Steve Smith
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Sign Our Comment
Over the course of two weeks in September, we prepared submissions - with more than 2,300 comments - to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) and Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), as they accepted public comments on permits for the Mt. Simon Hub project, a pipeline proposed by Wolf Carbon Solutions and Archer Daniels Midland Company that will stretch from eastern Iowa into Illinois. Specifically, the project is seeking from the Illinois Commerce Commission a "Certificate of Authority to Construct and Operate a Carbon Dioxide Pipeline and when Necessary to take Interests in Property as Provided by the Law of Eminent Domain"; and from the Iowa Utilities Board a Hazardous Liquid Pipeline permit.
Thank you to all who signed our comment for submission! If you signed after September 21, we may include your name in future submissions to state and federal regulators to support this project.
Dear Secretary:
On behalf of United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA) and our more than 300,000 members, I want to express our continued support for the Mt. Simon Hub and encourage a thorough review and timely approval of this important project. We believe that Wolf Carbon Solutions’ Mt. Simon Hub will be integral to job creation, environmental improvement and long-term economic growth of our region.
As a proud UA member, I am excited at the prospect of playing a central role in making this project a reality. With the potential to create more than 2,700 construction jobs, generate over $478 million in wages and salaries and to contribute upwards of $75 million in state and local taxes for our state, the Mt. Simon Hub presents an extraordinary economic opportunity both for our union members and Illinois and Iowa overall.
The hardworking men and women of the UA will bring their extensive construction experience to bear to ensure that the Mt. Simon Hub is built to rigorous specifications and in compliance with strict federal and state standards. At the UA, we adhere to our Standard of Excellence in every project we work on. This Standard is made up of three pillars: safety, quality and productivity, each of which are essential to making our laborers the best-trained and highly-skilled in the world. Furthermore, we boast a five-year apprenticeship program that was the first nationally registered program recognized by the Department of Labor in the United States.
With the possibility of major economic and environmental benefits, my fellow union members and I are excited by the opportunity that the Mt. Simon Hub presents, and we urge you to approve Wolf Carbon Solutions’ application. Thank you for your consideration.
Signed,
**By signing this petition, I agree to share my name on Pipeliners Local 798's submission to the Illinois Commerce Commission (RE: Docket No. 23-0475) and to the Iowa Utilities Board (Docket No. HLP-2022-0002)**
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Sign Our Petition to the Army Corps
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced in March 2023 that it extended its environmental review of Enbridge Energy's Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project. The project's Environmental Impact Statement was previously set to be finished by late this year but now will be issued no earlier than Spring 2025.
While Local 798 members are supportive of a comprehensive permitting process that ensures opportunity for review and comment, we are disappointed with the extended timeline on this project's already thorough environmental impact analysis. Join us in sending a message to the Army Corps in support of a swift review so construction can finally move forward.
Dear Secretary:
I stand with Pipeliners Local 798 in expressing disappointment in the U.S. Army Corps's decision to extend its environmental review of Enbridge Energy's Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project. The permitting process for Line 5 already ensured extensive opportunity for review and comment, through which Enbridge repeatedly demonstrated a commitment to maintaining the highest level of safety and environmental responsibility.
Enbridge's proactive dedication to safety includes diligent 24/7 monitoring of the Straits crossing, regular inspections and operating the line at less than 25 percent of its maximum design capabilities to minimize stress on the pipeline steel and enhance safety. In November 2017, the company formally entered into an agreement with the state of Michigan outlining seven actions Enbridge was taking to protect the state’s water bodies within the project footprint. The following year, Enbridge announced another agreement with the state of Michigan that put in place enhanced inspection and operations protocols for the project. In the years that followed, Enbridge has continued to work closely with landowners, tribal leaders and safety experts to ensure the safest and most efficient pipeline operation.
There are several reasons why I believe the Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project deserves swift approval from the Army Corps and other decision makers, including:
- Enbridge has a proactive inspection program to monitor the fitness of Line 5, including evaluating the pipe’s interior inch by inch every five years using in-line inspection tools that provide detail on par with MRIs in the medical industry;
- All products that enter the pipeline are inspected and treated to prevent corrosion, and the system is operated at a low pressure to minimize stress on the pipe – all in an effort to protect the pipeline and the Straits;
- Over the past several years, Enbridge has paid tens of millions of dollars in property taxes in the state for its energy infrastructure projects, which has been invested in schools, roads and bridges and other important public services;
- The Line 5 Straits Tunnel Project will create good jobs for the local workforce, many of whom include Local 798 members.
The permitting process for Line 5 already ensured more than adequate opportunity for review and comment, through which Enbridge has demonstrated a clear plan with the project to help ensure an uninterrupted supply of reliable, affordable energy to Michigan and the region. This is why I ask the Army Corps to efficiently complete this review and approve necessary permits without any further delay.
Signed,
[Names Below]
**Local 798 may submit this petition to state and federal regulators and other decision makers to support Line 5.**
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Sign Our Petition Supporting CCS Projects
Despite the significant environmental and economic benefits that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) infrastructure projects generate, activists aim to halt their development and kill the jobs they provide, many belonging to Local 798 members.
Stand up for our livelihoods! Sign our petition below that we will submit to decision makers in support of CCS projects across the country.
Dear [Official]:
As an energy consumer concerned about our nation’s economic future and the state of our environment, I am proud to support the investment in and development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) infrastructure projects.
