, ESPECIALLY IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIESThe Biden Administration, over the past year, had the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strengthen rules for tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks, and methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. While vehicles are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the power sector ranks as the nation’s second-largest contributor of GHGs, and it is a major source of toxic air pollutants tied to various health problems. The power sector emitted 25 percent of overall domestic GHGs in 2022.
On April 25, the EPA announced a suite of final rules to reduce pollution from these fossil fuel-fired power plants in order to slash air pollution, water pollution and planet-warming emissions. Read more HERE.
Fossil Fuel companies have left behind wells that leak toxins and operate existing wells too close to public places. Stephanie Garcia Richard, Commissioner of Public Lands, and EOPA NM Leadership Council member spoke about those dangers and what the legacy of the toxins does to communities. She said that oil and gas wells leaking methane can be seen from space with NASA satellites.
“If those oil and gas wells needed to be properly plugged, we put the onus on the oil and gas industry to plug those wells properly on their own dimes,” Richard stressed. “Because those abandoned and orphaned gas wells are sometimes the worst offenders of emissions out in the oil field.”
Listen and/or read HERE.
““We have over 40,000 oil wells currently sitting orphaned or idle, leaking methane and volatile organic compounds into the air, water and soil,” said Ahmad Zahra, a city council member in Fullerton
Zahra spoke out against companies operating older low-producing wells rather than pay to shut them down and seal them up properly.
Ahmad Zahra, a city council member in Fullerton, said Assembly Bill 2716 would incentivize their closure by charging companies $10,000 a day to operate so-called “stripper wells.” Listen and/or read more HERE.
“Some here in New Mexico have been devastated because of types of energy incentives that have affected their land, their culture, their way of life and have taken away their lives,” said Rep. Lujan.
Rep. Lujan, D-Santa Fe, said industrial oil and gas wells are operating just feet from homes, schools and hospitals, increasing community health risks from well-known toxins.
This year, the Legislature rejected three different measures for setbacks around oil and gas wells. California passed legislation to ban wells within 3,200 feet of schools but it is on hold pending the November election when the industry hopes voters will overturn it. Read and/or listen HERE.
Explore podcasts from the City Climate Corner as they explore how small and mid-sized cities are tackling climate change and moving toward an equitable and sustainable future. Share their ideas and innovations with others. Co-hosted by Abby Finis and Larry Kraft.
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Return the Favor Part 1, May, 13, 2024 by Duncan McNelis. Duncan is the Programs Coordinator, Climate Policy Professional at EOPA
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