Last Updated: April 30, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: An Earth Day to celebrate

Apr 27, 2024

Callie Lyons

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

Earlier this month, we received unprecedented news regarding PFAS when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced enforceable drinking water limits on two forever chemicals — specifically PFOA (or C8) and PFOS. After decades of study and debate, the historic action effectively reduces allowable limits to the lowest detectable levels — impacting an estimated 100 million Americans whose water is contaminated with the industrial solvents.

The nation’s awareness of forever chemicals originated in the Mid-Ohio Valley with the Wood County, W.Va., class action lawsuit against DuPont over C8 contamination resulting from manufacturing processes at Washington Works. As a result of the class action settlement agreement, residents who participated in the C8 Health Project became an integral part of proving that exposure had a negative effect on human health and identifying health conditions linked to exposure. The information that came to light as a result of the C8 Health Project and interpreted by the C8 Science Panel was fundamental to all that followed — including the recent EPA action aimed at limiting exposure and thereby limiting harm for exposed communities.

“Above all, today’s momentous developments are a testament to the power of ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. It is only thanks to the dogged advocacy of people whose lives were upended by PFAS that the EPA is paying attention to these insidious substances,” said Mariah Blake, PFAS author and journalist.

The story of forever chemicals is known today only because of the people of the Mid-Ohio Valley who found themselves in the middle of a situation of global consequence long before anyone knew how big the problem really was.

Advocating in any small way against DuPont was never popular. For a long time prior to the class action, the voices of the rare few who suspected something was wrong with the water were drowned out by a more comfortable narrative. It wasn’t long ago that those individuals who dared raise the issue were labeled crazy or worse — and ignored or encouraged to relocate.

No one ever took up this fight because it seemed like a fun hobby or would advance their social standing. The individuals who did so were burdened by purpose. For the most part, the obligation to advocate for awareness and change came on unexpectedly and incidentally as they were going about their daily lives.

We know about C8 because world-class journalists like Mariah Blake and countless others have devoted their time and talents to telling the stories of people like Wilbur Tennant, Bucky Bailey, and Rob Bilott — and their long suffering families. We have seen them in movies like “The Devil We Know” and “Dark Waters.”

There are also unsung heroes like Robert Griffin, the manager of the Little Hocking Water Association, who wisely pushed for Ohio water systems to be tested at a time when only West Virginia water systems were being sampled — and regulatory agencies had to rely on industry labs to provide the results. Expanding the region to be tested ultimately revealed that the unconstrained contamination was far worse than expected.

Teams of people working for Brookmar united the community over one of the largest health studies ever conducted in order to learn as much as possible about the effects of exposure. They successfully enrolled nearly 70,000 Mid-Ohio Valley residents who contributed blood and medical histories to this pursuit of the truth.

Each and every one of these individuals contributed to the change we see today.

There are many other pathways to exposure that remain unaddressed, so the fight against forever chemicals is far from over. I encourage you to join forces with MOV Climate Action to take on this and many other pollution problems compromising our lives and futures.

Despite the challenges that remain, this Earth Day we have great cause for celebration. Congratulations to all who have reluctantly been part of this chemical saga. Here’s to a greener future for everyone because of you!

***

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

Last Updated: April 26, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Permitting harm

Apr 20, 2024

Giulia Mannarino

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been used since the 1940s, mostly to make consumer goods waterproof/stain resistant or nonstick. These chemicals are very common in the environment all around the world. They are now recognized as “forever” chemicals because they are extremely persistent, lasting thousands of years. There are dozens of chemicals in the PFAS family including PFOS, PFOA (C8), PFHxS and GenX. For decades, DuPont was responsible for discharging C8 into the Ohio River and severely polluting local drinking water supplies. DuPont morphed into Chemours and GenX has replaced C-8. Regardless of these changes, this dangerous pollution continues, seemingly unabated. Despite their claims of being a good neighbor, Chemours continues to profit from passing the cost of pollution onto local communities.

Chemours has an extensive past history of permit violations. The company has been consistently out of compliance with environmental regulations. In a court document, filed April 25, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documented many permit discharge exceedances of up to 3117% into the Ohio River in West Virginia from 2018 to 2023. These discharges were violations of the Clean Water Act as well as their permit. Currently, Chemours is seeking another permit through the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) to discharge additional PFAS chemicals, including Gen-X, into the Ohio River. WVDEP would probably have routinely approved the Proposed Application for a WV National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Water Pollution Control Permit (No. WV0117986).

However, the individual WV/NPDES permit process includes the development and advertisement of a Draft Permit, as well as the opportunity for the public to comment and to request a public hearing.

Because the Ohio River is already overburdened with PFAS chemicals, surpassing the EPA’s 2022 Interim Health Advisories, a non-profit watchdog agency issued an action alert regarding this permit application and urged supporters to request a public hearing to try and stop this additional toxic pollution discharge. Consequently, a Public Hearing was held via Zoom on Monday, March 4, with over 60 attendees. With the exception of only one individual (a company plant?), all who commented or asked questions were against the issuance of this permit. Although WVDEP was respectful of everyone’s opinions, the public hearing appeared to be a mere formality. The concerns expressed regarding PFAS and their impacts on health risks do not seem to be reasons for the WVDEP to deny the permit application. Regardless of all of the public comments against this application and the concerns expressed about PFAS and impacts on health, this permit request will most likely be rubber stamped.

The EPA has identified Gen-X, and additional PFAS, as harmful to human health, even in small concentrations, linking exposure to cancer and other serious illnesses. Many health studies confirm that ingestion of PFAS can cause adverse health effects even at very low levels. These include; increased risk of cancer, increased cholesterol, weakened immune systems, hormonal disruptions, lowered fertility rates and developmental issues in infants, children and others. In fact, sixteen reports filed by DuPont and submitted to the EPA between April 2006 and January 2013 cite numerous health effects. Fortunately, the EPA has committed to action to address PFAS contamination and has developed a “Strategic Roadmap” regarding PFAS chemicals. On Dec. 14, 2023, EPA published its second annual progress report

Each state is tasked with similar efforts to develop an action strategy regarding research, restriction and remediation of PFAS to protect their communities. During the 2023 Legislative session, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed HB 3189 the PFAS Protection Act. It requires the WVDEP to identify and address PFAS sources in raw water by developing PFAS action plans, and improves reporting requirements related to PFAS for specific facilities. Most recently, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Department of Health collaborated on the sampling and testing of water across the state for the presence of PFAS and other variations of the chemical, including PFOS, GenX, PFBS, PFHxs and PFNA. The results were issued January 2024 and are available online. For both states, these are definitely steps in the right direction. But it’s still a long and winding road ahead before any day on our planet can truly be celebrated as Earth Day.

