Latest News - Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action

Posted: July 20, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: The Great Filter and the coming election

Jul 20, 2024

Jean Ambrose

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

As a writer for Climate Corner, I am always excited to share news of the progress being made around the globe to develop renewable energy sources.

In the United States, the investments being made in modernizing our infrastructure, especially our electricity production, will be coming on line in this decade. It’s a race to see if humanity can find the will to change our habits and flatten the curve of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases that are warming the planet.

As we all know, there is a political race taking place right now as well and we are not hearing much about the implications for our planet that this election holds. Our political structure is the focus of a no holds barred backlash by the fossil fuel industry to make sure their investments have value for as long as possible. This is short-term thinking at its worst, to encourage the industries that are polluting our only home to stay in the driver’s seat. “Drill baby, drill!” sums up a political platform that just this week unapologetically intends to make the climate crisis worse.

As a reminder of what is at stake here, the 2023 Interconnected Disaster Risks report published by the United Nations examines six immediate and increasing risks across the world:

* the accelerating extinctions of species (and the decline of ones essential for our own lives, such as bees, leading to ecosystem collapse);

* the depletion of groundwater aquifers. (Groundwater is ancient stored water that is not being replaced;)

* the retreat of mountain glaciers, the source of much fresh water to the world’s ecosystems

* unbearable heat — the growing number of places facing temperatures too hot for humans to live;

* the rise in uninsurability as insurance companies abandon writing policies in areas prone to flooding and fires, leaving people with no economic safety net after catastrophic losses; and

* the growing amount of space debris. (A map of the debris field around our planet shows that we have trashed the space around us to the point that the debris threatens our navigation and communications systems.)

This report spotlights how the interconnectedness of these threats makes them more complicated to address, and will take our best minds and most courageous hearts. In fact, when asked about the consequences of the coming election, climate scientist Michael Mann responded that it could be “game over.”

Mann’s two-word analysis of the climate crisis connects to the Fermi Paradox, raised by Nobel laureate Enrico Fermi in 1950 that — despite decades of searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence – there had been no evidence of interplanetary species. With the unfathomable number of stars and planets in the universe, our advanced telescopes should have picked up technology signatures sprinkled across the stars. But there have been no signals, no voices from other worlds, when according to the numbers, the universe should be bursting with them. That’s the paradox.

A theory called the Great Filter seeks to answer the question. It was first proposed by astronomer Robin Hanson that intelligent interstellar life forms must clear basic hurdles to become a truly advanced space faring civilization. He hypothesized nine steps, with humanity at step eight, where we are developing the technology needed for space exploration. Given the age of the universe, there should be a few species to have colonized their solar system or even galaxy. If the whole universe has been silent so far, is there a step that just can’t be cleared? Or are we on track to be the first civilization to emigrate beyond our planet? Is ever increasing exploration of the galaxy our future? Or does our inability to overcome our differences or our greed to capture our planet’s resources for ourselves alone doom us to be the end of the line? Time is running out quickly. The decision is humanity’s to make.

***

Jean Ambrose talks to her 5-year-old granddaughter Adena about taking care of the Earth.

Posted: July 13, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: A.I. – artificial innovation

Jul 13, 2024

Aaron Dunbar

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

One of the more pernicious forms of climate denial taking hold in recent years has come in the rampant spread of techno-optimism.

These are the folks who have admitted to themselves that climate change exists, as is the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community, but to them, the potential destruction of organized life on Earth is less of a problem and more of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To the capitalist cult leaders of Silicon Valley and their ilk, the challenges of the climate crisis offer us an incentive toward rapid and widespread technological revolution. And if they happen to make an ungodly amount of money in the process, then by God, that’s just the price they’ll have to pay.

To date, tech bros have advocated such technological innovations as carbon capture and storage, which is prohibitively expensive and simply doesn’t work, and geoengineering, which is wildly unpredictable and potentially destructive on an unthinkable scale, as panaceas for the climate crisis and the complex tangle of challenges it presents. Time and again we’re told not to worry about the flambeing of the planet, because “Miracle Technology” is here, or it will be in a few years, or decades, and when it does it will surely fix this entire mess. If it works. And in the meantime, we’re free to continue stripping the planet for parts as we’ve been doing, even as predictions for warming continue to grow more dire and surpass official IPCC estimates to a horrifying degree.

Silicon Valley’s latest silver bullet for the climate crisis, as well as its current obsession more broadly, is artificial intelligence. From A.I.-powered washing machines to the dangerous, potentially legally actionable A.I. gunk clogging up Google search results, this sometimes incredible, often unnecessary and increasingly threatening technology appears well on its way to taking over the world. There are some, however, who contend that it might just save the world instead.

Advocates in favor of using artificial intelligence to combat the climate crisis point to a number of beneficial applications for the technology, from mapping deforestation to predicting climate disasters, aiding reforesting projects and decarbonizing industries and even helping to clean up the oceans.

I frankly have no problem with any of these ideas. To the extent that I believe that the human race “needs” A.I. at all, these are exactly the sorts of projects I’d prefer to see it being used for. The problem, however, is the same one that plagues every bright and shiny new toy that rises like a Space Odyssey monolith out of Silicon Valley: Its creators vastly overpromising on what that technology can deliver and dismissing out of hand the myriad of potential drawbacks that come along with it.

