First Energy West Virginia subsidiaries MonPower and PotomacEdison want their ratepayers to pay $36 million between June of this year and May 2024 to place the Pleasants Power Station in a state of “warm storage” (aka not generating energy), energy that is generated for Ohio customers even when operational, while First Energy decides whether or not to purchase the plant and keep it running over the long-term. This is a terrible idea that the West Virginia Public Service Commission should not allow.
A writer in last week’s edition of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel who is a plant employee argued that warm storage is a responsible option for coal plants instead of permanently shutting them down because coal’s baseload power is needed when power demands can’t be met by other sources. The writer mentioned the power demands placed on grids last Christmas when an Arctic blast of cold weather hit the nation and that coal plants were fired back up across Europe to meet energy demands recently when Russian natural gas became more scarce with Putin’s war in Ukraine. Those arguments are fallacious.
According to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) from March, “more than 100,000 megawatts of coal-and-gas-fired generation failed to start or were forced offline during the Arctic blast that hit the central and eastern U.S. just before Christmas.” Dennis Wamsted, IEEFA energy analyst and author of the report, Fossil Fuels Fail Reliability Test, stated in a media release that “Coal-and-gas-fired resources’ performance in December show how unreliable they can be exactly when they are needed most. The increasingly troublesome record of performance needs to be accounted for in utility transmission system planning efforts.”
In Europe, energy for heating was the biggest challenge as the onslaught of Russian aggression in Ukraine led the Putin regime to cut off some of Europe’s gas supplies. This is a challenge Europe is now beginning to meet with heat pumps and energy efficiency and the deployment of more renewables. The electric heat pump market in Europe has exploded since 2021. The International Energy Agency has found that coal use in Europe is expected to decline below 2020 levels by 2025, at the latest.
Last week’s writer also mentioned intermittency issues with renewables like solar and wind. That’s where battery storage, grid management, and energy efficiency come in. Even West Virginia’s Republican supermajority in the state legislature and coal baron governor can see the importance of battery technology, as evidenced by the efforts and expenditures made to bring Form Energy’s iron-air, long-lasting battery manufacturing facility to Weirton. Investments in such technologies are booming in West Virginia, thanks to the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and especially the Inflation Reduction Act. And renewables are already coming in cheaper than coal. A study released in January by Energy Innovation Policy and Technology, LLC, found that every coal plant in operation in West Virginia could be replaced with wind and solar at a lower cost. In the case of the Pleasants Power Station, the study found regional wind energy could replace its generation at a cost that is $10.37 lower per megawatt-hour for customers.
It’s often pointed out that the Pleasants Power Station employs more than 154 people. As a longtime union steward, I want to see jobs and livelihoods protected, but in this case that is the responsibility of First Energy and the state and federal governments. Why can’t First Energy help these employees make the transition and why did the state legislature pass a resolution saying the sale of Pleasants from First Energy’s Ohio subsidiary, Energy Harbor, to its West Virginia subsidiaries go through on the backs of ratepayers instead of focusing on protecting theses workers’ futures? When this same sale failed to go through in 2017, the state legislature’s only response was a $12.5 million a year tax break on the backs of West Virginia taxpayers to delay the inevitable. Why wasn’t the focus on the workers and local communities’ long-term interests then?
Another important question is why the environment and public health always take a backseat ride in these discussions. According to the U.S. EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, the Pleasants Power Station released 2.4 million tons of toxic chemicals in 2021, mostly through ground contamination. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data, there is now 50% more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than in preindustrial times and an enormous proportion of that is attributable directly to coal use. We cannot dismiss the settled science of anthropogenic (human-caused) global climate change and the threats it poses or the extremely dire negative effects of coal on our air, water, soil and health. First Energy wants us to bear the costs of cleaning up those effects as ratepayers and taxpayers instead of their shareholders shouldering the responsibility.
On April 25, the West Virginia Public Service Commission must say no to another dirty deal that threatens our energy finances, health, and the very habitability of our only home in the cosmos.
***
Eric Engle is chairman of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.
The Mid-Ohio Valley has long been known for the prevalence of respiratory woes, particularly the notorious “Ohio Valley Crud,” often a result of seasonal allergies. Unfortunately, there is bad news for allergy sufferers: Climate change is making allergy season longer and more intense, and is almost certain to continue to do so.
Researchers from Rutgers University noted in 2014 that pollen season length increased by three days just in the first decade of this century, with pollen counts rising by 40% in that same period. These phenomena are caused by rising temperatures–in other words, climate change — and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Warmer temperatures lead to more frost-free days, with trees blooming earlier and the first frost coming later. Our area now experiences on average nine more frost-free days than it did in 1999. Oak pollen arrives earlier, as does grass pollen. Ragweed pollen lasts longer into the fall.
Ragweed, that bane of so many people’s existence, is not just blooming longer; it is also producing more pollen. USDA scientist Lewis Ziska has found that increased CO2 levels cause ragweed plants to become larger, bloom more heavily, and therefore produce more pollen–somewhere around a billion grains per plant. Not only does it serve as fertilizer: CO2 causes the pollen to produce more of the protein that causes the allergic reaction. Not good news for us.
And the news gets worse. If current emission levels continue, some climate scientists are predicting a 200% increase in total pollen this century, with pollen seasons nearly sixty days longer in some places, particularly the northern U.S. Pollen seasons will overlap, with more varieties in the air at any given time, leading to increased exposure and increased sensitivity for allergy sufferers.
Rising temperatures and humidity are also causing increases in the growth of molds and fungi, yet more allergy triggers. The more intense thunderstorms many places are experiencing coincide with more emergency room visits for allergic asthma; some research indicates that the winds are rupturing pollen grains and allowing them to penetrate more deeply into people’s lungs. Respiratory allergies are worse in areas with compromised air quality, such as the Mid-Ohio Valley.
We joke about our “crud,” but it is no laughing matter. Nearly a third of the world’s population suffers from respiratory allergies, and the Cleveland Clinic reports recent increases in those numbers. In addition to the very real human suffering, allergic rhinitis (the medical name for the crud) has an economic impact, estimated at more than $3.4 billion in annual medical costs in the U.S. alone. Allergy sufferers miss an average of 3.6 days of work per year and are less productive at work when ill. The annual cost of asthma (not always allergy-related) is more than $80 billion, and over 4,000 Americans die from asthma attacks each year.
We can reduce this suffering and these staggering costs by reducing the carbon emissions currently serving as weed fertilizer. This valley will always have pollen season, but we do not have to keep making the situation worse.
Rebecca Phillips is a member of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.
We have seen it happen time and again. Shell, IEI, train derailments like East Palestine, untold environmental accidents and disasters – and each of them a threat to our homes, our families, our health and our lives. What could be more important?
Yet each time it happens, we find ourselves in the void that occurs when we wait for the government to act and provide us with potentially lifesaving information. Valuable moments when action could be taken are sacrificed to uncertainty. Evacuation orders are late. Exposure overwhelms before culprits are identified and appropriate responses determined.
We can do better.
No longer should we be at the mercy of the government and the great unknown over such horrific incidents. If the history of C8 contamination in the valley has taught us anything, it’s that the U.S. EPA is not going to save us from harm. Watchers of the movie “Dark Waters” are no doubt familiar with attorney Rob Bilott’s famous words: “Who protects us? We do.”
It’s time we do.
Observing the examples of other communities faced with similar challenges, there is a path forward made possible because of modern technology and the availability of citizen science monitoring tools. We cannot wait for the next catastrophe. Advance work is required. We must be organized and prepared.
The strategy is simple. Form a team with the training, assets and infrastructure to respond immediately in a coordinated manner to document incidents, collect data, communicate information to the impacted public and work with experts to provide independent analysis and community safety and health recommendations.
We will need a small army of volunteers including nature observers and river watchers, sniffers and samplers, mappers and communicators. Add to that a process for reporting observations and developments, equipment and training for sampling air and water and a basic framework for coordinating community involvement.
One shining example of this is the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, which was formed in 2000 to support communities whose health and homes were being compromised by the petrochemical industry. Among the tools developed by the group is a Bucket, a low-cost air sampling tool approved by the EPA, and the iWitness Pollution map, a crowdsourcing tool used to document pollution.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. An effective process has been defined by others like the founders of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade who are more than willing to share their expertise.
We need to learn from the past and prepare for the future. It is time for the Mid-Ohio Valley to have its own coordinated citizen response team — and it needs to happen before disaster strikes again.
Are you in?
***
Callie Lyons is a journalist and author living in the Mid-Ohio Valley. She is currently the chief researcher for the Murdaugh Murders Podcast. Her 2007 book, “Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal: The Hidden Dangers of C8,” was the first book to reveal the prevalence and danger of the PFAS family of highly fluorinated compounds used by industry in the manufacture of Teflon and thousands of other consumer applications.
“Following Ohio Derailment, Concerns Arise Over Expansion of Rail and Pipeline Transport of Hazardous Material” Experts warn that a growing network of carbon dioxide pipelines are dangerous and under-regulated
“Plastics cause wide-ranging health issues from cancer to birth defects, landmark study finds” First analysis of plastics’ hazard over life cycle- from extraction to disposal- also shows ‘deep societal injustices’ of impact
March 21, 2023 Article by Fiona Harvey, Environment editor
“Eight things the world must do to avoid the worst of climate change” Latest IPCC report highlights key measures countries must take to avoid climate catastrophe.