***

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

Last Updated: April 16, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Growing good for the planet

Apr 13, 2024

Sister Molly Bauer

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

Many faith communities are collaborating with other organizations and individuals desiring to make a difference by caring for our sacred earth. This often arises from the understanding that we are called to be good stewards of the Earth. Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) promotes climate action from a faith-based perspective. IPL’s week to encourage nationwide action on climate is April 19-28. This year’s theme is Common Ground: Cultivating Connections Between Our Faith, Our Food and the Climate. The Green Sanctuary committee of the First UU Society of Marietta (232 Third St., Marietta) will be hosting a free screening of “Common Ground” from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on April 21 in the congregation’s social hall. The public is invited to attend. This documentary film explores how regenerative agriculture can help heal the soil, our health and the planet.

As you probably know, many churches in the Mid-Ohio Valley and beyond have food pantries, gardens, community meals and other activities that endeavor to respond to the needs of the community in practical ways. I am a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph. I would like to note some of the efforts of the Congregation of St. Joseph regarding food given that our faith, our food, and the climate are interconnected. Our Wheeling Center is home to more than 20 senior sisters. They desire to do their part in caring for the environment and one another. They work with Cura Dining Services in a “No Waste Food Program,” a “Be Well” Nutrition Program, and a kitchen garden.

When I spoke with Scott Maguire, director of dining services, he emphasized that sending food to landfills is not only a waste of precious natural resources (which is bad), it also contributes to climate change (very bad). Our goal is to reduce and redirect as much food waste as possible, keeping it out of landfills and transforming it into something that feeds our people and our environment. Waste Nothing is a simple system to measure, reduce, and repurpose surplus food in your kitchen. ​​​​​​​

This is the amount of food that we did not send to the landfill, and it’s measured in the size of quarts. As hard as you may try to reduce and reuse, there will be some food waste our kitchens just can’t avoid. Compost, feeding animals, and outsourcing are the top ways to reuse the waste. It turns out we throw a lot of perfectly good food in the trash. We can rescue these neglected ingredients and create additional great recipes that put leftover food scraps to work and combat food waste in the process. For example, using the old bananas for banana bread or leftover breakfast oatmeal to make oatmeal cookies.

The kitchen garden provides a good amount of harvest. We have a few sisters that love being part of it with it being a raised bed and allows them more access to help in the garden. Most of the sisters love the idea of having fresh vegetables pulled from the garden brought in and then served to them for lunch or dinner.

Sharon Mendelson, life enrichment coordinator, said “Last year we harvested many tomatoes, Hungarian wax peppers, bell peppers, parsley, oregano, thyme, chives. All were utilized by Cura Dining Services to provide freshly picked healthful flavors to the sisters, from their property.”

Additionally, beginning last year, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling and WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital have collaborated to establish a community garden. This garden space was graciously offered to Wheeling Hospital to grow fresh vegetables for patients and employees. Community volunteers assist Wheeling hospital employees in maintaining the garden throughout the growing season. This will be an ongoing community collaboration for years to come!

Interfaith Power and Light has a wealth of resources for faith communities available at their website to inspire and activate congregations to care for the Earth year-round. Across the nation, people of all faiths will join their voices together on Earth Day, April 22 at noon. See www.InterfaithPowerandLight.org.

Angie Iafrate is Outreach Coordinator with West Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, a state affiliate of the national Interfaith Power and Light network. If you would like to set up a time for a conversation with her, her email is info@wvipl.org.

***

Sister Molly Bauer is a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, resides in Parkersburg and is a member of the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action board.

Last Updated: May 2, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Fracking Under Public Lands

Apr 13, 2024

George Banziger

Letters to the Editor

The Marietta Times

I am outraged by the decision of the Ohio Legislature (both houses) and the governor for mandating fracking, i.e., high-pressure hydraulic fracturing, under Ohio public lands. Let me count the ways…

First of all, the legislation authorizing this desecration of state parks and other public lands, HB 507, was buried (stuffing, if you will), in a poultry bill passed by the legislature last year without any public hearings. Many of these public lands, including Salt Fork State Park the state’s largest park, are in eastern Ohio and have benefitted residents of Washington County for the purposes of swimming, hiking, fishing birding and other outdoor activities. Our representatives in the Ohio statehouse, in other words, have thrown transparency and accountability to the winds.

Another outrage – the wording in this legislation states that oil & gas companies “shall,” not “may,” offer bids to these companies. In other words, it is a mandate, not an option.

In this legislation natural gas is described as “green energy.” This is the fossil fuel that in the long run is over 80 times more consequential as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Another outrage

Groups dedicated to preserving Ohio public lands for the use and pleasure of its citizens, such as Save Ohio Parks, have participated in legal action under the “single-purpose” rule of lawmaking; that is, a piece of legislation should address a single issue and not be tied to something irrelevant like domestic birds. The Oil & Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC), the group charged by the state, to review the bids for the“se parcels of land, did not even wait for this litigation to be completed to carry out its review of “nominations from oil and gas companies. Another outrage.

Oil and gas companies that have submitted nominations for parcels of public lands are not identified by the OLGMC (yet another outrage), but recently it has been determined that many of these companies, such as Encino Energy of Texas are from out of state. This action reflects a long-standing trend of exploitation of Appalachia, whereby resources of the region are extracted from our lands and profits end up outside our region. Furthermore, those residents, primarily in Appalachian Ohio, will suffer the health risks of fracking (in a 2022 report Physicians for Social Responsibility have documented health problems associated with fracking activities). Must this outrageous pattern of exploitation continue?

Has the OGLMC considered where oil & gas companies will obtain the massive amounts of water required for the fracking process (over one million gallons per well) and what effect it will have on the waters in and around our public lands? More outrage

The OGLMC offers the opportunity for the public to offer comments on these nominations for drilling under public lands, and I have been among the real people of Ohio who have offered comments in opposition to fracking on particular parcels of public lands. Last summer some outstanding journalists from the Cleveland Plain Dealer and other news sources discovered that hundreds of fake comments were generated automatically through a group called the Consumer Energy Alliance, a group associated with oil & gas interests. People who apparently sent these comments did not even know that their names and contact information were used for this malicious purpose. The Ohio Attorney General is investigating this apparent act of fraudulent representation. What is more outrageous–that this scam took place or that the Attorney General has offered no public comments about the progress or results of his investigation?

A continuing outrage directed at the fracking industry and at the waste products associated with this industry is that oil & gas companies are not required to reveal the chemicals that are used in the fracking of shale deposits. Our own Washington County is a leader (a dubious distinction) among Ohio’s counties in the amount of so-called brine waste injected into its lands.

