ALT Oil and gas wastewater leaks into West Texas river for nearly 2 months

ALT For the seventh week in a row, highly salty wastewater has been flowing into the Pecos River in West Texas, leaving oily streaks over a quarter mile long in the riverbed and leaving crusts of salt up to three inches thick along its banks, according to photos shared by Commission Shift, a watchdog group. State regulators have been to the site multiple times but have not identified where the wastewater is coming from. Nearby sources could include a pipeline and nearby inactive wells. To learn more about this update, visit news.oilandgaswatch.org⁠ or the LINK IN BIO

ALT Proposed 162-mile gas pipeline in CO would affect 74 water bodies, assessment states The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is accepting comments until Nov. 2 on an environmental assessment for the Critical Energy Reliability Link, which could include a 162 mile pipeline traveling through the Front Range. The pipeline could cross or affect 74 water bodies and would disturb nearly 2,300 acres during construction, with 1,068 acres impacted for permanent operations. To learn more, visit the LINK IN BIO or visit oilandgaswatch.org/alerts

ALT Federal Energy Regulatory Commission plans to weaken environmental reviews for natural gas projects

ALT FERC is proposing two rule changes that would make it easier for liquified natural gas export terminals and other natural gas projects to clear environmental reviews. On Oct. 15, FERC proposed creating a “blanket authorization” for projects at liquified natural gas export terminals, rather than approving projects on a case-by-case basis. FERC also proposed another new rule that would exempt natural gas projects from having to model the effects of the air pollution their facilities release into the atmosphere. To learn more about this update, visit news.oilandgaswatch.org⁠ or the LINK IN BIO

ALT Bipartisan group of senators urge Trump to back out of Russian diesel deal

ALT The Republican senators who issued the statement were Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and John Curtis of Utah. The Democratic senators were Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. In the statement, the senators said that Congress banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to stop the U.S. from helping finance Putin’s war against Ukraine. “Congress was clear: the U.S. should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO Allies,” the statement says. To learn more about this update, visit news.oilandgaswatch.org⁠ or the LINK IN BIO

ALT New gas power plant planned for data center and other industrial users in eastern ND On Oct. 6, the Minnkota Power Cooperative announced that it plans to build a new gas power plant in Cass County, North Dakota. This power plant is being proposed partly to meet new demand from large industrial customers, including data centers, and would be able to generate up to 400 megawatts of electricity. Minnkota Power expects to have this power plant operational by 2031 or 2032. To learn more, visit the LINK IN BIO or visit oilandgaswatch.org/alerts

ALT Public hearing planned Nov. 10 on draft air permit for gas power plant in southern WI The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments until Nov. 10 on draft air construction and operating permits for Invenergy's Foundry Ridge Energy Center in Walworth County. The proposed air permits are for the project's primary site near Creek Road and North Road, northwest of the town of Darien, as well as the alternate site near State Highway 14 and Creek Road. This new gas power plant could generate up to 324 megawatts of electricity and could emit over 470 tons of health-harming criteria air pollutants every year. The department will hold a virtual public meeting on the draft permits via Zoom at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 10. To learn more, visit the LINK IN BIO or visit oilandgaswatch.org/alerts

ALT Trump Administration works to kill report on suspiciously timed oil trades

ALT An advisor to a Trump-appointed official ordered financial regulators to withdraw a report about oil trades that preceded a key Trump announcement about the U.S. war with Iran, according to Bloomberg. Mel Gunewardena, an adviser to Michael Selig, chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, told a supervisor on the commission’s market oversight team to retract a referral regarding oil trades that took place minutes before President Donald Trump made a critical decision that affected international oil markets. On March 23, 15 minutes before Trump decided not to strike Iranian power plants, a handful of traders made bets worth billions that the S&P 500 index would rise as oil prices fell. To learn more about this update, visit news.oilandgaswatch.org⁠ or the LINK IN BIO

ALT Greenland counters Trump claim that ‘massive’ oil and gas extraction is coming soon

ALT Following a campaign event in Alaska on Oct. 13, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that “Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!” Naaja H. Nathanielsen, who represents Greenland in Denmark’s parliament, told the Associated Press that any new resource extraction on the island would take years. “There’s no Greenlandic barrels of oil on ground in any near future,” Nathanielsen told the AP. To learn more about this update, visit news.oilandgaswatch.org⁠ or the LINK IN BIO

ALT Public comment period open on TX plastic plant's request to increase air pollution The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is accepting public comments until at least Nov. 9 on an application by Formosa Plastics to renew and revise its air operating permit for the Olefins 3 and PDH Plant at its Point Comfort Complex. If approved, the permit would authorize increases of almost every type of air pollution, including health-damaging volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants. To learn more, visit the LINK IN BIO or visit oilandgaswatch.org/alerts