March 20, 2023 Article by Fiona Harvey, Environment editor
“Scientists deliver ‘final warning’ on climate crisis: act now or it’s too late” IPPC report says only swift action can avert irrevocable damage to world.
“Levels of carcinogenic chemical near Ohio derailment site far above safe limit” EPA scientists assessed a dioxin cancer risks threshold in 2010, but a federal cleanup is only triggered at far higher levels.
Available from Appalachian Solar Finance Fund https://solarfinancefund.orgSupported by Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER Initiative.
The Solar Finance Fund (SSF) provides grants and technical assistance to unlock the economic development potential of otherwise viable solar projects that face barriers unique to Central Appalachia. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, public entities and local businesses that serve as community anchors.
March 6, 2023 Interactive Article by John Muyskens, Shannon Osaka, and Naema Ahmed
“U.S. home heating is fractured in surprising ways: Look up your neighborhood” The split shows that much of the South, and rural America, could ditch fossil fuels easier that big cities and the coasts.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program. Its objective is to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that can be used to develop climate policies.
Since its creation, the IPCC has delivered Assessment Reports, the most comprehensive scientific reports about climate change produced worldwide that have fed directly into international policy making. These reports have provided regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts, future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation that can reduce those risks. But the IPCC does not conduct its own research. Hundreds of experts in different fields from all over the world volunteer their time and expertise to produce IPCC reports. Thousands more contribute to the review process and to the literature and other knowledge that are assessed in the reports.
None of these scientists are paid by the IPCC. In 1990, the First IPCC Assessment Report (FAR) underlined the importance of climate change as a challenge with global consequences and requiring international cooperation.
On March 20, 2023, the latest Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) was issued and the information it contains on the current status of climate change, its impacts and risks is not good. According to the report, the world is on track to face catastrophic warming. It warns the exceeding 1.5 degrees C of warming (known as “overshoot”) has dangerous and irreversible consequences, even if temperatures might later be brought back below that level.
The report also contains information on the options to adapt to and confront the crisis in the critical years ahead. Fortunately, the report determined world leaders already have the necessary tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save lives. A rapid phaseout of fossil fuels, accompanied by a roll out of renewable energy, is the clearest and most certain path to avoid overshoot.
The authors of the report hope it will give guidance for political leaders who will gather later this year for international negotiations on how to limit emissions. On announcing the report, U.N.’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, “The climate’s timebomb is ticking, but today’s IPCC report is a how-to-guide to diffuse the climate timebomb. It is a survival guide for humanity.” The IPCC’s website urges all policymakers to read this report carefully as they consider future actions.
Yet, leading scientists predict that by 2030, the world is on track to produce 110% more fossil fuels than the world can ever burn; with the U.S. leading the world in its extraction and export. Congress and President Biden have been focused on policies that reduce the demand for fossil fuels, like the Inflation Reduction Act, but they haven’t been working on the cause of climate change–fossil fuels.
Despite the science and the universal agreement on the problem, the U.S. continues to permit new fossil fuel projects like the large Willow Arctic oil project, the Mountain Valley fracked gas pipeline, the possibility of another version of Manchin’s “dirty deal” to expedite fossil fuel expansion via “permitting reform” and more. But to truly stop the climate crisis, we must also control the supply of fossil fuels. The IPCC has clearly and repeatedly rung the alarm bells that staying below the 1.5 degrees C goal is vital to protect people and the planet.
They have also been equally clear that achieving that goal requires immediate and rapid action to phase out fossil fuels. Both the supply and demand side of climate action must be tackled. Fossil fuel expansion is incompatible with that 1.5 degrees C goal. The recent report is unequivocal about our best chance at a liveable future. A livable future for all will not be achievable if we fail to act on the latest and most urgent alarms sounded last week by the IPCC.
The clock is ticking and there is no time to waste on false solutions. Climate action must be ambitious, focus on real solutions and center climate justice and human rights. Believe the science and scientists NOT the disinformation of the fossil fuel industry that continues to put profits above the future of the Earth and the Earthlings who reside upon it. Every one must urge government officials at all levels to enact policies and programs that will end the era of fossil fuels because the climate CRISIS is now here.
Ohio HB 507 was rushed through the “lame duck” session without any public comments. This bill, which facilitates fracking on our public lands, becomes a law on April 7. Once that happens, the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission will be in control of leasing processes. They are creating rules and lease agreement forms for the state parcels “nominated for fracking.” However, until the rules are in place, leases can be executed “without public notices, without public comments, and without competitive bidding or oversight by the commission to protect the public interests.”
Unlike New York, which banned fracking based on numerous health studies, Ohio has embraced the industry with open arms and a lackadaisical attitude toward regulations protecting the land, air, water and citizens’ health. Our state lands are now open for oil and gas extraction and we are faced with an impossible task: trying to preserve our forests and parks from an extractive industry. In a February meeting of the commission, Ohio citizens asked for a minimum 60-day comment period, advance notification of the parcels being considered, parcel information including maps, and factors being considered in making decisions.
I attended the March 1 commission meeting, but citizens were prohibited from speaking or asking questions. Instead, the majority of the meeting was allocated to the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), who discussed their very lucrative long-term association with the oil and gas industry and their template for lease agreements.
While the MWCD claims their mission is flood reduction, conservation, and recreation, after their presentation, one might say their mission is to make money, lots of money. In fact, “no one has benefited financially as much as the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Ohio’s No. 1 beneficiary of drilling.”
The MWCD has made millions of dollars on water sales, fracking leases, and royalties. Additionally, the MWCD gathers fees from boaters who use the lakes, home leases, park fees, money from timbering, and fees from flood protection assessments.
Citing the MWCD royalty range (18%-20%) as a template, the commission set 12.5 % as the minimum royalty fee for state lands, saying they “are probably leaving dollars on the table.” There is little doubt our state lands are being viewed as money makers, not public lands where Ohio’s citizens can enjoy nature or where biodiversity is protected. Ohio’s citizens own these lands and tax dollars support these agencies, but it is doubtful we will have a seat at the table when it comes to deciding which lands can be leased.
Muskingum’s land manager Nate Wilson, described how their leases (MWCD) “require additional setbacks (3,000 feet), testing, and additional containment facilities in case of accidents.” But, their input into the process ends there. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has shown they lack the ability to enforce violations or levy fines and the industry benefits from exemptions of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to Know Act.
MWCD Executive Director Craig Butler said they (MWCD) “do not put surface construction on MWCD lands, but we do have pipeline access and gathering line access and water lines and those types of things.” It is still unclear if our state lands will be impacted by drilling pads. Companies could possibly use a “separate written surface use agreement” to construct well pads on state lands.
The widespread use of high-pressure hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has turned rural areas of SE Ohio into industrial zones. I travel along Routes 151, 250 and 646 in the Tappan Lake area of the MWCD watershed and see endless pipelines cutting across hillsides. Wells pads, access roads, water withdraw lines and infrastructure are devouring the landscape. Is this what we want for our state lands?
Many Ohioans chose to live in rural areas because of the beauty the forests and hills provide. Real stewards of the environment protect precious resources for future generations; they do not destroy them for financial gains. No amount of money or extravagant marina is worth exposing our children to toxic chemicals and pollution from an unregulated industry. Our rural communities have become sacrificial zones at the mercy of the fossil fuel industry.
Proponents of fracking only tout the monetary gains and continue to ignore the long-term health effects associated with fracking. They ignore the increases in methane emissions which are fueling climate change and contributing to the collapse of ecosystems world-wide. They allow radioactive leachate to enter our waterways. They overlook the millions of gallons of radioactive produced water and carcinogenic chemicals that travel along our rural roads every day. Accidents involving trucks and tankers have increased by 14 percent in fracked areas of Ohio.
The recent train derailment in East Palestine reminds us of how easily one mistake can permanently alter the lives of thousands of people and forever taint the environment. Until Ohio puts health, safety, and a clean environment ahead of the interests of the fossil fuel industry, we can only wonder what will be left of our state lands and rural communities in the aftermath of this rush to frack.
***
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.
A few years ago, I reviewed the results of a survey of people from inner cities who were asked a number of questions about natural areas and their relation to them. One interesting takeaway from that survey was that even people who never traveled outside of the city and experienced nature, supported the protection of natural areas, and take comfort knowing that these areas exist.
This revelation leads me to believe that even people who don’t experience nature suffer from a phenomenon referred to as ecological grief. I feel certain that most people whose lives are closer related to nature must suffer much more so from ecological grief.
I think that it is human nature to throw up your hands in despair and feel that there is nothing that you can do to prevent the calamity of ecological destruction impacting ourselves, our environment, and the wildlife that we share this planet with. Although, I feel that it is important to be aware of the damage we are causing, and keep pushing for better, we should step back and take stock in our progress.
