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Tag: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  • Harris County Wants $7 Billion Solar Program Restored – Houston Press

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    Since Donald Trump took office in January, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee has sued the federal government four times, saying Tuesday that it’s the only way to get the attention of an administration that has repeatedly, illegally, broken promises to low-income Texans. 

    Menefee announced this week that he filed the latest lawsuit in federal court demanding that the $7 billion Solar for All program be reinstated. The grant would have offered $59 million to Harris County, the largest Solar for All award in the nation. Earlier this year, the county attorney filed two lawsuits against the federal government related to healthcare funding and one to challenge federal workforce layoffs. 

    “In the two that were about money, we’re 2 and 0,” Menefee told the Houston Press on Tuesday. “Over the refugee health funds, the funding was restored. Over the public health funds in the wake of COVID-19, the funding was restored. In the federal layoffs case we got a temporary injunction that blocked the federal government from continuing the layoffs. That went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which eliminated the injunction.” 

    “In many instances, with the Trump administration, the left hand has no clue what the right hand is doing,” he added. “They’ll eliminate funding; they will get rid of programs; they will temporarily freeze programs. It is 100 percent illegal, and they’re not truly made aware of that until they’re hauled in front of a judge and they have to answer for what they’ve done.” 

    Menefee’s latest action is an effort to salvage about $250 million that was awarded to the nonpartisan Texas Solar for All Coalition, designed to lower electricity bills, create clean energy jobs, and expand access to affordable solar power across disadvantaged communities. 

    Grant recipients would have had their energy bills slashed by about $500 per year, and the funding would have covered solar and battery installation for thousands of residents in neighborhoods that experience blackouts and high heat, said Menefee, who is running for U.S. Congressional District 18 in November. 

    The Solar for All program was approved as part of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. The federal government rescinded the grant — illegally, according to Menefee — in August of this year, saying the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” eliminated the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority and funding for the program. 

    Menefee said Congress created the program and promised funding to local governments and families across the country. They can’t just walk it back, he said. 

    “This isn’t just another policy disagreement,” he said. “It’s a clear-cut case of federal overreach, an illegal attempt to cancel a program that Congress already appropriated the funds for. They never supported this program, so they made up a justification for killing it.”

    U.S. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, said at a Monday press conference that work had already started in the communities that were awarded Solar for All grants when the funds were rescinded. 

    “In Houston, Port Arthur and Waco, training programs were already underway to certify Texans in solar installation and energy efficiency,” Fletcher said. “The coalition had already begun building resilience hubs, community centers, and homes equipped with solar and battery backup to keep the lights on during hurricanes or potential grid failures. For communities like ours along the Gulf Coast, these hubs mean the difference between safety and suffering in the next storm.” 

    The Solar For All program would have offered measurable savings for families that have trouble paying the bills, “especially in times like these when prices are going up because of other terrible policies implemented by the Trump administration,” the congresswoman added.  

    When the cuts were announced, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called programs like Solar for All “a grift and a boondoggle,” citing a need for environmental regulation. About 90 percent of the EPA workforce has been furloughed during the government shutdown that began October 1, so it’s unclear whether a response to Harris County’s lawsuit will be forthcoming. 

    Menefee told the Press on Tuesday that the lawsuit and media events aren’t part of a symbolic pep rally; the goal is to get the funds reinstated. 

    “We want a ruling that the EPA’s decision violates the law,” he said. “We’re taking action to ensure that the courts hold the federal government accountable. The elimination of this program is illegal .My hope is that the court requires the EPA to reinstate the program.” 

    Hundreds of applications were submitted for the competitive program, and several county leaders worked to ensure that Harris County got a cut. The grant would have assisted more than 28,000 families across Texas and about 10,000 in Harris County. 

    Harris County families and neighborhoods had not yet been identified as funding recipients, Menefee said, but the program was widely publicized. 

    “Folks very much knew that Harris County had been awarded this grant and we were going to, with federal dollars, make a deep investment in lowering people’s bills,” he said. “There were not specific individuals who were expecting they were going to get the money but certainly the community at large expected this money to come.” 

    Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Adrian Garcia attended the press conference this week and detailed the rigorous grant application process for the solar program. 

    “Generating more electricity is not part of a political agenda, power is not partisan, and fuel for our first responders should not be controversial,” Garcia said. “We need to produce more energy to sustain the growth across Texas, and I hope the courts will see it this way too.”

    Hidalgo said the grant wasn’t just going to help Harris County families; it was going to boost infrastructure for natural disasters. 

    “There’s a saying in emergency management that there are two kinds of generators: the kind that start and fail and the kind that never start,” she said. “We were working based on that premise and developing hubs that would have their own ability to produce solar energy, their own microgrid, so if the grid failed, they could still have power.”

    Menefee said he hopes Harris County will get a response from the government within 60 days. 

    “This is about more than one grant,” Menefee said. “It’s about good government. The federal government made a promise to local communities. We did our part, and now Washington has to hold up its end of the deal.” 

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    April Towery

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  • Houstonians Are Feeling Effects as Government Shutdown Hits Two-Week Mark – Houston Press

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    Patrice Williams has relied on Obamacare health insurance subsidies since 2021, and she’s getting nervous that her payments could more than double if the U.S. Congress doesn’t reach a funding agreement by the end of the year. 

    Potentially rising healthcare costs, upcoming holiday travel plans, and stalled environmental cleanup projects are on the minds of Houstonians who say they don’t just want the federal government shutdown to end; they want assurance that the services they rely on will remain in place. 

    The shutdown was announced October 1 when the U.S. Congress failed to reach a funding agreement that would keep governmental agencies like the Veterans Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, military bases, and national parks operating at full capacity. 

    The impasse occurred because most Congressional Democrats want to extend enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. When the credits were approved during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were intended to be temporary, and some Republicans are pushing back that they can’t continue to fund billions in affordable healthcare while the federal government is in debt to the tune of trillions. 

    A “continuing resolution” that would have kept the government open for seven weeks passed the U.S. House late last month, but Senate Republicans need 60 votes to pass a spending bill through the upper chamber. Only 48 Senate votes were cast in favor of the continuing resolution prior to the September 30 deadline. 

    A likely scenario to end the shutdown would be that some Democrats switch their votes, and if that happens, there may be a negotiation scenario in which the Republicans agree to reconsider tax credits at the end of the year, Rice University economist John Diamond has said. 

    As the shutdown hit the two-week mark, Houstonians grew increasingly worried. 

    Kevin Strickland, right, talks to Houston Progressive Caucus founder Karthik Soora at a Houston Progressive Caucus event on Sunday. Credit: April Towery

    Williams said she’s on a fixed income and doesn’t “have a lot of wiggle room” when it comes to budgeting. Kevin Strickland, who spoke to a reporter at a Houston Progressive Caucus gathering on Sunday, expressed a similar sentiment.

    “I’m self-employed, so I’m screwed,” he said. “I have [Affordable Care Act] insurance. My premium will triple. I’m not eligible for Medicare for several more years.”

    Dr. Audrey Nath, a pediatric neurologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said she’s worried about the shutdown’s impact on affordable healthcare, particularly because it comes on the heels of $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed in July. 

    “Close to $1 trillion was cut from Medicaid in order to perpetuate corporate tax cuts,” Nath said. “What I and many other physicians, healthcare workers, and Medicaid recipients talked about as this bill was getting passed was that this takes a very real human toll. Two out of five women who have babies are on Medicaid. We have elderly people in Medicaid-funded nursing homes. Where are they going to go?” 

    Dr. Audrey Nath said she’s concerned about Houstonians losing affordable healthcare. Credit: April Towery

    Homeless shelters don’t have medical equipment, added Nath, who is running for a nonpartisan seat on the Houston ISD school board in November. 

    “We just need a functioning healthcare system,” she said. “I spoke to a friend of mine who is a specialist at a rural hospital in Texas. He said they’ve got maybe 14 days of liquid cash on hand to stay afloat if they were to stop getting payments. When you have massive cuts like that, people are going to lose coverage. Rural hospitals will close. If you are a wealthy person with private insurance, if the hospital is gone and you have a heart attack in a little town, it doesn’t matter who you are. We are all affected by this.” 

