Climate change raises coal ash contamination risks

COAL:
• Heavy rains and flooding caused by climate change increases the risk of coal ash contaminants leaking into Missouri groundwater. (Missouri Independent)
• An Ohio lawmaker seeks more information from the state regulators about untreated coal ash that was pumped into the Ohio River last summer. (WCPO)

OHIO: Environmental groups warned Gov. Mike DeWine to not appoint Sam Randazzo to the Public Utilities Commission based on his previous hostility toward renewable energy development. (Ohio Capital Journal)

CARBON CAPTURE: Local officials in Iowa prepare for the development of a carbon capture pipeline system that’s planned to span five Midwestern states between South Dakota and Illinois. (Storm Lake Times)

RENEWABLES:
• North Dakota ranks among the top five states for its share of electricity generated from renewable sources, according to a recent report. (KXNET)
• The nationwide push for more renewable energy could strand at least $68 billion in coal and natural gas power plant investments, according to a recent analysis. (Utility Dive)

PIPELINES:
• Enbridge has given Minnesota law enforcement agencies $2 million to police protests against the company’s Line 3 construction project. (Vice)
• More than 600 people have now been arrested or issued citations related to Line 3 protests. (The Guardian)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Michigan would receive $110 million to support the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure under the bipartisan infrastructure package set to be approved by the Senate. (Michigan Advance)

OIL & GAS: Roughly 11,000 gallons of crude oil and 16,000 gallons of produced water spilled at a North Dakota well site. (Inforum)

BIOGAS: Natural gas utilities are ramping up renewable natural gas programs as more states provide a pathway for recovering costs and supporting investments in the fuel. (S&P Global)

BIOFUELS: The operator of a Michigan biodiesel company is sentenced to prison for tax fraud involving a scheme while purchasing renewable energy credits. (Michigan Farm News)

COMMENTARY:
• Oil developers in North Dakota are facing a ​“serious political uprising” by landowners who feel short-changed by the industry and are working to overcome environmental pollution, a columnist writes. (Esquire)
• A local activist calls on county officials in Iowa to adopt a climate change and clean energy plan as other counties in the state have done. (Des Moines Register)