Most people now understand and accept that climate change is a real modern human-induced condition. Renewable energy technological breakthroughs are finding new and more efficient ways to harness energy at a blistering pace. The promising outlook for new, better-paying, clean energy jobs that offset those lost is encouraging. You see more electric vehicles on the road every day. Even when disaster strikes such as the train derailment in East Palestine the public outcry is louder and the demand for change so much stronger that it feels like change is in the air.
Yes, we have a long way to go to undue the damage wrought by our fellow humans acting without regard for their fellow man, and we will continue to have setbacks. But miring ourselves in ecological grief will not help the situation. We need to keep a positive attitude. I recommend that if you find yourself discouraged about the state of the environment, take a hike in the woods, take up a hobby such as birding, or just sit quietly in a park, open your senses and you will see that all is not lost, there is still much to save. Please join in the effort, for each of us making a small difference adds up to a huge change.
We all know what needs to be done, let’s get to it.
“Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours.
“There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example–where had they gone? …”
This passage from Rachel Carson’s “A Fable for Tomorrow” is the opening chapter to “Silent Spring.” It’s impossible not to reflect on Carson’s mid-20th Century ghost town in the wake of Norfolk Southern’s chemical nuking of East Palestine, Ohio. It’s been revealed that nearly 44,000 aquatic animals were killed by the negligent rail company’s “controlled release” of deadly chemicals in an angry black mushroom cloud. That’s well above a tenfold increase over ODNR’s initial estimate of 3,500 wildlife deaths- and mainstream news outlets, often with major shareholders such as BlackRock and Vanguard in common with Norfolk Southern, have the gall to wonder why the town’s citizens have been so distrustful of the government.
The dread evoked by Ohio’s Silent Spring is hardly ameliorated by the premature onset of actual springtime throughout the United States, with temperatures last week reaching nearly 80∂F.
This is not normal.
Entire complex ecosystems are being disrupted by the chaotic shifting of Earth’s seasons, thanks almost certainly to global warming. Birds that migrate seasonally are being lured to starvation by false promises of plentiful food. Insects are missing opportunities to feed and to pollinate, thus jeopardizing our own food systems. Invasive plant species in particular are given greater opportunities to proliferate in a warming climate.
“I’m seeing the trends I rely upon, the calendar I have trusted to see rare plants in bloom, just completely disappear,” Dr. Deborah Landau of the Nature Conservancy said in an interview with The Guardian. “Everything has been thrown out of whack, species that have evolved together for millennia are now off-kilter. There is this cascading effect on everything that is more than just a missed cherry blossom season.”
The widespread prevalence of these cascades should terrify anyone with even an elementary knowledge of the implications. Scientists studying mass extinction events have found the destruction of wildlife can culminate in seemingly abrupt “tipping points,” much like the climate crisis as a whole, beyond which ecosystem collapse becomes inevitable.
The End-Permian extinction event, otherwise known as the “Great Dying,” resulted in the annihilation of 90% of Earth’s species, a direct consequence of global warming triggered by massive volcanic eruptions. Shockingly, species today are being eliminated at a faster rate than they were during any of Earth’s past mass extinction events. And in many cases, ecosystem collapse was a result of just such species cascades as previously mentioned, with different species often taking the role of those that went extinct. Finally there remained no species that could fill these crucial ecological voids, and these complex interconnected systems entered a death spiral.
Our world today is staring down the barrel of a similar mass extinction event, though the causes, in today’s case, are anything but natural.
The common thread between the destruction of life in East Palestine and the larger global ecocide happening around us is this: Just as Norfolk Southern decided to funnel some $18 billion into stock buybacks instead of responsibly upgrading their Civil War-era braking systems, so too do fossil fuel giants like Shell and ExxonMobil choose the hoarding of obscene wealth over the survival of the biosphere. Corporations value profits over anything else on this Earth.
The modus operandi for these corporate terrorists is always the same: deregulate, destroy, and deceive. They promise us they’ll be on their best behavior because the free hand of the market dictates it, then they reduce the world around them to a wasteland. They fill our bodies with poisons, then lie to us and tell us we’ll be fine. Then a toothless political system controlled by these same oligarchs comes along and reassures us just enough to maintain the illusion that everything is as it should be, despite the iridescent shimmer in our waterways and the fish floating belly-up downstream.
For some time now, scientists have debated renaming the current era of Earth’s history, the Holocene, as the Anthropocene, due to the outsized negative impact human beings have had. But more recently, an alternative name has been proposed which more accurately assigns the blame for our current environmental nightmare — the Capitalocene.
Those rapacious elites most responsible for the desecration of our world are invariably the ones least impacted by its destruction. And as we fail to confront this horrendous scorched earth capitalism, the grim spectre of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” draws nearer and nearer each day.
January 18, 2023 PFAS Article by Tom Perkins (omitted from last month’s listing)
“Freshwater fish more contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ than in oceans” Study also says eating one serving of fish with PFAS could be equivalent to drinking contaminated water every day of month”
“Scientists Examine Dangerous Global Warming ‘Accelerators’” A new study categorizes climate feedback loops and the possibility they could push the climate past planetary tipping points.
February 2, 2023 Book recommendations by Michael Svoboda
“New and recent books about climate and environmental justice” Collectively, these 12 books argue that the only sustainable future is a fair and equitable one – and that climate activism must also engage in social activism.
The corporate bombing of East Palestine is one of the most damning indictments of our entire political system that I have ever witnessed. There are no partisan divisions to delineate who is at fault here, but rather, a clear and stark dividing line between those at the top, and those at the bottom in our society.
The most obvious culprit here is, of course, Norfolk Southern. They’ve invested over $18 billion in stock buybacks over the past five years, deliberately choosing to rake in obscene profits instead of updating their Civil War-era braking systems.
Rules in place under the Obama administration would’ve required trains like those in East Palestine to be equipped with Electronically Controlled Pneumatic brakes, which would almost certainly have mitigated this catastrophe. Donald Trump and his deranged anti-regulation administration repealed these rules, however, proving the billionaire ex-President’s brazen disregard for the safety of everyday Americans.
Which isn’t to say that Republicans are solely responsible for this by any means. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has done nothing to rectify Trump’s flagrant disregard for the safety of our railways. He’s also lied about supposedly being unable to act meaningfully to address the braking issue, a notion promptly debunked by journalist David Sirota. Buttigieg has rightfully been dragged across the coals for his role in this tragedy, though I have a few guesses as to why the right suddenly cares so much more about safety regulations now than they did when Trump was the one rolling them back.
Next up we have our current, self-described “Pro-Union” President, who made it illegal for rail workers to strike last year, even as they warned of precisely these sorts of accidents occurring due to the cost-cutting negligence of rail companies.
Though once again, this was anything but a partisan feat. The majority of Congress stood behind Biden in this undertaking, including District 6 Representative Bill Johnson. A TikTok user by the name j05h.x confronted Johnson during a visit to East Palestine, specifically addressing the $18,000 in campaign contributions he’s received from Norfolk Southern over the years.
“We’re done with the conversation,” Johnson says immediately. “I just told you, we’re not gonna talk politics here. That’s not what this is about. Because we’re talking about what’s right for the people of East Palestine.”
I’m going to be bold here and say that what’s “right” for the people of East Palestine is not being nuked with chemicals by a corrupt rail company that’s buying off our Representatives in Congress.
Biden’s response to all of this has hardly inspired confidence–his Justice Department is currently poised to block lawsuits against Norfolk Southern and corporations like it in the Supreme Court.
It is worth noting, though, that Biden reportedly told Ohio Governor Mike DeWine that he would provide “anything you need” to address the tragedy.
DeWine’s outrageous response to this, when asked by a reporter, was “I will not hesitate to call him if we see a problem, but I’m not seeing it.”
It was at about this point in the so-called “Chernobyl 2.0” saga that I began banging my head against the wall.
Finally, tie all of this together with a mainstream media response that has been absolutely abysmal (outlets like the New York Times have major shareholders like BlackRock and Vanguard in common with Norfolk Southern) and a less than reassuring response from the EPA — if you have any connection whatsoever to our area’s C8 scandal, then you know how reliable it is when corporate stooges get to decide how much of a carcinogenic substance is safe for you and your children to ingest. We frankly have no idea what the scope of this damage is, how long it will last, or even how far it will spread, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that individuals as far off as Canada have been experiencing chloride-induced headaches.
We need major, across-the-board accountability for this, to put an end to the corruption of all parties involved, and ensure that nothing even remotely like this ever happens again.
Find Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action on the following social media:
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: West Virginia Public Service Commission must say no
Apr 15, 2023
Eric Engle
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
First Energy West Virginia subsidiaries MonPower and PotomacEdison want their ratepayers to pay $36 million between June of this year and May 2024 to place the Pleasants Power Station in a state of “warm storage” (aka not generating energy), energy that is generated for Ohio customers even when operational, while First Energy decides whether or not to purchase the plant and keep it running over the long-term. This is a terrible idea that the West Virginia Public Service Commission should not allow.
