Last Friday MDN told you about two Democrat backbenchers trying to make trouble for Energy Transfer (via Rover Pipeline), as well as make trouble for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see Two Democrat Backbenchers Try to Interfere in Rover Pipe, FERC). Sen. Maria Cantwell (from Washington State) and Congressman Frank Pallone (from New Jersey) are using recent problems with the construction of the $3.7 billion, 711-mile Rover Pipeline project that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada, to target Energy Transfer and FERC. To be sure, Rover has had its issues–with drilling mud spills, water in trenches and knocking down a dilapidated old house that was on a list of historic sites. In a surprising (and frankly, stupid) move, Energy Transfer’s CEO Kelcy Warren wrote a letter responding to lightweights Cantwell and Pallone. He calls a FERC investigation of his company (which is part of what Cantwell and Pallone are demanding), based on problems with Rover, to be “unprecedented” and “extrajudicial.” Warren is right, of course. But he’s not the one who should be making the case. It makes Energy Transfer seem defensive. In the case of backbenchers Cantwell and Pallone, best just to ignore them…
