February 10, 2017

Canton Repository Editorial Board: Rover Pipeline Will Bring “Next Phase” for Ohio Natural Gas

Following the Rover Pipeline’s approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a number of national, state, and regional news outlets have reported on the development.

One piece in particular, however, stood out to the Coalition for the Expansion of Pipeline Infrastructure. This week, the Canton Repository  published an opinion piece by the newspaper’s editorial board on the Rover Pipeline and the many positive impacts that the project will create in Ohio. As the editorial board relates:

Last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a multibillion-dollar, interstate pipeline project that will allow 3.25 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day to be shipped from the Utica and Marcellus shales to markets in the Great Lakes, Midwest and Gulf Coast regions and to Canada. Portions of the 710-mile, dual 42-inch-diameter pipeline will cross southwestern Stark, as well as Tuscarawas and Carroll counties.

That’s good news for the local, regional and state economy. Such infrastructure is a critical connection for oil and gas producers in the Appalachian Basin. They will be able to move natural gas from processing facilities in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia to a hub in Defiance, Ohio, then to interconnecting pipelines in Michigan and Ontario.

The benefits come in many forms, from the temporary construction jobs that will be created to build the pipeline to the businesses that will supply the materials, like pipes and fittings. As many as 10,000 construction jobs will be created for the project, including between 4,500 and 6,500 in Ohio. An estimated 76 percent of the materials that will be used for the pipeline will be made in the United States.

The piece goes on to underscore the benefits not only during the construction process but also from Rover’s operation – which will provide natural gas for a range of industries in the state:

It also will be consequential for manufacturers of all sorts and the agriculture industry, both of which rely heavily on massive amounts of energy for production. They’ll benefit from the affordable, locally produced natural gas that the Rover Pipeline will provide. Residential and commercial consumers of natural gas also stand to benefit.

Pipelines are the most efficient and environmentally friendly way of transporting this energy resource.

Notably, the article also underscores the Rover project’s commitment to a responsible construction process:

Energy Transfer Partners, the Texas-based firm of which Rover is a subsidiary, rerouted the pipeline twice from its original proposed path to address concerns of property owners and regulators. Furthermore, new technology and environmental regulations, including new EPA standards aimed at reducing methane and other toxic emissions, will help mitigate the risks of such a project.

As the editorial board concludes, “That the Rover Pipeline project received the green light means we will start to see the next phase of Ohio’s emerging oil and gas industry take shape.” CEPI applauds the Canton Repository for amplifying these many important aspects of the Rover Pipeline.