8-22-13

Canadian Press. TransCanada Sues Rival Enbridge

Governor Parnell Calls on Interior to Reconsider ANWR Plan

(See yesterday's 8-21-13 letter here)

See our "Federal Overreach Summit" commentary, entitled Remembering the Past, in this week's (8-21) Xtra Community Newspaper. -dh

August 21, 2013, Anchorage, Alaska – The State of Alaska today formally asked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel Ashe to reconsider and reverse his agency’s denial of the state’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) Section 1002(e) Exploration Plan.

“The regional director’s decision was both an inaccurate and restrictive interpretation of federal law that blocks Congress and the public from better understanding ANWR’s natural resource potential,” Governor Sean Parnell (NGP Photo) said.

“I am confident the director will take a hard look at that decision, in light of the state’s strong legal position and the enormous opportunity the state is offering to the nation in its exploration plan. Fundamentally, the question remains – ‘Why doesn’t the current administration want to know more about ANWR’s natural resource potential?’”

In its exploration plan submitted on July 9, the state proposed a state-funded program to conduct low-impact 3-D seismic testing throughout the coastal plain, or 1002 Area, of ANWR. The scientific data to be gathered would greatly improve understanding of the hydrocarbon resources in the 1002 Area and assist Congress and federal agencies as they make future decisions regarding development in the region.

In a July 23 letter, Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Geoffrey Haskett rejected the state’s exploration plan despite the fact it met all federal statutory and regulatory requirements. In his decision, the regional director cited a policy memo prepared by former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt at the end of President Clinton’s administration that claimed the opportunity to submit exploration plans under Section 1002(e) of ANILCA had expired.

Under Fish and Wildlife Service regulations, the director has 30 days to affirm, reverse, or modify the decision of the regional director.

Today's Consumer Energy Alliance News Clips:

York News-Times: Consumer Energy Alliance pushing for Keystone XL pipeline – Michael Whatley (NGP Photo) might live in Virginia, but he’s been spending a lot of time in Nebraska. The executive vice-president of the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) has been visiting the state for a very specific reason and it all has to do with pushing for the construction of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Washington Post: Obama’s climate plan could cut power-plant emissions 26 percent. Or just 1 percent – As part of its big push to address climate change, the Obama administration is crafting rules to cut carbon-dioxide emissions from the nation’s power plants. One big unknown, however, is how much these regulations will actually do. A lot? A little?

Platts: US proposes new offshore safety rule incorporating latest technology – The US Department of the Interior proposed Wednesday an offshore drilling safety rule designed to incorporate technologies and practices that industry has adopted since the advent of deepwater oil and natural gas exploration.

Global News: Move over Keystone: Enbridge’s pipeline may be first to get Alberta oil to the Gulf – While the fate of TransCanada’s embattled Keystone XL remains uncertain 70-odd months into its quest to link Alberta’s oilsands with the Gulf of Mexico, another Canadian company’s lesser-known, less-scrutinized pipeline project is on track to make it there first.

Businessweek: Republicans Say It’s Not All About Money in Debt Showdown – For House Republicans in this year’s budget fight, it’s not all about the money. Republican leaders are poring over a list of potential sweeteners, such as approving the Keystone XL pipeline, to gather enough votes to present a united front when they face off with President Barack Obama next month.

Washington Times: U.S. energy could fuel economy – So the Keystone XL pipeline won’t create many jobs, according to President Obama. Really? Has anyone in Washington ever read the 2009 Congressional Research Service report “U.S. Fossil Fuel Resources: Terminology, Reporting, and Summary”?

Omaha.com: Plan for the worst with Keystone XL pipeline, safety advocate urges leaders – Plan for a pipeline disaster, even though it probably won't happen. Carl Weimer, director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, will deliver that message today and Friday in Nebraska when he meets with local elected officials and law enforcement officers about the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Sit News: Governor Asks Interior to Reconsider ANWR Plan – The State of Alaska today formally asked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel Ashe to reconsider and reverse his agency’s denial of the state’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) Section 1002(e) Exploration Plan.

USA Today: How important are biofuels? Your Say – Ethanol is not bad for cars designed to operate on it, which has nothing to do with the quality of the parts used. I am in favor of offering E85 (a blend of 15% gasoline, 85% ethanol) for appropriate vehicles, but am opposed to mandating E10 or increasing the requirement to E15.

Patriot-News: Federal government's ethanol mandate hoses you at the gas pump – If you pay taxes and buy groceries, every time you insert the nozzle to fill your tank with ethanol-blended fuel, you get hosed six ways.

The Hill: Thousands weigh in on proposed fracking rule – The Obama administration has received more than 5,000 comments on its proposed regulation for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on public and Native American lands.

US News: Fracking Our Way to Higher Incomes – If you're intrigued by the extraordinary success that states like North Dakota, Texas and Oklahoma are enjoying from the energy boom, then some summer reading might be in order. I have to warn you though; it's not light and breezy. Download a copy of "The Economic Effects of Hydrofracturing on Local Economies: A Comparison of New York & Pennsylvania," written by Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a senior fellow with the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and Andrew Gray.

