Written by:
Brennan Weintraub - Research Assistant
Jackie Schweichler - Education Programs Coordinator
The following information is an update of recent local,
state, national, and international legal developments relevant to shale gas.
GHG Emissions: California Federal Court Dismisses Climate
Change Suits Against Major Oil Companies
On June 25, 2018, the Northern District of California
federal court dismissed
several lawsuits against major oil companies for failure to state a justiciable
claim. The cities of San Francisco and Oakland, California sued Chevron Corp,
Exxon Mobil Corp, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, and BP Plc for their
alleged role in climate change affecting those cities. The plaintiffs sought
monetary damages for flooding which, the plaintiffs claim, was caused by
climate change. A similar lawsuit by New York City is currently pending
in New York federal court.
Methane Emissions: Exxon and Chevron Join Together to
Address Methane Emissions
On June 25, 2018, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and several other
energy organizations announced the creation
of the Collaboratory for Advancing Methane Science (CAMS). The goal of
the organization will be to reduce methane emissions created in the oil and
natural gas industry. Exxon had previously pledged
that it would seek to curb its methane emissions by fifteen percent by 2020.
LNG: FERC Releases Favorable Environmental Findings for
Rhode Island Gas Project
On June 25, 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) issued
an environmental assessment finding that the proposed Fields Point Liquefaction
Project in Rhode Island “would not constitute a major federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.” The project would be based
in Providence, Rhode Island and would provide liquified natural gas throughout
New England. FERC will be accepting public comments on the project through July
25.
Pipelines: Minnesota PUC Gives Final Approval to Enbridge
Line 3 Pipeline Replacement
On June 28, 2018, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
gave its final approval
for Enbridge, a natural gas distributor, to rebuild its Line 3 pipeline,
according to Reuters. The pipeline was originally built in 1968 and is
currently able to operate at only half of its original capacity, creating
bottlenecks for Canadian producers trying to move crude oil into the United
States. The rebuild has been opposed
by several environmental and Native American groups in the area. The pipeline
will take a new path south of the Leech Lake Reserve, which the original
pipeline crossed, before reaching the company’s terminal on Lake Superior.
From the National Oil & Gas Law Experts:
“New
Ohio tax law clarifies and expands sales and use tax exemptions for the oil and
gas industry” Mark Snider, PorterWright (June 28, 2018)
Pennsylvania Legislation:
HB
1401 An act amending the Tax Reform Code, providing for volumetric
severance tax; and making a related repeal (removed from table, June 25, 2018)
HB
2121 Commonwealth Budget 2018-2019 (signed by Governor, June 22, 2018)
Follow us on Twitter at PSU Ag & Shale Law (@AgShaleLaw) to receive
ShaleLaw HotLinks:
“Iowa
train derailment: Hazmat team on scene after oil leaks into river” - Des
Moines Register
“Industry
slams ‘alarmist’ methane study” - E&E News
“Still
searching for New York water permit, Constitution pipeline delays completion
until 2020” - Natural Gas Intel
“Presbyterian
Church votes to retain its investments in fossil fuels” - Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
“Energy
industry continues to court younger, more diverse workforce” - New
Pittsburgh Courier
Connect with us on Facebook! Every week
we will post the CASL Ledger which details all our publications and activities
from the week.
This week we published our Shale Law in the Spotlight: Overview
of Legal Developments Relating to Shale Gas Development in the Greater Chaco
Area of New Mexico; and Pennsylvania
DEP Finalizes General Permits for Methane Emissions from Unconventional Natural
Gas Production, Processing, and Transmission
Want to get updates, but prefer to listen? Check out the Shale Law Podcast! We
can always be found on our Libsyn page, iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher.
Check the June Agricultural Law Brief! Each month we compile the biggest legal developments in agriculture. If you’d like to receive this update via email, check out our website and subscribe!
Importing items either through claiming merchandise or when importing through an individual transaction or through a business requires various product warning
ReplyDelete