As British theorist Stafford Beer famously put it, the purpose of a system is what it does. In other words, there is “no point in claiming that the purpose of a system is to do what it constantly fails to do.” If A.I. advocates want to claim that the technology they’re forcing us all to adopt will ultimately benefit humankind and the planet, then surely there must be some evidence that this is taking place.

As it stands, the tech industry’s insatiable gluttony for A.I. everything is gobbling up the world’s energy resources, “outstripping the available power supply in many parts of the world,” as one Bloomberg article puts it. Goldman Sachs has described this surge in demand as “the kind of electricity growth that hasn’t been seen in a generation.” The International Energy Agency estimates that electricity “needs” for A.I. and global data centers may double by the year 2026.

Fossil fuel companies are, of course, thrilled about this development. EQT Corporation CEO Toby Rice has out and out stated that the maligned climate bomb known as the Mountain Valley Pipeline will contribute directly to the skyrocketing use of A.I. Meanwhile, Energy Capital Partners founder Doug Kimmelman has referred to natural gas as “the only cost-efficient energy generation capable of providing the type of 24/7 reliable power required by the big technology companies to power the A.I. boom.”

What’s been described as a “golden age” for natural gas and the fossil fuel industry is quickly proving to be a death knell for the climate. It was recently revealed that Google, previously seen as a corporate leader in terms of its relatively ambitious climate commitments, has been falling short of its targets as it stumbles headlong into the A.I. race, with its energy use climbing up by 13% in 2023, rather than falling. So sure, they may be melting the polar ice caps and causing the earliest Category 5 hurricanes ever observed, but isn’t that a small price to pay for A.I.-enhanced Google search results instructing you to eat rocks and glue the cheese onto your pizza to make sure that it sticks?

At the end of the day, new technologies can and will play an important role in combating the climate crisis. But it’s crucial that we aren’t simply throwing money and resources at miracle cures that are worse than the disease. What’s the point of having the most precise A.I. measurements in the world when that same technology is rapidly escalating the very destruction it’s designed to measure?

At some point, we’re all going to have to wake up and realize that our endless appetite for consumption simply isn’t compatible with life on a finite planet. There’s more than enough on this blue marble we call home for us all to have what we need, but not enough for everyone, or even the very wealthy few of us, to have it all. And more often than not, that’s exactly the problem techno-optimists are trying to solve — not meeting humanity’s needs, but rather the capitalist urge to devour beyond all natural limits for as long as possible, before it all comes tumbling down around us. We need to resist the temptation of shiny toys and jingling keys that promise a utopia they can never deliver and focus on real, serious solutions to the crisis we now urgently face.

***

Aaron Dunbar is a member of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.

Posted: July 6, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Navigating ‘Dark Waters’

Jul 6, 2024

Callie Lyons

lyons.callie@gmail.com

The movie “Dark Waters,” which is available now on Netflix, does an exceptional job of communicating the complex scientific concepts involved with C8 or PFOA contamination in the valley. If this movie is your first encounter with the history of the industrial solvent used to make Teflon and many other consumer applications at DuPont Washington Works since the 1950s, there are some things you may want to know as a Mid-Ohio Valley resident and local water consumer.

The film focuses on the class action lawsuit filed in Wood County, which kick-started global awareness and understanding of the family of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. As a result of the settlement agreement, class members are entitled to ongoing privileges — like water filtration and medical monitoring. The first step is to establish whether or not you are a member of the class.

CLASS CRITERIA

If you participated in the C8 Health Project, you are a member of the class. If you lived or worked in one of six local water districts for at least one year prior to 2004, you are a member of the class. Eligible water systems include: Lubeck and Mason County, W.Va., and Belpre, Little Hocking, Tuppers Plains-Chester, and Pomeroy, Ohio.

IS YOUR WATER FILTERED?

Water filtration was one of the first benefits to come out of the class action settlement. Treatment facilities were constructed in each of the designated communities and use granular activated carbon to filter the water and significantly reduce PFAS exposure. If you live in one of those communities today, you are already benefiting from the settlement agreement.

This is important because industry has not stopped using the Ohio River as a dumping ground for their toxic PFAS waste. On the contrary, they continue to exceed the limits of their discharge permits frequently.

MEDICAL MONITORING

The settlement agreement also provides for medical monitoring for class members. Simply put, that means class members can sign up, schedule an appointment with a doctor and have a battery of labs performed at no cost to them to screen for the exposure-related health conditions identified by the C8 Science Panel. The independent panel of epidemiologists studied the data collected in the health project and determined that exposure is linked to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, pre-eclampsia and high cholesterol. Class members are entitled to monitoring — or screening for those conditions. In addition to screening for the related conditions, this program also involves a medical test to determine how much C8 is in your body.

The medical monitoring program for pregnant women is of great importance due to the life-threatening nature of pre-eclampsia — or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure — and the need for constant monitoring.

While medical monitoring is an ongoing benefit for class members, historically participation has been rather low — likely due to lack of awareness. Class members can register for this free program online at http://www.c-8medicalmonitoringprogram.com/.

