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This supplementary legal document describes recommendations for storm- and waste-water management improvements for the Formosa petrochemical plant in Calhoun County, Texas. The text is a fairly standard drainage assessment. The author describes non-trivial discharge of pollutants out of the plant’s outfalls, which drain into local waters, and the inability of the plant’s systems to prevent flooding from even small storms. For some context on this, it is pretty standard to design a stormwater system to be able to drain the 100-year storm (that is, the storm with a 1% or less chance of occurring in any given year). Formosa’s Texas plant demonstrated the inability to convey even the 2-year storm.

Emphases are mine:

“Problem areas were identified based on the results from the outfall drainage studies provided by Formosa. Thus, all the results in the OPCC rely on those studies, uncertainities associated with those studies, and the assumptions made for those studies, some of which may or may not be appropriate as I pointed out in Supplement #2 [Page 4]” (3)

“The proposed improvements assume that the conveyance capacity of the problem areas is increased 100%, which would be able to handle twice as much flow that it currently does. The results from the Drainage Study are not conclusive as to what storm event Formosa’s system currently is capable of conveying. The report does mention that the system is not capable of conveying the 2-year storm, and “sometimes” not even the 1-year storm event.” (3)

“A 45% contingency is applied to the OPCC due to the uncertainties associated with underground utilities, likelihood of existence of low road crossings and need to replace those, groundwater impacts, other unknowns, and additional costs associated with engineering, etc. 45% is reasonable and in line with industry practices in my experience, especially given the large amount of unknown information available.” (4) 

“My opinion from my July 9, 2018 report that “there have been and are still pellets and/or plastic materials discharges above trace amounts through Outfall 001” is further supported by the deposition testimony of Lisa Vitale, as representative for Freese & Nichols, Inc, that she and her colleagues have seen floating white pellets or small plastic pieces in Lavaca Bay and in the area near outfall 001 as part of her work on the receiving water monitoring program for Formosa’s TPDES permit...Ms. Vitale also testified that she told John Hyak of Formosa about these sightings as well as has sent him water samples with the pellets about five or six times, including at least one time prior to 2010. This, along with the June 2010 EPA Report I cited in my July Report, demonstrates to me that Formosa was aware of problems related to discharges of plastics from its facility since at least in 2010.” (6)

Due to the recession, the bust of the oil market, and growing resistance to fossil-fuel infrastructures, courts have recently ruled to halt the Atlantic Coast and Dakota Access Pipeline projects.

The energy company, MPLX LP, halted plans to construct the Permian to Gulf Coast natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline in response to the collapse in oil prices. Instead, however, the company is now planning to expand thier currently existing pipelines. 

See Full Article on how COVID is impacting different domains of the energy sector.

“John Berger, CEO of Houston-based Sunnova Energy International Inc., a residential solar and storage service company… said that despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, his company's first quarter this year showed nearly 7,000 new customers, the company's best quarter in its history.‘The uncertainty brought upon by COVID-19 has shown us the world may be more fragile than we originally thought, magnifying the importance of being self-reliant and further proving the economic and societal value of solar plus storage,’ he said during a May 15 earnings call.”

Florida has resumed disconnections for non-payment starting in August. Though, there will be assistance programs (discounted rates) for qualifying customers.

"An Oxford study compared green stimulus projects with traditional stimulus, such as measures taken after the 2008 global financial crisis, and found green projects create more jobs, deliver higher short-term returns per pound spent by the government, and lead to increased long-term cost savings." See the full article here.

Utilities are using “accounting orders” that often amount to rate increases for their customers in order to maintain their bottom lines.

“At least 35 states either have granted utilities these writs or are poised to do so. The accounting orders encompass a broad range of costs associated with COVID-19 — but, primarily, the rising “bad debt” associated with unemployed customers who cannot pay their bills. An accounting order stands as a regulator's pinky swear that a utility's other customers, not its shareholders, will pick up that tab.”

“Electric and gas utilities' fortunes should be tied to the wider economy. Shuttered office buildings and small businesses mean fewer kilowatt-hours sold, and mass unemployment leaves ratepayers unable to pay what they owe to the power company. Yet, increasingly, utilities' returns are divorced from the rest of the economy. That is because government regulation of these monopolies — often imagined as protecting consumers — often does more to keep intact utilities' bottom line. Indeed, in the midst of COVID-19, a low-key bailout of these companies already has begun and, unfortunately for utility ratepayers, it's happening on their dime.”

Simon Donner argues that climate determinism colors some of the reporting and rhetoric of the impacts of climate change on impoverished communities and nations. He argues that investment in adaptation is being stunted by claims that certain communities are simply doomed.

This Blog Post ties together an analysis of societal impacts of climate change, pollution related illnesses, racism, and COVID-19.

Though showing signs of recovery, the ongoing pandemic and recent surge across the US threatens oil industry once again.  “Oil prices have made a surprisingly steady return from the collapse ignited by lockdowns as the virus pandemic grew earlier this year. Crude settled above $40 a barrel Monday for the first time since plunging to negative-$37 on April 20, when the world was awash in unwanted oil. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, settled at $38.49 Friday, down slightly from Thursday. … The recovery, however, now looks tenuous, as no one is certain whether the current surge in COVID-19 cases could lead to business shutdowns and depressed consumer activity. Harris County on Friday issued a new ‘stay home, work safe’ advisory, asking residents to stay home except for essential trips, to work from home if possible and to avoid unnecessary travel.”

Economists say the threat of a “double-dip” is contingent on the scale and level of shutdown initiated by state governments in response to the surge. “A double dip in oil demand and prices will depend on whether state and local governments impose widespread lockdowns or allow businesses to remain open with requirements for face masks and social distancing. … Karr Ingham, a petroleum economist with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, said he can’t imagine that state and local governments would impose the type of widespread and strict lockdowns seen in March and April because of the dire economic consequences that such a move would have. It’s unclear how much political willpower there is to mandate a second lockdown, which would undoubtedly prompt public outrage, he said.”