If natural gas resources are as important as its advocates claim to America’s energy independence and to the smooth transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy, why don’t we leave a lot of this precious resource in the ground for future use rather than extract it for near-term profit? Those with an interest in this resource should be outraged by the frantic rush for drilling rights in Ohio which is comparable in its frenzy to the 1849 California Gold Rush.

What can be done to address these outrages? Must we be relegated to cursing the darkness in this pattern of exploitation and abuse? The voters of Ohio–and particularly those in eastern Ohio who are most affected by fracking in public lands-can demand to know the positions of candidates for the Ohio Legislature on this important issue. The 136th session of the Ohio General Assembly, most of whom are on the November ballot and take their seats in January 2025, can move to establish transparency in this process of bids, contracts, and injection wells and create some accountability– if voters hold their feet to the fire.

Posted: April 6, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: How my life changed driving a used EV

Apr 6, 2024

Jonathan Brier

climatecorner@brierjon.com

In October 2023 I wrote “Electrify The MOV it just makes cents” and said I would buy an EV. Little did I know I would find a used EV with 20k miles on it under $25k just after Thanksgiving (and under $20k after federal incentives for a used EV). My wife and I did calculations and we wondered why manufacturers are focusing on large high priced EVs so many cannot afford. Given how the tech is evolving and my planned mileage we bought used and kept our eyes open for cars.

An EV makes a lot of sense financially with a predictable commute of ~100 miles from Marietta, Ohio to Athens, Ohio and back a few days a week. That is well within the lower cost EV range and I can charge no problem with a 240 volt charger overnight.

Between my wife and I we’ve driven the EV ~8k miles since December. We road tripped to New Hampshire (around New Years, in the cold) ~1,500 miles, we visited Cincinnati, Ohio (in January with a headwind) ~420 miles, and Detroit, Michigan (in March) ~700 miles. Yes, the cold does reduce the range, but it’s not that much. Just like getting to know any vehicle you learn when and how to stop to add more range. The range anxiety was gone after our second road trip because we knew how to find charging and the time it adds. We have a slower charge rate compared to newer and high end cars for home and DC fast charging, but it is kind of nice to be forced to stop and stretch and see the local areas. We’re not stuck for hours, sometimes just 5 minutes up to 45, or we charge at the hotel when we stay overnight. Optimized charging times with planners like ABRP (A Better Route Planner) and Plugshare make it easy to get from A to B and back.

Some things that changed:

  1. I haven’t been to a gas station for gas since I sold my old car, I have stopped to charge.
  2. My savings on gas looks like it will cover my insurance and registration meaning I have more money in my pocket. I only pay ~$25 in electric a month energy instead of $100+ for gas.
  3. Driving has become relaxing on long commutes since I don’t have the constant engine noise or vibration.

4 .I started noticing more about how little thought goes into the experiences around many charging locations making them less attractive in the long run. ie can you walk to a bathroom, find food, shop, or walk around.

  1. I think more about the electrical grid and how our community aggregation selection works. Lowest cost doesn’t mean lowest impact on health and environment.
  2. I smile when I pass the gas stations.
  3. I long for solar and wind farms in my local area…OK, I was like that before, but local renewable electricity means you get local taxes from what fuels your car, supporting the local economy and cleaner environment.

There is so much misinformation and disinformation floating about, and I’ll say the same thing I say to students. Understand who is behind the information, don’t just accept something at face value, check multiple sources, understand the bias of the source.

While Earth Day may be the first thing that comes to your mind in April, it also is known as Drive Electric Earth Month. There are numerous events where essentially EV owners answer questions, share stories, show their cars, and some will give rides. Each event lists the models that said they will be there. Visit https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/ to locate an event near you.

Nearest to Parkersburg/Marietta, at the time of writing the events are:

* Wednesday April 10 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Marshall University

* Tuesday April 23 2-4 p.m. at Ohio University

If you are really curious about driving an EV, fill out the interest form for Rural Reimagined (https://rural-reimagined.com/states/) and have an EV on loan for free for 2-6 weeks. This is open to many Appalachian counties in KY, OH, TN, VA, and WV.

I recommend taking an EV for a test drive. You might get hooked and that is a win for our Earth.

***

Jonathan Brier is a Marietta, Ohio resident, Information Scientist, Data Librarian, and an Eagle Scout. He is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, American Association for the Advancement of Science, OpenStreetMap US, Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, and a Wikipedia contributor. If you would like to reach him, visit https://brierjon.com or email: climatecorner@brierjon.com

Posted: April 4, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Selected Readings for April 2024

MOVCA Selected Media Postings March 2024

Compiled by Cindy Taylor

Available online in The Marietta Times:

March 2, 2024 Editorial

“Orphan wells a great opportunity”

https://www.mariettatimes.com/opinion/editorials/2024/03/orphan-wells-a-great-opportunity/

 

Available online in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel:

 

March 4, 2024   Community News Staff Report

“Clean Water Mural Tour flows into Parkersburg Art Center”

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/community-news/2024/03/clean-water-mural-tour-flows-into-parkersburg-art-center/

MOVCA, WV Rivers, & PAC announce free community event 3-5 p.m. March 9th at PAC. Art-O-Rama is March 16, 10a.m.-1p.m.

 

March 2, 2024 Editorial

“Orphan Wells: Cleanup could create career opportunities”

https://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/editorials/2024/03/orphan-wells-cleanup-could-create-career-opportunities/

Ohio River Valley Institute’s report mentioned; Ted Boettner (ORVI) & Dana Kuhnline of ReImagine Appalachia quoted.

 

Appearing on WTAP:

March 5, 2024 Feature by Chase Campbell text and video (Eric Engle is interviewed)

“Chemours seeks permit to discharge wastewater into Ohio River”

https://www.wtap.com/2024/03/06/chemours-seeks-permit-discharge-wastewater-into-ohio-river/

 

March 4, 2024 Article by Sarah Coleman  Text and video.

“Clean Water Mural visits Parkersburg Art Center”

https://www.wtap.com/2024/03/05/clean-water-mural-visits-parkersburg-art-center/

 

March 3, 2024 Feature by Chase Campbell Text with video.

“W.Va. DEP to host virtual public hearing on Chemours wastewater permit application”

https://www.wtap.com/2024/03/03/wva-dep-host-virtual-public-hearing-chemours-wastewater-permit-application/

 

Available on the Charleston Gazette-Mail:

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

March 29, 2024 Article by Mike Tony.   Eric Engle is cited.

