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Today, we look at Germany blocking Nord Stream 2 Pipeline as Russia enters Ukraine. Also, the broad implications for Biden’s accounting metric being blocked and a nod to mining reform by the Biden administration.
Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk were the Hill’s editors. Send us your tips: [email protected]And [email protected]. Follow us on twitter: @RachelFrazinAnd @BudrykZack.
Lets jump in.
Europe’s fuel price crunch is exacerbated by the blocage of Nord Stream
Germany’s decision not to allow Russia’s major gas pipeline to be built is adding another wrench to Europe’s energy crisis.
The Nord Stream 2 project, which would transport natural gas from Russia to Germany, has been a source of contention with the U.S. officials, who previously waived sanctions on the project despite concerns that it would increase Europe’s dependence on Russia, a major natural-gas supplier to the continent.
Germany’s decision is part of a strong response from Western powers to Russia’s incursion in Ukraine. It represents a significant step for a U.S. ally, which is trying to push back against Moscow.
So what did they say? German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Tuesday that it was important to immediately launch new sanctions to stop an escalation or a disaster.
Although Nord Stream 2 was not yet operational, experts said that Germany’s decision was an additional blow to a region already struggling with high natural gas prices.
European policymakers saw Nord Stream 2 to be a vital tool in easing pressure on consumers already facing record-breaking energy prices, stated Nicola De Blasio (a senior fellow in Harvards Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs’ Environment and Natural Resources Program), in an email.
European officials tried to reassure the public that enough natural gas will be available to get through winter.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, recently stated that “even in case of complete disruption of gas supply Russia, we are on safety side for this winter.”
Liana Fix is a resident fellow at The German Marshall Fund. She said that Russia’s response will determine how much this will affect energy.
Fix said that Moscow’s reaction and whether Moscow uses energy restrictions against Europe will have an impact.
There’s always politics. Germany’s decision did not only have implications for energy policies.
Fix pointed out that this was a strong and immediate pushback against Russia from Germany.
Fix stated that this was a clear indication of Germany’s expectations for the escalation.
Learn more about the situation.
Climate ruling hinders different agency actions
A recent court ruling against Biden’s climate change calculations has halted dozens of federal actions relating to everything from energy efficiency standards and funding for transit projects.
In a court filing this weekend, the administration stated that almost 40 agency rules will need to be delayed or reworked due to a federal court limiting its ability to assess their climate impacts.
Judge James Cain, a Trump appointee from Louisiana, temporarily blocked the administration’s use of the social cost of greenhouse gases values it had instated earlier this month to quantify the climate benefits and consequences of federal actions.
Some background information: Last year, the White House temporarily returned to Obama-era numbers for calculating the cost of planet-warming gasses. These figures gave climate damage a much higher value than those used under Trump.
These figures have been a consistent measure of how the federal government has accounted over the past few months for climate impacts.
Now, the government is asking that Cains’ ruling be temporarily blocked, while it appeals against it.
It stated in a Saturday night filing that the injunction has dramatic consequences.
The delay of rulemakings in different agencies across government that are still pending, none of them being challenged here, will result in the suspension of these rulemakings. Other agency actions could now be abandoned because it was not possible to redo the relevant environmental analyses within the required deadlines, it stated.
Dominic Mancini, the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, stated in a court declaration that dozens of actions at the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and the Interior, along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will be delayed or reworked.
These numbers: He stated that the Energy Department had identified 21 impacted rules, while the Transportation Department had identified nine, the EPA five, and the Interior Department three.
He also mentioned that the Transportation Department has identified approximately 60 environmental reviews that could be affected, while Interior Department has only found 27.
The Interior Department is currently working on a rule to reduce excess climate-warming carbon dioxide released by oil and gas drilling operations on public lands. It also notes that a Trump-era methane restriction was overturned by a court in 2020.
It argued that the new ruling gave the government conflicting instructions since it forbids it from considering international implications. A prior ruling criticized the Trump administration for failing this.
Mancinis declaration stated that the ruling also impedes the Energy Department’s ability to comply with a court-ordered deadline for issuing new energy conservation standards to a specific type of housing.
During the hearing, the government also pointed out that the rulings’ effects go beyond rulemaking and impact grant programs such as the one that provides money to transit projects through Federal Transit Administration.