    “I think it was strategic and tactical to paint Medicaid as this niche thing for poor people or able-bodied men who don’t feel like getting a job,” she added. “In reality, the proportion of Medicaid recipients who aren’t working or in school or caretaking is really quite low. Now, for the government to be shut down, and for there to be even whispers that it’s freeloaders who want healthcare, it’s disgusting. It’s so far from what the reality is.” 

    Corisha Rogers said President Donald Trump’s policies are not serving working-class Americans, “especially with the rising costs of healthcare.”

    “Millions of people will be affected in terms of healthcare,” she said. 

    The shutdown is also taking a toll on airports, where “essential” employees like air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents, are going to work without the promise of a check. 

    They should be able to receive back pay in a lump sum once the government reopens, but past shutdowns have prompted “sickouts,” where employees don’t show up, usually because they’re seeking part-time work so they can pay their bills. Trump has also indicated that furloughed employees will be laid off during the shutdown. 

    “And it will be Democrat-oriented, because we figure, you know, they started this thing,” the President said last week. “It’ll be a lot.”

    Flight Aware, software that tracks American airport activity, showed four canceled flights and 87 delays at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Sunday. During the same time frame, there were no canceled flights and 70 delays at William P. Hobby Airport. A spokesperson for the Houston Airport System, which manages IAH, Hobby, and Houston Spaceport, referred questions about the shutdown to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

    Frequent business travelers have said they’ve spotted a third-party security team doing checks rather than TSA, and the delays are expected to get worse as the shutdown continues. 

    During the 35-day shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, flights across the country were delayed and canceled. This time around, residents are growing concerned about holiday travel. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest day of the year for American airports. 

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference last week that air traffic controllers have already started calling in sick. 

    “They’re not thinking about the airspace. They’re thinking about, am I going to get a paycheck?” he said. 

    Williams said she’s not purchasing plane tickets anytime soon but she has a daughter and grandchildren in Louisiana that she hopes will come to Houston for Christmas. 

    “Lord willing, this mess will be over long before Christmas,” she said. 

    Houstonians can voice their frustration with the shutdown and the Trump administration this weekend. More than 2,500 “No Kings” protests are scheduled across the country on Saturday, October 18, including one from noon to 2 p.m. at Discovery Green and one from 2 to 6 p.m. at Houston City Hall. The No Kings movement aims to “send a clear and unmistakable message: we are a nation of equals, and our country will not be ruled by fear or force,” according to organizers. 

    Officials with Air Alliance Houston said at an October 11 event that they’re worried about stalled Environmental Protection Agency projects, which already take a long time to start, much less complete. 

    “There is a lot of heartburn and heartache in our communities,” said Air Alliance Communications Director Brenda Franco. “We’re seeing the effects that this current administration is having on communities that have been neglected.”

    Air Alliance Houston sued the federal government in June, claiming that the Trump administration illegally terminated environmental justice grant programs despite a Congressional directive to fund them. 

    “Here in Houston — one of the most polluted cities in the country — our grant would have helped people who live day-to-day with air pollution to have a meaningful say in the environmental decisions that affect their lives,” said Air Alliance Houston Executive Director Jennifer Hadayia at the time the grant was rescinded. “Now, communities like ours will not receive the critical support needed to make change, support that we legally and contractually received.”

    Although the shutdown doesn’t have a direct effect on the pending lawsuit over grant funding, it does mean more delays for already-approved cleanup projects like the one at San Jacinto River Toxic Waste Pits in East Harris County.  The EPA reported that about 90 percent of its workforce will be furloughed during the shutdown.  

    Both political parties are blaming each other for the shutdown, with some Republicans suggesting that the Democrats are attempting to offer discounted healthcare to undocumented persons. 

    “They have made a decision that they would rather give taxpayer funded benefits to illegal aliens, than to keep the doors open for the American people,” said Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the day after the shutdown. 

    U.S.  Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, said on the Houston Matters radio show earlier this month that government employees could go back to work immediately if Republicans would compromise. 

    YouTube video

    “There are a couple of critical things that Republicans aren’t doing,” she said. “One, protecting the healthcare of Americans across the country whose bills, insurance premiums and expenses are about to go through the roof. We all know it’s coming, so it’s really important that we address that now. And, two, make sure that the Trump administration spends the money as we’ve directed, which has not happened all year. That’s really the stalemate.” 

    While Trump is referring to the stalemate as a “Democrat shutdown,” Fletcher pointed out that Republicans control the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and the White House.

    “They have the ability to bring a bill to the floor at any time to have averted this situation and to end it,” she said. “The Democrats have laid out priorities. The biggest thing we have said is that we’ve got to deal with the fact that the actions that this Congress and this White House have taken this year have caused a healthcare crisis.” 

    And for Patrice Williams and other Houstonians, the clock is ticking.

    “I thank God that I’m healthy right now, but that could change instantly,” she said. “I’m praying to God they do the right thing.”

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    April Towery

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  • EPA issues rare emergency ban on pesticide that damages fetuses

    EPA issues rare emergency ban on pesticide that damages fetuses

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    ST. LOUIS (AP) — For the first time in roughly 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency used its emergency authority to halt the sale of a weed-killing pesticide that harms the development of unborn babies.

    Officials took the rare step because the pesticide DCPA, or Dacthal, could cause irreversible damage to fetuses, including impaired brain development and low birthweight. The agency struggled to obtain vital health data from the pesticide’s manufacturer on time and decided it was not safe to allow continued sale, EPA said in an announcement Tuesday.

    “In this case, pregnant women who may never know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems,” said Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

    DCPA is mostly used on broccoli, cabbage and certain other crops and about 84,000 pounds were used on average in 2018 and 2020, officials said.

    In 2023, the EPA assessed the pesticide’s risks and found it was dangerous even if a worker wore personal protective equipment. The manufacturer had instructed people to stay off fields where the pesticide had been applied for 12 hours, but agency officials said it could linger at dangerous levels for more than 25 days.

    The pesticide is made by AMVAC Chemical Corp. The company did not immediately return a request for comment late Wednesday. In comments to the EPA earlier this year, the company said new protocols could help keep people safe. It proposed longer waiting periods before workers enter fields where the pesticide was applied and limits on how much of the chemical could be handled.

    Federal officials said the company’s proposed changes weren’t enough. The emergency order was necessary because the normal review process would take too long and leave people at risk, according to the agency’s statement.

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    The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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  • Kids living near Colorado airports have slightly elevated levels of lead in their blood, new study finds

    Kids living near Colorado airports have slightly elevated levels of lead in their blood, new study finds

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    Children living near small airports in Colorado had slightly higher levels of lead in their blood than the statewide average, according to a new study — though experts had diverging opinions on how significant that difference was.

    The study, by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, found levels to be within the range the federal government considers normal, and didn’t prove that living near an airport caused the increase in blood lead levels, though levels declined consistently as the distance from an airport increased, reaching the state average at about two miles out.

    The researchers also didn’t have enough blood samples to show whether lead levels were particularly high near any of the airports, though the data didn’t suggest any difference, said Dr. Ned Calonge, the department’s chief medical officer.

    While lead can affect anyone, young children are most vulnerable. In most cases, lead doesn’t cause any immediately noticeable symptoms, though over time it lowers intelligence scores and increases the risk of hyperactivity and behavior problems. Children experiencing acute lead poisoning, which is rare, may have headaches, stomach pain and weakness.

    Aircraft fuel is the largest source of new lead pollution in the country, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Certain industries, like battery recycling, also generate lead pollution, while contamination from lead paint and leaded gas still lingers.

    Click here to read the full story from our partners at The Denver Post.

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    Meg Wingerter | The Denver Post

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  • Los Angeles smog woes worsen as U.S. EPA threatens to reject local pollution plan

    Los Angeles smog woes worsen as U.S. EPA threatens to reject local pollution plan

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to reject California’s plan to curb air pollution in Los Angeles, a consequential move that could result in stiff economic sanctions and federal regulatory oversight of the nation’s smoggiest region.

    Despite having the strictest air pollution rules in the nation, Southern California has never complied with federal health standards for ozone, the lung-searing gas commonly called smog. Because of this, state and local air regulators are required to submit plans to the EPA detailing how they intend to reduce pollution and comply with federal standards.

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    California air regulators acknowledge that the region still needs to reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxides by more than 100 tons per day in order to achieve the 1997 standard for ozone.