“ ‘Toxic baggage’: Residents blast DoE, Arch 2 hydrogen hub during listening session”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/toxic-baggage-residents-blast-doe-arch2-hydrogen-hub-during-listening-session/article_1c23876c-1cba-561c-bcfe-6c252dafc1bf.html

 

March 28, 2024 Article by Mike Tony

“PSC approves double-digit rate hike for Mon Power, Potomac Edison residential customers”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/psc-approves-double-digit-rate-hike-for-mon-power-potomac-edison-residential-customers/article_d2b45ae1-2b16-51a6-9425-c8db439019a5.html

 

March 28, 2024 Article by Mike Tony

“EPA still hasn’t acted on water quality concerns for 1,600 miles of WV waterways”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/epa-still-hasnt-acted-on-water-quality-concerns-for-1-600-miles-of-wv-waterways/article_e38d5052-8045-5f55-a7a0-b441bf753cde.html

 

March 27, 2024 Article by Mike Tony

“WV’s coal magnate governor vetoes bipartisan pro-renewable energy bill”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/wvs-coal-magnate-governor-vetoes-bipartisan-pro-renewable-energy-bill/article_4d8e57dd-9987-560a-a6fe-b74d79ae14e2.html

 

March 20, 2024 Op-Ed by Eric Engle

“Eric Engle: Didn’t we learn from DuPont?”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_commentaries/eric-engle-didnt-we-learn-from-dupont-opinion/article_54ed6eb1-d913-5bec-a640-6f310b1f544b.html

 

March 20, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“EPA, DEP not doing their jobs?: WV groups sue over Lower Guyandotte watershed oversight”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/epa-dep-not-doing-their-jobs-wv-groups-sue-over-lower-guyandotte-watershed-oversight/article_0754c4a5-2b47-5148-b433-9be2bf94e9d2.html

 

March 16, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“Now they’re asking for more’: Chemours plant poised to pollute more PFAS amid toxic legacy”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/now-theyre-asking-for-more-chemours-plant-poised-to-pollute-more-pfas-amid-toxic-legacy/article_d5df29cd-9cc0-58b8-b95c-09f4fd34c4db.html

 

March 14, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“WV official appointed to FERC; defended Mountain Valley Pipeline permit, went after EPA”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/wv-official-appointed-to-ferc-defended-mountain-valley-pipeline-permit-went-after-epa/article_b8977d0b-b284-50ae-ab8e-362670fbbbc3.html

 

March 13, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“Department of Energy to hold listening session on ARCH2 hydrogen hub”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/department-of-energy-to-hold-listening-session-on-arch2-hydrogen-hub/article_2090610b-5353-59b5-875e-c98bdd67f2ff.html

 

March 8, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“WV greenhouse gas reduction plan blasted for favoring fossil fuels over renewables”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/wv-greenhouse-gas-reduction-plan-blasted-for-favoring-fossil-fuels-over-renewables/article_9485c3bf-1175-508f-9000-6c2a50f0eedf.html

 

March 6, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“WV Senate panel ignores bill restricting community air monitoring data use”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/wv-senate-panel-ignores-bill-restricting-community-air-monitoring-data-use/article_1652c17f-1053-5f50-b84b-f15b7cc8b491.html

 

March 2, 2024 Article by Mike Tony, Environment and Energy Reporter

“ ‘We need some help’: water quality, DEP oversight concerns mount”

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_and_environment/we-need-some-help-water-quality-dep-oversight-concerns-mount/article_e5f725ab-257f-54fd-ab19-4df9d6733134.html

 

Available on Farm and Dairy:

March 27, 2024 News article

“BLM seeks input on fracking in Wayne National Forest”

https://www.farmanddairy.com/news/blm-seeks-input-on-fracking-in-wayne-national-forest/817978.html

See also on U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management:

March 20, 2024 “BLM seeks input on additional analysis for oil and gas leasing in Ohio” https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2024234/510

 

Available on The Bargain Hunter.com:

March 27, 2024 Letter-to-Editor by Dr. Randi Pokladnik, Uhrichsville, OH

“Landowners forced into fracking agreements”

https://thebargainhunter.com/news/web-only/forced-into-fracking-agreements

 

Available on Morning Journal (OH):

March 26, 2024 Letter-to-Editor by Randi Jeannine Pokladnik, Uhrichsville, OH

“ODNR should protect public lands”

https://www.morningjournalnews.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2024/03/odnr-should-protect-public-lands/

 

Available on The Post (student-run news publication of Ohio University, Athens, OH)

March 6, 2024 Article by Maggie Amacher

“Ohio judge dismissed appeal, moves forward with fracking on public lands”

https://www.thepostathens.com/article/2024/03/public-land-fracking-permitted-2024

 

Available on Save Ohio Parks: https://saveohioparks.org

March 12, 2023  Press Release by Melinda Zemper  Media release crossposted from FracTracker Alliance

“Data Reveals Discrepancies between Reported Oil and Gas Incidents in Ohio and Industry Claims”

https://saveohioparks.org/2024/03/12/data-reveals-discrepancies-between-reported-oil-and-gas-incidents-in-ohio-and-industry-claims/

 

Available on West Virginia Rivers Coalition:

March 30, 2024 Article about upcoming April 2nd webinar: Lunch & Learn: Fracking with ‘Forever Chemicals’ in WV

https://wvrivers.org/2024/03/webinar-pfas/  Hosted by Halt the Harm Network, PSR, and WV Rivers Coalition

 

March 23, 2024 “Register for ARCH 2 Listening Session on March 27th  Map included and link to register

https://wvrivers.org/2024/03/action-alert-arch2-listening-session/

See also WV Rivers’ fact sheet: “Impacts of Hydrogen on Public Health, Water, and Climate”

Available at https://wvrivers.org/hydrogen/

 

March 2024 “Honoring the Life of Turner Sharp: A Guardian of West Virginia’s Rivers and Forests”

https://wvrivers.org/2024/03/remembering-turner-sharp/

 

March 8, 2024 Action alert “Stop Toxic Pollution in Our Ohio River!”

https://wvrivers.org/2024/03/action-alert-stop-toxic-pollution-in-our-ohio-river/

 

March 5, 2024 Action Alert – “Urgent request: Tell leaders NO on HB 5018 before 1PM!”

https://wvrivers.org/2024/03/action-alert-reject-5018/

 

March 2, 2024 WVRC Policy News

https://wvrivers.org/2024/03/wvrc-policy-news-march-2-2024/

 

March 1,  2024 Action Alert from WVRC

“Save our State Parks – Ask the House Committee on Government Organization to Reject SB 688”

https://wvrivers.org/2024/03/action-alert-govorg-reject688/

 

Available on ORVI:

March 25, 2024 Article by Joe Cullen

“BIL/IRA Implementation Digest” includes listings of deadlines, webinars, reports & announcements & Resources

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/bil-ira-implementation-digest-march-25-2024/

 

March 21, 2024 Article by Sean O’Leary  Text and audio

“The Tri-State CCS Hub and The Return of The Bad Deal”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/the-tri-state-ccs-hub-and-the-return-of-the-bad-deal/

 

March 17, 2024 Article by Joanne Kilgour

“LNG Exports Are a Rotten Deal for Appalachians”

https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/lng-exports-are-a-rotten-deal-for-appalachians/

 

Available on ReImagine Appalachia: https://reimagineappalachia.org/events/  

Register for upcoming Virtual Events via Zoom and see recordings, reports, & resources available for past events.