It stated that the agency uses climate cost estimates to calculate changes in emissions. This is one of the criteria for the grant program.
Because it cannot do so, the Biden administration claimed that the court has effectively halted the development of multimillion-dollar transit projects… while the agency works out a plausible, albeit lengthy, alternative path forward.
Find out what other effects the injunction on social costs has here.
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM DAPLS?
The Dakota Access Pipeline tried to convince the Supreme Court to accept a lower court’s decision that invalidated a permit.
James Boasberg (D.C. District Court Judge) HadPermits for the pipeline in 2020 were grantedIt stated that it required a more thorough environmental review, also known as an Environmental Impacts Statement.
Dakota Access LLC is the company behind this pipeline.The high court was consultedSeptemberTo review the decision.
The company stated that environmental groups and tribes have challenged the pipeline, arguing that it is illegally operating without permits and that this poses a significant risk of a shutdown.
Dakota Access argued that the court should reinstate its permit to ensure continued operation and avoid the negative economic and environmental consequences of a shutdown.
The Supreme Court did no explain its reasoning in denying the appeal regarding pipelines. However, it noted that Justices Samuel Alito
Samuel AlitoWho’s the most qualified candidate to become the next Supreme Court Justice? On the Trail: Arkansas case presents new threat to Voting Right Act Judiciary, as Congress examines stock trade ban MOREAnd Brett Kavanaugh
Brett Michael KavanaughWho is the most qualified to be the next Supreme Court justice McConnell’s unconstitutional blocking of Garland poisoned the subsequent proceedings Manchin would be against the second high court nominee just before 2024 election.Participated in the consideration but did not participate.
Boasberg also stopped the pipelines operations when he struck down the permits for the pipelines.
A higher court reversed this decision, leaving it up to Biden administration which ultimately made the final call. The vesse was not shut down.l. Despite the additional review, the Biden administration left the pipeline in service.
Find out more about this decision.
Interior looks at mining reforms
The Interior Department is looking at mining reforms and has launched an interagency group to address the issue on Tuesday.
In a press release, the group stated that it would “make recommendations for improvement to ensure new production meets strong environment and community engagement standards…while improving both the efficiency and the outcomes of the permitting process.”
Although the final conclusions of the group are not yet clear, the press release by the department highlighted what many critics call lax rules currently governing mining.
It was noted that mining companies can stake claims regardless of potential conflicts with other uses and don’t have pay royalties to government for the minerals they extract from the mines. You can find gold, silver and copper as well as uranium, uranium and lithium.
The department stated that the group will provide input to potential rulemaking efforts in mining.
According to a White House factsheet, it will also make recommendations to Congress by November.
The Interior Department updated its lmeanwhile.Important mineralsNotably, it excluded uranium which was on a 2018 Trump administration list. It stated that uranium, which can be used in nuclear power, would not be included because it was a fuel mineral. This was a new law that prohibited its inclusion.
This move was met with opposition from the GOP, with Sen. John Barrasso
John Anthony BarrassoEnergy panel Republicans grill Biden Interior nominee regarding leasing in rare second hearing The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented By Facebook – Anticipating invasion of Ukraine “any day” Republicans back Pence’s rebuke against Trump on overturning 2020 elections MORE (R-Wyo.) Arguments that this increases dependence of other countries.
In a statement, the lawmaker stated that President Biden had released a critical minerals listing on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. This makes the United States more vulnerable than Russia and our adversaries.
This news comes as the administration announced private sector actions it said would strengthen the critical minerals supply chain.
Learn more about the overall push by clicking here.
WHAT WERE YOU READING?
- Interior: These 3,300 names are better than the existing slur (E&E News)
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The group that brought down Keystone XL is now facing its own agonies (Politico)
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Researchers Find Evidence that Racism is increasing the threat of global warming to people of color (Inside Climate News)
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Global survey shows that 75% of people want single use plastics to be banned (Reuters)
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Who is responsible for fixing the environment in eastern Oklahoma (Grist)
ICYMI
Germany moves to halt Russia gas pipelineUkraine crisis
Official from Qatar says it will be.almost impossible‘ to replace Russian exports to Europe quickly
Last but not least, something completely offbeat and off-beatCall the hops
That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. Check out The HillsEnergy & Environment pageStay up-to-date with the latest news and coverage We look forward to seeing you Wednesday.