-Emissions from U.S. refineries have fallen dramatically since 1990, according to a new report released by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and VOC emissions fell by 91%, 67% and 69%, respectively, over that time period. Total hazardous air pollutant emissions fell by 66%. AFPM said the density and sulfur content of crude oil feedstocks increased over 16% during that time. The EPA is working to finalize new ground-level ozone standards that could cost the U.S. economy $140 billion per year, according to one study.
-Peabody Energy CEO Greg Boyce on Thursday said the Obama Administration’s climate change policies would harm the public and the economy with “negligible environmental benefit.” Via FuelFix, Boyce advocated for the use of carbon capture technology over new climate change regulations during a panel discussion at IHS Energy’s CERAWeek conference. Hours later, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said coal would remain a leading source of electricity in the U.S., even as new regulations encourage a shift toward natural gas and wind power.
-Also at CERAWeek, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said the oil industry has not made a compelling case to lift the nation’s ban on crude oil exports. Moniz cited a lack of action in Congress, where many lawmakers fear lifting the ban would lead to higher gasoline prices.
-The reconfiguration of the U.S. natural gas pipeline system will ultimately lead to the creation of a “null point” in Pennsylvania sending gas to the Northeast and the South, Kinder Morgan CEO Richard Kinder said Wednesday during a CERAWeek panel. Via Platts, natural gas has traditionally flowed from Texas and Louisiana to the Northeast. Kinder noted how his company has reversed three pipelines to deliver gas from the Marcellus and Utica regions to Texas. Kinder Morgan and other firms are competing to build more pipelines to the Northeast.
-A worker at an asphalt refinery in Georgia died Wednesday while assisting another worker who had gone into cardiac arrest as a result of a gas leak. The victim fell 20 feet off a platform after being sprayed in the face with hydrogen sulfide while helping his colleague. Three other people, including the worker who went into cardiac arrest, were hospitalized.