 

April 4, 2024, 10AM Online webinar hosted by Swaniti Global Initiative & Reimagine Appalachia

“Appalachia and the World: Putting Appalachian Economic Revitalization in a Global Context”

(Speakers include Mayor Steve Patterson of Athens, OH)

https://reimagineappalachia.org/appalachia-and-the-world-putting-appalachian-economic-revitalization-in-a-global-context/

 

March 29, 2024  Article by Sylvia Porras, ReImagine Appalachia Policy Intern.

“Loss of ARPA Funding Threatens Appalachian Children & Communities: The American Rescue Plan Act”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/loss-of-arpa-funding-threatens-appalachian-children-communities/

 

March 20, 2024 noon “Instagram Live: How women wannabe farmers find farm land”  with Annie Warmke

https://reimagineappalachia.org/instagram-live-how-women-wannabe-farmers-find-farm-land/

 

March 19, 2024 noon “Natural Infrastructure/ Workforce Development Policy Report Release”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/natural-infrastructure-workforce-development-policy-report-release/

 

March 14, 2024 noon.  “Shelter in the Storm: ReImagining resiliency for your communities & congregations”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/shelter-in-the-storm-reimaging-resiliency-for-your-communities-and-congregations/

 

March 12, 2024 Article by Sylvia Porras, ReImagine Appalachia Policy Intern

“A Guide to Earmarks for Appalachian Communities” Includes links to webinar recording, PowerPoint, &resources

https://reimagineappalachia.org/a-guide-to-earmarks-for-appalachian-communities/

 

March 5, 2024 noon. “Sustainable Manufacturing CO-Ops Report Release”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/sustainable-manufacturing-co-ops-report-release/

Includes link to recording and new report, “Worker Ownership and Cooperative enterprise in Appalachia’s New Energy Economy”

 

March 5, 2024 New Report from ReImagine Appalachia

“Cooperatives in the New Energy Economy: Anchoring Ownership, Wealth, and Jobs in Appalachia’s New Energy Economy.”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cooperatives-in-the-New-Energy-Economy.pdf

 

March 4, 2024 Article by Rike Rothenstein, Research Associate ReImagine Appalachia

“The Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) Webinar Series – Appalachia’s Forests: From Reforestation to a Growing Recreational Economy”

https://reimagineappalachia.org/the-appalachian-regional-reforestation-initiative-arri-webinar-series-appalachias-forests-from-reforestation-to-a-growing-recreation-economy/

 

Available on Sierra Club:  Sierra Club West Virginia https://www.sierraclub.org/west-virginia

March 6, 2024 Article by Austyn Gaffney

“Appalachian Organizations Are Working to Make the Region a Hub for Green Manufacturing and Clean Energy”

New federal funding will help small and medium-size manufacturers join the emerging circular economy.

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/appalachian-organizations-are-working-make-region-hub-green-manufacturing-and-clean-energy

 

Available on Associated Press:

March 24, 2024 Climate News Article by Isabella O’Malley and Jennifer McDermott

“Energy agency announces $6 billion to slash emissions in industrial facilities”  [OH & WV facilities mentioned]

https://apnews.com/article/climate-energy-carbon-emissions-industry-manufacturing-biden-7145f8cf0e020418032a192a3e481041

 

March 13, 2024 Climate Article by Seth Borenstein

“US energy industry methane emissions are triple what government thinks, study finds”

https://apnews.com/article/methane-natural-gas-leak-climate-change-401cc08ad784d42fc463ed00bce4983e

 

Available on Energy News Network:

March 22, 2024 Article by Kathiann M. Kowalski

“Environmental groups appeal court order on drilling under Ohio park and wildlife areas”

https://energynews.us/2024/03/22/environmental-groups-appeal-court-order-on-drilling-under-ohio-park-and-wildlife-areas/

 

March 21, 2024 Article by Kathiann M. Kowalski

“Ohio landowners say solar oppositions groups threaten their property rights”

https://energynews.us/2024/03/21/ohio-landowners-say-solar-opposition-groups-threaten-their-property-rights/

 

FaCT: Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future https://factsustain.org   

Check out their “Distinguished Speaker Series” https://factsustain.org/Distinguished/

See the articles in Newsletter https://factsustain.org/Newsletters/ :

 

Available on Earthjustice:

March 21, 2024 Article by Earthjustice

“The clean energy transition is happening. But Big Oil isn’t budging”

https://earthjustice.org/article/the-clean-energy-transition-is-happening-but-big-oil-isnt-budging

 

March  2024 Article

“Industry is Trying to Weaken Regulations on Cancer-Causing Emissions”

https://earthjustice.org/brief/2024/government-moves-to-limit-deadly-emissions#:~:text=Lawsuit%20details%3A%20Earthjustice%20filed%20a,under%20the%20Clean%20Air%20Act.

 

Available on Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org

March 20, 2024 News Release contact Sarah Graddy, WWG

“EWG’s 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce: The Dirty Dozen is packed with fungicides that can disrupt human hormones”

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2024/03/ewgs-2024-shoppers-guide-pesticides-producetm-dirty-dozentm

 

March 5. 2024 News Article by Alexis Temkin, Ph.D (EWG) and Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D. (EWG)

“PFAS and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity: An EWG Fact Sheet”

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/03/pfas-and-developmental-and-reproductive-toxicity-ewg-fact-sheet

 

Available on WV Department of Environmental Protection:

Revised 2023

West Virginia Materials Recycling Directory REAP (The Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan)

https://dep.wv.gov/environmental-advocate/reap/recycling/Documents/WV%20Recycling%20Directory.pdf

 

Appearing on-line on WV Public Broadcasting or WOUB (PBS) or NPR, etc

March 21, 2024 Article by Curtis Tate

“Nicholas County Solar Project Receives $129 Million Federal Grant”

https://wvpublic.org/nicholas-county-solar-project-receives-129-million-federal-grant/

 

March 8, 2024 Article by Curtis Tate  Text and audio

“PFAS Concerns Loom Over Chemours Permit for Washington Works”

https://wvpublic.org/pfas-concerns-loom-over-chemours-permit-for-washington-works/

 

Available on Living on Earth: (Public Radio’s Environmental News Magazine)

March 8, 2024  Audio and Text

“Fracking Under Ohio State Parks”

https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=24-P13-00010&segmentID=3

 

Available on The Guardian:

March 25, 2024 Article by staff and agencies

“US to spend $6bn to reduce carbon footprint of steel, ice cream ad mac and cheese”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/25/biden-industrial-emissions

 

March 13, 2024 Article by Associated Press see also AP article by Seth Borenstein

“US energy industry gas leaks are triple the official figures, study finds”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/13/us-gas-leaks-report-climate-change

 

March 8, 2024 Article by Rachel Salvidge and Leana Hosea

“Cancer-causing PCB chemicals still being produced despite 40-year-old ban”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/08/cancer-causing-pcb-chemicals-still-produced-despite-40-year-old-ban

 

Available on Grist:

March 13, 2024 Article by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder

“You can start applying for the American Climate Corp next month”

https://grist.org/politics/jobs-portal-american-climate-corps-opens-next-month/

 

Available on Physicians for Social Responsibility: https://psr.org

March 27, 2024 News Article about new REPORT, Fracking with “Forever Chemicals’ in West Virginia

“ ‘Forever Chemicals’ in West Virginia Gas Wells” Article and link to download report.

https://psr.org/fracking-with-forever-chemicals-in-west-virginia/

Access the report at: https://psr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/fracking-with-forever-chemicals-in-west-virginia.pdf

 

Available on the Science & Environmental Health Network:

March 21, 2024 Article by Justin Nobel, Book author

“Petroleum-238: Big Oil’s Dangerous Secret and the Grassroots Fight to Stop It- Author’s Note” [WV mentioned]

https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2024/3/21/petroleum-238-big-oils-dangerous-secret-and-the-grassroots-fight-to-stop-it

 

March 21, 2024 Article by Sandra Steingraber, SEHN Senior Scientist

“RePercussion Section: Luminous Cockpits, Radium Girls, and Fracking Boys”

https://www.sehn.org/sehn/2024/3/21/repercussion-section-luminous-cockpits-radium-girls-and-fracking-boys

 

Available on Earthday.org:

March 30, 2024  Article by Lydia McMullen-Laird

“5 Ways Being Zero Waste and Owning Less Can Make You Happier”

https://www.earthday.org/news-and-stories/

March 21, 2024 Feature

“5 Reasons We need Trees for a Healthy Planet”

https://www.earthday.org/5-reasons-we-need-trees-for-a-healthy-planet/

 

March 11, 2024

“Tiny but Deadly: Your Butt on Plastic”

https://www.earthday.org/tiny-but-deadly-cigarette-butts-are-the-most-commonly-polluted-plastic/

 

March 8, 2024 Article by Kendall Witters

“4 Women Fighting Plastic”

https://www.earthday.org/4-women-fighting-plastic/

 

March 4, 2024 Article by Lindsey Sparkman

“Is Plastic Making Us Obese?”

https://www.earthday.org/is-plastic-making-us-obese/

 

Available on Yale Climate Connections:

March 29, 2024 Article by Michael Svoboda

“Book review: ‘Save Ourselves’ author says we can’t wait on global leaders to save the climate”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/03/book-review-saving-ourselves-author-says-we-cant-wait-on-global-leaders-to-save-the-climate/

 

March 26, 2024 Article by YCC team  Text and audio link.

“The plastics industry’s carbon footprint has doubled in the past few decades” Making plastics from algae or plant material instead of fossil fuels could help.

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/03/the-plastics-industrys-carbon-footprint-has-doubled-in-the-past-few-decades/

 

March 25, 2024 Article by Barbara Grady

“How can I make my retirement plan climate-friendly?

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/03/how-can-i-make-my-retirement-plan-climate-friendly/

 

March 7, 2024 Article by Michael Svoboda

“The best climate change movies and TV series of 2023”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/03/the-best-climate-change-movies-and-tv-series-of-2023/

 

March 4. 2024 Article by Sueellen Campbell

‘How to normalize the climate conversation”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/03/how-to-normalize-the-climate-conversation/

 

HERE ARE A FEW MORE ARTICLES OF INTEREST:

Available on HEATED:

March 1, 2024 Article by Arielle Samuelson

“Plastic recycling is a scam”

https://heated.world/p/plastic-recycling-is-a-scam

 

Available on Scientific American:

March 14, 2024  Article by Katherine Bourzac

“First Comprehensive Plastics Database Tallies Staggering 16,000 Chemicals – and It’s Still Incomplete”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/first-comprehensive-plastics-database-tallies-staggering-16-000-chemicals/

 

Available on the Des Moines Register:

March 4, 2024 Article by Elizabeth Weise, S. J. Beard, S. Bhat, R. Radilla, C. Procell and K. Zaiets

“US counties are blocking the future of renewable energy: These maps, graphics show how”

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2024/03/04/us-renewable-energy-grid-maps-graphics/72811677007/

 

 

Posted: March 30, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Water is life

Mar 30, 2024

Vic Elam

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

During the Roman Empire, it is thought that lead poisoning from the lead pipes that the Romans used may have caused or contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire. Yet today we defile the Earth’s precious waters with all manner of toxic substances apparently using some logic that we can contaminate water in all places and in all manner and somehow remain unaffected. That logic does not hold water.

According to EPA’s most recent National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) 42% of the nation’s rivers and streams were considered in poor condition due to phosphorus levels and 44% poor because of elevated nitrogen levels. These two elements are considered nutrients and although they may be good to put on your yard or garden, too much in streams causes problems like harmful bacteria and algae. There are many sources of nutrients that contaminate water; agricultural crop production, livestock waste and lawn fertilizer applications are but a few.

Another striking finding from the NRSA is that 64% of river and stream miles had moderate or high levels of riparian disturbance. Riparian is defined as lands that occur along the edges of rivers, streams, lakes, and other water bodies. Riparian disturbance can be cropping to the edge, maintaining a cleared area of lawn to the edge, or could be damage from excessive wave action (wake) from boats, etc. Riparian disturbance typically results in bank erosion or costly addition of armament such as riprap, degradation of habitat quality for wildlife, and certainly negatively impacts the scenic quality of our rivers.

Fish tissues were collected and analyzed for other contaminants and found to exceed screening levels for mercury (26%) and PCBs (45%). Also, PFOS, also known as a forever chemicals, was detected in 91%. Bacteria levels exceeded the EPA human health benchmark in 20% of river and stream miles.

One parameter that has a big impact on wildlife is sedimentation; nationally sedimentation was rated as 57% Good, 23% Fair, and 20% Poor. The Southern Appalachia Ecoregion which encompasses the Mid-Ohio Valley saw an increase of 11% in the good condition rating for sediment, so it’s not all bad.