A writer in last week’s edition of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel who is a plant employee argued that warm storage is a responsible option for coal plants instead of permanently shutting them down because coal’s baseload power is needed when power demands can’t be met by other sources. The writer mentioned the power demands placed on grids last Christmas when an Arctic blast of cold weather hit the nation and that coal plants were fired back up across Europe to meet energy demands recently when Russian natural gas became more scarce with Putin’s war in Ukraine. Those arguments are fallacious.
According to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) from March, “more than 100,000 megawatts of coal-and-gas-fired generation failed to start or were forced offline during the Arctic blast that hit the central and eastern U.S. just before Christmas.” Dennis Wamsted, IEEFA energy analyst and author of the report, Fossil Fuels Fail Reliability Test, stated in a media release that “Coal-and-gas-fired resources’ performance in December show how unreliable they can be exactly when they are needed most. The increasingly troublesome record of performance needs to be accounted for in utility transmission system planning efforts.”
In Europe, energy for heating was the biggest challenge as the onslaught of Russian aggression in Ukraine led the Putin regime to cut off some of Europe’s gas supplies. This is a challenge Europe is now beginning to meet with heat pumps and energy efficiency and the deployment of more renewables. The electric heat pump market in Europe has exploded since 2021. The International Energy Agency has found that coal use in Europe is expected to decline below 2020 levels by 2025, at the latest.
Last week’s writer also mentioned intermittency issues with renewables like solar and wind. That’s where battery storage, grid management, and energy efficiency come in. Even West Virginia’s Republican supermajority in the state legislature and coal baron governor can see the importance of battery technology, as evidenced by the efforts and expenditures made to bring Form Energy’s iron-air, long-lasting battery manufacturing facility to Weirton. Investments in such technologies are booming in West Virginia, thanks to the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and especially the Inflation Reduction Act. And renewables are already coming in cheaper than coal. A study released in January by Energy Innovation Policy and Technology, LLC, found that every coal plant in operation in West Virginia could be replaced with wind and solar at a lower cost. In the case of the Pleasants Power Station, the study found regional wind energy could replace its generation at a cost that is $10.37 lower per megawatt-hour for customers.
It’s often pointed out that the Pleasants Power Station employs more than 154 people. As a longtime union steward, I want to see jobs and livelihoods protected, but in this case that is the responsibility of First Energy and the state and federal governments. Why can’t First Energy help these employees make the transition and why did the state legislature pass a resolution saying the sale of Pleasants from First Energy’s Ohio subsidiary, Energy Harbor, to its West Virginia subsidiaries go through on the backs of ratepayers instead of focusing on protecting theses workers’ futures? When this same sale failed to go through in 2017, the state legislature’s only response was a $12.5 million a year tax break on the backs of West Virginia taxpayers to delay the inevitable. Why wasn’t the focus on the workers and local communities’ long-term interests then?
Another important question is why the environment and public health always take a backseat ride in these discussions. According to the U.S. EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, the Pleasants Power Station released 2.4 million tons of toxic chemicals in 2021, mostly through ground contamination. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data, there is now 50% more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than in preindustrial times and an enormous proportion of that is attributable directly to coal use. We cannot dismiss the settled science of anthropogenic (human-caused) global climate change and the threats it poses or the extremely dire negative effects of coal on our air, water, soil and health. First Energy wants us to bear the costs of cleaning up those effects as ratepayers and taxpayers instead of their shareholders shouldering the responsibility.
On April 25, the West Virginia Public Service Commission must say no to another dirty deal that threatens our energy finances, health, and the very habitability of our only home in the cosmos.
***
Eric Engle is chairman of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Climate change and your allergies
Apr 8, 2023
Rebecca Phillips
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
The Mid-Ohio Valley has long been known for the prevalence of respiratory woes, particularly the notorious “Ohio Valley Crud,” often a result of seasonal allergies. Unfortunately, there is bad news for allergy sufferers: Climate change is making allergy season longer and more intense, and is almost certain to continue to do so.
Researchers from Rutgers University noted in 2014 that pollen season length increased by three days just in the first decade of this century, with pollen counts rising by 40% in that same period. These phenomena are caused by rising temperatures–in other words, climate change — and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Warmer temperatures lead to more frost-free days, with trees blooming earlier and the first frost coming later. Our area now experiences on average nine more frost-free days than it did in 1999. Oak pollen arrives earlier, as does grass pollen. Ragweed pollen lasts longer into the fall.
Ragweed, that bane of so many people’s existence, is not just blooming longer; it is also producing more pollen. USDA scientist Lewis Ziska has found that increased CO2 levels cause ragweed plants to become larger, bloom more heavily, and therefore produce more pollen–somewhere around a billion grains per plant. Not only does it serve as fertilizer: CO2 causes the pollen to produce more of the protein that causes the allergic reaction. Not good news for us.
And the news gets worse. If current emission levels continue, some climate scientists are predicting a 200% increase in total pollen this century, with pollen seasons nearly sixty days longer in some places, particularly the northern U.S. Pollen seasons will overlap, with more varieties in the air at any given time, leading to increased exposure and increased sensitivity for allergy sufferers.
Rising temperatures and humidity are also causing increases in the growth of molds and fungi, yet more allergy triggers. The more intense thunderstorms many places are experiencing coincide with more emergency room visits for allergic asthma; some research indicates that the winds are rupturing pollen grains and allowing them to penetrate more deeply into people’s lungs. Respiratory allergies are worse in areas with compromised air quality, such as the Mid-Ohio Valley.
We joke about our “crud,” but it is no laughing matter. Nearly a third of the world’s population suffers from respiratory allergies, and the Cleveland Clinic reports recent increases in those numbers. In addition to the very real human suffering, allergic rhinitis (the medical name for the crud) has an economic impact, estimated at more than $3.4 billion in annual medical costs in the U.S. alone. Allergy sufferers miss an average of 3.6 days of work per year and are less productive at work when ill. The annual cost of asthma (not always allergy-related) is more than $80 billion, and over 4,000 Americans die from asthma attacks each year.
We can reduce this suffering and these staggering costs by reducing the carbon emissions currently serving as weed fertilizer. This valley will always have pollen season, but we do not have to keep making the situation worse.
Rebecca Phillips is a member of Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.
Last Updated: April 30, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Becoming prepared for the next disaster
Apr 1, 2023
Callie Lyons
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
We have seen it happen time and again. Shell, IEI, train derailments like East Palestine, untold environmental accidents and disasters – and each of them a threat to our homes, our families, our health and our lives. What could be more important?
Yet each time it happens, we find ourselves in the void that occurs when we wait for the government to act and provide us with potentially lifesaving information. Valuable moments when action could be taken are sacrificed to uncertainty. Evacuation orders are late. Exposure overwhelms before culprits are identified and appropriate responses determined.
We can do better.
No longer should we be at the mercy of the government and the great unknown over such horrific incidents. If the history of C8 contamination in the valley has taught us anything, it’s that the U.S. EPA is not going to save us from harm. Watchers of the movie “Dark Waters” are no doubt familiar with attorney Rob Bilott’s famous words: “Who protects us? We do.”
It’s time we do.
Observing the examples of other communities faced with similar challenges, there is a path forward made possible because of modern technology and the availability of citizen science monitoring tools. We cannot wait for the next catastrophe. Advance work is required. We must be organized and prepared.
The strategy is simple. Form a team with the training, assets and infrastructure to respond immediately in a coordinated manner to document incidents, collect data, communicate information to the impacted public and work with experts to provide independent analysis and community safety and health recommendations.
We will need a small army of volunteers including nature observers and river watchers, sniffers and samplers, mappers and communicators. Add to that a process for reporting observations and developments, equipment and training for sampling air and water and a basic framework for coordinating community involvement.
One shining example of this is the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, which was formed in 2000 to support communities whose health and homes were being compromised by the petrochemical industry. Among the tools developed by the group is a Bucket, a low-cost air sampling tool approved by the EPA, and the iWitness Pollution map, a crowdsourcing tool used to document pollution.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. An effective process has been defined by others like the founders of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade who are more than willing to share their expertise.
We need to learn from the past and prepare for the future. It is time for the Mid-Ohio Valley to have its own coordinated citizen response team — and it needs to happen before disaster strikes again.
Are you in?
***
Callie Lyons is a journalist and author living in the Mid-Ohio Valley. She is currently the chief researcher for the Murdaugh Murders Podcast. Her 2007 book, “Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal: The Hidden Dangers of C8,” was the first book to reveal the prevalence and danger of the PFAS family of highly fluorinated compounds used by industry in the manufacture of Teflon and thousands of other consumer applications.
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Suggested Readings for April 2023
MOVCA Selected Media Postings March 2023 – April 1, 2023
Compiled by Cindy Taylor
Appearing in The Marietta Times:
March 8, 2023 Local News
“MOVCA presentation on Inflation Reduction Act rescheduled”
Appearing online in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel:
March 28, 2023 Business article by Isabella O’Malley, Associated Press Links to N & S and AP below.