BEYOND MONITORING

If you are a class member who is diagnosed with one of the exposure-related conditions, you may pursue a personal injury claim. People who find themselves in this situation have two years from the date of diagnosis to pursue a claim. Contact an attorney for advice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you want to find out more about what contaminants are impacting your water supplies, the Environmental Working Group provides a nationwide database searchable by zip code at https://www.ewg.org/tapwater.

If you have questions about C8 in the Mid-Ohio Valley, I encourage you to reach out for more information. Contact one of the fine folks from Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action through the website https://main.movclimateaction.org, or email me directly at lyons.callie@gmail.com.

Knowledge is power. And, while this is a frightening topic, thanks to the Tennant family and the lawyers who took on their cause, people who live in the Mid-Ohio Valley have some advantages. Thanks to the class action, there are already some remedies in place. Find out what you need to know to stay healthy and protect your family.

***

Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author who works for FITSNews. Her 2007 book “Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal: The Hidden Dangers of C8,” was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities — a story later told in the movie “Dark Waters.” Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in “Citizen Sleuth” — a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.

Posted: June 29, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: A climate hero

Jun 29, 2024

Giulia Mannarino

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

William Earnest McKibben is an American environmentalist, journalist and author who has written extensively on the impact of global warming. In 1989, at the age of 28, Bill McKibben wrote “The End of Nature,” the first book written for a general audience about climate change. This book has been translated into 24 languages and McKibben has gone on to write twenty more books. He also is a regular contributor to periodicals from The New Yorker to Rolling Stone. McKibben has been an educator for a quarter century at Middlebury College, in west central Vermont, and is now Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies. He has won honorary degrees from 20 colleges and universities and was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes called the alternative Nobel. He also has been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize.

In 2008, McKibben was one of the founders, alongside a group of seven students, of 350.org and he recently retired as its leader. This was the first planet-wide, grassroots climate change movement. It has since organized thousands of climate action protests on every continent, even Antarctica. The 42 minute documentary “Do The Math” can still be viewed on the 350.org website. This classic video details the movement to change the terrifying math of climate change and keep levels of atmospheric toxic discharges of CO2 below known safe levels. Countless scientists, climate experts, and government officials agree that 350 ppm (parts per million) is the “safe” level of carbon dioxide. “PPM” is a way of measuring the ratio of carbon dioxide molecules to all of the other molecules in the atmosphere. Currently, recent daily average readings for atmospheric CO2 are now 423.52ppm. The increases are attributed to human use of fossil fuel including coal, oil and gas. Natural gas releases methane, an even hotter and longer lasting global warming greenhouse gas than CO2. McKibben has also played a leading role in 350.org spearheading the opposition and resistance to big oil pipeline projects like Keystone XL. More recent 350.org videos emphasize the need to end the fossil fuel era and promote a just transition as well as payment for climate damages by Big Oil industries responsible. Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action (MOVCA) has been associated with 350.org since its founding in 2015 and our local group is listed on their website as part of Get Involved link.

McKibben stepped down as board chair of 350.org in 2015 and left the board and his volunteer role as senior advisor in 2020, accepting emeritus status. The global news magazine, Foreign Policy named him to its inaugural list of the world’s 100 most important global thinkers. Now a senior citizen, Bill McKibben, has helped launch the fast growing fossil fuel divestment movement, known, with an intentional explanation point, as Th!rd Act. The third act of life refers to the stage of life after retirement, typically starting in one’s 60s or 70s. Presently, this group is made up of the baby boomers who, coincidentally, were influenced by the era of the 1960s and 1970s. Our growing up years constitute the first act, our second act includes our middle years focusing on career and family, and our third act is ours to choose. It is when people have more freedom and time to pursue their passions and interests without the constraints of work and career. It can be a time for reflection, self-discovery, and reinvention. We have an opportunity to create a better quality of life, leave a legacy or pursue our life-long dreams. Th!rd Act organizes people of all ages but especially 60+ for actions on climate and justice issues. This group, generally has the most assets and also is the fastest growing part of the population today. fossil fuel divestment campaign has become the biggest anti-corporate campaign in history, with endowments worth more than $40 trillion stepping back from oil, gas and coal. Th!rd Actors are encouraged to withdraw funds held in banks that contribute to fossil fuel industries and invest in smaller banks or credit unions that use their funds sustainably by helping promote housing and community development. Th!rd Act has organized, by geographic locations, into volunteer run Working Groups. The W.G.s organize meetings, engage in local/national activities, maintain web pages and communicate with local volunteers. Third Act Ohio, based out of Athens County, is the closest active group and welcomes new members, of any age, Ohioan or not.

***

Giulia Mannarino of Belleville, is a grandmother concerned about her two granddaughters’ futures and a member of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.

Posted: June 22, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Finding reliable climate information on YouTube

Jun 22, 2024

Jonathan Brier

climatecorner@brierjon.com

YouTube and other media have reliable information, but finding it relies on critical thinking and reviewing who presented and what bias might they have or incentives to mislead, the same way books and other publications should be scrutinized. You might think a librarian would steer readers away from user-generated content, but some of those content creators are certified and verifiable experts with a pattern of disclosure of sources (instead of self proclaimed and “trust me” attitudes).

