Suggested Readings for August 2021

Compiled by Cindy Taylor

Appearing online in The Marietta Times:

July 17, 2021 Letter-to-Editor by Ben Hunkler, Organizer for Concerned Ohio River Residents; Alison L. Steele, Exec. Director of Environmental Health Project; and Leatra Harper, Managing Director, FreshWater Accountability Project

“Industry underplays health risks of barging shale gas wastewater”

https://www.mariettatimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2021/07/industry-underplays-health-risks-of-barging-shale-gas-wastewater/

Appearing online in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel:

July 17, 2021 Letter-to-Editor by Liz Hamperian, Board President, OutMOV

“Thank you for coming out”   (MOVCA participation mentioned)

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2021/07/thank-you-for-coming-out/

Saturday July 17/Sunday July 18 2021 Letter to Editor by Margaret Meeker, Williamstown

“Invest in renewables”

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2021/07/invest-in-renewables-2/

Saturday, July 17, 2021 Staff  Business Report

“Pleasants County to get methanol plant”

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2021/07/pleasants-county-to-get-methanol-plant/

Saturday July 10/Sunday July 11 2021  Op-ed by Elizabeth Bailes

“Op-ed: For West Virginia, climate action is a matter of faith”

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/local-columns/2021/07/op-ed-for-west-virginia-climate-action-is-a-matter-of-faith/

Saturday July 3/Sunday July 4 2021 Local Column by Aaron Dunbar

Appearing on-line in the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

July  29, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer

“DEP levies $51K fine for Mountaineer XPress Pipeline water pollution violations”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/dep-levies-51k-fine-for-mountaineer-xpress-pipeline-water-pollution-violations/article_4147b01d-c09d-53c9-be2f-b3373fcdcc7a.html

July  27, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer

“House PFAS protection bill passes with support from McKinley, opposition from Miller and Mooney”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/house-pfas-protection-bill-passes-with-support-from-mckinley-opposition-from-miller-and-mooney/article_936ce4dd-0eb3-5a37-9a8b-744849c820a9.html

July  26, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer

“Federal economic development initiative to invest $300 million in coal communities”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/federal-economic-development-initiative-to-invest-300-million-in-coal-communities/article_01f43287-ef6b-5ad5-b271-809647da6ac6.html

July  21, 2021 Energy and Environment News Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer

“New reports make case that natural gas production boom was a bust for Appalachia, urge economic transition”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/new-reports-make-case-that-natural-gas-production-boom-was-a-bust-for-appalachia-urge/article_d6aba4b0-02a6-5381-bc24-b38357814617.html

July 16, 2021 Editorial

“Gazette-Mail editorial: Another case showing coal’s decline”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/editorial/gazette-mail-editorial-another-case-showing-coals-decline/article_630e4c85-d766-556d-80c2-ff4b74c27690.html

July 12 2021 Energy and Environment Article by Mike Tony, Staff writer

“EPA recommends not issuing key water permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline, which touts carbon offset plan”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/epa-recommends-not-issuing-key-water-permit-for-mountain-valley-pipeline-which-touts-carbon-offset/article_a075bf52-66b3-529d-800e-8248e9ebec20.html

Appearing on-line in Columbus Dispatch:

Wednesday, July 28, 2021 Opinion Column by Beverly Reed, Belmont County, OH

“Beverly Reed: What Would DeWine Do about ‘Shameful’ Environmental Reality Impacting Ohioans?”

https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2021/07/28/beverly-reed-what-would-dewine-do-shameful-environmental-reality-impacting-ohioans/5376746001/

July 16, 2021 Business Article by Beth Harvilla

“Proposed Ohio Cracker Plant Awaits Final Air Permit Decision; Still No Partner for Project”

https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/2021/07/16/proposed-ohio-cracker-plant-by-pttgca-awaits-air-permit-decision/7967195002/

Appearing on-line in The Bargain Hunter (Weekly news magazine serving Ohio Counties: Holmes, Tuscarawas, Wayne, and the surrounding area. Stark, Medina, Summit and Cuyahoga):

Appearing online on WTAP:

Thursday, July 15, 2021 WTAP News Article by Tod Baucher

“Group wants federal money for “clean” energy projects in W.Va.”

https://www.wtap.com/2021/07/15/group-wants-federal-money-clean-energy-projects-wva/

 Jean Ambrose, (and Dawn Weidner)  representing ReImagine Appalachia, speaks with Wood County Commission

Thursday, July 15, 2021 WTAP News Article by Tod Baucher

“Permit OK’d for Pleasants County plant”

https://www.wtap.com/2021/07/15/permit-okd-pleasants-county-plant/

July 5, 2021 WTAP News Article by Laura Bowen (text and video)

“The New Jobs Coalition stops in Parkersburg for its statewide tour”

https://www.wtap.com/2021/07/05/new-jobs-coalition-stops-parkersburg-its-statewide-tour/

Available on-line at West Virginia Rivers:

July 1, 2021  Pipeline Stream Crossing Webinar sponsored by WV Rivers and Trout Unlimited –  recorded video

  Lean about different methods used to cross streams by pipelines and their water quality impacts

Stream Crossing Webinar

Appearing on-line on Ohio River Valley Institute https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org :

July  22, 2021  Article by Ted Boettner

“Appalachia Poised to Be Part of Shift to Clean Energy”

Appalachia Poised to Be Part of Shift to Clean Energy

July  20, 2021  New ORVI REPORT by Sean O’Leary

Destined to Fail: Why the Appalachia Natural Gas Boom Failed to Produce Jobs & Prosperity and What it Teaches Us

Destined to Fail: Why the Appalachian Natural Gas Boom Failed to Deliver Jobs & Prosperity and What It Teaches Us

July 20, 2021 New ORVI REPORT by Sean O’Leary

The Centralia Model for Economic Transition in Distressed Communities

The Centralia Model for Economic Transition in Distressed Communities

July 7, 2021 ORVI Press Conference for “Repairing the Damage: The costs of delaying reclamation at modern-era mines”

June 29, 2021  Article by ORVI

“Joe Manchin Cites ORVI Report in Senate Hearing on Abandoned Mine Land Damage”

Joe Manchin Cites ORVI Report in Senate Hearing on Abandoned Mine Land Damage

Available on-line on Appalachian Voices  https://appvoices.org 

July 7, 2021 Appalachian Voices Press Release- contact Erin Savage, Senior Program Manager

“New Report Finds Significant Cleanup Needed at Coal Mines in the East”

New report finds significant cleanup needed at coal mines in the East

Updated July 12, 2021 New REPORT by Appalachian Voices. Third paper in the Repairing the Damage series:

“Repairing the Damage: The costs of delaying reclamation at modern-era mines” by Erin Savage

Repairing the Damage: The costs of delaying reclamation at modern-era mines

Report summary: https://appvoices.org/resources/reports/RepairingTheDamage_ReclamationAtModernMines_summary.pdf 

Available on-line on ReImagine Appalachia https://reimagineappalachia.org: 

July 2, 2021 Article by Amanda Woodrum and Stephen Herzenberg, co-directors of the ReImagine Appalachia campaign

“Four State AFL-CIO Presidents Agree: If Done Right, Labor Unions can Benefit from Federal Climate Action”

Four State AFL-CIO Presidents Agree: If Done Right, Labor Unions Can Benefit from Federal Climate Action

Resources available under Local Grassroots at https://reimagineappalachia.org/local/grassroots/

See Toolkit – Step by Step Guide on How to Pass Resolutions and answers to FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Link provided for Resolution to Reimagine Appalachia and Support a Federal Appalachian Climate Infrastructure Plan

See resources under Local Officials at https://reimagineappalachia.org/local/officials/

Find the Blue Print and Jobs Studies Policy Briefs for WV, PA, and OH (by the PERI Institute)  for Reimagine Appalachia at https://reimagineappalachia.org/resources/ 

Appearing on-line in WV Public Broadcasting and WOUB (PBS):