“U.S. renewable energy surpassed coal in 2022” (N&S has abbreviated version of AP article)
https://apnews.com/article/renewable-energy-coal-nuclear-climate-change-dd4a0b168fe057f430e37398615155a0
March 9, 2023 Local News Staff report
“Driver dead in brine truck crash on I-77”
March 8, 2023 Local News
“MOVCA presentation on Inflation Reduction Act rescheduled”
March 4, 2023 Column by Aaron Dunbar
“Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner: ‘Silent Spring’ may be inevitable”
Available on the Charleston Gazette-Mail o
See Articles by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/users/profile/mike%20tony/
April 1, 2023 Op-Ed by Eric Engle
“Eric Engle: Say ‘no’ to Pleasants Power Station sale” (Opinion)
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/eric-engle-say-no-to-pleasants-power-station-sale-opinion/article_da1e4a87-7ece-51b8-8668-c721348ffb44.html
Available on Public News Service:
March 15, 2025 Environment Feature produced by Nadia Ramlagan
“Scientists Sound Alarm on Fracking Near Muskingum, OH Watershed”
Randi Pokladnik, environmental scientist and member of MOVCA, is quoted
Appearing on-line on Ohio River Valley Institute https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org
March 27, 2023 Article by Ted Boettner
“ORVI in Southeastern Louisiana to Learn about a True Transition for Oil & Gas Workers”
https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/orvi-in-southeastern-louisiana-to-learn-about-a-true-transition-for-oil-gas-workers/
Available on West Virginians For Energy Freedom: https://www.energyfreedomwv.org
“The Proposed Pleasants Power Station bailout is unpredictable and risky for West Virginia electric customers”
https://www.energyfreedomwv.org/pleasants-power-station-bailout
Available on-line on WV Rivers:
March 30, 2023 Rail Safety Legislation
March 27, 2023 Recording: Conversation on Headwaters
March 15, 2023 Water Policy News: 2023 Session Wrap-Up
Appearing on-line on ReImagine Appalachia: Check out all past events here: https://reimagineappalachia.org/events/
Upcoming events:
April 13, 2023 12:00 – 1:00 Community Event (Zoom) Description and registration link
“Solar-Powered Faith Communities and Houses of Worship: Saving Money and Ethical Labor”
April 12, 2023 12:00 – 1:00 Community Event (Zoom) Description and registration link
“Social Media 101 Training”
March 30, 2023 Blog Article by Rick Rothenstein with links to opportunities
“Exciting Federal Funding Opportunities For Environmental and Climate Justice”
March 25, 2023 10:00- 11:00a.m. Community Event (Zoom) Description and links to recording and resources
“Labor Women Who Lead”
March 23, 2023 12:00- 1:00 Community Event (Zoom) Description and links to recording and resources
“From Fridge to Furnace: Energy Efficiency for Your Buildings and Community”
March 9, 2023 12:00pm -1:00pm Community Event (Zoom)- Description and links to recording and resources
“Environmental Justice for All: Ensuring Equity Across Our Most Climate-Impacted Communities”
Appearing on-line on WV Public Broadcasting or WOUB (PBS) or WVXU or NPR:
March 28, 2023 Feature by Isabella O’Malley, Associated Press
“Electricity generated from renewables surpassed coal in the U.S. last year”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/electricity-generated-from-renewables-surpassed-coal-in-the-u-s-last-year
March 16, 2023 Article by Curtis Tate Text and audio
“During Christmas Freeze, Coal Units Were Offline at 2 Plants, Data Show”
https://wvpublic.org/during-christmas-freeze-coal-units-were-offline-at-2-plants-data-show/
Available on Environmental Health Project: https://www.environmentalhealthproject.org
March 3, 2023 Personal Narrative: Tina Curry-Bashioum
https://www.environmentalhealthproject.org/post/personal-narrative-tina-curry-bashioum
Available on Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services: https://www.fairshake-els.org
See Community Democracy Resources & Tools: https://www.fairshake-els.org/community-resources
See Ambassador Community https://www.fairshake-els.org/ambassador-community
April 20, 2023 10-4pm in Parkersburg, WV
NATIONAL ATTENTION & RESEARCH/OVERVIEW/ RESOURCES:
Available on Associated Press:
March 31, 2023 Article by John Seewer
“Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment”
https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-lawsuit-norfolk-southern-b5162c3a5d3eec681eaadfa4266ef5a6
March 2, 2023 Article by Cathy Bussewitz
“Carbon dioxide emissions reached record high in 2022”
https://apnews.com/article/climate-emissions-global-warming-carbon-dioxide-coal-494ef490f16abe381ea2a4107f779670
Available on Inside Climate News:
March 17, 2023 Politics and Policy article by James Bruggers
“How to ‘Make Some Good’ Out of East Palestine, Ohio Disaster? Ban Vinyl Chloride, Former EPA Official Says”
Available on DeSmog:
March 7, 2023 Article by Dana Drugmand
“Following Ohio Derailment, Concerns Arise Over Expansion of Rail and Pipeline Transport of Hazardous Material” Experts warn that a growing network of carbon dioxide pipelines are dangerous and under-regulated
https://www.desmog.com/2023/03/07/ohio-derailment-phmsa-pipeline-transport-hazardous-material-carbon-dioxide/
Available from Science Direct:
March 2023 Environmental Research article by Nadia Barbo, Tasha Stoiber, Olega V. Naidenko, David Q. Andews
“Locally caught freshwater fish across the United State are likely a significant source of exposure to PFOS and other perfluorinated compounds”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935122024926?via%3Dihub
Available on Science and Environmental Health Network: https://www.sehn.org/sehn
March 27, 2023 Networker: Keeping Track of Trains
https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2023/3/27/march-2023-networker-keeping-track-of-trains
“The rePercussion Section: Plastic Train” by Sandra Steingraber, SEHN senior scientist
https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2023/3/24/the-repercussion-section-plastic-train
“Why Our Trains Are Toxic: The Dioxin Backstory” by Peter Montague, SEHN Fellow
https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2023/3/24/why-our-trains-are-toxic
Available online from The Guardian:
March 28, 2023 Article by Melissa Davey
“Plastics cause wide-ranging health issues from cancer to birth defects, landmark study finds” First analysis of plastics’ hazard over life cycle- from extraction to disposal- also shows ‘deep societal injustices’ of impact
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/29/plastics-cause-wide-ranging-health-issues-from-cancer-to-birth-defects-landmark-study-finds
March 22, 2023 Article by Brian Kahn
“A radical climate strategy emerges: charge big oil firms with homicide”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/22/big-oil-companies-homicide-harvard-environmental-law-review
March 21, 2023 Article by Fiona Harvey, Environment editor
“Eight things the world must do to avoid the worst of climate change” Latest IPCC report highlights key measures countries must take to avoid climate catastrophe.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/21/methane-to-food-waste-eight-ways-to-attempt-to-stay-within-15c
March 21, 2023 Article by Samuel Gilbert (Tucson, Arizona)
“ ‘A living pantry’: how an urban food forest in Arizona became a model for climate action”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/21/urban-food-forest-dunbar-spring-tucson-arizona-climate-crisis-drought
March 20, 2023 Article by Fiona Harvey, Environment editor
“Scientists deliver ‘final warning’ on climate crisis: act now or it’s too late” IPPC report says only swift action can avert irrevocable damage to world.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/20/ipcc-climate-crisis-report-delivers-final-warning-on-15c
March 19, 2023 Climate Crisis Article by Oliver Milman
“ ‘We have money and power’: older Americans to blockade banks in climate protest”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/19/climate-crisis-protest-environment-third-act-bill-mckibben
March 17, 2023 Article by Tom Perkins
“Levels of carcinogenic chemical near Ohio derailment site far above safe limit” EPA scientists assessed a dioxin cancer risks threshold in 2010, but a federal cleanup is only triggered at far higher levels.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/17/norfolk-southern-derailment-east-palestine-ohio-carcinogenic-chemical-levels
March 6, 2023 Greenhouse gas emissions article, by Damian Carrington, Environment editor
“Revealed: 1,000 super-emitting methane leaks risk triggering climate tipping points”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/06/revealed-1000-super-emitting-methane-leaks-risk-triggering-climate-tipping-points
March 2, 2023 Article by Fiona Harvey, Environmental Editor
“CO2 emissions may be starting to plateau, says global energy watchdog
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/02/co2-emissions-may-be-starting-to-plateau-global-energy-watchdog-iea
Available on Canary Media:
March 10, 2023 Article by Julian Spector & Maria Virginia Olano
“Chart: Clean energy to make up 84% of new US power capacity in 2023”
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/chart-clean-energy-to-make-up-84-of-new-us-power-capacity-in-2023
REPORTS & MORE RESOURCES
Available from IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change):
March 20, 2023 New REPORT released
AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/
See also links to previous working group reports:
Synthesis Report, Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report
https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/
Available from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis:
March 9, 2023 Article by Dennis Wamsted about new REPORT with links to download report
“Fossil fuels fail reliability test”
https://ieefa.org/resources/fossil-fuels-fail-reliability-test
Available on EPA, United States Environmental Protection Agency:
Feb – March 2023 Report beginning 2/7/23 continuously updated by EPA’s On-Scene Coordinator
“East Palestine Train Derailment” with links to documents, data, Fact Sheet, map etc:
https://epaosc.org/site/doc_list.aspx?site_id=15933
Available from Rewire America https://www.rewiringamerica.org
See a great calculator on what you can save in IRA tax credits and rebates.