This week in the MOV and broader region was brutal with a 90+F heat dome. I thought while spending time indoors next week or in the next heat wave readers might explore some media which can be both entertaining and reliable information on climate and ways to take steps to reduce energy use at home and work. I’m including both a specific video to watch from each YouTube Channel, but encourage you to explore their other content.

My top 10 channels on climate and energy:

Just Have A Think: A coal power station without coal! How a Win-Win solution could save an industry.

https://youtu.be/DSQ0i4b-5ug

Simon Clark: Why aren’t we all using heat pumps?

https://youtu.be/eMd6obMwtOk

ClimateAdam: Is Global Warming Speeding Up?

https://youtu.be/7p0HdzZsdII

Matt Risinger “The Build Show:” 2024 Heat Pump Water Heater Buyers Guide

https://youtu.be/YT0zTRD7N2s

PBS Terra: Save the Planet? In THIS economy? Pffft

https://youtu.be/AxM0w-D_35A

Practical Engineering: Connecting Solar to the Grid is Harder Than You Think

https://youtu.be/7G4ipM2qjfw

Climate Town: Natural Gas is Scamming America

https://youtu.be/K2oL4SFwkkw

HASI (podcast): Enabling global emission matching with data Driven RECs

(full disclosure: I own shares in HASI)

https://youtu.be/h31oOXCXFyk

Technology Connections: Heat Pump guide playlist https://tinyurl.com/bdznbath
Undecided with Matt Ferrell: Is It Time to Start Cooking With Magnets?

https://youtu.be/X440BHdy35g

Bonus video: Rethinking the way we think of electric peak power. A startup in Texas called Base Power, installs batteries to give back power at peak times to time-shift low power cost availability. Growth in renewables can make them reliable and able to be dispatched when power is needed. https://youtu.be/hk8UPpzTV84

I hope you take a moment and watch these videos and listen to what they cover about a variety of climate issues. Think about what you want for the future of the Mid-Ohio Valley. I would like to see more renewable energy being installed to diversify our tax base and energy supply.

From my experience working with local trades, we need training to bring installations and construction into line with best practices for energy efficiency. We need building codes that will save building occupants energy and costs in the long term, not just cheap and easy to construct, but affordable over time.

What skills do you see the MOV needing developed and which are strong and ready to support new business opportunities? Ask elected officials when we will have a regional climate resiliency plan for economic development and risk management?

I would like to invite you to visit the MOVCA tent this weekend at the Multicultural Festival in City Park, Parkersburg. Introduce yourself, talk about what you learned from a video or share what you would like to learn/do about climate and the Mid-Ohio Valley.

***

Jonathan Brier is a Marietta resident, information scientist, data librarian, and an Eagle Scout. He is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, American Association for the Advancement of Science, OpenStreetMap US, Mid-Ohio Valley

Last Updated: June 16, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Seize the opportunity

Jun 15, 2024

Vic Elam

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) came out with a report last year for the year 2022 and in it a scorecard ranking of all states, West Virginia and Ohio tied for 44th. States were scored in several categories, such as transportation policies and state government initiatives. Both states scored poorly in every category except in the “building energy efficiency policies,” while neither state scored especially well in this category, some credit was given for having building codes that foster energy savings, stringently applying those codes and providing incentives for energy savings construction in new homes and businesses.

Both states scored especially poorly in the “Utility and public benefits” section which looks at investment in energy production efficiency and how that might be passed along to users, in particular low-income homes, and health/pollution impacts from the utility sector. Both states scored a zero for “Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards and Clean Lighting.” States have historically led the way in establishing standards for appliances and other equipment, and by setting efficiency standards they have forced manufacturers to produce more efficient equipment. This score also relates to lighting, there is a lot of improvement to be made in Ohio and West Virginia if the states were to adopt efficient lighting requirements such as for streetlights.

Now you may ask, what does all this have to do with the title “Seize the Opportunity?” Well even though our states may not want to do the right thing and invest in opportunities to improve energy efficiency and quality of life, you can.

IRS.gov, Energystar.gov and other sites have a wealth of information about how you can get federal income tax credits for making improvements to your home that will make your home more comfortable and will reduce your energy usage. These tax credits will be available through 2032 and have an annual limit of $3,200. I was able to save $1,100 on my taxes this year because of replacement of an exterior door and windows. Why companies that are constantly advertising their windows do not mention this incentive, I cannot understand.

There are many more household items or improvements that are eligible for tax credits and I encourage you to reference the websites for further information, but about anything that could save energy is eligible, even electrical panels, so that you can upgrade your electrical service to handle the increased load to switch from say a gas furnace to an electric heat pump, or to install an electric vehicle charging station. Most, if not all improvements must be Energy Star or have some efficiency rating to be eligible for tax incentives. Tax incentives are also available to renters.

Both states offer home weatherization assistance for low-income families and West Virginia’s website references a program that is coming to help with energy efficient appliances.

A home energy assessment or audit by a trained professional would be a good place to start. Some utility companies, like Appalachian Power, offer this service for free, and they may be able to provide additional cost savings for energy efficiency improvements. If you pay for an audit you can get tax credit for that as well.