July 29, 2021Energy and Environment News Article by Curtis Tate

“Report Predicts 3 Coal Plants Could Close Within 5 Years”

https://www.wvpublic.org/energy-environment/2021-07-28/report-predicts-3-coal-plants-could-close-within-5-years

July 16, 2021 Government / Energy and Environment News Article by Curtis Tate

“Kentucky Regulators: West Virginia Coal Plant Should Close in 2028”

https://www.wvpublic.org/government/2021-07-16/kentucky-regulators-west-virginia-coal-plant-should-close-in-2028

Available online on Frack Check WV (frackcheckwv.net)

June 19, 2021 Article by Duane Nichols  (omitted from June media report)

“LIVING ON EARTH – Health Effects from Fossil Fuel Combustion”

http://www.frackcheckwv.net/2021/06/19/living-on-earth-—-health-effects-from-fossil-fuel-combustion/

Available on-line on ENERGY NEWS NETWORK:

July 23, 2021 News article by Kathiann M. Kowalski

“Advocates say energy efficiency – not gas – offers Appalachia best economic prospects” Analyses suggest investment in the energy efficiency sector could let a larger share of money stay in communities vs. natural gas operations.

https://energynews.us/2021/07/23/advocates-say-energy-efficiency-not-gas-offers-appalachia-best-economic-prospects/

Available online on Union of Concerned Scientists:

July 22, 2021 New REPORT by the Union of Concerned Scientists and external advisory committee: Baek, Y., T. Boettner, R. Cleetus, S. Clemmer, C. Esquivia-Zapata, C. Farley, B. Isaas, J. Koeppel, J. Martin, J. McNamara, C. Pinto de Moura, S. Sathia, S. Sattler, M. Unseld, and S. Welton.

A Transformative Climate Action Framework: Putting People at the Center of Our Nation’s Clean Energy Transition

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/clean-energy-transformation

Available online on Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR):

July 12, 2021  Article about PSR’s New REPORT   (See also Link for report below)

“New Report: Fracking with “Forever Chemicals”

July 2021 REPORT by Dusty Horwitt, J.D. Physicians for Social Responsibility

Fracking with “Forever Chemicals”: Records indicate oil and gas firms injected PFAs into more than 1,200 wells since 2012; EPA Approved chemical for oil and gas operations despite PFAs concerns

Available online on 30 Million Solar Homes:

July 2021 Economic REPORT by Katie Kienbaum and John Farrell of Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)

The National Impact of 30 Million Solar Homes: A Vision for an Equitable Economic Recovery Built on Climate Protection and Energy Democracy    See these links below for summary, action link, and link to download report

Home

New Resources

NATIONAL/REGIONAL ATTENTION:

Available online on HuffPost  huffpost.com:

July 1, 2021   Politics Article by Amanda Terkel.    Eric Engle and Jim Probst are quoted. MOVCA is mentioned.

“Exxon Mobil Lobbyist Brags He Gets Weekly Access To Joe Manchin’s Office. Environmental groups weigh in on whether they get the same sort of treatment.”  

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-manchin-exxonmobil-lobbying-environmental-groups_n_60dcc8e3e4b001b8d59bbbd8

Available on Inside Climate News:

July 22, 2021 Article by Dan Gearino

“Inside Clean Energy: Ohio Shows Hostility to Clean Energy. Again” A new law allows county government to veto state-approved wind and solar projects.

Inside Clean Energy: Ohio Shows Hostility to Clean Energy. Again

Available on-line on Common Dreams:

July 15, 2021 Article by Kenny Stancil’

“Manchin – ‘Very, very’ Disturbed by Climate Action – Made Nearly $500K Last Year From Coal: Report”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/07/15/manchin-very-very-disturbed-climate-action-made-nearly-500k-last-year-coal-report

HERE ARE A FEW MORE INTERESTING READS:

Appearing online on Yale Climate Connections:

July 14, 2021 Energy Article by Karin Kirk

“The number of lives that clean energy could save, by U.S. state” : Air pollution from burning fossil fuels causes over 50,000 U.S. deaths and $445 billion in economic damage annually. Statistics available by state.

The number of lives that clean energy could save, by U.S. state