Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s shale gas boom also has a key ingredient for electric vehicles

Published

7 months ago

May 21, 2024

Pennsylvania’s shale gas boom also has a key ingredient for electric vehicles

Mackey’s research, published recently in Nature Scientific Reports, says the brine water that lies deep within the Marcellus Shale — and comes to the surface during gas production — could provide 38–40% of the current domestic demand for lithium, which is estimated at 3,000 metric tons a year. But that demand is expected to jump to 340,000 metric tons by 2032.

Lithium is now considered one of the most essential components for the energy transition. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are light and able to store a lot of energy. They power electric vehicles, computers, iPhones and large battery storage facilities.

“So, we’re going to need a lot of lithium if we’re going to decarbonize all of these things,” Mackey said.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires electric vehicle batteries to use domestically sourced raw materials by 2030. The law’s aim was to reduce dependency on Chinese sources of lithium and will likely increase the domestic demand. The Biden administration also recently imposed steep tariffs on electric batteries and vehicles coming from China.

More than half of the global supply of lithium is extracted from subsurface brine deposits in Chile and Argentina’s Atacama Desert, then shipped to China to be processed into lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, which is then used to make lithium-ion batteries.

David Boutt, a hydrogeologist and professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who was not involved in the study, said the analysis done shows the Marcellus Shale could be a large source of lithium.

“These are very high lithium concentrations. And some of them are approaching concentrations of lithium that we see in [South America],” said Boutt, who researches lithium systems in the U.S., Canada and South America. He said in South America, there are concerns about extracting too much water in an arid landscape.

“So having a source of lithium in what is essentially a waste product is a really important step,” he said. “I think how we get [enough supply] is having multiple sources of lithium that have low-carbon and low-water footprints.”

But extracting the lithium from the wastewater is not easy, Boutt said, and would require a large amount of energy.

While the U.S. has very little current domestic supply, it does have the world’s first lithium mine in Nevada. The Silver Peak mine extracts lithium using hard-rock mining, which is energy and water-intensive. The Department of Energy just agreed to a $2.26 billion loan to help jump-start another lithium mine in Thacker Pass, Nevada.

A new domestic source of lithium from brine is the Smackover Formation of Arkansas, operated by Standard Lithium. Exxon Mobil has invested heavily in lithium production in that formation.

But questions remain on the economic feasibility of extracting lithium from Marcellus Shale wastewater.

One company that operates in the Marcellus Shale has already begun developing a process to extract lithium from the wastewater. Eureka Resources reported back in July that it “extracted 97% pure lithium carbonate from oil and natural gas brine from production activities with up to a 90% recovery rate.”

The company is based in Williamsport and operates two wastewater treatment facilities in Pennsylvania. It says it uses a closed loop system that combines “physical and chemical treatment, concentration and crystallization,” similar to the process it uses to extract and sell salts, such as sodium chloride and calcium chloride. In the press release, it said it expects to be selling lithium within two years.

But Boutt said it’s unlikely that oil and gas companies are going to rush to sell lithium. “There’s a lot of work that goes into making battery-grade lithium,” he said.

And once the lithium is extracted, there is still the issue of disposal of the remaining wastewater that could still contain toxic substances, whether it gets used to frack another well or if it gets shipped off to a deep injection well for disposal.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania ranks third for police misconduct settlement cases

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Pennsylvania ranks third for police misconduct settlement cases

Perry’s story may help understand some of the findings of a Whitley Law Firm study, originating in North Carolina, that analyzed police misconduct settlement figures nationwide, documenting patterns and covering numerous jurisdictions.

According to the study, Pennsylvania has paid more than $59 million total for four police misconduct settlements, from 2010 to 2014, ranking the commonwealth third-highest (an average of $14.8 million per settlement) in the nation for large payout amounts.

New York leads the nation in settlement costs, averaging $73 million per case and ultimately exceeding $1.1 billion in total settlements.

