Caitlin Maeve’s Post

𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙤 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙥 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙖𝙩 350 𝙊𝙞𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙖𝙨 𝙎𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 The Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) is investigating falsified environmental test results submitted by consultants for the cleanup of about 350 oil and gas sites in Weld County between 2021 and mid-2024. The altered data included information about soil and groundwater contamination, including levels of benzene, a known carcinogen. Eagle Environmental Consulting, LLC and Tasman, Inc. allegedly falsified data submitted on behalf of companies, including Chevron, Oxy, and Civitas Resources. Operators voluntarily disclosed the issues, prompting ECMC to tighten safeguards, requiring detailed documentation and metadata in future submissions. 𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔: 1. ECMC confirmed no new risks to public health but continues to assess the scope of the falsifications. 2. Enforcement actions and potential criminal charges are under consideration. 3. Companies involved have launched internal investigations to reassess sites and audit processes. This scandal highlights the critical need for transparency and accountability in environmental reporting. How can the oil and gas industry strengthen safeguards to prevent such breaches in trust? #EnvironmentalCompliance #OilAndGas #Accountability #Regulation https://lnkd.in/gtpGMRvd

Is New Energy canabilising Investments in Flares or Leakage detection?

🚨 **Recent Court Decisions Impacting the Oil & Gas Sector** 🚨 In a significant development, U.S. courts have intervened in oil and gas operations in Alaska and Wyoming, emphasizing the crucial role of environmental considerations in resource management. Here's what you need to know: 1. **Alaska's Cook Inlet Lease Sale Halted:** A federal court pointed out substantial flaws in the environmental analysis related to the Cook Inlet lease sale. Critical concerns included: - 🐳 Impact on beluga whales due to vessel noise. - 🌍 Cumulative environmental impacts not fully assessed. - 🔍 Lack of alternative leasing areas considered. 2. **Wyoming Lease Sales Blocked:** Nearly 68,000 acres of drilling in Wyoming are on pause after a judge ruled that the Bureau of Land Management didn't comply fully with the National Environmental Policy Act. This decision mandates a new, more comprehensive environmental review within the next 180 days. 👀 From a career spanning three decades in the oil and gas industry, I can say such judicial outcomes not only shape the operational landscape but also underscore the increasing legal and community scrutiny our projects may face. ### Engaging Questions & Actions: - What are your thoughts on balancing energy needs with environmental protections? - Have you encountered similar legal or environmental challenges in your projects? Share your experiences below! - Let’s discuss how we can enhance environmental stewardship in our industry practices. 🌏 Environmental sustainability is becoming non-negotiable in our industry. It's time for action and adaptation. ⚖️ #OilAndGas #EnvironmentalLaw #SustainableEnergy #IndustryStandards #EnergyTransition Looking forward to reading your insights and stories in the comments! 👇💡

🌟 ARTICLE OF INTEREST🌟 Recognizing both risk to the public and concentration risk, California recently enacted Assembly Bill 1866 assigning higher carrying fees and increasing closure quotas of idle oil and gas wells. Fees for idle wells ramp up substantially over time, starting with an annual fee of $1,000 for each well that has been idle for less than 3 years in contrast to $60,000 for each well dormant for 25 years or longer. Revised fees will come into effect January 1, 2029. In addition, operators will be required to file closure plans, with higher priorities assigned to proximity to the public and sensitive receptors (eg. water bodies). Concentration risk, high idle well inventories carried by a given operator, are addressed by assigning higher annual percentage quotas to those operators with more idle wells. The scale for 2025-2027 starts at 5% for operators with 250 wells or fewer, increasing to 15% for operators with more than 3,000 wells. After 2030, the comparative grid jumps up to 8% and 20% respectively. California regulators are clearly moving away from the idea that large companies have financial capacity to focus on risks that are concentrated with a given company. At Closure, we understand the challenges new regulations present. Our commitment is to support operators in navigating these changes seamlessly, ensuring compliance while minimizing operational disruptions. Learn more about how we can assist your operations at www.closurelm.com #OilAndGas #Regulations #EnvironmentalSafety #PublicSafety #IdleWells #Compliance #SustainableOperations #ClosureSupport Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gw7BTQ4u

I am deeply concerned about the Cook Government’s proposed changes to the functioning and independence of the Environmental Protection Authority. This legislation, introduced today, undermine the independence of the EPA. It requires the EPA to recognize the government’s priorities and policy objectives through a Statement of Intent and List of Priority/Significant Projects. This is unprecedented and problematic and is designed to pressure the EPA to approve projects that the Government wants to proceed with and will undermine proper independent environmental assessment.  These changes are mainly to enable the fast-track approval of fossil gas, mining, and sprawl real estate projects. This is not about renewable energy projects whose proponents don't want or need these changes. https://lnkd.in/gipB2whe

𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 ‘𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬’ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 An environmental group on Thursday sued the U.S. government over its approach to examining the harm caused by aging offshore oil and gas infrastructure, citing the risks delayed decommissioning poses to people and the environment. The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department in federal district court in Washington D.C. for “its ongoing failure to examine the harms from offshore oil and gas drilling infrastructure the oil industry has not decommissioned,” the group said in a press release. The Interior Department has not examined the harms of unplugged wells and idle platforms to the environment, the environmental group said. When a company signs a lease for offshore oil or gas exploration or production, that initial agreement includes the process of decommissioning the well, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. But as of June 2023, more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms were overdue for decommissioning in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The Department of Interior declined to comment. Old oil and gas infrastructure must be dismantled and disposed of by plugging wells and removing platforms to prevent damage to the environment. The group said the government’s current approach violates the National Environmental Policy Act – which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of proposed actions before decision-making – because the government has not adequately assessed the harm caused by delayed decommissioning. The lawsuit seeks to force the Interior Department to conduct a new analysis that would better protect people, wildlife and the Gulf environment, the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement.

About 15% of New Mexico’s oil production is now under a joint federal/state consent decree with the Apache Corp, Mewbourne Oil Company, and Matador Production Company settlements. The New Mexico Environment Department has 80 open oil and gas industry air quality investigations given the compliance rate with state rules is 50%. #climatechange #ozone #oilandgas #environmentaljustice #enforcement #civillitigation

❗ 80 OPEN INVESTIGATIONS ❗ With a field office in Carlsbad, NM, OTA can assist operators with the regulatory and field aspects of these investigations. Should you need to replace or retrofit any existing equipment, we can help with that, too. Stay ahead of the curve - let us help ensure your assets are in compliance! #NewMexico #EnvironmentalCompliance #OilandGas #Regulations

Calling the rules outdated and ineffective, a host of environmental groups have filed a legal challenge to US federal air quality standards for offshore oil and gas operations. The groups are targeting a final rule adopted in 2020, when Republican Donald Trump still held control of the White House. #oil #gas #boem #climatechange