CCS projects receive bipartisan support precisely because they represent a common-sense solution to the challenge of “building back better” as we emerge from a pandemic-induced economic downturn, and as we continue to address the growing urgency to lower carbon emissions.
Given the energy limitations and high cost of infrastructure associated with “clean energy” alternatives, such as solar and wind power, it is difficult to imagine how federal climate objectives (including reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050) are met without widespread carbon capture and sequestration.
These projects also generate substantial economic activity, as many require installation of new infrastructure specifically to capture the CO2 emissions before they are emitted into the atmosphere. Summit Carbon Solutions’ Midwest Carbon Express Project, for example, is anticipated to support up to 17,000 jobs during construction alone and will install new infrastructure in 31 ethanol plants across five states, indirectly supporting jobs for workers in other industries across dozens of communities.
I support Carbon Capture and Storage pipeline projects for the following reasons:
- We must substantially increase carbon capture and storage capacity to help reach emission reduction goals; a July report from the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality found that a CCS industry large enough to meet the “net zero” emissions goal by 2050 would require 68,000 miles of new CO2 pipelines. This simply cannot happen unless we invest in meaningful change in our nation’s energy infrastructure now;
- CCS infrastructure is already making a significant difference in emissions reductions. One facility in Wyoming, for example, captures enough carbon dioxide each day to equate to removing 1.5 million cars from the roadways;
- CCS projects generate critical economic activity and support good-paying jobs for our nation's industry craftsmen, many of whom are Local 798 members;
- Carbon capture technology carries a remarkably safe track record. It has successfully been in use since the 1990s, and there are roughly 5,000 miles of CO2 pipeline and 40 ethanol plants using this technology in the U.S.
For these reasons, I urge decision makers to join me in support of Carbon Capture and Storage infrastructure projects – for our nation’s immediate and long-term future.
Signed
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Sign Our Willow Project Support Petition
The Willow Master Development Plan Project (Willow Project) is a critical energy project in the North Slope of Alaska from ConocoPhillips that is expected to generate billions of dollars in local, state and federal revenue and support 2,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs – many going to Local 798 members.
In March 2023, the Biden Administration approved the project - and a federal judge upheld the approval later that year. The project likely faces legal challenges, however, that would stall construction. Sign our petition below supporting this important project as it faces more milestones ahead.
I commend the Biden Administration for showing its support for the Willow Master Development Plan Project (Willow Project), and I urge state and federal decision makers to follow suit to ensure swift approval of this critical project that will generate much-needed economic activity in Alaska, supply affordable, domestic energy and create good-paying jobs for the area workforce.
The project’s approval comes after years of analysis, significant public input, completion of the environmental impact statement (EIS) and biological opinion (BiOp) and consultation with cooperating agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Throughout every stage, the Willow Project has demonstrated its commitment to transparency, public involvement and environmental safety. The comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Supplement Draft EIS, for example, generated more than 31,000 submissions during comment periods and influenced ConocoPhillips to amend its application to modify its project design, including a change to incorporate a new module delivery option. In the end, the project’s final EIS, which consists of seven volumes and over 3,6000 pages, took more than two years and some six million dollars to draft, evaluate and finalize.
Project development would generate thousands of jobs for area craftsmen and produce substantial revenue for the federal government, State of Alaska, North Slope Borough and communities in the NPR-A.
I support the Willow Project due to the following key benefits:
- The infrastructure will generate a potential $10 billion dollars in federal, state and local economic activity over its lifetime;
- Project construction is expected to support 2,000 jobs, and operation will require approximately 300 permanent jobs, many of which will go to Local 798 members;
- The project is designed to produce approximately 586 million barrels of oil over its lifetime, including up to 160,000 barrels a day, helping to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil;
- The project has undergone rigorous review of potential environmental and ecological impacts. The Army Corps, in particular, found the Willow Project would “not cause significant” negative impacts.
The Biden Administration took the right step with its court filing in support of the Willow Project, and I urge other decision makers to issue necessary permits in a timely manner.
Signed,
[Names below]
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Pledge To Be An Energy Voter
With the right leadership and vision, we can ensure all Americans benefit from our nation’s emergence as an energy leader. It’s time to fulfill our bright energy future; it’s time to vote for candidates that support Local 798 jobs and the work that we do.
Join Local 798 by signing the petition and becoming an Energy Voter.
I understand the urgent need for clean, affordable and domestically sourced energy in my community, across my state and in throughout the nation. That is why I stand with political candidates and elected officials who show their support for an energy pipeline network that will safely and efficiently transport the nation’s abundant supply of domestic natural gas and oil supplies.
America is leading the world in oil and natural gas production. Working together, we can do even more. Producing, refining and transporting more domestic oil and natural gas will mean more abundant energy – and that means more affordable energy for American families and businesses.
We know there is enough potential domestic energy to serve all residential, business and industrial needs across the country. Yet, support for critical energy infrastructure is lacking among our political leaders.
To support my livelihood, my family and my community, I will enter the voting booth informed about how political leaders stand on the issue of energy infrastructure development. I will do my part to help elect leaders who recognize the tremendous benefits of and need to grow our energy transportation network and who support the union workforce that will build it.
Sincerely,
American Energy Industry Supporter
Steve Smith 556sc