    However, the South Coast Air Quality Management District proposal calls on the federal government to make most of those cuts — at least 67 tons per day — arguing that some of the largest sources of smog-forming emissions are federally regulated, such as ships, trains and aircraft. Local air quality officials lack the jurisdiction to regulate mobile sources of emissions, and can only control stationary sources, such as industrial facilities.

    In a recent draft response, the EPA has proposed rejecting California’s plan, declaring “states do not have authority” under the Clean Air Act or the Constitution to order the federal government to reduce pollution.

    In a pointed response, local air officials claimed the EPA was responsible for the damaging health effects of Los Angeles area smog, because it has failed to offer solutions to curb emissions from “sources that they know are beyond our control.”

    “U.S. EPA’s draft decision is disheartening,” read a statement from the air district. “South Coast AQMD intends to comment on this new proposal and take all appropriate actions in hopes that this decision does not become final. More importantly, U.S. EPA will need to answer the millions of residents, especially children, who have asthma, lung disease and other illnesses associated with air pollution that continue to suffer.”

    The EPA has until July 1 to decide whether to finalize the rejection. If the state and local air regulators fail to submit a plan that the EPA finds acceptable within that time, the federal government could withhold billions of dollars in highway funding, place strict requirements on new permits and even impose a federal plan to curb smog.

    The EPA has disapproved of the air district’s plans several times in the past, but the region has managed to avert potential sanctions.

    The proposed denial is the latest confrontation between Southern California air regulators and the Biden EPA — two unlikely adversaries who have clashed for nearly two years over how to solve the region’s long-standing issues with smog.

    It has also highlighted the complex nature of regulating pollution in the region where at least three entities have authority — the local air district, which oversees smokestack emissions; the California Air Resources Board, which governs in-state vehicles; and the EPA, which handles interstate and international travel.

    However, some environmental advocates say the dilemma is a collective failure by every level of government.

    Adrian Martinez, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, said the conflict follows years of repeated delays and deadline extensions, when all three environmental agencies were capable of cutting more emissions.

    “The plan to meet our clean air standards relied on these faith-based assumptions that we’ll figure out how to reduce the pollution at a later time. And what ended up happening is we never figured it out,” Martinez said.

    Historically, Southern California has been plagued by smog, which forms when the region’s persistent sunlight interacts with vehicle exhaust and smokestack emissions. The region’s mountainous terrain confines this toxic haze over the region, rather than allowing it to disperse.

    Although there has been significant progress over the last several decades through the development of cleaner vehicle engines and pollution controls for industry, the region’s smog remains the worst in the country.

    Since 1997, nitrogen oxides have decreased 70% in the air basin. The majority of those emission reductions are the result of stricter vehicle standards imposed by the state, and locally imposed regulations on industry, according to the South Coast air district.

    As emission reductions have stalled and aircraft emissions have risen, the air district has found itself under increasing pressure to force the EPA’s hand. According to estimates, even if Southern California eliminates emissions from all building and industrial sources, it wouldn’t be enough to meet federal standards.

    The air district has sued the EPA for violating the Clean Air Act, arguing it was impossible for the region to comply with federal smog standards without massive cuts from federal sources. The move was intended to compel the EPA to adopt new regulatory strategies that would curtail pollution from ports, railyards and airports. The air district later settled the case.

    For its part, the Biden administration last year adopted tighter vehicle emission standards, including for heavy-duty trucks, which is expected to reduce smog.

    But these federal requirements still pale in comparison to rules in California — the only state that can implement its own vehicle emission standards with federal approval.

    “We acknowledge that there are sources of air pollution in South Coast that the air district and CARB do not have the regulatory authority to control,” an EPA spokesperson said in a statement. “EPA has made it a very high priority to help reduce mobile source emissions through rulemaking and leveraging unprecedented federal funding … wherever possible.”

    The EPA is accepting public comments on its proposed disapproval of the regional smog plan until March 4.

    If the EPA finalizes this disapproval, California will have 18 months to obtain the federal agency’s approval for a new plan. By failing to meet that deadline, the federal government would require some newly permitted businesses to reduce twice as many tons of smog-forming as they emit.

    Six months later, if the deadline still hasn’t been met, the Federal Highway Administration is required to impose a moratorium on highway funding (with exceptions for mass transit and public safety).

    No more than two years after final disapproval, the EPA must enforce a federal implementation plan to achieve federal smog standards.

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    Tony Briscoe

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  • Exxon scraps plan for new pipeline after 2015 spill — but may try to resurrect old one

    Exxon scraps plan for new pipeline after 2015 spill — but may try to resurrect old one

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    Central Coast environmentalists are celebrating ExxonMobil’s recent decision to scrap plans to replace miles of pipeline through Santa Barbara County, key to revitalizing a local network of petroleum energy production shuttered since the catastrophic 2015 Refugio oil spill.

    But at the same time, the oil giant has raised fresh concerns, saying it is instead exploring the possibility of repairing existing, damaged pipeline.

    The years-long effort by oil companies to replace two major segments of pipeline could have allowed the company to restart offshore oil platforms along Santa Barbara County’s coast and an onshore processing plant. These possibilities have been long reviled by local environmental groups and some residents, especially after the catastrophic 2015 spill, which continues to loom large in the region.

    “This [pipeline] replacement has been hanging over the community’s head for five years now,” said Jonathan Ullman, director of the Sierra Club’s Santa Barbara-Ventura chapter. “I was very happy to hear this news; it felt like their withdrawal signified that the writing was on the wall that they could not continue.”

    Ullman said the construction project — had it been approved — had major implications for the environment, wildlife and public health, with heightened risks of oil spills and increased fossil fuel emissions.

    The 2015 spill, caused by “extensive” corrosion on a section of pipeline, hemorrhaged more than 140,000 gallons of crude oil along the Gaviota Coast, much of which ended up in the ocean and along the region’s prized coastline, closing Refugio and El Capitan state beaches for weeks and affecting countless seabirds and marine life. Oil heavily coated a stretch of Santa Barbara County’s coast, with small tar balls reaching as far south as Redondo Beach in Los Angeles County.

    Officials for Pacific Pipeline Co., a subsidiary of Texas-based ExxonMobil, wrote to Santa Barbara County leaders that it had found “the potential environmental impacts associated with the major construction of a second pipeline unnecessary and avoidable,” according to an Oct. 24 letter, withdrawing its proposal from the county’s permitting process.

    The letter, however, also opened the door for another complicated fight in Santa Barbara County, with Exxon officials announcing that the oil giant would change its focus from building replacement pipeline to trying to restore old, damaged pipeline.

    “Recent inspections and analysis affirms … the existing pipeline can be responsibly restarted,” the letter said. It also mentioned that during the replacement pipeline’s environmental review, “staff from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicated that restart of the existing pipeline is likely the Least Environmentally Damaging Practical Alternative under the Federal Clean Water Act.”

    Exxon officials did not release additional information about those reviews but clarified that any “formal decision on the [Least Environmentally Damaging Practical Alternative] cannot be made until the entire environmental review and permitting process is completed.”

    Exxon officials did not respond to questions from The Times requesting further details about such an undertaking, including any analysis of environmental impacts.

    “Pacific Pipeline Company and ExxonMobil have assets that we intend to leverage to deliver reliable energy to Californians and others,” Exxon spokesperson Julie King said in a statement.

    Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, a spokesperson for Santa Barbara County, said Exxon and its subsidiaries do not have any current applications under review regarding the pipeline, noting that another recent proposal to upgrade multiple valves along the line was not approved this summer. However, any plans to restart the lines would fall under the jurisdiction of the California State Fire Marshal, she said, making it clear that county officials would still be paying attention.

    “The County does have concerns with the integrity of restarting the existing pipeline but we are confident in the California State Fire Marshall’s ability to ensure that these concerns are addressed through their review authority,” Buttitta said in a statement.

    Environmental groups also shared overwhelming concerns about Exxon’s portrayal of restoring the existing pipeline, which was found to be heavily corroded in 2015.

    “At this stage of the climate crisis, building new oil infrastructure is reckless, to say the least,” said Maggie Hall, deputy chief counsel at the Environmental Defense Center, a nonprofit law firm that advocates for environmental protection in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.