“YOUR SAVINGS CALCULATOR: How much money can you get with the Inflation Reduction Act?”
https://www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator
Available from Appalachian Solar Finance Fund https://solarfinancefund.org Supported by Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER Initiative.
The Solar Finance Fund (SSF) provides grants and technical assistance to unlock the economic development potential of otherwise viable solar projects that face barriers unique to Central Appalachia. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, public entities and local businesses that serve as community anchors.
Contact Autumn Long at autumn.long@appvoices.org
Available from Yale Climate Connections:
March 21, 2023 Article by Christopher Bonasia
“U. S. can shift to EVs without widespread, destructive mining, report finds”
Available from The Washington Post:
March 6, 2023 Interactive Article by John Muyskens, Shannon Osaka, and Naema Ahmed
“U.S. home heating is fractured in surprising ways: Look up your neighborhood” The split shows that much of the South, and rural America, could ditch fossil fuels easier that big cities and the coasts.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2023/home-electrification-heat-pumps-gas-furnace/
Available on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Facts: (site administered by the Science and Environmental Health Network)
See https://www.carboncapturefacts.org for links to articles and links to media resources:
Available on-line: oil & gas THREAT MAP: https://oilandgasthreatmap.com
The Threat Map is an excellent tool: Find out if your home or child’s school is in the oil & gas threat radius.
A FEW OTHER INTERESTING READS:
Also from Yale Climate Connections:
March 6, 2023 Article by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson
“With global warming of just 1.2° C, why has the weather gotten so extreme?”
March 2, 2023 Arts and Culture article by Daisy Simmons
“10 of the best climate change documentaries to see in 2023” These films screened at the recent Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Available from HEATED:
March 17, 2023 Feature by Arielle Samuelson and Emily Atkin
“The truth about Big Toilet Paper”
https://heated.world/p/the-truth-about-big-toilet-paper
Last Updated: April 30, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Climate CRISIS
Mar 25, 2023
Giulia Mannarino
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program. Its objective is to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that can be used to develop climate policies.
Since its creation, the IPCC has delivered Assessment Reports, the most comprehensive scientific reports about climate change produced worldwide that have fed directly into international policy making. These reports have provided regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts, future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation that can reduce those risks. But the IPCC does not conduct its own research. Hundreds of experts in different fields from all over the world volunteer their time and expertise to produce IPCC reports. Thousands more contribute to the review process and to the literature and other knowledge that are assessed in the reports.
None of these scientists are paid by the IPCC. In 1990, the First IPCC Assessment Report (FAR) underlined the importance of climate change as a challenge with global consequences and requiring international cooperation.
On March 20, 2023, the latest Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) was issued and the information it contains on the current status of climate change, its impacts and risks is not good. According to the report, the world is on track to face catastrophic warming. It warns the exceeding 1.5 degrees C of warming (known as “overshoot”) has dangerous and irreversible consequences, even if temperatures might later be brought back below that level.
The report also contains information on the options to adapt to and confront the crisis in the critical years ahead. Fortunately, the report determined world leaders already have the necessary tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save lives. A rapid phaseout of fossil fuels, accompanied by a roll out of renewable energy, is the clearest and most certain path to avoid overshoot.
The authors of the report hope it will give guidance for political leaders who will gather later this year for international negotiations on how to limit emissions. On announcing the report, U.N.’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, “The climate’s timebomb is ticking, but today’s IPCC report is a how-to-guide to diffuse the climate timebomb. It is a survival guide for humanity.” The IPCC’s website urges all policymakers to read this report carefully as they consider future actions.
Yet, leading scientists predict that by 2030, the world is on track to produce 110% more fossil fuels than the world can ever burn; with the U.S. leading the world in its extraction and export. Congress and President Biden have been focused on policies that reduce the demand for fossil fuels, like the Inflation Reduction Act, but they haven’t been working on the cause of climate change–fossil fuels.
Despite the science and the universal agreement on the problem, the U.S. continues to permit new fossil fuel projects like the large Willow Arctic oil project, the Mountain Valley fracked gas pipeline, the possibility of another version of Manchin’s “dirty deal” to expedite fossil fuel expansion via “permitting reform” and more. But to truly stop the climate crisis, we must also control the supply of fossil fuels. The IPCC has clearly and repeatedly rung the alarm bells that staying below the 1.5 degrees C goal is vital to protect people and the planet.
They have also been equally clear that achieving that goal requires immediate and rapid action to phase out fossil fuels. Both the supply and demand side of climate action must be tackled. Fossil fuel expansion is incompatible with that 1.5 degrees C goal. The recent report is unequivocal about our best chance at a liveable future. A livable future for all will not be achievable if we fail to act on the latest and most urgent alarms sounded last week by the IPCC.
The clock is ticking and there is no time to waste on false solutions. Climate action must be ambitious, focus on real solutions and center climate justice and human rights. Believe the science and scientists NOT the disinformation of the fossil fuel industry that continues to put profits above the future of the Earth and the Earthlings who reside upon it. Every one must urge government officials at all levels to enact policies and programs that will end the era of fossil fuels because the climate CRISIS is now here.
Last Updated: April 30, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Fracking Ohio’s public lands
Mar 18, 2023
Randi Pokladnik
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
Ohio HB 507 was rushed through the “lame duck” session without any public comments. This bill, which facilitates fracking on our public lands, becomes a law on April 7. Once that happens, the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission will be in control of leasing processes. They are creating rules and lease agreement forms for the state parcels “nominated for fracking.” However, until the rules are in place, leases can be executed “without public notices, without public comments, and without competitive bidding or oversight by the commission to protect the public interests.”
Unlike New York, which banned fracking based on numerous health studies, Ohio has embraced the industry with open arms and a lackadaisical attitude toward regulations protecting the land, air, water and citizens’ health. Our state lands are now open for oil and gas extraction and we are faced with an impossible task: trying to preserve our forests and parks from an extractive industry. In a February meeting of the commission, Ohio citizens asked for a minimum 60-day comment period, advance notification of the parcels being considered, parcel information including maps, and factors being considered in making decisions.
I attended the March 1 commission meeting, but citizens were prohibited from speaking or asking questions. Instead, the majority of the meeting was allocated to the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), who discussed their very lucrative long-term association with the oil and gas industry and their template for lease agreements.
While the MWCD claims their mission is flood reduction, conservation, and recreation, after their presentation, one might say their mission is to make money, lots of money. In fact, “no one has benefited financially as much as the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District; Ohio’s No. 1 beneficiary of drilling.”
The MWCD has made millions of dollars on water sales, fracking leases, and royalties. Additionally, the MWCD gathers fees from boaters who use the lakes, home leases, park fees, money from timbering, and fees from flood protection assessments.
Citing the MWCD royalty range (18%-20%) as a template, the commission set 12.5 % as the minimum royalty fee for state lands, saying they “are probably leaving dollars on the table.” There is little doubt our state lands are being viewed as money makers, not public lands where Ohio’s citizens can enjoy nature or where biodiversity is protected. Ohio’s citizens own these lands and tax dollars support these agencies, but it is doubtful we will have a seat at the table when it comes to deciding which lands can be leased.
Muskingum’s land manager Nate Wilson, described how their leases (MWCD) “require additional setbacks (3,000 feet), testing, and additional containment facilities in case of accidents.” But, their input into the process ends there. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has shown they lack the ability to enforce violations or levy fines and the industry benefits from exemptions of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to Know Act.
MWCD Executive Director Craig Butler said they (MWCD) “do not put surface construction on MWCD lands, but we do have pipeline access and gathering line access and water lines and those types of things.” It is still unclear if our state lands will be impacted by drilling pads. Companies could possibly use a “separate written surface use agreement” to construct well pads on state lands.
The widespread use of high-pressure hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has turned rural areas of SE Ohio into industrial zones. I travel along Routes 151, 250 and 646 in the Tappan Lake area of the MWCD watershed and see endless pipelines cutting across hillsides. Wells pads, access roads, water withdraw lines and infrastructure are devouring the landscape. Is this what we want for our state lands?
Many Ohioans chose to live in rural areas because of the beauty the forests and hills provide. Real stewards of the environment protect precious resources for future generations; they do not destroy them for financial gains. No amount of money or extravagant marina is worth exposing our children to toxic chemicals and pollution from an unregulated industry. Our rural communities have become sacrificial zones at the mercy of the fossil fuel industry.
Proponents of fracking only tout the monetary gains and continue to ignore the long-term health effects associated with fracking. They ignore the increases in methane emissions which are fueling climate change and contributing to the collapse of ecosystems world-wide. They allow radioactive leachate to enter our waterways. They overlook the millions of gallons of radioactive produced water and carcinogenic chemicals that travel along our rural roads every day. Accidents involving trucks and tankers have increased by 14 percent in fracked areas of Ohio.
The recent train derailment in East Palestine reminds us of how easily one mistake can permanently alter the lives of thousands of people and forever taint the environment. Until Ohio puts health, safety, and a clean environment ahead of the interests of the fossil fuel industry, we can only wonder what will be left of our state lands and rural communities in the aftermath of this rush to frack.