Of course we know that fossil fuel extraction exacts a toll on our water quality. Modern hydraulic fracturing (fracking) typically uses many millions of gallons per well. Often that water is taken from surface streams, severely depleting the flow available to wildlife. After the water is used for fracking much of it returns to the surface, but not always where it was injected. When it returns it is contaminated with all manner of harmful chemicals, salts, and radiation, making disposal especially treacherous. And we all know about the perils from acid mine drainage from coal mines and coal-fired power plant sludge landfill leaching.

A recent Supreme Court ruling that supersedes previous court rulings based on a case referred to as Sackett v. EPA, has jeopardized water quality all over the country by weakening the protections for wetlands. Wetlands provide what is referred to as ecosystem services by lessening the impacts from floods, storing carbon, providing wildlife habitat, allowing water to recharge aquifers and remove contaminants from water. The Sackett ruling allows previously protected wetlands to be drained, filled and converted to other uses.

Plastics are yet another threat to our water. Oceans are becoming so inundated with plastic that fish are ingesting microplastics that result from deterioration of larger plastics. Lab results are showing that plastic is making its way into fish tissue including seafood that we eat.

Pharmaceuticals are another threat. Humans eliminate trace amounts of drugs that we use into the municipal wastewater system. Most wastewater treatment facilities are not capable of eliminating many of these chemicals and their derivatives before releasing the water back into the environment. Once released back into the environment these chemicals can make their way back into another municipal water supply or that water can be used for irrigating crops where the chemicals have been shown in crops and they can have negative impacts for wildlife.

It’s time we wake up and realize the value of water and the need to protect it. We are blessed with an ample water supply in our region, we should not take that for granted. Water is Life.

***

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

Posted: March 23, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: More fracked gas is a dead end

Mar 23, 2024

Eric Engle

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

It’s clearer than ever that, for residents of Ohio and greater Appalachia, the fracking “boom” has turned out to be a bust. The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub will only be another dead end for our region but it’s not too late to turn back.

More than a decade ago, the shale gas industry held all the right cards. Decision-makers were lavishing fracking developers with tax cuts and publicly funded subsidies. Gas production in the early 2010s was soaring, outpacing even the most optimistic pre-boom estimates. Between 2008, when gas development first began in earnest in the Marcellus and Utica shales, and 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest fracking counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia saw their economic output swell by nearly 90%, a rate more than four times the national average. Business was booming. Elected officials and industry boosters promised the fracking industry’s success meant prosperity for Appalachia, that our region would soon see hundreds of thousands of new jobs and a bona fide economic renaissance.

But those promises of prosperity never came true. During the same period of soaring output, families closest to the booming gas economy were actually having a harder time finding jobs. Many residents left the region entirely, due in no small part to the human toll of fracking operations. A litany of epidemiological studies began to demonstrate the connections between shale gas development and serious health impacts for nearby residents, including respiratory problems, heart-related complications, mental health issues, birth defects, and an outsized risk of rare cancers. Data show that those same fracking counties collectively lost more than 10,000 net jobs and almost 47,000 residents by 2021.

Fracking for methane gas hasn’t worked for our communities. In fact, for most people, it’s done nothing but harm. That’s why we can’t afford to keep continuing down the same gas-lined path.

But the industry is pulling all the stops to continue our region’s reliance on fossil fuels. Their latest ploy? The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub, or ARCH2, a gas-powered network of industrial facilities, power stations, and pipelines geared to create “blue” hydrogen, which uses costly, experimental carbon capture technology to reduce some smokestack emissions.

ARCH2 claims that blue hydrogen is “clean” energy, that their sprawling complex of heavy industry, fossil-fired power generation, and expanded fracking operations will somehow reduce the region’s net greenhouse gas emission output. That claim is far from the truth. Recent peer-reviewed research on lifecycle emissions shows that, in fact, blue hydrogen has a 20% greater greenhouse gas footprint than burning natural gas or coal directly for heat and some 60% greater than burning diesel oil for heat. And because blue hydrogen uses fracked gas as a feedstock, greenlighting ARCH2 would mean more expanding fracking operations, generating even more pollution and climate-warming emissions.

Yet, as concerned residents prepare for the Department of Energy’s upcoming virtual listening session on ARCH2 — scheduled for March 27 at 6 p.m. — the hydrogen hub has already made significant choices about their plans, including how hydrogen will be produced and what companies are involved. To date, no information about project sites has been publicly provided. For too long, we’ve been kept in the dark. Still, we can’t allow the high-risk, low-reward Appalachian Hydrogen Hub to move forward without making our voice heard.

Sign up to speak at the ARCH2 listening session on March 27 at 6 p.m. to make sure federal officials hear your concerns. Fracking has already had its chance, and ARCH2 just means more of the same — the same pollution and the same broken economic promises. With our region at a crossroads, it’s time to build a better future for our communities. Register at bit.ly/ARCH2-listening-session.

***

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

Last Updated: March 18, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Transition from exploitation to sustainability

Mar 16, 2024

George Banziger

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

The exploitation of Appalachia by outsiders goes all the way back to the days of George Washington, who, prior to serving as our first president, surveyed the lands around the Ohio River for development and ownership by the eastern colonists. Then, in the 1800s, as Steven Stool described in his 2017 book, “Ramp Hollow,” outsiders extracted lumber and coal from the Appalachian forests. One of the justifications for this exploitation was the disparagement of the residents of these areas as degenerate, backward, and ignorant. Fast forward to the 21st Century, and we witness the false promise of natural gas being extracted from the Utica and Marcellus shale deposits and the profits once again going mainly to outsiders.

Many of us who reside in the Mid-Ohio Valley, which is part of the federally designated region of Appalachia (Appalachian Regional Commission) see the need for a transformative economy in West Virginia and eastern Ohio. For many years we have been promised that economic development, jobs, and prosperity would result from the extractive industries of coal, oil, and natural gas and from the profits that these industries generated.

But where are the profits, jobs, and prosperity from these industries going and how much benefit to the Appalachian region accrues from these investments? In a study done by the Ohio River Valley Institute (July 2021) it was reported that from 2008-2019 in the 22 counties in Ohio, in western Pennsylvania, and in West Virginia, which produce 90% of the natural gas in Appalachia, economic prosperity, in terms of jobs, income, and population growth, trailed the U.S. measures of these factors. In that period the number of jobs increased just 1.6%, eight percentage points below the U.S. figure, and personal income was one-third below the national average. The demographics of our region continue to show decline of population as young people choose to leave. In other words, little revenue or benefit from all this activity with natural gas has come to the region. Natural gas extraction and plastics manufacturing are capital-intensive enterprises. What is needed for job creation and sustained prosperity in the region is activity that is labor-intensive and that produces wealth which remains in the region.