    “However, restarting a corroded and compromised pipeline that already caused one massive oil spill is even worse,” she said in a statement. “There is no way for the pipeline owners to credibly claim it will be safe. If this pipeline is allowed to restart, it’s not a question of if, but when, it will be responsible for another catastrophe.”

    Ullman said he is hopeful that Exxon continuing to show interest in further construction in Santa Barbara County is simply a ploy by the company to keep investors interested, because he doesn’t believe such a plan could be successful.

    “That pipeline cannot be repaired,” Ullman said. “It must be abandoned for the safety of the people who travel on the Gaviota Coast, but also for the massive amount of wildlife and sea life that’s there now.”

    The ruptured pipeline that created the 2015 spill was built in 1987 and extended about 11 miles along the Gaviota Coast. It is part of a larger oil transport network that expands into Kern County, which Exxon had hoped to rebuild almost entirely, for a total of more than 120 miles through Santa Barbara County.

    With the replacement project now halted, Ullman hopes to see the existing lines — still not in operation — removed.

    “We’re still dealing with the consequences and the threats,” Ullman said. “The Gaviota Coast is really a special place … and worth protecting.”

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    Grace Toohey

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  • How EV range is determined and why the process is flawed

    How EV range is determined and why the process is flawed

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    Chevrolet Bolt at EPA’s National Fuel and Emissions Lab

    How far an electric vehicle can drive on a single charge is one of the most closely watched numbers in the automotive world.

    The official government process used to test and certify those ranges has potential flaws.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been testing vehicles since 1971, but only started testing EVs in 2012. EV technology is still quite new and is changing rapidly. EPA Engineers say these are exciting times, but it can also feel like the “wild west.”

    The EPA only tests a small portion of the total vehicle fleet. The fact that it can test any vehicle at any time forces automakers to meet EPA standards.

    Some in the auto industry say the EPA ratings are more accurate than those issued by other governmental bodies, at least for American roads. But independent groups have found that their own tests yield results that are different from official EPA range ratings.

    Critics say the agency’s labels are inconsistent with those used for gas vehicles, in part because the tests don’t account for how people actually drive. Ranges on labels seem bigger than they are. Automakers can also use methods to inflate their range numbers.

    Watch the video to learn more.

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  • AP sources: EPA car rule to push huge increase in EV sales

    AP sources: EPA car rule to push huge increase in EV sales

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will propose strict new automobile pollution limits this week that would require at least 54% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2030 and as many as two of every three by 2032, according to industry and environmental officials briefed on the plan.

    The proposed regulation, to be released Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency, would set greenhouse gas emissions limits for the 2027 through 2032 model years for passenger vehicles that would be even stricter than goals the auto industry agreed to in 2021.

    The EPA will offer a range of options that the agency can select after a public comment period, the officials said. They asked not to be identified because the proposal hasn’t been made public. The proposed regulation isn’t expected to become final until next year.

    Environmental groups are applauding the ambitious numbers, which were first reported over the weekend by The New York Times. But the plan is likely to get strong pushback from the auto industry, which pledged in August 2021 to make EVs half of U.S. new car sales by 2030 as it moves toward a history-making transition away from internal combustion engines.

    Even the low end of the EPA’s 2030 range is 4 percentage points higher than the 2021 goal, which came after strong pressure from President Joe Biden. An executive order signed by Biden set a target for half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 to be zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric or fuel cell electric vehicles.

    Biden also wants automakers to raise gas mileage and cut tailpipe pollution between now and model year 2026. That would mark a significant step toward meeting his pledge to cut America’s planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 as he pushes a once-almost-unthinkable shift from gasoline-powered engines to battery-powered vehicles.

    With electric vehicles accounting for just 7.2% of U.S. vehicle sales in the first quarter of this year, the industry has a long way to go to even approach the administration’s targets. However, the percentage of EV sales is growing. Last year it was 5.8% of new vehicles sales.

    The EPA declined to offer details ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, but said in a statement that as directed by Biden’s order, it is “developing new standards that will … accelerate the transition to a zero-emissions transportation future, protecting people and the planet.″

    The EPA tailpipe pollution limits don’t actually require a specific number of electric vehicles to be sold every year, but instead mandate limits on greenhouse gas emissions. That amounts to roughly the same thing, according to agency calculations of the number of EVs that likely would be needed to comply with the stricter pollution limits.

    The auto industry likely will need to sell a lot more EVs to meet the requirements. It’s already pushed up the mileage of gasoline vehicles with more efficient engines and transmissions, reducing weight and other measures. Many in the industry say they’d rather spend investment dollars developing new EVs that are likely to dominate the industry in coming years.

    Suggesting a brake on the optimistic idea of vast emission improvements simply through rule making, however, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade association that includes Ford, General Motors and other automakers, said, “Regulatory mandates alone will not address the conditions that will determine the ultimate success of the EV transition.”

    The EPA proposal “requires a massive, 100-year change to the U.S. industrial base and the way Americans drive,” the group said.

    Supportive policies such as tax credits for EV purchases and funding of a nationwide network of charging stations are needed, the alliance said in a statement before the EPA rule was announced. EVs have to become more affordable, parts and domestic critical mineral supply chains have to be set up and utility generating capacity must be addressed, the statement said.

    Transportation is the single largest source of carbon emissions in the U.S., but it is followed closely by electricity generation.

    Environmental groups say stricter tailpipe pollution standards are needed, and provisions of the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act passed last year will help reach the tougher requirements. “Tailpipe emissions pollute the air we breathe and worsen severe weather,” Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement.

    The Inflation Reduction Act, a climate and health care law passed with only Democratic votes, has tax credits for electric vehicle manufacturing and for purchases of new and used EVs.

    At present, many new EVs manufactured in North America are eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, while used EVs can get up to $4,000.

    However, there are price and purchaser income limits that make some vehicles ineligible. And starting April 18, new requirements by the Treasury Department will result in fewer new electric vehicles qualifying for a full $7,500 federal tax credit.

    The rules require that certain percentages of battery parts and minerals come from North America or countries with which the U.S. has free trade agreements. Industry analysts say the requirements, announced March 31, could cut the $7,500 credit in half on many vehicles. A smaller credit may not be enough to attract new buyers for EVs that now cost an average of $58,600 according to Kelley Blue Book.

    The price is down from $63,500 a year ago as more lower-priced EV models hit the market. Still, EVs are more expensive than the average vehicle sold in the U.S., which costs just under $46,000.

    ____

    Krisher reported from Detroit.

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  • EPA proposal takes on health risks near US chemical plants

    EPA proposal takes on health risks near US chemical plants

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    In what could prove a significant move for communities facing air pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed on Thursday that chemical plants nationwide measure certain hazardous compounds that cross beyond their property lines and reduce them when they are too high.

    The proposed rules would reduce cancer risk and other exposure for communities that live close to harmful emitters, the EPA said. The data would be made public and the results would force companies to fix problems that increase emissions.

    “This is probably the most significant rule I’m experiencing in my 30 years of working in cancer alley,” said Beverly Wright, executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. She referred to an area dense with petrochemical development along the Gulf Coast.

    In the past, Wright said, even when emissions caused harm, residents weren’t able to sue and reduce the threat.

    The proposed measure is also intended to address short-term emissions spikes when plants start up, shut down and malfunction. If the proposal is finalized, it would impact roughly 200 chemical plants, the agency said.

    Fence-line monitoring has long been a priority of the environmental justice movement and a number of refinery communities have won it in recent years. This measure would extend some of those changes nationwide.

    EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the plan in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. It is home to the Denka chemical plant, which makes synthetic rubber and emits chloroprene, listed as a carcinogen in California. Denka is less than a half-mile from an elementary school and has been targeted by federal officials for allegedly increasing the cancer risk for the nearby, majority-Black community.

    “For generations, our most vulnerable communities have unjustly borne the burden of breathing unsafe, polluted air,” Regan said.

    Data show the plant has drastically reduced its emissions over time and it already conducts fence-line monitoring.

    A statement provided by Denka Performance Elastomer said that the cancer risk of chloroprene has been overstated and that it has pushed the EPA to reevaluate its risk assessment.

    “The people of St. John the Baptist Parish deserve current and accurate scientific information regarding the health risks in their community,” said Denka Executive Officer and Plant Manager Jorge Lavastida.