***
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: April 30, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: Ecological grief
Mar 11, 2023
Vic Elam
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
A few years ago, I reviewed the results of a survey of people from inner cities who were asked a number of questions about natural areas and their relation to them. One interesting takeaway from that survey was that even people who never traveled outside of the city and experienced nature, supported the protection of natural areas, and take comfort knowing that these areas exist.
This revelation leads me to believe that even people who don’t experience nature suffer from a phenomenon referred to as ecological grief. I feel certain that most people whose lives are closer related to nature must suffer much more so from ecological grief.
I think that it is human nature to throw up your hands in despair and feel that there is nothing that you can do to prevent the calamity of ecological destruction impacting ourselves, our environment, and the wildlife that we share this planet with. Although, I feel that it is important to be aware of the damage we are causing, and keep pushing for better, we should step back and take stock in our progress.
Most people now understand and accept that climate change is a real modern human-induced condition. Renewable energy technological breakthroughs are finding new and more efficient ways to harness energy at a blistering pace. The promising outlook for new, better-paying, clean energy jobs that offset those lost is encouraging. You see more electric vehicles on the road every day. Even when disaster strikes such as the train derailment in East Palestine the public outcry is louder and the demand for change so much stronger that it feels like change is in the air.
Yes, we have a long way to go to undue the damage wrought by our fellow humans acting without regard for their fellow man, and we will continue to have setbacks. But miring ourselves in ecological grief will not help the situation. We need to keep a positive attitude. I recommend that if you find yourself discouraged about the state of the environment, take a hike in the woods, take up a hobby such as birding, or just sit quietly in a park, open your senses and you will see that all is not lost, there is still much to save. Please join in the effort, for each of us making a small difference adds up to a huge change.
We all know what needs to be done, let’s get to it.
Last Updated: April 30, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Climate Corner: ‘Silent Spring’ may be inevitable
Mar 4, 2023
Aaron Dunbar
editorial@newsandsentinel.com
“Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours.
“There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example–where had they gone? …”
This passage from Rachel Carson’s “A Fable for Tomorrow” is the opening chapter to “Silent Spring.” It’s impossible not to reflect on Carson’s mid-20th Century ghost town in the wake of Norfolk Southern’s chemical nuking of East Palestine, Ohio. It’s been revealed that nearly 44,000 aquatic animals were killed by the negligent rail company’s “controlled release” of deadly chemicals in an angry black mushroom cloud. That’s well above a tenfold increase over ODNR’s initial estimate of 3,500 wildlife deaths- and mainstream news outlets, often with major shareholders such as BlackRock and Vanguard in common with Norfolk Southern, have the gall to wonder why the town’s citizens have been so distrustful of the government.
The dread evoked by Ohio’s Silent Spring is hardly ameliorated by the premature onset of actual springtime throughout the United States, with temperatures last week reaching nearly 80∂F.
This is not normal.
Entire complex ecosystems are being disrupted by the chaotic shifting of Earth’s seasons, thanks almost certainly to global warming. Birds that migrate seasonally are being lured to starvation by false promises of plentiful food. Insects are missing opportunities to feed and to pollinate, thus jeopardizing our own food systems. Invasive plant species in particular are given greater opportunities to proliferate in a warming climate.
“I’m seeing the trends I rely upon, the calendar I have trusted to see rare plants in bloom, just completely disappear,” Dr. Deborah Landau of the Nature Conservancy said in an interview with The Guardian. “Everything has been thrown out of whack, species that have evolved together for millennia are now off-kilter. There is this cascading effect on everything that is more than just a missed cherry blossom season.”
The widespread prevalence of these cascades should terrify anyone with even an elementary knowledge of the implications. Scientists studying mass extinction events have found the destruction of wildlife can culminate in seemingly abrupt “tipping points,” much like the climate crisis as a whole, beyond which ecosystem collapse becomes inevitable.
The End-Permian extinction event, otherwise known as the “Great Dying,” resulted in the annihilation of 90% of Earth’s species, a direct consequence of global warming triggered by massive volcanic eruptions. Shockingly, species today are being eliminated at a faster rate than they were during any of Earth’s past mass extinction events. And in many cases, ecosystem collapse was a result of just such species cascades as previously mentioned, with different species often taking the role of those that went extinct. Finally there remained no species that could fill these crucial ecological voids, and these complex interconnected systems entered a death spiral.
Our world today is staring down the barrel of a similar mass extinction event, though the causes, in today’s case, are anything but natural.
The common thread between the destruction of life in East Palestine and the larger global ecocide happening around us is this: Just as Norfolk Southern decided to funnel some $18 billion into stock buybacks instead of responsibly upgrading their Civil War-era braking systems, so too do fossil fuel giants like Shell and ExxonMobil choose the hoarding of obscene wealth over the survival of the biosphere. Corporations value profits over anything else on this Earth.
The modus operandi for these corporate terrorists is always the same: deregulate, destroy, and deceive. They promise us they’ll be on their best behavior because the free hand of the market dictates it, then they reduce the world around them to a wasteland. They fill our bodies with poisons, then lie to us and tell us we’ll be fine. Then a toothless political system controlled by these same oligarchs comes along and reassures us just enough to maintain the illusion that everything is as it should be, despite the iridescent shimmer in our waterways and the fish floating belly-up downstream.
For some time now, scientists have debated renaming the current era of Earth’s history, the Holocene, as the Anthropocene, due to the outsized negative impact human beings have had. But more recently, an alternative name has been proposed which more accurately assigns the blame for our current environmental nightmare — the Capitalocene.
Those rapacious elites most responsible for the desecration of our world are invariably the ones least impacted by its destruction. And as we fail to confront this horrendous scorched earth capitalism, the grim spectre of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” draws nearer and nearer each day.
Last Updated: April 28, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Suggested Readings for March 2023
MOVCA February 2023 Selected Media Postings
Compiled by Cindy Taylor
Appearing in The Marietta Times:
February 25, 2023 Ohio News Article
“Brockovich warns Ohio town of dangers after train crash”
Available on the Charleston Gazette-Mail (Available only to subscribers)
See Articles by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter
https://www.wvgazettemail.com/users/profile/mike%20tony/
Available on WTAP:
February 21, 2023 by Associated Press
“EPA orders Norfolk Southern to pay for cleanup in toxic Ohio train derailment”
https://www.wtap.com/2023/02/21/epa-orders-norfolk-southern-pay-cleanup-toxic-ohio-train-derailment/
February 16, 2023 by Mitchell Blahut
“Pleasants Co. officials more optimistic with House Resolution 12 passing”
https://www.wtap.com/2023/02/16/pleasants-co-officials-more-optimistic-with-house-resolution-12-passing/
February 12, 2023 Article by Chase Campbell of WTAP and video. Eric Engle, MOVCA, is interviewed
“A blue hydrogen hub could be in store for West Virginia”
https://www.wtap.com/2023/02/13/blue-hydrogen-hub-could-be-store-west-virginia/
February 4, 2023 Associated Press News article and video
“50-car train derailment caused big fire, evacuations in Ohio”
https://www.wtap.com/2023/02/04/train-derailment-massive-fire-prompt-evacuations-ohio/
Available on WPXI-TV News (Pittsburgh):
February 17, 2023 Feature local article by Cara Sapida
“Pitt scientist with experience studying vinyl chloride shares concerns following train derailment”
https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pitt-scientist-with-experience-studying-vinyl-chloride-shares-concerns-following-train-derailment/QZ5YYEYQD5CYPIPZFT2DQV4V4Q/
Appearing on-line on Ohio River Valley Institute https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org :
February 23, 2023 Article by Nick Messenger
“An Overview of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Hazardous Chemical Spill in East Palestine, Ohio”
https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/an-overview-of-the-norfolk-southern-train-derailment-and-hazardous-chemical-spill-in-east-palestine-ohio/
February 16, 2023 Article by Ben Hunkler
“The East Palestine train derailment is petrochemical harm at its worst. For the industry, it’s a cost of doing business”
https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/the-east-palestine-train-derailment-is-petrochemical-harm-at-its-worst-for-the-industry-its-a-cost-of-doing-business/
Available on-line on WV Rivers:
February 2023 Water Policy News: Sixth Update of the 2023 Session
February 23, 2023 Webinar Recording: Hydrogen Lunch and Learn
“Blue Hydrogen Webinar Recording”
February 16, 2023 Webinar Recording: Public Lands Lunch and Learn
“Webinar Recording: Four Facts and Three Concerns about Your West Virginia Public Lands”
February 9, 2023 Webinar recording available
“Webinar Recording: Methane, Climate Change, and an Opportunity to Comment on Proposed EPA Regulations”
Appearing on-line on WV Public Broadcasting or WOUB (PBS) or WVXU or NPR:
February 27, 2023 Energy and Environment Article by Shepherd Snyder Text and Audio link
“State Lawmakers, Advocates Set To Act on ‘Forever Chemicals’”
February 27, 2023 WVPB Staff- Curtis Tate speaks with Jesse Richardson, WVU Land Use and Sustainable Law Clinic
“A Look At Chemical Leaks, Train Derailments And PFAS On This West Virginia Morning” Audio link and summary:
February 27, 2023 Associated Press Article
“Contaminated waste shipments from East Palestine derailment are set to resume”
https://woub.org/2023/02/27/contaminated-waste-shipments-east-palestine-derailment-resume/
February 27, 2023 Article by Emily Kwong, M. Cirino & R. Ramirez with 11min audio featured on Short Wave
“How the EPA assesses health risks after the Ohio train derailment”
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/24/1159385101/how-the-epa-assesses-health-risks-after-the-ohio-train-derailment
February 25, 2023 Article by Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau
“The Ohio Senate sets a hearing on the toxic train derailment to hear from state officials”
https://woub.org/2023/02/25/ohio-senate-hearing-toxic-train-derailment/
February 24, 2023 Energy and Environment Article by Curtis Tate
“Justice Signs Bill To Bring Form Energy Battery Plant to Weirton” Text and audio link.