Making energy efficiency improvements to your home can lower your energy bills, make your home more comfortable, more healthy, increase the value of your home, and of course make your home more environmentally friendly. There is no better time than now to seize this opportunity.

***

Vic Elam is a Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action member, an avid outdoorsman, and contributor to organizations that share his concern for our environment and the children we borrow it from.

Last Updated: June 9, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Citizen watchdogs

Jun 8, 2024

Randi Pokladnik

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

In 1978, Lois Gibbs, a homeowner in the suburb of Love Canal, N.Y., was concerned with her son’s failing health. She attributed it to him attending the 99th Street School, which was located adjacent to a toxic landfill. From 1942 to 1953, the Hooker Chemical Corporation, as well as the city of Niagara Falls and the United States Army, began using a partially dug canal as a chemical waste dump. Hundreds of barrels of toxic chemicals were buried in the enormous canal; ten feet deep, sixty feet wide, and three thousand feet long, near Niagara Falls.

She started to notice multiple diseases and deaths in her small 800-family community. Gibbs ascribed the widespread health issues to the landfill and polluted groundwater. She organized the Love Canal Homeowners Association and successfully pushed for the relocation of families living near the dump site. The national publicity of this tragedy led to the passage of the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, better known as Superfund.

I visited Love Canal in 2002. It was a surreal experience to see hundreds of driveways but no homes. The 99th Street School was boarded up with plywood and covered in toxic warning signs. The dump itself is surrounded by barbed wire. White plastic pipes, used for sampling the toxics below, pop out in various locations around the forbidden zone. The area stands as a reminder of what corporations have been allowed to do to local communities.

Another housewife and mother followed in Lois Gibbs’ footsteps. Ohio Valley resident Terri Swearingen led local residents in an unsuccessful battle to stop the construction of the Waste Technologies Incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio, in the 1990s. Even though the location was less than 2,000 feet from a grade school, in a floodplain of the Ohio River, and in an economically depressed neighborhood, the U.S. EPA, Ohio EPA, and then-Gov. George Voinovich, failed the community and allowed this incinerator to be built. Along with Terri, 32 other citizens were slapped with a $33 million lawsuit for their efforts to stop the incinerator. Our family was a part of that SLAPP suit.

We failed to stop construction of the incinerator, now known as Thermal Heritage, however, as a result of citizens’ actions, in 1993, Voinovich signed into law a moratorium on new incinerators in Ohio.

It was members of the Concerned Ohio River Resident group (CORR) who alerted local politicians to the egregious problems associated with radioactive waste at the Austin Masters facility in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The company, located 500 feet from the Ohio River and 1,000 feet from the city water well, accepted and stored 10,000 tons of oil and gas wastes, some radioactive. It was only permitted to accept 600 tons of oil and gas wastes. Bev Reed, a member of CORR, noted that the group had brought in experts and scientists to speak about their concerns nearly three years ago and this incident could have been prevented had local leaders listened to the data. Once again, it was citizens who were doing the jobs of the regulatory agencies.

Unlike the USA, European countries abide by the precautionary principle when approving new chemicals for use in their countries. The precautionary principle states that “decision makers adopt precautionary measures when scientific uncertainties about environmental and health impacts of new technologies or products remain.” In other words, before a product or compound is allowed on the market, it must be proven to be safe. In stark contrast, “the U.S. waits for evidence of harm before regulating.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required testing on only 200 of the 80,000 chemicals in commerce and has been restricted in attempts to regulate chemicals in commerce under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act.

The lack of regulations, lack of testing, and ability to enforce regulations are some of the reasons we are now dealing with “forever chemicals” like the PFAS. There are more than 9,000 known polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 600 of which are currently in use in the United States. Non-stick cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, stain resistant fabrics, and grease resistant food packaging are just a few products that can contain these man-made PFAS compounds.

The chemical lobby has influenced regulations for years. The Toxic Substances Control Act was reported to have been written by the American Chemical Council. Additionally, “reviewing the health and environmental impacts of pesticide products, the EPA often relies on industry-funded studies, with this corporate science rarely being available for public review.”

Recently, new regulations have been proposed for PFAS. The EPA has released a roadmap to address the widespread PFAS contamination in air, soil, and water. Some of the proposals include: considering the lifecycle of PFAS and pathways for exposure, preventing PFAS from entering the environment, holding polluters responsible, ensuring science-based decision making, and prioritizing protection of disadvantaged communities.

As a chemist, I never believed in the phrase “better living through chemistry.” Corporations are playing Russian Roulette with these compounds and citizens will be the ones who pay the price for lackadaisical regulations and testing. The new PFAS plan will go into effect on June 25, 2024. Hopefully it will help address the ridiculous contamination of our environment by “forever chemicals.” However, until industry gets out of bed with our regulatory agencies, we will be left with the responsibility of guarding our own health from these toxic substances.

***

Randi Pokladnik, Ph.D., of Uhrichsville, is a retired research chemist who volunteers with Mid Ohio Valley Climate Action. She has a doctorate degree in environmental studies and is certified in hazardous materials regulations.

