You are here
Urgent Alert: The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Just Announced New Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration/Storage Rules That Could Permit Massive Carbon Dioxide Shale Fracking in New York
Please become a signatory to our respectful Request That Governor Hochul Prohibit All Forms of High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Combined With Horizontal Drilling in New York In Order to Prevent Carbon Dioxide Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction
See additional NEWS coverage we just generated. It is also presented below.
Greetings Fractivists,
Two days ago, I alerted you that I wrote respectfully to Request That Governor Hochul Not Sign Senate Bill S8357 and Assembly Bill A8866 Into Law
I wrote the Governor because the legislation has fatal flaws that I documented in detail. In particular, the legislation might not stop Southern Tier Solutions from injecting carbon dioxide into New York's Marcellus Shale to extract natural gas or oil using Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration/Storage methods permitted in New York under Federal authority. The firm could simply claim that it is storing carbon dioxide, not using it to frack Marcellus Shale.
My concerns skyrocketed today because the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency just announced New Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration/Storage Rules That Could Permit Massive Carbon Dioxide Shale Fracking in New York and from coast-to-coast.
EPA's proposed national rules reportedly will:
"significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and from new natural gas turbines, ensuring that all long-term coal-fired plants and base load new gas-fired plants control 90% of their carbon pollution (emphasis added)."
This might sound good, but if huge amounts of carbon dioxide are captured, they would have to be utilized, sequestered or stored. This could permit carbon dioxide shale fracking in New York and other states under the guise of EPA's Proposed:
Greenhouse Gas Standards and Guidelines for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants
Proposed Carbon Dioxide Shale Fracking in the Southern Tier Purports to Involve Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration/Storage
On 1/5/24, Southern Tier Solutions President, Bryce Phillips, reportedly discussed with Susan Arbetter on Capital Tonight how his firm proposes use carbon dioxide to extract natural gas using Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration/Storage methods pursuant to federal authority.
His statements are revealing and chilling:
"When asked if he had been in touch with the state’s environmental regulator, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Phillips said he has only had some initial conversations.
But Phillips has been in regular contact with the federal regulator.
“EPA was extremely helpful, and we’ve had some productive conversations,” he said.
Southern Tier Solutions will be eligible for federal 45Q tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. "
See: Company working on carbon sequestration in Southern Tier
Conclusion
Given EPA's proposed rules, New York's failure to prohibit all forms of High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing and the irrefutable shortcomings of Senate Bill S8357 and Assembly Bill A8866, I believe our coalition must take maximum action to require Governor Hochul to adopt a comprehensive 100% prohibition of all forms of High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing using water and non-water methods, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen, liquefied petroleum gas or any other substances, combined with horizontal or directional drilling.
This can be achieved solely with State authority. For example, the Governor could sign an Executive Order without any delay to fulfill our request to implement the Department of Environmental Conservation's 2015 Final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement decision that:
"the Department will not establish a high-volume hydraulic fracturing permitting program; that no individual or site-specific permit applications for wells using high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be processed; and that high-volume hydraulic fracturing will be prohibited in New York State."
It is irrefutable that DEC's decision specifically rejected High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing using carbon dioxide and other non-water methods.
See: NYSDEC Final SGEIS Chapter 9.3 "Green" or Non-Chemical Fracturing Technologies and Additives
In conclusion, we must make sure that New York does not get fracked through Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration/Storage projects permitted in our state under federal authority.
That is one of the key purposes of our: Request That Governor Hochul Prohibit All Forms of High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Combined With Horizontal Drilling in New York In Order to Prevent Carbon Dioxide Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction
EPA's proposed rules could face legal and political challenges, so it is not clear when, or if, they will be implemented. Even though Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration/Storage programs are essentially uneconomical and technically impractical, they are being proposed all over the nation, so we must act quickly before they irreversibly impact New York.
Thank you so much for all your help. More Shortly.
Onward and upward.
Best,
Walter
Keep Pressuring the Governor
Please call Governor Hochul at 518 474 8390. Say:
"My name is __ and I live at __. I request that Governor Hochul immediately adopt a comprehensive 100% prohibition of all forms of High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing using water and non-water methods, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen, liquefied petroleum gas or any other substances, combined with horizontal drilling."
Please generate signatories to our coalition letter by forwarding this QR Code for CO2 Fracking Coalition Letter