February 18, 2023 Climate article by Miranda Green in collaboration with Floodlight, nonprofit environmental org.
“An activist group is spreading misinformation to stop solar projects in rural America”
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/18/1154867064/solar-power-misinformation-activists-rural-america
NATIONAL ATTENTION & Relevant to our region & RESOURCES
Available on EPA, United States Environmental Protection Agency:
February 2023 beginning Report 2/7/23 continuously updated by EPA’s On-Scene Coordinator
“East Palestine Train Derailment” with links to documents, data, Fact Sheet, map etc:
https://epaosc.org/site/doc_list.aspx?site_id=15933
Available on COUNTERPUNCH:
February 24, 2023 Article by Greg M. Schwartz, award-winning investigative reporter
“Demanding Transparency in East Palestine, Ohio”
Available on The New York Times: continues to cover OH Train Derailment, example below
February 17, 2023 Article by Christine Hauser
“After the Ohio Train Derailment: Evacuations, Toxic Chemicals and Water Worries”
February 1, 2023 Climate feature by Nadja Popovich and Elena Shao
“This Guide Can Help You Save Money and Fight Climate Change”
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/climate/tax-breaks-inflation-reduction-act.html
Available on CNN:
February 27, 2023 News Article by Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN
“It’s been 3 weeks since a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in Ohio. Here’s what’s happened since”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/23/us/east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-timeline/index.html
Available online from The Guardian:
February 25, 2023 Article by Carey Gillam co-published w. New Lede, journalism project of the Environmental Working Group
“Revealed: the US is averaging one chemical accident every two days”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/25/revealed-us-chemical-accidents-one-every-two-days-average
February 24, 2023 Environment article by Oliver Milman and Aliya Uteuova
“Parts of US see earliest spring conditions on record: ‘Climate Change playing out in real time’”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/24/early-spring-us-climate-change-record
February 24, 2023 Agriculture article by Judith Matloff
“Hemp: the green crop tied down by red tape in the US”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/24/hemp-green-crop-red-tape-agriculture-livestock
February 23, 2023 Article by Rachel Salvidge and Leana Hosea
“What are PFAS, how toxic are they and how do you become exposed?”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/23/what-are-pfas-forever-chemicals-how-toxic-are-they-and-how-do-you-become-exposed
January 18, 2023 PFAS Article by Tom Perkins (omitted from last month’s listing)
“Freshwater fish more contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ than in oceans” Study also says eating one serving of fish with PFAS could be equivalent to drinking contaminated water every day of month”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/freshwater-fish-contaminated-forever-chemicals
Available on Science and Environmental Health Network:
February 15, 2023 Ted Schettler, MD, SEHN science director discusses topic with The Network editor
“Incorporating the Best Available Science in Chemical Regulation: We Should Not Expect Less”
https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2023/2/13/incorporating-the-best-available-science-in-chemical-regulation-we-should-not-expect-less
February 15, 2023 Article by Kelsey Breseman, Civic Science Fellow, EDGI (Environmental Data & Governance Initiative)
“EDGI and the Right to Trust our Environmental Health”
https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2023/2/13/edgi-and-the-right-to-trust-our-environmental-health
Available on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Facts: (site administered by the Science and Environmental Health Network)
See https://www.carboncapturefacts.org for links to articles and links to media resources:
Available on-line: oil & gas THREAT MAP: https://oilandgasthreatmap.com
The Threat Map is an excellent tool: Find out if your home or child’s school is in the oil & gas threat radius.
Available on Inside Climate News:
February 21, 2023 Fossil Fuels Article by Liza Gross
“Fracking Wastewater Causes Lasting Harm to Key Freshwater Species”
February 19, 2023 Clean Energy article by Wyatt Myskow
“Disposed to Fossil Fuel Companies. Now, the Lands Are Being Offered to Solar Companies”
February 17, 2023 Science Article by Bob Berwyn
“Scientists Examine Dangerous Global Warming ‘Accelerators’” A new study categorizes climate feedback loops and the possibility they could push the climate past planetary tipping points.
February 14, 2023 Justice article by Delaney Dryfoos & Victoria St. Martin
“Indoor Pollutant Concentrations Are Significantly Lower in Homes Without a Gas Stove, Nonprofit Finds”
Available from Yale Climate Connections:
February 22, 2023 Article by Neha Pathak
“Climate change is increasing the risk of infectious diseases worldwide”
February 21, 2023 Book Review by Michael Svoboda
“Book review: Greta Thunberg tells it like it is in ‘Climate Book’”
February 2, 2023 Book recommendations by Michael Svoboda
“New and recent books about climate and environmental justice” Collectively, these 12 books argue that the only sustainable future is a fair and equitable one – and that climate activism must also engage in social activism.
Last Updated: April 30, 2023 by main_y0ke11
Across-the-board accountability needed for Northfolk Southern tragedy
Feb 28, 2023 The Marietta Times
Aaron Dunbar
The corporate bombing of East Palestine is one of the most damning indictments of our entire political system that I have ever witnessed. There are no partisan divisions to delineate who is at fault here, but rather, a clear and stark dividing line between those at the top, and those at the bottom in our society.
The most obvious culprit here is, of course, Norfolk Southern. They’ve invested over $18 billion in stock buybacks over the past five years, deliberately choosing to rake in obscene profits instead of updating their Civil War-era braking systems.
Rules in place under the Obama administration would’ve required trains like those in East Palestine to be equipped with Electronically Controlled Pneumatic brakes, which would almost certainly have mitigated this catastrophe. Donald Trump and his deranged anti-regulation administration repealed these rules, however, proving the billionaire ex-President’s brazen disregard for the safety of everyday Americans.
Which isn’t to say that Republicans are solely responsible for this by any means. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has done nothing to rectify Trump’s flagrant disregard for the safety of our railways. He’s also lied about supposedly being unable to act meaningfully to address the braking issue, a notion promptly debunked by journalist David Sirota. Buttigieg has rightfully been dragged across the coals for his role in this tragedy, though I have a few guesses as to why the right suddenly cares so much more about safety regulations now than they did when Trump was the one rolling them back.
Next up we have our current, self-described “Pro-Union” President, who made it illegal for rail workers to strike last year, even as they warned of precisely these sorts of accidents occurring due to the cost-cutting negligence of rail companies.
Though once again, this was anything but a partisan feat. The majority of Congress stood behind Biden in this undertaking, including District 6 Representative Bill Johnson. A TikTok user by the name j05h.x confronted Johnson during a visit to East Palestine, specifically addressing the $18,000 in campaign contributions he’s received from Norfolk Southern over the years.
“We’re done with the conversation,” Johnson says immediately. “I just told you, we’re not gonna talk politics here. That’s not what this is about. Because we’re talking about what’s right for the people of East Palestine.”
I’m going to be bold here and say that what’s “right” for the people of East Palestine is not being nuked with chemicals by a corrupt rail company that’s buying off our Representatives in Congress.
Biden’s response to all of this has hardly inspired confidence–his Justice Department is currently poised to block lawsuits against Norfolk Southern and corporations like it in the Supreme Court.
It is worth noting, though, that Biden reportedly told Ohio Governor Mike DeWine that he would provide “anything you need” to address the tragedy.
DeWine’s outrageous response to this, when asked by a reporter, was “I will not hesitate to call him if we see a problem, but I’m not seeing it.”
It was at about this point in the so-called “Chernobyl 2.0” saga that I began banging my head against the wall.
Finally, tie all of this together with a mainstream media response that has been absolutely abysmal (outlets like the New York Times have major shareholders like BlackRock and Vanguard in common with Norfolk Southern) and a less than reassuring response from the EPA — if you have any connection whatsoever to our area’s C8 scandal, then you know how reliable it is when corporate stooges get to decide how much of a carcinogenic substance is safe for you and your children to ingest. We frankly have no idea what the scope of this damage is, how long it will last, or even how far it will spread, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that individuals as far off as Canada have been experiencing chloride-induced headaches.
We need major, across-the-board accountability for this, to put an end to the corruption of all parties involved, and ensure that nothing even remotely like this ever happens again.
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