A closer look at Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, the study showed the city paid $54 million for police misconduct cases settled between 2010 and 2014.

The family of Walter Wallace Jr. received a $2.5 million settlement in 2021, a year after Wallace was fatally shot by police while experiencing a mental health crisis near his home in Cobbs Creek.

However, Wallace family attorney Shaka Johnson called the payment “cheap” in some respects, noting that the family has the right to use the funds to honor Walter’s memory. His death, which occurred months after the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, further fueled demands for police reform. Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked nationwide protests and calls for accountability.

Similarly, Wallace’s killing deeply affected Philadelphia residents, prompting demands for changes in law enforcement policies, training and accountability measures.

The Whitley study underscores the steep costs of misconduct settlements and the systemic issues they expose. The report highlighted the need for preventative issues, such as improved policies and police training, to reduce wrongful deaths.

“Every dollar spent on a misconduct settlement is a dollar that could have been invested in community resources, safety initiatives, and police training,” the report states. “It’s critical that we work to ensure these settlements become rare, not routine.”

The cases of Wallace and Floyd stand as stark reminders of the urgent need for systemic reforms to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Michael Collins, senior director of state and local policy for social justice nonprofit Color of Change, blames the high number of misconduct payment settlements on strong police unions in this country.

Michael Collins (Courtesy Color of Change)

“The Fraternal Order of Police, which acts to protect indefensible cop behavior, they will negotiate as part of the contract ways in which account is very watered down,” Collins told WHYY News in an interview. “They will, you know, protect officers who are tied to, like, white supremacists. They will protect officers who have previously engaged in misconduct, they will erect obstacles that do not occur for investigations into regular members of the public.”

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Pennsylvania

Woman walking dog hit, killed by SUV driver in Pennsylvania

Published

12 hours ago

December 18, 2024

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Woman walking dog hit, killed by SUV driver in Pennsylvania – CBS Pittsburgh

Watch CBS News

A woman and her dog were hit and killed by the driver of an SUV in McCandless on Tuesday night.

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Pennsylvania

When you can celebrate the holidays at Pennsylvania-area theme parks this season

Published

20 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

When you can celebrate the holidays at Pennsylvania-area theme parks this season

You are roughly a one-tank trip away from spending part of the holidays at Knoebels, Hersheypark or Sesame Place, as each is open throughout the festive season.

Here’s what you need to know before you you go.

Are theme parks open in Pennsylvania on holidays?

These theme parks are open during the holiday season. Several also have end-of-year celebrations worth checking out as well.

Crayola Experience: The Crayola Experience will be open daily through the holiday season, including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Dutch Winter Wonderland: Dutch Winter Wonderland is open from 3 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28 and 29. Dutch Winter Wonderland will be closed on Christmas Day and will be open on New Year’s Eve.
Hersheypark: Hersheypark will close for the season on New Year’s Day at 9 p.m. Hersheypark will also be closed on Christmas Day, and will be open on New Year’s Eve.
Kennywood: will be open on weekends from 3 to 9 p.m., and on Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. through January. Kennywood is closed on Christmas Day, and will be open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Knoebels Amusement Resort: according to its calendar, Knoebels will shut down for the season on New Year’s Eve with the last edition of the “Joy Through the Grove” drive-thru Christmas lights display. Knoebels will also be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Sesame Place Philadelphia: Sesame Place will close out its holiday season with the last run of “A Very Furry Christmas Celebration” on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Sesame Place will be open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Six Flags Great Adventure: Six Flags Great Adventure will close for the season at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Day with the last running of “Holiday in the Park” showcase. Six Flags Great Adventure will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but will be open on New Year’s Eve.

Which them parks are now closed for the season?

It stands to reason that most water-based parks would are already closed for the season.

DelGrosso’s Park & Laguna Splash, Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom and Waldameer & Water World are currently closed for the season, and will reopen in late spring/early summer.

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

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