Pipelines
Pipeline Protest Charges Dismissed Against Journalist
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Obstruction and disorderly conduct charges have been dismissed against a photo journalist covering the Dakota Access Pipeline protest last year. Sara Lafleur-Vetter was working for The Guardian, a London-based news outlet, when she was arrested Oct. 22 with 140 other peo..
Kinder Morgan Warns About Trans Mountain Delays
Kinder Morgan has warned that its Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project is facing possibly months of delays because of the timing of permit issuance and other regulatory approvals. The delay could be as long as nine months, Kinder Morgan’s chief executive Steven Kean said in a recent confer..
Judge to Hear Arguments on Tribe’s Pipeline Contingency Plan
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge in Washington, D.C., will accept arguments over the next month on whether the developer of the Dakota Access pipeline must stage equipment near an American Indian reservation in southern North Dakota to respond to any oil spill under the Missouri River. The ide..
Connecticut Regulators Investigating Gas Utilities for Withholding Pipeline Capacity
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut officials have launched an investigation into allegations of market power abuse by two of the state’s largest energy providers. The Office of Consumer Counsel says the investigation began after university researchers claimed Eversource and Avangrid companies inte..
Baltimore Workers Remove "Fatberg" of Grease from Sewer Pipe
BALTIMORE (AP) — A “fatberg” that may have taken beyond half a century to grow below Baltimore has been removed. News outlets report the city’s Public Works department used a camera, pressure washer and truck-mounted industrial vacuum to clear the mass of curdled grease, wet wipes and other waste. ..
Washington Neighborhood Evacuated after Mudslide Hits Gas Pipeline
EDMONDS, Wash. (AP) — A neighborhood in a Seattle suburb was evacuated after a mudslide breached a natural gas line. KOMO-TV reports that emergency officials responded to the scene at about 5:40 a.m. Thursday in the Snohomish County city of Edmonds after receiving reports of a gas leak. About 30 h..
Judge Tells Flint to Pick Water Source
DETROIT (AP) — A judge on Tuesday ordered Flint, Michigan, to choose a long-term source of drinking water by next week, saying the City Council so far is showing a “breathtaking” lack of leadership. Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration sued Flint to force the council to approve a 30-year deal with the..
Raw Sewage Contaminating Waters in Puerto Rico After Maria
CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — Raw sewage is pouring into the rivers and reservoirs of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. People without running water bathe and wash their clothes in contaminated streams, and some islanders have been drinking water from condemned wells. Nearly a month aft..
Colorado Proposes New Rules for Oil-Gas Lines After Blast
DENVER (AP) — Colorado energy regulators on Monday proposed tighter rules for shutting down oil and gas pipelines after a fatal explosion blamed on natural gas leaking from a line that was thought to be out of service but was still connected to a well. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commissi..
Minnesota Judge Allows Necessity Defense in Pipeline Case
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge has taken the unusual step of allowing four protesters to use a “necessity defense,” enabling them to present evidence that the threat of climate change from Canadian tar sands crude is so imminent that they were justified in trying to shut down two Enbridge Ener..
Land Preservation Board Approves Easements for Pipeline
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A public land preservation organization in Virginia has approved easements that will allow two natural gas pipelines to be built in mountainous areas of the state. The Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s board of trustees approved 11 easements on Monday, the board said on its websit..
Pipeline Construction Project Protesters Arrested
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — More than two dozen people have been arrested at a protest of a $3 billion pipeline being built to carry natural gas from northeastern Pennsylvania to Southern states. Scores of demonstrators gathered Monday on land in Lancaster County’s West Hempfield Township that is owned b..
Enbridge Receives Presidential Permit for Line 67 Pipeline
The U.S. Department of State has granted a presidential permit to Enbridge Energy, L.P., authorizing the company to increase transport up to a full design capacity of approximately 890,000 barrels per day of crude oil and other hydrocarbons across a three-mile segment of the Line 67 Pipeline at the ..
Cadiz Water Project Approved by Federal Regulators
The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a letter to Cadiz Inc., the Santa Margarita Water District and the Arizona & California Railroad (ARZC), authorizing the use of the existing ARZC right-of-way to construct a pipeline and related railroad improvements as part of the Cadiz W..
Contentious Town Sewer Plan to Be Put on Hold
COVENTRY, R.I. (AP) — Officials in a Rhode Island town are planning to put a sewer plan on hold after angry residents complained about high assessment costs. The Providence Journal reports Coventry Town Manager Graham Waters said he will ask the Town Council Friday to halt new projects while he rev..