Last Updated: June 9, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Selected Readings for June 2024

Compiled by Cindy Taylor

NOTE from Cindy: When scrolling through this selected media listing, you will find some media postings openly available without any costs, while other sites may have a paywall or request contributions (or registration). MOVCA appreciates the coverage provided by independent journalists, coalition groups and all media sources that publicize climate and environmental concerns, sustainable solutions, legislative actions, and opportunities for community members to learn and make a difference. Public libraries and educational institutions have many of these sources available to everyone.

Available on WTAP:

May 6, 2024 Article by Hailey Lanham and video, “Governor Dewine Grants Washington County Money”

“Washington County receives large grants for reconstruction”

https://www.wtap.com/2024/05/06/washington-county-receives-large-grants-reconstruction/

May 5, 2024 Article by Chase Campbell

“Hydrogen pilot program nearing completion” The Peasants Power Station is nearing an important milestone in its planned transition toward hydrogen technology.

https://www.wtap.com/2024/05/05/hydrogen-pilot-program-nearing-completion/

Available on the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

See articles by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/users/profile/mike%20tony/

May 29, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“’Untold impacts’: Groups urge feds to stop ARCH2 hydrogen hub over lack of details”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/untold-impacts-groups-urge-feds-to-stop-arch2-hydrogen-hub-over-lack-of-details/article_3d49ddc8-4528-5327-b8ec-a98bf28a14c9.html

May 25, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“As WV targets PFAS, advocates see protection in hazardous substance designation”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/as-wv-targets-pfas-advocates-see-protection-in-hazardous-substance-designation/article_f017a2a9-dc67-5039-bec8-49f257e170fc.html

May 23, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“Mountain Valley Pipeline backs up targeted in-service date; safety concerns persist”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/mountain-valley-pipeline-backs-up-targeted-in-service-date-safety-concerns-persist/article_11f2030b-c4d9-5b80-83e9-49a63f31681d.html

May 10, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter (Jean Ambrose is quoted)

“ARCH2 hydrogen hub blasted over environmental, transparency concerns at DOE session”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/arch2-hydrogen-hub-blasted-over-environmental-transparency-concerns-at-doe-session/article_c25ca0a2-f162-53b7-98cb-5de57bbe3249.html

May 4, 2024 Article by Mike Tony

“Mountain Valley Pipeline ruptures with requested in-service date looming this month”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/mountain-valley-pipeline-ruptures-with-requested-in-service-date-looming-this-month/article_96dbc67c-b3e0-572e-bb36-67c42cda5d0e.html

May 1, 2024 Article by Mike Tony

“EPA cracking down on harmful coal ash despite WV criticism”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/epa-cracking-down-on-harmful-coal-ash-despite-wv-criticism/article_bdf9ea2d-c951-5ca4-969c-da346236624c.html

Available on The Columbus Dispatch:

May 11, 2024 Article by Jordan Laird

“A state senator’s fracking waste wells leaked. State paid $1.3 million to clean one spill.”

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/05/11/ohio-state-senator-brian-chavez-fracking-waste-wells-leaked-brine-oil-production-million-clean-up/73639587007/

Available on Cleveland.com:

May 4, 2024 Article by Jake Zuckerman

“Fracking waste wells owned by an Ohio senator are leaking. The state paid $1.3 million to clean it up”

https://www.cleveland.com/open/2024/05/fracking-waste-wells-owned-by-an-ohio-senator-are-leaking-the-state-paid-13-million-to-clean-it-up.html

Available on WV Rivers Coalition:

Posted May 2, 2024 Action Alert

“Deny MOVP’s Request to Put the Pipeline “In-Service”

https://wvrivers.org/2024/05/action-alert-deny-mvp-request/

Available on ReImagine Appalachia:

See all events (to register) and access recordings and resources: https://reimagineappalachia.org/events/

Check out June “Community Conversations” opportunity https://reimagineappalachia.org/community-conversations/

May 30, 2024 REPORT: Flood Resilience in Appalachia: Policy Recommendations

https://reimagineappalachia.org/portfolio/flood-resilience-in-appalachia-policy-recommendations/

May 24, 2024 ReImagine Appalachia Sustainable Transportation article – text and video link

“Breaking Down EV Adoption Barriers- Why Making the Switch is Easier than You Might Think”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/breaking-down-ev-adoption-barriers-why-making-the-switch-is-easier-than-you-might-think/

May 13, 2024 Article by Molly Updegrove, Director of Outreach at ReImagine Appalachia

“Regional Funding Opportunities”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/regional-funding-opportunities/

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 6-7PM Zoom Webinar

“Inflation Reduction Act Benefits” https://reimagineappalachia.org/ira-benefits-webinar/ (PA)

May 6, 2024 Article by Rike Rothenstein

“Clean Manufacturing Tax Credits for Coal Country”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/clean-manufacturing-tax-credits-for-coal-country/

Available from Heartland Capital Strategies Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hub:

May 21, 2024 11am- 1pm Zoom Meeting organized by Heartland Capital Strategies; ReImagine Appalachia; ORVI, etc.

“Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hub Project Launch” Panel presentation & discussion. Recording & Recap available

https://www.heartlandfinancehub.org/launch?emci=97ad5ea7-cf12-ef11-96f3-6045bdd9e096&emdi=9365cec7-d812-ef11-96f3-6045bdd9e096&ceid=27700863

(Speakers included Steve Patterson, Mayor Athens, OH)

Available from Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) and/or Black Appalachian Coalition:

May 14, 2024 12PM (noon EST) Lunch and Learn Series 2024: Your Health and Your Environment on Zoom

“The Land Beneath Our Feet- Your Health and Your Environment Lunch & Learn Series Part IV”

Check out recordings of previous Lunch & Learn sessions on BLAC’s YouTube channel.

Ted Boetner (ORVI) one of the presenters talks about orphaned wells cleanup and Infrastructure Jobs Act.

April 15, 2023 Article by Joe Cullen. Note May webinars and resources are listed

“BIL/IRA Implementation Digest – April 15, 2024

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/bil-ira-implementation-digest-april-15-2024/

Available on Fractracker Alliance https://www.fractracker.org

May 6, 2024 Article by Ted Auch

“Exploring the Fallout of Precision Scheduled Rail: the Original Story”

https://www.fractracker.org/2024/05/exploring-the-fallout-of-precision-scheduled-rail-a-rail-workers-perspective/

May 6, 2024 Article by Lynn Anderson & Susie Beiersdorfer, SOBE Concerned Citizens

“Youngstown Residents Stand Against Pyrolysis Plant: A Community’s Fight for Environmental Justice”

https://www.fractracker.org/2024/05/youngstown-residents-stand-against-pyrolysis-plant-a-communitys-fight-for-environmental-justice/

Available on ENERGYNEWS.US:

May 15, 2024 Article by Kathiann M. Kowalski

“As Ohio clamps down on clean energy, recent changes make it easier to force landowners to allow oil and gas drilling”

https://energynews.us/2024/05/15/as-ohio-clamps-down-on-clean-energy-recent-changes-make-it-easier-to-force-landowners-to-allow-oil-and-gas-drilling/

May 2, 2024 Article by Kathiann M. Kowalski

“Ohio seeks $189 million in EPA funds to electrify state fleets, retrofit public buildings” The DeWine administration is seeking Inflation Reduction Act funding to start implementing the state’s first statewide climate action plan.

https://energynews.us/2024/05/02/ohio-seeks-189-million-in-epa-funds-to-electrify-state-fleets-retrofit-public-buildings/

Climate Corner: Fracking — good water in, bad water out

Jun 1, 2024

George Banziger

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

With the active support of state legislatures in West Virginia and Ohio and the engagement of oil and gas companies, many of which are based outside of this region, fracking (high-pressure hydraulic fracturing) is in high gear in this region. It takes 1.5 million to 16 million gallons of fresh water for each fracking well (U.S. Geological Survey, 2022), a thirst that seems unquenchable with the level of fracking we observe. Since the Ohio legislature, the governor, and the agencies that are supposed to serve the public have mandated that fracking be done under public lands including the Ohio state parks, we can assume that much of this water will be drawn from watersheds that serve these public lands. We in eastern Ohio are outraged at the arrogance of the state legislature, where this mandate to drill under public lands originated. The legislation that created this mandate was buried (stuffed) in a poultry bill so there was no opportunity for public hearings. We are also fearful about the impact of fracking, such as reduced watersheds, air pollution, intrusion of service roads near our parks, health risks, and ecological degradation.

But in the Mid-Ohio Valley what is of greater concern to us is the detritus from this heightened fracking activity. I am referring, of course, to what is called “brine waste,” the bi-product of fracking, much of which is radioactive and which contains harmful chemicals including PFAS (forever chemicals), carcinogens, volatile organic compounds, and more. Of course, oil and gas producers attempt to mollify us by stating that only about 1% of brine waste contains these chemicals, but when we are talking about millions of gallons of brine waste, the amounts of these harmful substances are non-trivial (it is important to note here that oil and gas companies are not required to reveal the contents of brine waste, a privilege granted by the federal government–independent observers have tested samples of brine waste). Washington County, Ohio, has the dubious distinction of leading the state in the total volume of brine waste injected under its grounds. According to data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, a total of 5,985,024 barrels (a barrel is about 43 gallons) of brine waste were pushed into the ground through what are called Class II injection wells in 2023! Most injection wells are in eastern Ohio; one might ask how many barrels were injected in Franklin County (Columbus area) and whether such egregious exploitation would be tolerated in the environs where our public officials and department personnel reside (the answer is 0).

On a summer evening in 2023 a brine-waste truck, which was on Interstate 77 near Parkersburg went off the road, through a guard rail, and into a culvert near a stream. Tragically, the driver was killed. There was an investigation of what happened to the brine waste that the truck was hauling, but I have not seen any result of that investigation. A point of interest is that this accident occurred on a Saturday. I have observed brine trucks going through downtown Marietta on week days but also on weekends and even on holidays. We are led to ask how many hours per week these drivers are working and how alert can they be with the amount of hours they are apparently putting in.

In Ohio the agency that is tasked to review the “nominations” (i.e., requests) and bids from oil and gas companies to drill under public lands is the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission. When this commission initiated the invitation for nominations, there was a flood of requests from oil and gas companies, many from out of the state, that was akin to the 1849 California Gold Rush. This reflects an all too familiar pattern in Appalachia–back in the 1800s lumber and coal were extracted from the region with profits going to outside interests, and the locals of the region are left to suffer the environmental and health consequences. In the 21st Century the resource is natural gas.

