Transition to renewable energy is related to competitive markets, currently favoring oil because of hidden subsidies like the lack of up front financial assurance to fund and assure that pipelines will be removed when they are abandoned. There are over 183,000 miles of active hazardous petroleum pipelines within the U.S. but no regulations to address abandoned pipelines.
The oil industry uses their profits to influence elected officials to deny the existence of anthropogenic climate change and obstruct efforts to address it.
We, therefore, petition the federal government to require up-front financial assurance for proper abandonment of crude oil pipelines as a condition of any permit issued by a federal agency or department. By MNDFL Env. Caucus