    In documents, EPA said the plant remains a danger to those who live nearby.

    The changes also focus on manufacturers of ethylene oxide, which is commonly used in medical sterilization plants. Long-term exposure to that chemical can increase the risk of lymphoma and breast cancer. The agency plans to issue proposed regulations for medical sterilization plants in the near future.

    The proposal would slash ethylene oxide emissions nationwide by about two-thirds and chloroprene by three-quarters from 2020 levels, according to the agency. Emissions that worsen smog would be reduced as well.

    The American Chemistry Council said industry emissions have declined over the last decade. It is concerned about the EPA’s proposal for reducing ethylene oxide, and says it is based on a faulty EPA risk assessment.

    “Overly conservative regulations on ethylene oxide could threaten access to products ranging from electric vehicle batteries to sterilized medical equipment,” said council spokesman Tom Flanagin, adding that the EPA may be rushing its work on significant regulations.

    Regan visited this same parish in 2021 on a five-day trip from Mississippi to Texas to highlight low-income and mostly minority communities harmed by industrial pollution.

    Then last year, the EPA said it had evidence that Black residents face an increased cancer risk from the Denka chemical plant and state officials were allowing pollution to remain too high. The agency’s letter was part of an investigation under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which says anyone who received federal funds cannot discriminate based on race or national origin.

    Next, federal officials sued Denka in February, demanding it cut its emissions. Now, they’ve proposed tighter regulations on chemical plants.

    “This is a day to celebrate,” Wright said.

    ___

    The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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  • Did dioxins spread after the Ohio train derailment?

    Did dioxins spread after the Ohio train derailment?

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    After a catastrophic 38-train car derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, some officials are raising concerns about a type of toxic substance that tends to stay in the environment.

    Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance, the U.S. senators from Ohio, sent a letter to the state’s environmental protection agency expressing concern that dioxins may have been released when some of the chemicals in the damaged railcars were deliberately burned for safety reasons. They joined residents of the small Midwestern town and environmentalists from around the U.S. calling for state and federal environmental agencies to test the soil near where the tanker cars tipped over.

    On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered rail operator Norfolk Southern to begin testing for dioxins. Testing so far by the EPA for “indicator chemicals” has suggested there’s a low chance that dioxins were released from the derailment, the agency said.

    A look at dioxins, their potential harms and whether they may have been created by burning the vinyl chloride that was on the Norfolk Southern train:

    HIGHLY TOXIC, PERSISENT COMPOUNDS

    Dioxins refer to a group of toxic chemical compounds that can persist in the environment for long periods, according to the World Health Organization.

    They are created through combustion and attach to dust particles, which is how they begin to circulate through an ecosystem.

    Residents near the burn could have been exposed to dioxins in the air that landed on their skin or were breathed into their lungs, said Frederick Guengerich, a toxicologist at Vanderbilt University.

    Skin exposure to high concentrations can cause what’s known as chloracne — an intense skin inflammation, Guengerich said.

    But the main pathway that dioxin gets into human bodies is not directly through something burning. It’s through consumption of meat, dairy, fish and shellfish that have become contaminated. That contamination takes time.

    “That’s why it’s important for the authorities to investigate this site now,” said Ted Schettler, a physician with a public health degree who directs the Science and Environmental Health Network, a coalition of environmental organizations. “Because it’s important to determine the extent to which dioxins are present in the soil and the surrounding area.”

    DOES BURNING VINYL CHLORIDE CREATE DIOXINS?

    Linda Birnbaum, a leading dioxins researcher, toxicologist and former director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, said that burning vinyl chloride does create dioxins. Other experts agreed the accident could have created them.

    The “tremendous black plume” seen at East Palestine suggests the combustion process left lots of complex carbon compounds behind, said Murray McBride, a Cornell University soil and crop scientist.

    McBride said it will be hard to say for sure whether these compounds were released until testing is done where the train cars derailed.

    Which is likely why residents, politicians, environmentalists and public health professionals are all calling for state and federal environmental agencies to conduct testing at the derailment site.

    ROUTES TO THE ENVIRONMENT

    Some level of dioxins are already in the environment — they can be created by certain industrial processes, or even by people burning trash in their backyards, McBride said.

    Once released, dioxins can stick around in soil for decades. They can contaminate plants, including crops. They accumulate up the food chain in oils and other fats.

    In East Palestine, it’s possible that soot particles from the plume carried dioxins onto nearby farms, where they could stick to the soil, McBride said.

    “If you have grazing animals out there in the field, they will pick up some of the dioxins from soil particles,” he said. “And so some of that gets into their bodies, and then that accumulates in fat tissue.”

    Eventually, those dioxins could make their way up the food chain to human consumers. Bioaccumulation means that more dioxin can get into humans than what’s found in the environment after the crash.

    Animals “don’t metabolize and get rid of dioxins like we do other chemicals,” Schettler said, and dioxin is stored in the fat of animals that humans eat, like fish, and builds up over time, making the health effects worse.

    SHOULD EAST PALESTINE RESIDENTS BE CONCERNED?

    Birnbaum and Schettler agreed that residents have reason for concern about dioxins from this derailment.

    Even though they are present in small amounts from other sources, the large amount of vinyl chloride burned off from the train cars could create more than usual, McBride said.

    “That’s my concern, that there could be an unusual concentration,” he said. “But again, I’m waiting to see if these soils are analyzed.”

    It takes between seven and 11 years for dioxins to start to break down in the body of a person or animal. And dioxins have been linked with cancer, developmental problems in children and reproductive issues and infertility in adults, according to the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences.

    Still, Guengerich thought that other potential health risks from the derailment — such as concerns that exposure to the vinyl chloride itself could cause cancer — may be more pressing than the possible dioxins: “I wouldn’t put it at the highest level on my list,” he said.

    Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, agreed that vinyl chloride should be of more concern than dioxins for the public and said that even the mental health of a community rocked by the catastrophic derailment should be a higher public health priority than dioxin exposure.

    As with many environmental exposures, it would be hard to prove any dioxin present came from the derailment. “I think that it would be virtually impossible …. to attribute any presence of dioxin to this particular burn,” she said.

    But most experts thought it was important to test the soils for dioxins — even though that process can be difficult and costly.

    “The conditions are absolutely right for dioxins to have been formed,” Schettler said. “It’s going to be terribly important to determine that from a public health perspective, and to reassure the community.”

    ___

    Associated Press reporter John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

    ___

    Follow Maddie Burakoff and Drew Costley on Twitter: @maddieburakoff and @drewcostley.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • EPA investigating Colorado for discriminatory air pollution

    EPA investigating Colorado for discriminatory air pollution

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    DENVER — The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating whether Colorado’s regulation of air pollution from industrial facilities discriminates against Hispanic residents and other racial minorities, according to a letter released Wednesday.

    That’s a level of scrutiny long sought by Lucy Molina whose daughter goes to school near Colorado’s only petroleum refinery. Three years ago Molina had just stepped outdoors when she noticed a coating of ash on her Nissan Altima that wiped off on her fingers. Then she received a message that her daughter’s school was locked down and panicked. She later learned the refinery had malfunctioned, spewing a clay-like material into the air. She’d heard of lockdowns for shootings, but never for pollution.

    Since then she’s pushed for community air monitoring and stronger protections, but says it all feels too late. She’s lived here for 30 years, and her kids are already young adults.

    “If we would have known” years ago, she said. “We would have moved.”

    Advocates say the Suncor refinery too often malfunctions, spiking emissions. They say Colorado rarely denies permits to polluters, even in areas where harmful ozone already exceeds federal standards.

    Federal investigators said in the letter they will scrutinize the state’s oversight of Colorado’s biggest polluters including the Suncor oil refinery in North Denver where Molina lives, and whether the effect of that pollution on residents is discriminatory.

    Suncor did not respond to a request for comment.

    But it is already harder for oil and gas companies to get their air permits in Colorado than in some other energy-producing states, said John Jacus, chair of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce board of directors and an environmental compliance attorney. He said recent allegations that the state’s permit review process was faulty had the effect of slowing air permitting, a blow to business.

    “It would be really good for air quality to shut everything down, but that’s not good for society,” Jacus said, adding there needed to be a balance between environmental protection and economic activity.