Newschannel 34: Pro-fracking Picnic To Be Held Friday – People who favor fracking are planning to gather at Otsiningo Park in Dickinson on Friday. They say no one is going to be able to get close to the President anyway and they need quite a bit of space to accommodate the several hundred people who are expected to attend the picnic style event.

Northern Colorado Business Report: Oil industry responds to fracking ban ballot initiative – A decision by the Fort Collins City Council to authorize a special election on whether to pass a hydraulic fracturing moratorium has drawn ire from oil industry representatives.

Capital Public Radio: A California Bill to Regulate Fracking Hits a Legislative Wall – A California bill to monitor and regulate hydraulic fracturing or fracking has stumbled in a key Assembly committee. Under the bill, companies would have to make public all information regarding their fracking operations.

Los Angeles Times: Fracking war: Sierra Club says bill not good enough – Environmental and liberal activist groups are split over a pending pioneering bill that would regulate the controversial oil-extraction technique known as fracking.

Human Events: Fracking: Can we trade CA Dems for PA Dems? – The New York Times and the Huffington Post have reported that the Obama administration supports fracking and doesn’t buy the alarmism of the environmental lobby on this. Now another prominent publication, the National Journal, points out a fact that the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee refuse to share with their voters.

The Atlantic: The Natural Gas Boom: Processes, Production, and Problems – The key technologies behind the U.S. natural gas boom are "hydraulic fracturing" (fracking), and "horizontal drilling". For a good look at the way these processes are used to access shale deposits, check out this interactive info-graphic from National Geographic.

Switchboard: BLM Must Reverse Course on Weak Fracking Rule – This Friday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will close the official comment period for its proposed rule to govern fracking on public and Indian lands across the US. The BLM is faced with a choice: whether to capitulate to the oil and gas industry’s demands and finalize the current weak rules or to heed the call of hundreds of thousands of Americans who have written in to ask the Bureau to institute stronger protections for our health and environment.

Time: As Obama Visits Upstate New York, the Fracking Debate Takes Center Stage – President Obama is planning to tout his education plan when he visits upstate New York this week, beginning with an appearance in Buffalo today—but much of his audience is likely to be interested in only one subject: fracking.

Associated Press: Pa. shale drillers says professional help wanted – Companies operating in the Marcellus and Utica shale regions say it has been a challenge to fill openings in engineering, geology, environmental health and other professional fields.

Washington Post: Mexico’s oil monopoly needs international help

Mexico’s monolithic, government-backed petroleum company is one of the largest oil producers in the world. It’s also in deep trouble.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Marcellus Shale waste trips more radioactivity alarms than other products left at landfills – Last year, nearly 1,000 trucks hauling 15,769 tons of Marcellus Shale waste were stopped at Pennsylvania landfill gates after tripping radioactivity alarms.

Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Marvelous Marcellus: Boom & boon

Marcellus shale drilling in Pennsylvania is exceeding advocates' expectations for economic and energy benefits — and doing so safely, refuting environmental extremists' alarmism.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Two dozen turn out for gas drilling hearing in Peters

Residents and officials in Peters got their first peek Monday at a revamped ordinance aimed at better regulating gas well drilling in the Marcellus Shale and its related activities.

Pittsburgh Business Times: Professional jobs the toughest for gas firms to fill

If you got a job in the oil and gas industry last year, chances are it was in equipment operations, maintenance and operations or commercial function, according to the latest hiring survey data released by the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

Houston Business Journal: Is the U.S. shale revolution replicable?

Despite the fact that only 9.1 percent of shale gas resources and only 16.8 percent of shale oil resources are located inside the United States, the shale revolution largely remains a phenomenon unique to the United States. This has led many people to ask, is the U.S. shale revolution replicable elsewhere in the world?

Texas Public Radio: TxDOT Considering Gravel Roads In South Texas As Cost-Saving Measure

Roads are being worn down with the high volume of heavy-load trucks passing in and out of the Eagle Ford Shale area, causing TxDOT to balance the need for frequent repairs with cost saving measures in their budget.

Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Pennsylvania’s share of Marcellus shale jobs dips

Pennsylvanians made up a smaller share of new workers in the local shale gas industry in 2012, according to industry data released on Wednesday, underscoring a shift here from drilling to pipeline work.

Los Angeles Times: Survey of Californians finds concern about fracking

Three out of four surveyed people in five key legislative districts say they're concerned about California's lack of regulation of hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method for extracting oil and natural gas.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Seismic testing to cause traffic, noise increase in Clinton area

Findlay residents will notice increased truck traffic and noise next month when a company mapping the Marcellus Shale starts extensive seismic testing.

Columbus Dispatch: Counties reap shale sales, but job growth still lags

Development of Ohio’s Utica shale has led to a big increase in spending in the eastern part of the state, but the job gains have been modest at best, according to a new report.