Judge Approves $1.6 Billion Plan to Repair Baltimore Sewers
BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge has approved a $1.6 billion plan to repair Baltimore’s aged sewer system and stop wastewater from leaking into the Inner Harbor. The consent agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency comes after years of negotiations between the city and regulators wh..
Federal Regulators Approve Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley Pipelines
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A divided panel of federal regulators granted approvals Friday evening for the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley natural gas pipelines, major East Coast projects. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authorization had been widely expected by both supporters and opponents..
Oklahoma City Gets Water Permit
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Water Resources Board has approved a permit for 115,000 acre feet of water per year from the Kiamichi basin to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoman reports that the board voted 6-1 Tuesday to follow the recommendation of a hearing examiner, who concluded in August that the..
Nevada Regulators Fine Southwest Gas $300000 for 2 Gas Leaks in Las Vegas
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — State regulators have fined Southwest Gas Corp. $300,000 for a pair of natural gas leaks it was responsible for in Las Vegas last year. Nevada Public Utilities Commission Chairman Joe Reynolds told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the fine approved Wednesday for violation ..
North Dakota Landowners’ Lawsuit Against Pipeline Dismissed
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen North Dakota landowners who alleged the developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline and a consultant used deceit and fraud to acquire private land easements for the project. But a court case in Iowa involving th..
Lake Superior's High Water Level Threatens Shoreline
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Lake Superior’s water level is near a record high after an unusually wet summer and early fall in Minnesota, leading to concerns about damage to its shoreline. The Star Tribune reports that the lake was about 603 feet (184 meters) above sea level in September, the highest point..
Route Hearings Set for Canadian Pipeline Construction Project Segment
The National Energy Board (NEB) has announced that detailed route hearings for the Burnaby, B.C. segment (Segment 7) of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project will commence in January 2018. This follows a previous announcement for detailed route hearings in segments one and two (of seven) located in A..
Judge Allows Dakota Access Pipeline to Keep Running During Review
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Dakota Access oil pipeline can continue operating while a study is completed to assess its environmental impact on an American Indian tribe. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s decision will come as a blow to the Standing Rock Sioux, w..
Oklahoma Crude Oil Line Ruptured by Construction Crew
CUSHING, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma regulators say environmental crews are cleaning up a crude oil spill near one of the world’s largest oil storage sites. Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesman Matt Skinner said Wednesday that oil spilled into a dry creek bed in Lincoln County, south of the massive ..
NEXUS Pipeline Construction Can Begin
FERC has approved Enbridge’s request to commence construction of the NEXUS Gas Transmission Project, except for the following locations: North Country National Scenic Trail at milepost 3.5 and Iron Horse Trail at milepost 17.0 From milepost 130.5 to milepost 133.0 and milepost 151.5 to milepost ..
HDD Activities Can Resume on Rover Pipeline in Michigan
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has authorized Energy Transfer Partners request to resume horizontal directional drilling (HDD) activities at the following locations along the Rover Pipeline Project: East Austin Road, between mileposts 62.62 and 63.14 Interstate 71, between milep..
$23 Million Awarded for Water, Sewer Projects in New York's Southern Tier
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has approved $23 million in grants to support 12 essential drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout the state’s Southern Tier, including upgrades and replacements for drinking water systems, filtration plants and water mains, as well as the..
New York Grants Nearly $30 Million for Mohawk Valley Water Projects
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York is granting nearly $30 million for water infrastructure projects in the Mohawk Valley. The $29,661,723 in grant money will be used to support 21 drinking water and wastewater projects in the central New York region. It’s part of $255 million that’s available statewide f..
Broken Water Main Fixed in Alabama Town
CUBA, Ala. (AP) — A broken water main left part of an Alabama community with little or no water for two weeks, but the pipe is now fixed. WTOK-TV reports that water service was restored over the weekend for nearly 40 households in Sumter County’s Cuba area. Some customers got water back soon after..
Authorities ID Victims in Western Michigan Trench Collapse
WYOMING, Mich. (AP) — Authorities have identified the man killed in a trench collapse in western Michigan and say the man who was rescued was his father. Wyoming firefighters said Tuesday the collapse killed 30-year-old Christopher James Godfrey, who was completely buried by dirt. Firefighters res..
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