    The EPA launched its investigation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It has been going on since March but went little noticed until Wednesday’s letter, which explains its scope. The Act allows the EPA to negotiate agreements with states to promote equity. The Biden administration has stepped up its enforcement of environmental discrimination.

    Colorado officials said they welcome the EPA review, more community participation and are reviewing their permitting policies to ensure they are focused on environmental justice.

    “We’ve always prioritized the health and wellbeing of every Coloradan no matter their zip code, but we know we have even more to do,” said Trisha Oeth, our Director of Environmental Health and Protection in a statement.

    But the EPA has found those priorities lacking at times.

    The agency scrutinized the state’s handling of Suncor. Colorado’s only oil refinery is roughly 90 years old and is a major emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

    In March, the EPA objected to a key air permit for the facility that state regulators were still reviewing 10 years after its original expiration date. The agency raised “significant environmental justice concerns” and said that the public wasn’t given enough opportunity to weigh in. The EPA didn’t object when the state issued a revised permit.

    In July, the agency also said the state had issued permits for a mine, oil and gas wells and other small polluters even though they could contribute to violations of federal air quality standards. Colorado said it would improve its reviews, but balked at revisiting its permitting decisions.

    There are some signs the agency chose Colorado because it could prove a willing partner.

    “Colorado has been one of the states that has been a leader in addressing environmental justice in the legislature,” said KC Becker, the head of the EPA region that includes Colorado and a former state legislative leader.

    Colorado has strengthened air monitoring requirements. It increased funding for air permit reviews. The state’s greenhouse gas reduction plan aims to reduce pollution in overburdened areas. It also worked with the EPA to ensure inspections target the most polluted areas and when companies reach settlements for wrongdoing, they pay for projects that benefit communities.

    The EPA may have an easier time convincing Colorado to change than it would, say, Texas, said Jeremy Nichols, head of climate and energy programs at WildEarth Guardians.

    Colorado’s changes have “given EPA an opening to say, ‘well, if that is what you are committed to then let’s really test this out, let’s see you prove your mettle here,’” said Nichols.

    Nichols said Colorado is too deferential to industry. He wants to see the state deny permits much more often.

    Ian Coghill, an attorney with Earthjustice that is challenging the Suncor permit, says the push and pull between the EPA and state hasn’t yielded major improvements. Revisions to Suncor’s permit, he said “didn’t change a lot.”

    He is hopeful the civil rights investigation will force the state to make changes and detail the cumulative effect of pollution from industry on residents of North Denver.

    “I’m definitely optimistic,” he said.

    —————

    The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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  • EPA investigating Colorado for discriminatory air pollution

    EPA investigating Colorado for discriminatory air pollution

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    DENVER — The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating whether Colorado’s regulation of air pollution from industrial facilities discriminates against Hispanic residents and other racial minorities, according to a letter released Wednesday.

    That’s a level of scrutiny long sought by Lucy Molina whose daughter goes to school near Colorado’s only petroleum refinery. Three years ago Molina had just stepped outdoors when she noticed a coating of ash on her Nissan Altima that wiped off on her fingers. Then she received a message that her daughter’s school was locked down and panicked. She later learned the refinery had malfunctioned, spewing a clay-like material into the air. She’d heard of lockdowns for shootings, but never for pollution.

    Since then she’s pushed for community air monitoring and stronger protections, but says it all feels too late. She’s lived here for 30 years, and her kids are already young adults.

    “If we would have known” years ago, she said. “We would have moved.”

    Advocates say the Suncor refinery too often malfunctions, spiking emissions. They say Colorado rarely denies permits to polluters, even in areas where harmful ozone already exceeds federal standards.

    Federal investigators said in the letter they will scrutinize the state’s oversight of Colorado’s biggest polluters including the Suncor oil refinery in North Denver where Molina lives, and whether the effect of that pollution on residents is discriminatory.

    Suncor did not respond to a request for comment.

    But it is already harder for oil and gas companies to get their air permits in Colorado than in some other energy-producing states, said John Jacus, chair of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce board of directors and an environmental compliance attorney. He said recent allegations that the state’s permit review process was faulty had the effect of slowing air permitting, a blow to business.

    “It would be really good for air quality to shut everything down, but that’s not good for society,” Jacus said, adding there needed to be a balance between environmental protection and economic activity.

    The EPA launched its investigation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It has been going on since March but went little noticed until Wednesday’s letter, which explains its scope. The Act allows the EPA to negotiate agreements with states to promote equity. The Biden administration has stepped up its enforcement of environmental discrimination.

    Colorado officials said they welcome the EPA review, more community participation and are reviewing their permitting policies to ensure they are focused on environmental justice.

    “We’ve always prioritized the health and wellbeing of every Coloradan no matter their zip code, but we know we have even more to do,” said Trisha Oeth, our Director of Environmental Health and Protection in a statement.

    But the EPA has found those priorities lacking at times.

    The agency scrutinized the state’s handling of Suncor. Colorado’s only oil refinery is roughly 90 years old and is a major emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

    In March, the EPA objected to a key air permit for the facility that state regulators were still reviewing 10 years after its original expiration date. The agency raised “significant environmental justice concerns” and said that the public wasn’t given enough opportunity to weigh in. The EPA didn’t object when the state issued a revised permit.

    In July, the agency also said the state had issued permits for a mine, oil and gas wells and other small polluters even though they could contribute to violations of federal air quality standards. Colorado said it would improve its reviews, but balked at revisiting its permitting decisions.

    There are some signs the agency chose Colorado because it could prove a willing partner.

    “Colorado has been one of the states that has been a leader in addressing environmental justice in the legislature,” said KC Becker, the head of the EPA region that includes Colorado and a former state legislative leader.

    Colorado has strengthened air monitoring requirements. It increased funding for air permit reviews. The state’s greenhouse gas reduction plan aims to reduce pollution in overburdened areas. It also worked with the EPA to ensure inspections target the most polluted areas and when companies reach settlements for wrongdoing, they pay for projects that benefit communities.

    The EPA may have an easier time convincing Colorado to change than it would, say, Texas, said Jeremy Nichols, head of climate and energy programs at WildEarth Guardians.

    Colorado’s changes have “given EPA an opening to say, ‘well, if that is what you are committed to then let’s really test this out, let’s see you prove your mettle here,’” said Nichols.

    Nichols said Colorado is too deferential to industry. He wants to see the state deny permits much more often.

    Ian Coghill, an attorney with Earthjustice that is challenging the Suncor permit, says the push and pull between the EPA and state hasn’t yielded major improvements. Revisions to Suncor’s permit, he said “didn’t change a lot.”

    He is hopeful the civil rights investigation will force the state to make changes and detail the cumulative effect of pollution from industry on residents of North Denver.

    “I’m definitely optimistic,” he said.

    —————

    The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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  • EPA to tighten nitrogen oxide limits for new heavy trucks

    EPA to tighten nitrogen oxide limits for new heavy trucks

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    DETROIT — In a little over four years, new heavy truck makers will have to cut harmful nitrogen oxide pollution more than 80% under new standards released Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    Some environmental and health advocates praised the standards but others said they don’t go far enough to curb nitrogen oxide, which can cause issues including respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems and even death.

    Problems are more acute in industrial and port areas, causing health problems for low-income residents who live there. The EPA says 72 million people live near freight routes in the U.S.

    The standards, coupled with greenhouse gas emission limits coming next year, and government investments, eventually will lead to zero-emissions electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks carrying most of the nation’s freight, the agency said.

    “This is just the first action under EPA’s clean trucks plan to pave the way toward a zero-emission future,” Administrator Michael Regan said in a prepared statement.

    The standards, the first update in more than 20 years, limit nitrogen oxide emissions from new semis and other heavy trucks to 35 milligrams per horsepower hour. The current standard is 200 milligrams, the EPA said.

    One horsepower hour is the equivalent of energy consumed by working at the rate of one horsepower for a single hour.

    EPA officials say catalytic reduction technology is available for truck engine manufacturers to meet the large reduction when the standards take effect in 2027. The agency also says the standards can be met at a reasonable cost. The stronger standard will not change and will remain in place for multiple years, the EPA said.

    As the fleet of heavy trucks is replaced by newer vehicles, it should reduce nitrogen oxide pollution by 48% by 2045, the EPA said.

