EPA recognizes scattered coal ash’s cancer risk

COAL ASH: A draft risk assessment published by the U.S. EPA for the first time says using coal ash as structural fill in road and other building projects can cause an elevated cancer risk from radiation, validating the concerns of residents on Puerto Rico’s south coast, where the material was commonly used. (States Newsroom, Energy News Network archives)  

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CLIMATE:

• This year saw significant collaboration between the labor and climate movements as UPS drivers fought for extreme heat safety measures, and autoworkers demanded a just transition to electric vehicles. (Grist)
• The Biden administration moves to limit logging in old-growth forests, which have higher capacity to capture and store carbon. (E&E News)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Many school districts still don’t have electric buses on the road after getting federal funding to buy them, as some districts struggle with the application process and supply backlogs. (Canary Media)

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BUILDINGS: New state incentives are pushing Mainers to adopt “whole-house” heat pump systems that make efficient electricity the primary home heat source and discourage the secondary use of oil or gas. (Energy News Network)

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PIPELINES:

• Federal regulators grant the Mountain Valley Pipeline approvals to charge higher rates for natural gas and for a three-year extension to build a spur into North Carolina. (Roanoke Times, Raleigh News & Observer)
• The controversy surrounding a proposed Great Lakes tunnel for Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline is expected to intensify over the next few years, with more than 60 Indigenous nations opposed to the project. (Grist)
• West Coast lawmakers petition federal lawmakers to withdraw their approval of a proposed natural gas line expansion, saying it will undermine the region’s clean energy transition and exacerbate climate change. (Guardian)

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COAL: Questions arise about a potential conflict of interest after details emerge about West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s efforts to push a tax break for a troubled coal plant then owned by FirstEnergy, which subsequently settled a suit against one of Justice’s coal companies for a fraction of what it had sought. (E&E News)

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SOLAR: More Maine towns are establishing rules and ordinances to limit and shape solar development within their boundaries, including Dixmont, where a recent ordinance requires solar applications to come with a decommissioning plan. (Bangor Daily News)

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CARBON CAPTURE: Wyoming issues permits for three underground carbon dioxide sequestration wells in the southwestern part of the state as the state looks to establish itself as a leader in the industry. (Casper Star-Tribune)

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OIL & GAS: California’s oil and gas industry seeks to influence lawmakers by spending tens of millions annually on lobbying and campaign donations and allying with a powerful construction labor union. (CalMatters)

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COMMENTARY: A researcher calls on states to ban political campaign contributions from utilities because they open a “back door of influence” over their regulatory environment. (Utility Dive)

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