Organizations like ReImagine Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) have provided factually based information about the economy in central Appalachia and ideas for what kind of sustainable growth can be achieved. Other groups such as the regional chapters of the Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) are advocating for federal policies that promote such change toward a transformative economy. And Mid-Ohio Climate Action gives a local voice to these efforts.

There are many opportunities for economic development in Appalachia, even in manufacturing, which can serve as alternatives to extractive industries. Biomaterials, such as hemp, which can be readily grown in the region, can serve as an alternative to plastics. Production of batteries for vehicles which reduce greenhouse gas emissions is another promising idea. “Green steel,” (Power Technology, 2024) made with green hydrogen energy and transported with renewable energy is an option to traditional steel manufacturing. Locating and capping abandoned oil & gas wells can provide many jobs in the region (32,000 such jobs according to ORVI). Controlling methane emissions can generate 155,000 direct sustainable jobs in the region, according to a recent report by ORVI. There are now more jobs in the solar and wind industries in Ohio than in the coal industry (U.S. Energy & Jobs Report, U.S. Department of Energy, 2023). Research on the use of coal tailings to produce rare-earth metals, which are used in electric vehicles and other modern applications, is producing promising results. Parts for wind turbines can be manufactured in Appalachia. Hydrogen, produced from electrolysis, can be developed as a cleaner, safer, and less expensive alternative to coal for electricity production.

Appalachian communities where economic investments are being made should be assured that their communities will receive long-term benefits from any major investments in their areas including the following: that local labor will be hired on construction and manufacturing jobs (to be paid at prevailing wages), that environmental standards will be applied (e.g., clean air and clean water), and that green space and affordable housing will be provided. These assurances have been formalized into community benefit agreements, now a requirement for grant-funded projects supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Job-training programs are being developed in Appalachia for those who have been involved with the criminal justice system, through drug-related crimes, and those in drug-treatment programs. These efforts seek to address one of the critical endemic social problems of Appalachia.

***

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

Posted: March 9, 2024 by main_y0ke11

Climate Corner: Detoxing your home

Mar 9, 2024

Randi Pokladnik

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

Spring is usually the time homeowners decide to take inventory of unnecessary “junk” and clean out closets, garages, and other areas of their homes. It is also a good time to detox your home. We all have items that have outlived their usefulness, but detoxing a home involves looking at the ingredients in items that could be toxic.

Look around in your garage, do you have lawn and garden poisons like glyphosate (Roundup), which was declared a probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), or Sevin, which is highly toxic to bees and aquatic species? Contrary to what the pesticide industry tries to tell us, if it kills a weed or a bug, it’s toxic. Rachel Carson warned us in her book “Silent Spring” that we are killing ourselves by using poisons on our foods. Sadly, the take-over of our food by corporations killed family farms and ushered in the cultivation of monocultured crops, which are genetically modified and use more and more toxic chemicals.

It is better for us and the environment to go green and chemical free when it comes to our lawns and gardens. When you go shopping, buy organic produce when possible, paying attention to the dirty dozen; the list of foods that should always be purchased from organic selections. These include strawberries, which can have up to 22 different pesticides and fungicides on them. “Non-organic spinach has more pesticide residues by weight than all other produce tested.” Three-fourths of the spinach samples tested were contaminated with a neurotoxic bug killer banned for use on food crops in Europe.

Our next stop on the detox tour is the bathroom. This might be where you store your house cleaning products. The petrochemical companies tell us we need an arsenal of chemical cleaning products, however, most of your household cleaning can be accomplished with baking soda, vinegar, powdered cleanser, isopropyl alcohol, and Murphy’s Oil Soap. My mom was a red-head with very sensitive skin. She never bought anything with harsh chemicals, and used the above products with great success.

The bathroom can be very toxic. If a personal care product lists multiple ingredients on the label, especially chemical names, this would be a good product to avoid. Phthalates and parabens, which are endocrine disruptors, are often found in hair shampoo, hair conditioners, liquid soaps, nail polish, cosmetics, and lotions. Another catch-all category of ingredients is “parfum.” Many chemicals can be thrown into this category without exposing their real identities. “The word “fragrance” has been protected in the industry for many years as a “trade secret,” meaning that companies do not have to disclose all of the raw materials that make up a fragrance. Better to choose unscented or fragrance-free products. Also avoid PVC shower curtains which out-gas toxic vapors. The EPA Safer Chemical List is a good online site to visit for information.

The kitchen is another place where toxic substances can be eliminated. As I said earlier, try buying organic produce whenever possible and don’t use toxic compounds to clean counters and appliances. Do not use Teflon pots and pans or pure aluminum pans, instead use stainless steel, glass, cast iron, anodized aluminum alloy, or real ceramic pots and pans. Use stainless steel or wooden utensils. Do not use plastic cutting boards, which release tiny particles of plastics with each cut. Store foods in glass. I use my canning jars for leftovers and these can go directly into the microwave, unlike plastic containers which can leach out plasticizers when heated.

Now we come to the last two stops of the toxic home tour, the bedroom and living room. For both areas, avoid carpeting, as many carpets have been sprayed with PFAS containing chemicals to make them stain resistant. “Over four billion pounds of old carpets are annually dumped in American landfills or burned in incinerators, releasing deadly pollutants into the air, soil, and water. Many mattresses, drapes, and upholstery have also been treated to resist stains. Do not buy polyurethane mattresses, instead choose natural fibers for mattresses and pillows. “The polyurethane foam can emit volatile organic compounds, or VOCs; harmful chemicals that can cause respiratory irritation or other health problems. The flame-retardant chemicals used on upholstery are linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and adverse effects on the immune system.” Skip the plug-in air fresheners too, which basically spray toxic chemicals into your air.

Finally, many of us are still unaware that our home basements can be exposing us to deadly Radon gas. “Radon is responsible for 3,000 non-smoker lung-cancer deaths each year.” A smoker who is also exposed to radon gas runs a higher risk of lung cancer. Radon contributes to 21,000 lung-cancer deaths annually. Studies show that Radon gas emissions increase in areas where fracking is taking place. “The closer the distance from homes to shale wells, the higher the radon concentrations.” The fracturing of underlying bedrock releases Radon as well as methane. Consumers can purchase a Radon test kit for around $20 at a hardware store. After the kit is exposed to your basement air for a set number of hours, you will mail it to a certified lab and get the results. The EPA recommends installing a system if your radon level is at or above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air.

We, along with many of our neighbors, believe our Radon levels increased after fracking started in our area. Luckily, we had thought about radon 20 years prior when we were building our log home and we were ready to install the fan and start pulling a vacuum under our basement floor. Our Radon levels immediately dropped once the system was in operation. You can also purchase a digital Radon detector to monitor Radon levels in your home.

There are other places where toxic products might be hiding in your home. You can search the many reliable online sources to help guide you through detoxing your home.

***

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.

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