Curtis Tate, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

West Virginia, Surrounding States Get Millions To Cap Oil, Gas Wells

Orphaned wells can contaminate groundwater and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

The federal government has awarded a round of funding to cap orphaned oil and gas wells in West Virginia.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is sending $25 million to West Virginia, which will be used to address 160 sites.

It’s part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Congress passed and the president signed last year.

Orphaned wells can contaminate groundwater and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

West Virginia likely has thousands of them, but the exact number isn’t known.

The federal dollars will help the state identify and clean up additional sites.

Orphaned wells can be costly to fix. On average, it costs $55,000 to cap a well, usually with concrete. Depth is a major factor driving the cost.

Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania also received funding to cap orphaned wells. The states are set to receive even more funding in the coming months.

MSHA Report: Coal Miner Died After Falling Off A Supply Car

The Mine Safety and Health Administration published a preliminary report on the death of 38-year-old William Richards at the Tunnel Ridge Mine in Valley Grove.

Federal investigators released more details about a coal miner who was killed last week in Ohio County.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration published a preliminary report on the death of 38-year-old William Richards at the Tunnel Ridge Mine in Valley Grove.

Richards, who had 13 years of experience, fell off a supply car and was pinned between the car and its coupler.

His death is the third in a West Virginia coal mine accident this year and the seventh nationally. An eighth coal miner died on Tuesday in New Mexico, according to MSHA.

The Tunnel Ridge Mine is owned by Alliance Resource Partners of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

According to a company press release, it saw its revenue increase 70 percent to $616 million in the second quarter of 2022 from a year earlier on high coal prices and strong sales.

There were five coal mine fatalities in 2020, the lowest number on record going back to 1900. As the industry recovered from the pandemic, 10 miners were killed on the job in 2021.

Natural Gas Pipeline Manchin Supports Gets 4-Year Extension

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given the builders of the Mountain Valley Pipeline until October 2026 to finish construction.

A natural gas pipeline project in Virginia and West Virginia has received a four-year extension from a federal regulator.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given the builders of the Mountain Valley Pipeline until October 2026 to finish construction.

Only about 20 miles of the 300-mile pipeline remain incomplete. However, the project has been held up by lawsuits. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia has overturned key federal permits.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, received assurance from congressional leaders that Congress would enact permitting reforms that favor the pipeline. They could be part of a spending package lawmakers must enact by the end of September.

In exchange, Manchin provided the decisive vote on President Joe Biden’s energy, climate and health care bill, the Inflation Reduction Act. Biden signed the law last week at the White House with Manchin present.

Environmental groups oppose the project and the permitting changes Manchin supports.

The $6 billion pipeline would transport about 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Its supporters, including Manchin and his Republican counterpart, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, say it would reduce global dependence on Russian natural gas and boost producers in West Virginia.

Opponents say it locks in dependence on fossil fuels and harms waterways.

Appalachian States Should Work As A Team, Gayle Manchin Says

The Appalachian Regional Commission is launching a new program that encourages states to apply for grants together to bolster the region’s economy.

It’s called ARISE: Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies.

It comes with $73 million from President Joe Biden’s signature Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. And it’s intended for states to work with each other instead of going it alone.

Gayle Manchin, the federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, said when she first started the job, she noticed that the 13 states in the region were writing grant proposals individually.

In an interview, Manchin said the region has a population of 25 million. If Appalachia were a state, she said, it would be the third largest in the country behind California and Texas.

“So if you think about it that way, about what an impact we could have if we were truly united as an Appalachian region, there’s a lot we could accomplish,” Manchin said. “There’s power in that number.”

For example, six states – Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia – have already started a regional partnership for recreational equipment manufacturing. Think kayaks or mountain bikes.

Southeastern Ohio, north-central West Virginia and western Pennsylvania could form an energy partnership, Manchin said. Or, other states could work together to improve broadband access.

“At the end of the day, what we’d like to accomplish is we don’t want to see communities merely survive,” she said. “We want to bring our region into where it is actually competitive. With not only the states around it, outside the Appalachian region, but globally.”

The effort could get an additional boost from the Inflation Reduction Act, an energy, climate and health care package Biden just signed. It, too, has provisions that could benefit economically distressed communities in Appalachia.

With that level of support from the White House, Manchin added, the region needs to seize an opportunity that may not come again.

Provision In Manchin's Bill Could Bring Clean Energy Jobs To State

The bill sets aside $4 billion exclusively for coal communities — those that previously had mining or power plant activity.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin held a roundtable in Charleston Friday to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act.

The sweeping energy and climate policy bill, which Manchin helped craft with congressional Democrats, expands the 48(c) tax credit for clean energy manufacturing.

It sets aside $4 billion exclusively for coal communities — those that previously had mining or power plant activity.

President Joe Biden signed the legislation on Tuesday, with Manchin present.

Brandon Dennison, founder and CEO of Coalfield Development, said the provision could bring new investment and jobs to southern West Virginia.

“I’ve had more interest from the private sector, manufacturing sector, in the past year, with an eye toward this passing, than I did in the previous 11,” he said.

As an example, Dennison said, Solar Holler would be able to double the size of its business.

Fayetteville To Get Planning Aid For New River Gorge Visitors

Fayetteville is among 25 communities nationwide selected for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program.

Fayetteville has been selected as a participant in a federal partnership to promote outdoor recreation.

Fayetteville is among 25 communities nationwide selected for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program.

The program is intended to help Fayetteville plan for a new influx of visitors to the nearby New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

National Park Service numbers show an increase in visitors since the New River Gorge became a national park in December 2020.

Participating communities will build new trail systems, improve access to main streets, increase access to outdoor activities and clean up and repurpose vacant buildings.

Other selected communities in the region include South Point and Coshocton, Ohio; Brunswick, Maryland; Buchanan and Buena Vista, Virginia; and Jenkins and McKee, Kentucky.