1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: Futuro investigates Investia. 2 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 2: Dear Latino USA listener, before we start, you should know 3 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 2: that if you want to listen to this episode ad free, 4 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 2: just join plus and you can join for as little 5 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: as seven dollars a month. Joining also gets you behind 6 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 2: the scenes access and yes, some cheese may so click 7 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 2: the link in the episode description and after you do that, 8 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 2: then click play. Let's go to the show. 9 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 3: We're still following breaking news of a major gas league 10 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 3: in Yazoo County in your Highway four thirty three and Highway. 11 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 3: At around seven pm on a Saturday in late February, 12 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 3: residents of the small village of Starsha in Mississippi heard 13 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 3: a loud boom, the major gas lake in Yazoo Counties 14 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: and a whole town fleeing their homes after heavy rains. 15 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 3: A pipeline carrying carbon dioxide or CO two ruptured. Ten 16 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 3: minutes after the rupture, the private company that ran the 17 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 3: pipelines close the main operating valves Forsatarsha, but in those 18 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 3: ten minutes, more than thirty thousand barrels of CO two 19 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 3: have been released into the air. Now residents started experiencing 20 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 3: symptoms and called nine. 21 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 4: One one I don't know if CONN they busted it, whatever, 22 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 4: but it's kind. 23 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 2: Of My daughter had breathing problem. 24 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 5: She's on the floor right now. 25 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 3: We'll got here. CO two is an asphyxient At high concentrations, 26 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 3: you can't breathe. 27 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 5: Its crowd, you know bad in here. 28 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 3: The pipeline company didn't immediately notify local authorities about what 29 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 3: had happened, so first responders reacted without having all the details. 30 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: Yes, we've got a ghastly up payer. 31 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 3: CO two displaces oxygen, so combustion engines like the ones 32 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 3: in regular vehicles don't work properly. In the event of 33 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 3: a CO two leak, Satasha ambulances had trouble responding to calls. 34 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 3: Some residents had to drive themselves to the hospital. In total, 35 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 3: forty five people were hospitalized for CO two poisoning that day, 36 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 3: and at least two hundred had to be evacuated. Years later, 37 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 3: some of Satasha's residents still report health problems related to 38 00:02:53,840 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 3: the gas leak. After the Satarsha incident, there was a 39 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 3: two year investigation by the federal government, which found that 40 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 3: there were glaring gaps in how CO two pipelines were regulated, 41 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 3: so the government started working on new rules. By January 42 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 3: of this year, five years after the incident, there was 43 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 3: finally an official proposal with new regulations that would prevent 44 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 3: something like this from happening again, but the Trump administration 45 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 3: quickly rescinded them before they went into effect. Satarsha is 46 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 3: an example of what can happen when a CO two 47 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 3: pipeline ruptures and leaks, and in the years to come, 48 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 3: there could be tens of thousands more of these pipelines. 49 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 3: That's because private companies want to build them for something 50 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 3: called carbon capture and storage, which I'll get into later, 51 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 3: but it's essentially a way to trap CO two to 52 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 3: keep it from going up in the atmosphere as a gas. 53 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 3: The plans include California, one of the most environmentally regulated states. 54 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 3: And here's something to keep in mind. There's a federal 55 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 3: tax credit that helps fund carbon capture and storage projects. 56 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 3: And hear this. The Trump Administration's Big Beautiful Bill is 57 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 3: getting rid of or phasing out most environmentally friendly programs, 58 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 3: but not this one. In fact, the bill is not 59 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 3: only keeping it, it's going to expand it because depending 60 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 3: on who you ask, this is a critical way to 61 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 3: address the climate crisis or a subsidy for big oil. 62 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 3: So we're going to California's Central Valley, where there's a 63 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 3: plan to build CO two pipelines. Many in the community 64 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 3: are afraid of its risks and unsure if it's benefits. 65 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 2: From Fudromdia. It's Latino USA im Maria no Josa Today, 66 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 2: producer of Victoria Estrada, brings us a deep look into 67 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: carbon capture. It's a controversial technology that addresses the climate crisis, 68 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 2: and we look at how it's being tested in California. 69 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 2: In twenty twenty four, the planet reached an all time 70 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 2: high of carbon emissions. Carbon dioxide or CO two, has 71 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 2: been proven to be one of the main factors that's 72 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 2: contributing to the planets warming. California, which is the fourth 73 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 2: largest economy in the world, has vowed to go carbon 74 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 2: neutral by twenty forty five. That means that it will 75 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as it releases. 76 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: To achieve that goal, specialized technologies are coming into the state, 77 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 2: including the one we mentioned, carbon capture and storage. Latino 78 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 2: USA producer Victoria Estrada traveled to California Central Valley. That's 79 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 2: the place where many new carbon capture projects are being proposed, 80 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 2: and Victoria brings us this story. 81 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 3: I turned onto Buttonwellow Road, which turns into Elkell Road. 82 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 3: Kerr County is at the southernmost part of California Central Valley, 83 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:30,559 Speaker 3: about two hours north of Los Angeles. This is fertile land. 84 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 3: Kerrent County alone produces almost all of the carrots weed 85 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 3: in the United States. More than half of the population 86 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 3: here is Latino and a lot of them work in 87 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 3: the fields. There's a lot of trees. I'm not sure 88 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 3: what kind of fruit trees they are. There's another industry 89 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:49,479 Speaker 3: that's also very present. 90 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 5: Oil. 91 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's the first wall. As I drove through the 92 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 3: Elk Hills oil field, I saw hills covered in pump 93 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 3: jacks machines that pull oil from the wells. Looks like 94 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 3: watching a dinosaur, you know. They're metal and look kind 95 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 3: of like giant hammers or pick axis with a polly 96 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 3: attached to one end of the head. I drove through 97 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 3: here because this is a place where the first carbon 98 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 3: capture and storage project in all of California is slated 99 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 3: to go up. The project is owned by the California 100 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 3: Resources Corporation, which is the largest oil and gas company 101 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 3: in the State. They're calling this project carbon terra vault Ie. 102 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,679 Speaker 3: So what exactly is carbon capture and storage? Let me explain. 103 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 3: Let's say you've got a coal fired power plant or 104 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 3: a natural gas plant that's emitting carbon dioxide, and on 105 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 3: top of the factory's chimney where the smoke comes out, 106 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 3: you put equipment to trap the CO two. Once captured, 107 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 3: the CO two go through a chemical process and it's 108 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 3: turned from gas into a type of liquid that you 109 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 3: can then inject underground to store Here in el Kills. 110 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: The plan is to put the liquid CO two in 111 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 3: the underground deposits that used to hold oil, hopefully permanently 112 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 3: or at least for hundreds of years. Some people in 113 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 3: the community are nervous about the project, in part because 114 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 3: of oil companies behind it. 115 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 6: We grow up with oil and gas wells in our 116 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 6: backyards next to schools. 117 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 3: This is CSA Aguirri. He works at the Central California 118 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 3: Environmental Justice Network in Bakersfield, Kerrent County's largest city. 119 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 6: There's so much cut corners in California oil and gas 120 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 6: law and enforcement. 121 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 3: He's seen firsthand how government regulations aren't always enough to 122 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 3: keep oil companies in check. 123 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 6: The number One issue for a lot of government agencies 124 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 6: is capacity, and they don't have the manpower, they don't 125 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 6: have the hours, they don't have the needed tools in 126 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 6: order to properly inspect and respond to leaks because of 127 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 6: the vast amount of infrastructure that exists. 128 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 3: And looking at the possibility of a local carbon capture 129 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 3: project is making him recap the drawbacks of living in 130 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 3: a place with a strong oil industry. 131 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 6: In twenty fourteen, there was a pipeline leak that caused 132 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 6: eight families to be evacuated for nine months from their homes. 133 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 3: And we have breaking news out of Arvin tonight where 134 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,239 Speaker 3: several homes have been evacuated due to a potentially dangerous 135 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 3: gas leak. Flammable gases, including methane, had been accumulating underneath 136 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 3: the soil and started spreading to the houses. 137 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 4: Officials don't know how long the company's pipeline has been leaking. 138 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 6: And the gas leak it was discovered coming out of 139 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,680 Speaker 6: the outlets of a room of a woman that was pregnant. 140 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 4: Residents in this neighborhood behind me say that they could 141 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 4: smell gas for several days. 142 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 6: One in that house has chronic bloody noses or allergies. 143 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 6: One of the people that was living inside of that 144 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 6: house has lung cancer. 145 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 3: This wasn't an isolated event, says that and his team 146 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 3: have documented other leaks in Current County that want to 147 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 3: notice for months, even years, and the gas leaks, along 148 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 3: with other pollutants from the oil and agriculture industries, have 149 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 3: turned Current County into the place with the worst air 150 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 3: quality in the country. Kurrent County's Planning and Natural Resources 151 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 3: departments said they're imposing more than ninety measures to mitigate 152 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 3: risks on the Carbon Terrible project to prevent anything like 153 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 3: what happened in Mississippi. But since carving capture is an 154 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 3: industrial and chemical process that releases. 155 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 6: Other pollutants, one of the biggest concerns is how is 156 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 6: this going to add to our pollution burden. 157 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 3: There's also issues with the place where Carbon Terra Vault 158 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 3: is supposed to store the CO two Because there's so 159 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,559 Speaker 3: many wells in the Elk Hills oil field, CO two 160 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 3: could leak through any unused well that hasn't been properly sealed. 161 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 3: Plus this is a seismic area. Geologists estimate that there's 162 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 3: a twenty percent chance that an earthquake could damage the 163 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 3: project in the next hundred years. So despite all of 164 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 3: these questions, if this is a way to address the 165 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 3: climate crisis, our carbon capture projects worth it. 166 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 5: We actually have no information about the amount of money 167 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 5: that the American tacpayer is paying for this purported climate solution, 168 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 5: and whether or not it's a good deal, Like, are 169 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 5: we getting anything for it? 170 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 3: That's after the break. 171 00:11:51,600 --> 00:12:23,839 Speaker 2: Stay with us. Yes, hey, we're back. And before the break, 172 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 2: we heard about a technology coming to California's Central Valley. 173 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 2: It's called carbon capture and storage. Supporters say it's a 174 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 2: way to address the climate crisis, but for others it 175 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 2: simply has way too many potentially deadly risks that the 176 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 2: New USA producer Victori Esta that is going to continue 177 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 2: the reporting now. 178 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 3: Carbon capture has been presented as a win win solution 179 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:53,319 Speaker 3: for the climate crisis. It removes CO two from the atmosphere, 180 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:57,319 Speaker 3: it creates jobs, and it makes the oil industry, which 181 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 3: the country still relies on, heavily clean up. 182 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 7: There's dangers, there's concerns in every project in every kind 183 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 7: of industry, But if you're mitigating those is worth that 184 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 7: risk to supply jobs to people that need them. 185 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 3: Rick Garcia is president of the local chapter of the 186 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 3: League of United Latin American Citizens or LULAK, the largest 187 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 3: and oldest Hispanic organization in the United States. Rick is 188 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 3: retired now, but for decades he worked in the oil 189 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 3: industry as an environmental consultant. For him, the oil industry 190 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 3: means employment. 191 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 7: The fact that carbon capture keeps oil and gas going 192 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 7: in California, we're happy for that because we see the 193 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 7: benefits to the communities as far as jobs go. 194 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 3: Even of temporary Rick said. See the carbon Terravault one 195 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 3: project at the center of the story is expected to 196 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:58,679 Speaker 3: create only about ten permanent positions and around eighty separate 197 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 3: temporary construction at the start. According to government data, only 198 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 3: three percent of jobs in Cerrent County are directly related 199 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 3: to oil and gas companies. That's about thirteen hundred people, 200 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 3: and just under half of those positions are held by Latinos. 201 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 7: There's many examples just right here in Button Willow of 202 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 7: kids from that came from farm labor backgrounds and they 203 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 7: were able to establish themselves, you know, either in solar 204 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 7: projects or wind or oil and gas, and we view 205 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 7: this carbon capture is another avenue for those type of jobs. 206 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 3: Not everyone agrees that carbon capture is a generator of 207 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 3: green jobs. 208 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 5: It had been built as a climate solution, but this 209 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 5: is truly at its core and oil production subsidy. 210 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 3: This is Maggie Coulter. She's a senior attorney at the 211 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 3: Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity. Maggie 212 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 3: takes issue at the way the federal government has been 213 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 3: promoting carbon capture and storage through a tax credit called 214 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 3: forty five Q. I know this is starting to sound 215 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 3: like an episode of severance, but stay with me. With 216 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 3: forty five Q, private companies get a tax break when 217 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 3: they take CO two and store it underground. But for Maggie, 218 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 3: the problem is that no one's actually checking that the 219 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 3: CO two is really being put away. 220 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 5: They're relying on either the company submitting independent third party 221 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 5: verification of the storage or a self certified verification that's 222 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 5: submitted to the EPA. 223 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 3: The IRS relies on the Environmental Protection Agency for verification, 224 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 3: but the EPA doesn't have a mandate to do an 225 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 3: independent verification, so they simply don't do it. 226 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 5: So there's really no true verification of the actual sequestration. 227 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 3: It's a system based on trust, and that trust alone 228 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 3: it doesn't always work. A twenty twenty investigation by the 229 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 3: Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that almost a 230 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 3: billion dollars had been improperly claimed under the forty five 231 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 3: Q tax credit one billion dollars. 232 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 5: And nothing has changed in the reporting mechanism since that investigation. 233 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 3: And there's more. Under the tax credit, companies can use 234 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 3: the CO two. They capture the CO two that they're 235 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 3: supposed to turn into liquid and store safely underground for 236 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 3: at least one hundred years, they can use that to 237 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 3: actually pull more oil from the ground. 238 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 5: It's injected into an existing oil well and used as 239 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 5: a surfactant to scrub out additional oil in what's calling 240 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 5: enhanced oil recovery. 241 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 3: If you're confused, you're not alone. It took me a second, 242 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 3: Okay more than a second to process that the same 243 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 3: carbon dioxide that these private companies are saying they're trapping 244 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 3: to keep it away from us and getting massive tax 245 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 3: credits and doing so, they're not actually getting rid of 246 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 3: the carbon. They're in fact using it to pump more oil. 247 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 3: Around eighty percent of the money claimed under this program 248 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 3: has been used for enhanced oil recovery, or as Maggie 249 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 3: plainly put it earlier, a subsidy for oil production. The 250 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 3: irony wasn't lost on California lawmakers, so in twenty twenty two, 251 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 3: the state passed the law banning the use of carbon 252 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 3: capture for enhanced oil recovery. But Trump's One Big Beautiful 253 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 3: Act expanded the forty five C credit so that companies 254 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 3: can get more money if they use the COEO too, 255 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 3: they capture specifically for enhanced oil recovery. 256 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 5: Why we're giving a tax credit for a production of 257 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,679 Speaker 5: a pollutant. It's almost like a climate fraud. There's no 258 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 5: proof that any of this technology is actually benefiting our atmosphere. 259 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 3: Last year, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis 260 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:19,360 Speaker 3: estimated that taxpayers could be handing over eight hundred billion 261 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:23,680 Speaker 3: dollars to private oil companies under this tax credit. That's 262 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 3: almost three times California state budget for the next fiscal year. 263 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 3: Last October, the Kerrent County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved 264 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 3: the permit for the Carbon Terable one project. 265 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:40,679 Speaker 5: On favor or please guests your votes the motion has 266 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 5: approved all eyes. 267 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 3: A few months later, the EPA also approved the project. 268 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 3: The permit allows the California Resources Corporation to inject CO 269 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 3: two into the Elk Hills oil field for twenty six 270 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,400 Speaker 3: years before they can start the project. The EPA required 271 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 3: the company to seal two hundred wells where carbon dioxide 272 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 3: is expected to migrate during the project, two hundred out 273 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 3: of thousands of existing wells in that field. 274 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 2: We'll be right back. Hey, we're back. Here's producer Victory 275 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 2: Estra with the rest of the story. 276 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,880 Speaker 3: Since at least the nineteen sixties, oil and gas companies 277 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 3: had known that burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change, 278 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 3: but they work to keep this from the public. They 279 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 3: undermined the negative effects. Instead went on a pr campaign 280 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 3: to tout their environmental efforts, like this chevron ad from 281 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty five. 282 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 8: On the coast of California, Will big jets reach for 283 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 8: the sky and one of the smallest endangered species quietly 284 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 8: reaches for its dinner on land that's part of an 285 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:20,719 Speaker 8: oil refinery. 286 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 3: The video assumes in on a very small blue butterfly. 287 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 3: It looks like a cross between a nature video and 288 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 3: tourism ad. 289 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,120 Speaker 8: People who work there protect the area and plant buckwet. 290 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 3: Fast forward to today, and oil companies are evolving their campaigns, 291 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 3: from explicit denial of the science of climate change to 292 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 3: misleading information about their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 293 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 3: This was a finding in a twenty twenty four report 294 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 3: that came out of a three year investigation by Democratic 295 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 3: staff of the House Oversight Committee and the Senate Budget Committee. 296 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 3: The report was called Denial, Disinformation, and doublespeak Big Oil's 297 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 3: evolving efforts to avoid accountability for climate change. The report 298 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 3: says that oil companies are presenting carbon capture to the 299 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:18,640 Speaker 3: public as a viable solution to greenhouse gas emissions without 300 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 3: acknowledging all of the issues with the technology. These private 301 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,199 Speaker 3: oil companies are forking up huge sums of money for 302 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 3: extensive media campaigns promoting this technology. 303 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 7: The wor all needs ways to reduce carbon emissions. We 304 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 7: are working on solutions in our own operations, like carbon capture. 305 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 3: While this is our front facing stance. The report shows 306 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 3: that behind closed doors, companies talk about carbon capture as 307 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 3: a way to prolong the use of fossil fuels. They 308 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 3: also recognize that it's costly to scale. Internal documents subpoenut 309 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 3: by Congress show oil companies aren't willing to invest in 310 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 3: the technology to actually make this a climate solution, and 311 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 3: instead are pursuing taxpayer dollars for these projects, even though 312 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 3: in recent years fossil fuel companies have reported tens of 313 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:26,640 Speaker 3: billions of dollars in record profits. After the incident in Satarsha, Mississippi, 314 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 3: California put in place a partial moratorium on CO two 315 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 3: pipeline construction until new federal guidelines were published. For now, 316 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 3: California Resources Corporation, the company behind the carbon project in 317 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,199 Speaker 3: the Central Valley, can only build pipelines to transport CO 318 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 3: two within their own property. But after the Trump administration 319 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 3: didn't allow for new regulations, there's been pressure on the 320 00:22:53,119 --> 00:22:55,360 Speaker 3: state Congress to lift the moratorium. 321 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 8: We feel that momentum is there and the moratorium should 322 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 8: be lifted later this year. 323 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 3: This is audio from an earnings call of the California 324 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 3: Resources Corporation. 325 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,160 Speaker 7: So once that unlocks, then the ability to talk about 326 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 7: a meters, to be able to talk about the business 327 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 7: model is going to start. 328 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: Crystallizing a lot more. 329 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 7: But we need that physical connectivity that comes with two 330 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 7: pipelines being approved. 331 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 3: Right now, there are fifteen carbon capture plants already operating 332 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 3: in a handful of states, in the US, including Texas 333 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 3: and Wyoming, but so far the results are not impressive. 334 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 3: These facilities only capture less than half of one percent 335 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 3: of the country's total emissions. 336 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 6: Here in the Central Valley. It's kind of a sacrifice 337 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 6: zone for the rest of California. 338 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 3: This is says that again with the nonprofit Central California 339 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 3: Environmental Justice Network, a coalition of organizations including CESSAS, sued 340 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 3: Current County over the recent permits. 341 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 6: It's always in the Central Valley. It's always in the 342 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 6: rural communities. It's always where they see so little value 343 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 6: in the lives of the people that live inside those 344 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 6: communities to say, hey, you know what, we should make 345 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 6: sure that something safe and find better alternatives before we 346 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:12,200 Speaker 6: treat you like guinea pigs. 347 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 3: The question lingers whether carbon capture and storage is an 348 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 3: effective way to deal with the climate crisis. A study 349 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 3: of these projects from around the world has shown that 350 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 3: most of them can be considered failures, either because they 351 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 3: significantly underperform in their CO two capture goals or because 352 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 3: they shut down after a few years of operation. 353 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 6: People kind of feel like, well, we're being treated like 354 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 6: a dump, right, That's why is it that they have 355 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 6: to put it underneath us. Why wouldn't they put this 356 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 6: in richer neighborhoods. 357 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 3: We reached out to the current county Planning and Natural 358 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 3: Resources Department for this story, and they reply that they 359 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 3: don't comment on projects that are in litigation. The EPA, 360 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 3: for its part, said that they only review whether a 361 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 3: project in dangers under ground sources of drinking water. Anything 362 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 3: else is outside of their scope. The California Resources Corporation 363 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 3: didn't reply to our request for comment for the story. 364 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 3: At one of the public hearings that were held last 365 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 3: year to discuss the Carbon Terrible One project in Kerrent County, 366 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 3: there was a lot of debate about the possible jobs 367 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 3: and tax revenue this could create versus the dangers and 368 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:32,880 Speaker 3: uncertainty of carbon capture. 369 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 5: This project is focused on improving the environment. I already 370 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 5: have in my family. 371 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 4: Children work cancert with asthma, even congenital. 372 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 7: There'll be jobs that last for years and years. 373 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 4: I understand the need for work, but enough is enough. 374 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 3: Between all the back and forth, a young community member 375 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 3: made his way up to the podium, and that really 376 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 3: put things into perspective. 377 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 4: I want this to happen because us. It's scary because oh, 378 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 4: that's why you cannot breathe and you can maybe pass 379 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,879 Speaker 4: or setting. So we don't want that happen. We just 380 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 4: don't want that happen because we won't all want to 381 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:13,360 Speaker 4: stay here. 382 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 3: Unwittingly, that kid may have spoken on behalf of his 383 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 3: future children or grandchildren. We won't be here to see 384 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 3: all of the consequences of the decisions made today trying 385 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 3: to address the climate crisis, but they surely will. 386 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,719 Speaker 2: This episode was produced by Victoria Strada. It was edited 387 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 2: by Andrea Lopez Cruzado. It was mixed by Julia Caruso. 388 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:11,959 Speaker 2: Fact checking for this episode by Roxanna Aguire. Fernando Echavari 389 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 2: is our managing editor. The Latino USA team also includes 390 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 2: Jessica Ellis Rinaldo, Leanoz Junior, Stephanie Lebau, Luis Luna Biori, 391 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 2: mar Marquez, Julieta Martinelli, Marta Martinez, Monica Morales, Garcia, JJ Carubin, 392 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 2: and Nancy Trujillo. Our intern is Diego Perdomo, Benni Leamres 393 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 2: and I are co executive producers and I'm your host 394 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 2: Mariano JSA. Latino USA is part of Iheart's Michael Dura 395 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 2: Podcast Network. Executive producers at iHeart are Leo Gomez and 396 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,919 Speaker 2: Arlene Santana. Join us again on our next episode. In 397 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 2: the meantime, I'll see you on all of our social 398 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 2: media and remember Gerido Guerida. Join Futuro Plus. 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