    The agency expects greenhouse gas standards and incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act to bring the replacement of all diesel trucks with zero-emissions alternatives, said Margo Oge, a former director of the EPA’s transportation and air quality office.

    Oge, now a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network, expects at least half of all new heavy trucks to be powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells by 2030.

    The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association said the new standards will be challenging to put in place, but its members will work with the EPA.

    “Ultimately the success or failure of this rule hinges on the willingness and ability of trucking fleets to invest in purchasing the new technology to replace their older, higher-emitting vehicles,” the association said in a prepared statement.

    A group representing independent truck drivers, the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, said small business truckers won’t be able to afford new trucks, so they’ll stay with older, less-efficient ones.

    The new rule lets the trucking industry keep making vehicles that pollute the air, the Natural Resources Defense Council said.

    “The agency missed a critical opportunity to slash soot and smog and accelerate the shift to the cleanest vehicles,” the group said in a prepared statement.

    However, the American Lung Association called the rule an important step in reducing emissions that can cause lifelong lung damage.

    “Now, EPA must build on today’s rule,” the group said. “These standards must dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from trucks to drive a nationwide transition to zero-emission vehicles.”

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  • Oil spill in rural Kansas creek shuts down Keystone pipeline

    Oil spill in rural Kansas creek shuts down Keystone pipeline

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    TOPEKA, Kan. — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise Thursday.

    Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.

    The company on Thursday estimated the spill’s size at about 14,000 barrels and said the affected pipeline segment had been “isolated” and the oil contained at the site with booms, or barriers. It did not say how the spill occurred.

    “People are sometimes not aware of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club’s state chapter.

    Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada’s oil sands would worsen climate change, and President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year.

    In 2019, the Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota.

    Jane Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it began service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.

    “All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I’m awfully concerned,” said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party’s chair.

    But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public, and the oil didn’t move from the creek to larger waterways. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there were no evacuations ordered because the break occurred in rural pastureland.

    TC Energy said it had set up environmental monitoring at the site, including around-the-clock air quality monitoring.

    “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment,” a company statement said.

    Oil prices briefly surged at midday Thursday amid news of the spill, with the cost of a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

    A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That’s compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.

    Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.

    “It’s something to keep an eye on,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”

    The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River.

    The Little Blue feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University. The EPA said the oil did not affect the Little Blue.

    Dan Thalmann, publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made fields too soft to move in heavy machinery.

    “Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks,” said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he’d finished putting up Wednesday, fearing it might be knocked down and dragged into a field.

    Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family’s farm. She and her husband drove north of their farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.

    “We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides,” said Pannbacker, a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.

    Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the spill site, said people could smell the oil in town.

    “It was about like driving by a refinery,” he said.

    ———

    This story has been corrected to show Bold Nebraska’s founder is named Jane Kleeb, not Janet.

    ———

    Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. AP Business Writer Cathy Bussewitz contributed reporting from New York.

    ———

    Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

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  • Oil spill in rural Kansas creek shuts down Keystone pipeline

    Oil spill in rural Kansas creek shuts down Keystone pipeline

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    TOPEKA, Kan. — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise Thursday.

    Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.

    The company on Thursday estimated the spill’s size at about 14,000 barrels and said the affected pipeline segment had been “isolated” and the oil contained at the site with booms, or barriers. It did not say how the spill occurred.

    “People are sometimes not aware of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club’s state chapter.

    Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada’s oil sands would worsen climate change, and President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year.

    In 2019, the Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota.

    Jane Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it began service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.

    “All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I’m awfully concerned,” said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party’s chair.

    But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public, and the oil didn’t move from the creek to larger waterways. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there were no evacuations ordered because the break occurred in rural pastureland.

    TC Energy said it had set up environmental monitoring at the site, including around-the-clock air quality monitoring.

    “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment,” a company statement said.

    Oil prices briefly surged at midday Thursday amid news of the spill, with the cost of a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

    A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That’s compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.

    Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.

    “It’s something to keep an eye on,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”

    The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River.

    The Little Blue feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University. The EPA said the oil did not affect the Little Blue.

    Dan Thalmann, publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made fields too soft to move in heavy machinery.

    “Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks,” said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he’d finished putting up Wednesday, fearing it might be knocked down and dragged into a field.

    Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family’s farm. She and her husband drove north of their farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.

    “We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides,” said Pannbacker, a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.

    Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the spill site, said people could smell the oil in town.

    “It was about like driving by a refinery,” he said.

    ———

    This story has been corrected to show Bold Nebraska’s founder is named Jane Kleeb, not Janet.

    ———

    Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. AP Business Writer Cathy Bussewitz contributed reporting from New York.

    ———

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  • Oil spill in rural Kansas creek shuts down Keystone pipeline

    Oil spill in rural Kansas creek shuts down Keystone pipeline

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    TOPEKA, Kan. — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise Thursday.

    Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.

    The company on Thursday estimated the spill’s size at about 14,000 barrels and said the affected pipeline segment had been “isolated” and the oil contained at the site with booms, or barriers. It did not say how the spill occurred.

    “People are sometimes not aware of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club’s state chapter.

    Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada’s oil sands would worsen climate change, and President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year.

    In 2019, the Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota.

    Jane Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it began service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.

    “All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I’m awfully concerned,” said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party’s chair.

    But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public, and the oil didn’t move from the creek to larger waterways. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there were no evacuations ordered because the break occurred in rural pastureland.

    TC Energy said it had set up environmental monitoring at the site, including around-the-clock air quality monitoring.

    “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment,” a company statement said.

    Oil prices briefly surged at midday Thursday amid news of the spill, with the cost of a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

    A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That’s compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.

    Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.

    “It’s something to keep an eye on,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”

    The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River.

    The Little Blue feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University. The EPA said the oil did not affect the Little Blue.

    Dan Thalmann, publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made fields too soft to move in heavy machinery.

    “Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks,” said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he’d finished putting up Wednesday, fearing it might be knocked down and dragged into a field.

    Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family’s farm. She and her husband drove north of their farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.

    “We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides,” said Pannbacker, a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.

    Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the spill site, said people could smell the oil in town.

    “It was about like driving by a refinery,” he said.

    ———

    This story has been corrected to show Bold Nebraska’s founder is named Jane Kleeb, not Janet.

    ———

    Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. AP Business Writer Cathy Bussewitz contributed reporting from New York.

    ———

    Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

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  • Federal data: Kansas oil spill biggest in Keystone history

    Federal data: Kansas oil spill biggest in Keystone history

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    TOPEKA, Kan. — A ruptured pipe dumped enough oil this week into a northeastern Kansas creek to nearly fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, becoming the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in nine years and surpassing all the previous ones on the same pipeline system combined, according to federal data.

    The Keystone pipeline spill in a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City, also was the biggest in the system’s history, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The operator, Canada-based TC Energy, said the pipeline that runs from Canada to Oklahoma lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons.

    The spill raised questions for environmentalists and safety advocates about whether TC Energy should keep a federal government permit that has allowed the pressure inside parts of its Keystone system — including the stretch through Kansas — to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels. With Congress facing a potential debate on reauthorizing regulatory programs, the chair of a House subcommittee on pipeline safety took note of the spill Friday.

    A U.S. Government Accountability Office report last year said there had been 22 previous spills along the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010, most of them on TC Energy property and fewer than 20 barrels. The total from those 22 events was a little less than 12,000 barrels, the report said.

    “I’m watching this situation closely to learn more about this latest oil leak and inform ways to prevent future releases and protect public safety and the environment,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., of New Jersey, tweeted.

    TC Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the spill has been contained. The EPA said the company built an earthen dam across the creek about 4 miles downstream from the pipeline rupture to prevent the oil from moving into larger waterways.

    Randy Hubbard, the county’s emergency management director, said the oil traveled only about a quarter mile and there didn’t appear to be any wildlife deaths.

    The company said it is doing around-the-clock air-quality checks and other environmental monitoring. It also was using multiple trucks that amount to giant wet vacuums to suck up the oil.

    Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, and the company said it still is evaluating when it can reopen the system.

    The EPA said no drinking water wells were affected and oil-removal efforts will continue into next week. No one was evacuated, but the Kansas Department of Health and Environment warned people not to go into the creek or allow animals to wade in.

    “At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements,” the company said in a statement.

    The nearly 2,700-mile (4345-kilometer) Keystone pipeline carries thick, Canadian tar-sands oil to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas, with about 600,000 barrels moving per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma. Concerns about spills fouling water helped spur opposition to a new, 1,200 mile (1,900 kilometers) Keystone XL pipeline, and the company pulled the plug last year after President Joe Biden canceled a permit for it.

    Environmentalists said the heavier tar sands oil is not only more toxic than lighter crude but can sink in water instead of floating on top. Bill Caram, executive director of the advocacy Pipeline Safety Trust, said cleanup even sometimes can include scrubbing individual rocks in a creek bed.

    “This is going to be months, maybe even years before we get the full handle on this disaster and know the extent of the damage and get it all cleaned up,” said Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club at the Kansas Statehouse.

    Pipelines often are considered safer than shipping oil by railcar or truck, but large spills can create significant environmental damage. The American Petroleum Institute said Friday that companies have robust monitoring to detect leaks, cracks, corrosion and other problems, not only through control centers but with employees who walk alongside pipelines.

    Still, in September 2013, a Tesoro Corp. pipeline in North Dakota ruptured and spilled 20,600 barrels, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

    A more expensive spill happened in July 2010, when an Enbridge Inc. pipeline in Michigan ruptured and spilled more than 20,000 barrels into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. Hundreds of homes and businesses were evacuated.

    The Keystone pipeline’s previous largest spill came in 2017, when more than 6,500 barrels spilled near Amherst, South Dakota, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released last year. The second largest, 4,515 barrels, was in 2019 near Edinburg, North Dakota.

    The Petroleum Institute said pipelines go through tests before opening using pressures that exceed the company’s planned levels and are designed to account for what they’ll carry and changes in the ground they cover. An arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation oversees pipeline safety and permitted TC Energy to have greater pressures on the Keystone system because the company used pipe made from better steel.

    But Caram said: “When we see multiple failures like this of such large size and a relatively short amount of time after that pressure has increased, I think it’s time to question that.”

    In its report last year to Congress, the GAO said Keystone’s accident history was similar to other oil pipelines, but spills have gotten larger in recent years. Investigations ordered by regulators found that the four worst spills were caused by flaws in design or pipe manufacturing during construction.

    TC Energy’s permit included more than 50 special conditions, mostly for its design, construction and operation, the GAO report said. The company said in response to the 2021 report that it took “decisive action” in recent years to improve safety, including developing new technology for detecting cracks and an independent review of its pipeline integrity program.

    The company said Friday that it would conduct a full investigation into the causes of the spill.

    The spill caused a brief surge in crude prices Thursday. Benchmark U.S. oil was up more modestly — about 1% — on Friday morning as fears of a supply disruption were overshadowed by bigger concerns about an economic downturn in the U.S. and other major countries that would reduce demand for oil.

    The pipeline runs through Chris and Bill Pannbacker’s family farm. Bill Pannbacker, a farmer and stockman, said the company told him that the issues with the pipeline there probably will not be resolved until after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

    The hill where the breach happened was a landmark to locals and used to be a popular destination for hayrides, Pannbacker said.

    ————

    Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas and Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. David Koenig contributed reporting from Dallas.

    ———

    Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

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  • Federal data: Kansas oil spill biggest in Keystone history

    Federal data: Kansas oil spill biggest in Keystone history

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    TOPEKA, Kan. — A ruptured pipe dumped enough oil this week into a northeastern Kansas creek to nearly fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, becoming the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in nine years and surpassing all the previous ones on the same pipeline system combined, according to federal data.

    The Keystone pipeline spill in a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City, also was the biggest in the system’s history, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The operator, Canada-based TC Energy, said the pipeline that runs from Canada to Oklahoma lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons.

    The spill raised questions for environmentalists and safety advocates about whether TC Energy should keep a federal government permit that has allowed the pressure inside parts of its Keystone system — including the stretch through Kansas — to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels. With Congress facing a potential debate on reauthorizing regulatory programs, the chair of a House subcommittee on pipeline safety took note of the spill Friday.

    A U.S. Government Accountability Office report last year said there had been 22 previous spills along the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010, most of them on TC Energy property and fewer than 20 barrels. The total from those 22 events was a little less than 12,000 barrels, the report said.

    “I’m watching this situation closely to learn more about this latest oil leak and inform ways to prevent future releases and protect public safety and the environment,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., of New Jersey, tweeted.

    TC Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the spill has been contained. The EPA said the company built an earthen dam across the creek about 4 miles downstream from the pipeline rupture to prevent the oil from moving into larger waterways.

    Randy Hubbard, the county’s emergency management director, said the oil traveled only about a quarter mile and there didn’t appear to be any wildlife deaths.

    The company said it is doing around-the-clock air-quality checks and other environmental monitoring. It also was using multiple trucks that amount to giant wet vacuums to suck up the oil.

    Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, and the company said it still is evaluating when it can reopen the system.

    The EPA said no drinking water wells were affected and oil-removal efforts will continue into next week. No one was evacuated, but the Kansas Department of Health and Environment warned people not to go into the creek or allow animals to wade in.

    “At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements,” the company said in a statement.

    The nearly 2,700-mile (4345-kilometer) Keystone pipeline carries thick, Canadian tar-sands oil to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas, with about 600,000 barrels moving per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma. Concerns about spills fouling water helped spur opposition to a new, 1,200 mile (1,900 kilometers) Keystone XL pipeline, and the company pulled the plug last year after President Joe Biden canceled a permit for it.

    Environmentalists said the heavier tar sands oil is not only more toxic than lighter crude but can sink in water instead of floating on top. Bill Caram, executive director of the advocacy Pipeline Safety Trust, said cleanup even sometimes can include scrubbing individual rocks in a creek bed.

    “This is going to be months, maybe even years before we get the full handle on this disaster and know the extent of the damage and get it all cleaned up,” said Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club at the Kansas Statehouse.

    Pipelines often are considered safer than shipping oil by railcar or truck, but large spills can create significant environmental damage. The American Petroleum Institute said Friday that companies have robust monitoring to detect leaks, cracks, corrosion and other problems, not only through control centers but with employees who walk alongside pipelines.

    Still, in September 2013, a Tesoro Corp. pipeline in North Dakota ruptured and spilled 20,600 barrels, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

    A more expensive spill happened in July 2010, when an Enbridge Inc. pipeline in Michigan ruptured and spilled more than 20,000 barrels into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. Hundreds of homes and businesses were evacuated.

    The Keystone pipeline’s previous largest spill came in 2017, when more than 6,500 barrels spilled near Amherst, South Dakota, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released last year. The second largest, 4,515 barrels, was in 2019 near Edinburg, North Dakota.

    The Petroleum Institute said pipelines go through tests before opening using pressures that exceed the company’s planned levels and are designed to account for what they’ll carry and changes in the ground they cover. An arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation oversees pipeline safety and permitted TC Energy to have greater pressures on the Keystone system because the company used pipe made from better steel.

    But Caram said: “When we see multiple failures like this of such large size and a relatively short amount of time after that pressure has increased, I think it’s time to question that.”

    In its report last year to Congress, the GAO said Keystone’s accident history was similar to other oil pipelines, but spills have gotten larger in recent years. Investigations ordered by regulators found that the four worst spills were caused by flaws in design or pipe manufacturing during construction.

    TC Energy’s permit included more than 50 special conditions, mostly for its design, construction and operation, the GAO report said. The company said in response to the 2021 report that it took “decisive action” in recent years to improve safety, including developing new technology for detecting cracks and an independent review of its pipeline integrity program.

    The company said Friday that it would conduct a full investigation into the causes of the spill.

    The spill caused a brief surge in crude prices Thursday. Benchmark U.S. oil was up more modestly — about 1% — on Friday morning as fears of a supply disruption were overshadowed by bigger concerns about an economic downturn in the U.S. and other major countries that would reduce demand for oil.

    The pipeline runs through Chris and Bill Pannbacker’s family farm. Bill Pannbacker, a farmer and stockman, said the company told him that the issues with the pipeline there probably will not be resolved until after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

    The hill where the breach happened was a landmark to locals and used to be a popular destination for hayrides, Pannbacker said.

    ————

    Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas and Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. David Koenig contributed reporting from Dallas.

    ———

    Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

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