If the resource of natural gas, which lies beneath the surface of eastern Ohio in the Utica Shale, is so critical to American energy independence and so important to the effective transition to renewable energy, then why can’t much of this valuable resource be left in the ground for future extraction?

***

George Banziger, Ph.D., was a faculty member at Marietta College and an academic dean at three other colleges. He is a member of the Green Sanctuary Committee of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta, and of the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action team.

Last Updated: May 27, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: EPA finalizes important rules

May 25, 2024

Eric Engle

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized four rules on greenhouse gas emissions from electric generation facilities. Such facilities make up 51% of emissions emanating from West Virginia, over double the national average for electric generation emissions of 25%. Coal plants in West Virginia contribute 95% of the electric generation emissions of this state.

The rules completed by the EPA include a rule to ensure that all coal-fired plants that plan to operate long-term and all new baseload gas-fired plants control 90% of their carbon emissions; a rule strengthening and updating the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for coal-fired power plants, which would restrict the emissions standard for toxic metals by 67% and reduce the emissions allowed for mercury from lignite coal by 70%; a rule to reduce wastewater discharge pollution from coal-fired plants by more than 660 million pounds annually; and a rule for safer coal ash management in areas that have not been regulated at the federal level until now, which includes areas previously used for disposal that may leak and contaminate groundwater.

The EPA has projected up to $370 billion in climate and public health net benefits from the rules, including reduction of 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution overall through 2047, which is equivalent to 320 million internal combustion engine vehicles. To quote from coverage on the rule for carbon emissions control by energy and environmental reporter Mike Tony at the Charleston Gazette-Mail, “Existing coal-fired units that are intended to operate after Jan. 1, 2039, will have a numeric emission rate limit based on application of carbon capture and storage with 90% capture, which they must meet by 2032. Units that have committed to cease operations by Jan. 1, 2039, will have a numeric emission rate limit based on 40% natural gas co-firing that they must meet by 2030.”

The rule is already being challenged in the courts, with West Virginia co-leading a 25-state coalition lawsuit under Republican Attorney General and Gubernatorial nominee, Patrick Morrisey, though EPA Administrator Michael Regan has said that the agency finalized this rule having factored in constraints previously applied by the Supreme Court of the United States in a ruling from 2022 (also from a lawsuit led by Morrisey). Regan appears to see no reason to believe this rule will be seriously altered or overturned by the courts.

Why the industry-backed challenges and complaints from the likes of not only Morrisey but Republican Governor and U.S. Senate nominee Jim Justice, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.VA.)? Because the industry and these politicians in their pockets know that carbon capture and sequestration or storage (CCS) technology, their only hope of compliance with the rule, is not remotely capable of capturing the emissions necessary, and will not be so even by the end of the 2030s. Yet and still, these same interests are pushing CCS as a way to produce what is referred to as “blue” hydrogen (hydrogen derived from methane gas) without emitting copious amounts of CO2.

These interests and officeholders know how prohibitively expensive, unproven (really disproven) at scale, and unsafe CCS really is, but it took an EPA rule to get them to admit it. Pretty ingenious on the part of the Biden administration’s EPA actually, though the Biden Department of Energy (DOE) is also working to move forward on blue hydrogen for the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) project in the Ohio River Valley. These interests and politicians also know how incredibly dangerous hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is for the methane gas needed for both gas-fired plants and blue hydrogen, but they sidestep those dangers at every turn.

A recent piece by news outlet WBOY in West Virginia tells the story of three families made fossil fuels refugees when forced to abandon their homes after experiencing medical issues from fracking contamination in the Knob Fork area of Wetzel County. We at Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action have a couple as members, one of whom is on our board, who were forced out of Western Pennsylvania due to similar issues and who refer to themselves as fossil fuels refugees. If you don’t believe these folks, you can reference the Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure, Ninth Edition, at https://concernedhealthny.org/compendium/. The compendium is a project of Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Concerned Health Professionals of NY, which is a project of the Science and Environmental Health Network.

I commend the EPA for these important rules. I look forward to their survival in the courts and hope for their continued implementation by the next and following presidential administrations. I also look forward to the continued investments needed (NOT blue hydrogen) from Congress and this administration to decarbonize our economy so that we can seriously address the climate crisis and related crises, better protect public health, and clean up and protect our precious air, water, and soils.

***

Eric Engle is board president of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.

Climate Corner: The Great Filter and the coming election

Jean Ambrose

Climate Corner: A.I. – artificial innovation

Aaron Dunbar

Climate Corner: Navigating ‘Dark Waters’

Callie Lyons

Climate Corner: A climate hero

Giulia Mannarino

Climate Corner: Finding reliable climate information on YouTube

Jonathan Brier

climatecorner@brierjon.com

Climate Corner: Seize the opportunity

Vic Elam

Climate Corner: Citizen watchdogs

Randi Pokladnik

Selected Readings for June 2024

Climate Corner: Fracking — good water in, bad water out

George Banziger

Climate Corner: EPA finalizes important rules

Eric Engle

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta