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Made in the shade: Growing crops at solar farms yields efficiency | Cornell Chronicle
by Duane Nichols 02 Mar '23

02 Mar '23

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Groundhog Day Webinar: WV Rivers Discusses the Mountain Valley Pipeline
by Duane Nichols 02 Feb '23

02 Feb '23

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Message from Appalachian Voices, POWHR, Indian Creek Watershed Association, Preserve Monroe, POWHR and all those fighting the DIRTY DEAL.
by Duane Nichols 19 Dec '22

19 Dec '22

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Burning Waste is a Bad Idea, Conservation Law Foundation, 9/10/19
by Duane Nichols 07 Dec '22

07 Dec '22

NOTE: The Follansbee City Council claims they did not know there would be emissions from the proposed “Empire Green” facility. Further, there is great uncertainty about what is the actual makeup of the feed material. And, there have been problems with the web-site where some relevant documents should be accessible. It would be wise to withdraw the application, or withdraw the approval by city council at this time. Let’s avoid so much confusion in West Virginia. I hope that other citizens will contact the WV DEP “environmental advocate” [depadvovate(a)wv.gov] and discuss this ‘unacceptable’ proposal. The proximity to other States is also a major concern since they have not been apprised of this threat to them. DGN. See the Weirton Times story here: https://www.weirtondailytimes.com/news/local-news/2022/12/opposition-to-med…. P.S. Here we go again, City Council and the various State agencies are closing their eyes and ears to the “Elephant in the Room” in the form of CO2 and VOCs as GHGs! Burning Waste is a Bad Idea. So Why is (Rhode Island)Taking Time to Study It? By Kevin Budris, Conservation Law Foundation, September10, 2019 New commission is tasked with studying feasibility of high-heat incinerator but burning any kind of trash is dangerous and shortsighted Burning waste of any kind is hazardous to our health and the environment and undermines real solutions to our trash crisis. Photo: Shutterstock Rhode Island – and all of New England – has a trash problem. There’s simply too much of it, and the ways we dispose of it hurt our health and environment. What’s more, plastic pollution is damaging our communities and putting wildlife on land and in the sea at risk. Rhode Island had the chance to ban single-use plastics this past legislative session. Yet, the General Assembly failed to take bold action against single-use plastic straws and bags. Moreover, legislators seriously considered two bills (H5448 and S408 ) that would have allowed the state to burn waste, including plastic, through dangerous processes known as gasification and pyrolysis. By law, Rhode Island cannot use incineration as a way to manage its waste. However, the proposed bills aimed to weaken the law and exempt the burning of plastics from this restriction. Thanks to efforts by CLF and several other environmental organizations, both bills failed to become law. However, the Senate did pass a resolution authorizing a commission to “study the merits and feasibility of developing a pyrolysis or gasification facility in the state.” The reality is, these facilities hold no merit and are not financially feasible. Any burning of waste endangers our health, our climate, and our environment. CLF will track the Rhode Island commission’s progress and will oppose any proposal to allow such a facility here or in any New England state. Gasification and Pyrolysis: Incineration by Different Names Gasification and pyrolysis are both forms of waste incineration . Where conventional incineration burns trash from cities and towns in oxygen-rich environments, gasification and pyrolysis have limited oxygen, heating waste to temperatures as high as 2,800° Fahrenheit. With limited oxygen and high heat, these facilities generate synthetic gases and oils, along with ash, char, and air pollution. They are dangerous to our health and to our environment. No Matter What You Call It, Burning Trash Creates Harmful Pollution Contrary to claims made by gasification and pyrolysis supporters, these are not “clean” technologies. The air emissions from these facilities are similar to conventional trash incinerators. They spew a number of cancer-causing compounds described as the most toxic chemicals known to humankind . Moreover, the ash “byproduct” of these processes is contaminated with dioxins, mercury, and other heavy metals, all of which leaches into our groundwater, rivers, and lakes. But the pollution doesn’t end there. The synthetic fuel produced at gasification and pyrolysis facilities is later burned to generate energy. Just like with any other oil or gas, this burning expels climate-damaging emissions, plus heavy metals and dioxins. Burning Trash is Expensive, Inefficient, and Unreliable Even if burning waste didn’t create air and carbon pollution, gasification and pyrolysis are unsound investments that create expensive fuel and little to no financial return. Studies have shown that these facilities use as much as 87 times more energy than they produce. Such massive energy consumption, along with high building and operating costs, make it difficult for gasification plants to be financially viable . This also makes them a more expensive option than composting, recycling, and even landfilling. Originally, gasification and pyrolysis technologies were designed to burn fuel sources such as wood chips or coal. Modern trash, however, is comprised mostly of food waste, yard trimmings, plastics, glass, metal, paper, cardboard, electronics, and hazardous waste. Because our trash varies in composition and moisture content, it’s difficult for facilities to maintain stable temperatures in thermal reaction vessels. This can cause operating conditions to become problematic and facilities to potentially break down, decreasing efficiency and increasing operating costs. Because of these environmental and financial obstacles, many attempts at large-scale waste gasification have failed: A plant in Dargavel, Scotland, opened in 2009 and closed in 2012 after the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency revoked its permit due to the facility’s failure to comply with pollution limits or efficiently recover energy. A gasifier in Karlsruhe, Germany, closed in 2002 after operating at a net energy loss for several years. In 2004, a gasifier in Wollongong, Australia, closed after three years of consistent operational problems and emissions violations. These are not anomalies – environmental and financial failure are the norm for gasification and pyrolysis facilities. Burning Trash Undermines Composting and Recycling Programs Gasification and pyrolysis facilities rely on burning organic waste that could otherwise be composted, as well as paper, glass, and plastic that could be recycled. Compared to incineration, the recycling and composting options cost towns and cities less money and generate three to four times as many local jobs . It makes little sense to use inefficient, expensive, and polluting processes to turn these materials into toxic fuel when we can save money and protect our communities and climate by adopting zero waste alternatives . CLF will be monitoring the upcoming Rhode Island study commission to make sure our government officials understand the many problems with burning our trash. And we will be making sure that the unreasonable notion of burning our way out of our trash problem doesn’t catch fire in other New England states. Source: https://www.clf.org/blog/burning-waste-bad-idea/ #######. #######. #######. #######. Duane G. NIchols, Ph.D. Chemical Engineer, Coordinator, Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition, 330 Dream Catcher Circle, Morgantown, WV 26508

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Shared solar launches in Virginia but still faces an uphill battle - Virginia Mercury
by Duane Nichols 30 Nov '22

30 Nov '22

“Shared solar launches in Virginia but still faces an uphill battle” - Ivy Main, Virginia Mercury, November 29, 2022 After years of wrangling, Virginia finally allows certain customers of Dominion Energy Virginia to buy solar energy from independent providers of shared solar, also known as community solar. Don’t applaud yet, though. Dominion has used the rulemaking process and its control over project interconnection to create hurdles for shared solar that lawmakers never anticipated. High minimum bills, prolonged interconnection study requirements and expensive equipment demands are stalling projects and could drive away all but the most tenacious developers. The blow that received the most attention came during the rulemaking process. The State Corporation Commission decided Dominion could impose a minimum bill averaging $55 per month on most customers. The minimum bill is added to the cost of the electricity itself, making shared solar so expensive that the program simply won’t be offered to the general public. However, lawmakers had included a provision exempting low- to moderate-income (LMI) participants from the minimum bill requirement. In effect, then, the SCC’s order turned the shared solar program into a program just for LMI residents. Indeed, the first shared solar project for LMI Virginians launched on Nov. 9 in Dumfries as a partnership between community solar developer Dimension Renewable Energy and low-income housing provider Community Housing Partners. Subscribers are told to expect savings of 10% on their electricity bills. The partners are signing up participants now but have not broken ground on a solar facility to serve them. ..... much more in this article ....... https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/11/29/shared-solar-launches-in-virgini…

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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROJECT of the Marcellus Region (SW PA, EAST OH, NW WV)
by Duane Nichols 29 Nov '22

29 Nov '22

https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2022/11/29/public-health-issues-in-the-marcell… Public Health Issues in the Marcellus & Utica Regions of WV & OH & PA Drilling, fracking and flaring have public health impacts ... ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROJECT of the Marcellus Region (SW PA, EAST OH, NW WV) Clean air is necessary for health, but clean air isn’t always a guarantee near shale gas sites. Many residents experience the threat of poor air quality firsthand. They can’t leave windows open for fear that pollution will harm them or their families. Poor air quality is one reason why many families who live near shale gas facilities reach out for help. For more than 10 years, EHP’s public health experts and data scientists have assisted residents and collected exposure data on air quality to pinpoint concerns, recommend steps that can limit exposure to harmful pollution, and provide tools to demand action from elected officials and government agencies. Families shouldn’t have to worry whether they’re breathing polluted air, but your support can give them peace of mind. Donate this Giving Tuesday to help families impacted by pollution get the safe, clean air they deserve.  EHP defends public health in the face of shale gas development. We provide frontline communities with timely monitoring, interpretation, and guidance. We engage diverse stakeholders: health professionals, researchers, community organizers, public servants, and others. Because knowledge protects health. Environmental Health Project, 2001 Waterdam Plaza Drive, Suite 201, McMurray, PA 15317 >>>>>>++++++######=====#####+++++>>>> CLEAN AIR COUNCIL with offices in Pittsburgh & Philadelphia Clean Air Council and its supporters have worked for years to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce air pollution from new and existing oil and gas facilities. The gas industry emits large quantities of climate-changing methane as well as smog-causing and health-harming volatile organic compounds (VOC), including known carcinogens like benzene. Earlier this month, the EPA proposed pollution standards for gas wells and compressor stations that will better protect public health and help address the climate crisis by reducing 36 million tons of methane, 9.7 millions tons of VOCs, and 390,000 tons of air toxics from 2023 to 2035. This rule requires air pollution inspections at all oil and gas extraction facilities regardless of size and includes significant updates to required pollution control technologies. While the US EPA has taken great steps to reduce air pollution from the gas industry, we need them to improve this rule by eliminating the unnecessary flaring of fracked gas. Comments will be accepted until February 13th and there will be two virtual public hearings January 10th and 11th. Click here to urge EPA to adopt stronger pollution standards. PHILADELPHIA OFFICE, 135 S. 19TH STREET, SUITE 300, PHILADELPHIA, PA, 19103 PITTSBURGH OFFICE, 200 FIRST AVE, SUITE 101, PITTSBURGH, PA 15222 >>>>>>++++++######=====#####+++++>>>> FRACKING COMPENDIUM ~ 8th Edition Now Available, April 28, 2022 “Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure,” 8th Edition, April 28, 2022 The Eighth Edition of the Fracking Compendium ~~~~ Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) is proud to co-release the eighth edition of the fracking “Compendium,” a collection of some 2,000 abstracts of and links to medical, scientific and investigative reports about the consequences of oil and gas drilling, fracking, and infrastructure. This unique resource presents evidence that fracking-related activities harm public health, the environment, and the climate; links provide easy access to the source material. The 2022 edition includes reports on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which the U.S. proposes to export in massive quantities to Western Europe, thus prolonging dependence on this potent climate-damaging fossil fuel. PSR co-produces the Compendium with Concerned Health Professionals of New York. Read the press release here.

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Pennsylvania boosts carbon capture research with investment in state geological survey | StateImpact Pennsylvania
by Duane Nichols 24 Nov '22

24 Nov '22

https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2022/11/22/pennsylvania-boosts-car… Pennsylvania boosts carbon capture research with investment in state geological survey Rachel McDevit, State Impact Penna., November 22, 2022 Core samples at the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. Pennsylvania is trying to position itself as a potential hub for carbon capture and storage, a technology that has been billed as a way to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use. The Pennsylvania Geological Survey got $6 million in this year’s budget for a new building to house its growing library of core samples. The samples are big cylinders of rock taken from deep underground, usually by fossil fuel companies looking for the best place to drill or mine. Right now, boxes of core samples from the last century are stacked floor to ceiling in the basement of the Survey’s headquarters in Middletown. Boxes of core samples in storage at the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. State Geologist Gale Blackmer said the new building will give greater access to people who want to study the cores. “The conditions for viewing and maybe doing some on-the-spot analyzing is not really ideal here,” Blackmer said. The site of the new building hasn’t been chosen. The core samples have a lot of value for researchers now looking for the best places to inject carbon dioxide, so it can’t reach the atmosphere. But carbon capture technology has so far been very expensive, and untested at the scale needed to avoid dangerous warming. Geologists estimate rock formations in western and northern Pennsylvania could store billions of metric tons of CO2. But Assistant State Geologist Kris Carter said there will be limitations, such as cost and access. “Not every place that may have storage or prospective storage beneath it is necessarily going to be used for that because there might be competing uses or land use management constraints above ground,” she said. Carter said companies will also need to consider pressure constraints in the rock and whether any old gas wells in the area could compromise storage. Marcellus Shale core samples from Greene County at the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. Gov. Tom Wolf recently approved $1 billion in new tax credits meant to make the state more attractive to companies making “clean hydrogen.” Hydrogen has been touted as a fuel that could help clean up emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors like airlines. When burned, hydrogen’s only byproduct is water. But how clean hydrogen is depends on how it’s made. It’s considered “green” if it’s made using renewable energy. Companies planning to make hydrogen from natural gas would need to find a way to capture and store the resulting carbon dioxide for the hydrogen to be considered clean.

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USFS: Mountain Valley Pipeline Notice of Intent Pre-notification
by Duane Nichols 16 Nov '22

16 Nov '22

Subject: USFS: Mountain Valley Pipeline Notice of Intent Pre-notification > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: Timm, Joby -FS <joby.timm(a)usda.gov> > Date: Wed, Nov 16, 2022 at 12:24 PM > Subject: Mountain Valley Pipeline Notice of Intent Pre-notification > > Good Afternoon, > > I am reaching out to key partners of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests to advise you of the next steps in the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project. > > The MVP project crosses 3.5 miles of the Jefferson National Forest in Giles and Montgomery Counties, Virginia, and Monroe County, West Virginia.  Results of litigation in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 2018 and 2022 vacated previous Forest Service decisions related to the project.  > > This summer, MVP submitted a right-of-way application and Plan of Development to the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency responsible for permitting the pipeline right-of-way.  The BLM forwarded these to the Forest Service for processing. > > As we work to address specific concerns identified by the Court, the Forest Service will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). This process begins with an announcement in the Federal Register known as the “Notice of Intent,” which we anticipate being published tomorrow. > > We anticipate the SEIS process will take about a year to complete.  The Draft SEIS, too, will be announced in the Federal Register, and the public will have the opportunity to comment. > > For more information on this project, please visit the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests website. > > If you receive inquiries about this effort, please forward them to SM.FS.GWJNF-PA(a)usda.gov or request the inquirer leave a message at 1-888-603-0261. > > Thank you. -JOB > > > > > > Joby P. Timm > Forest Supervisor > > Forest Service > > George Washington and Jefferson National Forest > > p: 540-265-5118 > > c: 540-339-2523 > f: 540-265-5110 > joby.timm(a)usda.gov > > Supervisors Office > > 5162 Valleypointe Parkway > Roanoke, VA 24019 > > www.fs.fed.us > > > Caring for the land and serving people > >

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LWV PA ... Nov. 16, 2022
by Duane Nichols 16 Nov '22

16 Nov '22

Program agenda by day: https://bit.ly/shalehealth2022agenda Presenter bios: https://bit.ly/shalehealth2022bios Evaluation survey (after your final session): https://www.shalepalwv.org/conference-evaluation-form/ Link to latest Resource Guide - PDF and ordering info: https://www.shalepalwv.org/2021-shale-public-health-conference/ Conference Zoom link for both days https://tinyurl.com/shalehealth2022 Dan Bain co-author/edited a book on the “Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves”. It has chapters on global reserves, fracking in Appalachia, governance, air, water, radioactivity, seismic, isotopes, microbiology, and case studies. Here’s the link www.cambridge.org/9781108489195 Use the checkout code EIDUOGR22 for a 20% discount. Here is a link to the Body Burden story by Kristina Marusic: https://www.ehn.org/fractured-series-on-fracking-pollution-2650624600.html Bob says ~ https://bobscaping.com/2022/10/31/pa-study-microplastics-in-100-of-exceptio… https://bobscaping.com/2022/11/07/landmark-lawsuit-latkanich-v-chevron-eqt-… https://bobscaping.com/2022/09/06/childhood-cancer-study-near-fracking-in-s…

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West Virginia officials expected to announce new natural gas power plant for Doddridge County | WV News | wvnews.com
by Duane Nichols 16 Sep '22

16 Sep '22

https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/west-virginia-officials-expected-to-anno… CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — A multibillion-dollar economic development project will be announced Friday in Charleston, and sources have indicated it will be a natural-gas-fired power plant in Doddridge County. A press advisory sent Thursday afternoon fueled speculation, especially when sources indicated to WV News that the project was said to be a power plant in North Central West Virginia. The advisory came from a private public relations firm but listed Sen. Joe Manchin, Gov. Jim Justice and state Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael as the officials expected to be on hand for the announcement. Several sources indicated the project will cost around $3 billion. WOWK-TV out of Charleston-Huntington reported that sources told it there could be several thousand construction jobs and eventually 200 full-time jobs once the plant is operating. WOWK-TV also was the first to report that the plant will be operated by CPV Shay, a Silver Spring, Maryland-based energy company. A check with the Secretary of State’s Office shows that CPV Shay is registered to conduct business in the Mountain State, having registered in 2019. The company’s website says it is “dedicated to increasing America’s energy sustainability by providing safe, reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible electric power. To achieve our goal, we focus on optimizing existing resources ….” CPV Shay’s website shows nine current projects in operation, construction or planning. It does not list a site in West Virginia, but the company has facilities in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois. Six of the projects appear to be gas- or steam-fired turbines, while two are solar and one is wind-powered. If CPV Shay is developing the West Virginia project in the cost range of $3 billion, it appears it would be the company’s largest undertaking. If Doddridge County is the site, it is a logical selection. Doddridge has been either the top gas-producing county or one of the top five since the natural gas industry focused on the Marcellus Shale Appalachian basin.

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