Pipelines

Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | PennEast Pipeline | Pipelines

PennEast Pipe Gives Holdout Landowners Feb 5 Deadline to Sign
February 2, 2018February 2, 2018

It took over three years, but finally PennEast Pipeline received a full, final approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) two weeks ago (see FERC Grants Final Approval for PennEast Pipe – Real Battle Begins). PennEast is a $1 billion, 120-mile primarily 36-inch natural gas pipeline that will stretch from Dallas (Luzerne County), PA to Transco’s pipeline interconnection near Pennington (Mercer County), NJ. The pipeline is an important conduit to move gas from the prolific gas fields of northeastern PA to markets in southeast PA and New Jersey. There has been plenty of opposition, mostly whipped up by Big Green groups like THE Delaware Riverkeeper and the nutty Sierra Clubbers of NJ. PennEast has been (for years) negotiating with landowners along the pipeline’s proposed route, to purchase easements. Some 75% of landowners have either signed leases and/or allowed survey access of their property. Some landowners apparently bought in to the Big Green lie that this project won’t happen, so they have refused to negotiate or allow survey access. Time has now run out. With the FERC certificate in hand, PennEast can now go to court and request eminent domain proceedings against the holdouts. PennEast has sent letters to the holdouts telling them they have until Feb. 5 to accept the generous offer PennEast has made. After that, the landowners can expect to receive court paperwork telling them to allow access. What generally happens is that (a) a court order appears granting PennEast access to the property now, and (b) months or even over a year later, a judge will decide what a fair value is (typically less than being offered by PennEast) for the lease. The holdouts should have known this day was coming, but denial is a powerful emotion…
Read More “PennEast Pipe Gives Holdout Landowners Feb 5 Deadline to Sign”
Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Regulation | Tuscarawas County

Rover “Frustrated” with FERC Order to Stop Drilling at Tuscarawas
January 31, 2018January 31, 2018

In a strongly worded letter dated Sunday, Rover Pipeline tells the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) they are “frustrated by the inaccurate central premise underlying the letter received from” FERC shutting down drilling at the Tuscarawas River location. On Jan. 24 FERC sent a letter to Rover stopping drilling at Tuscarawas, which had only restarted in December (see FERC Stops Rover Drilling Near River After 200K Gal Mud Disappears). In April 2017, some 2 million gallons of drilling mud went down the hole near the Tuscarawas River and popped back out where it should not have, harming a wetland by smothering aquatic life (see Rover Pipeline Accident Spills ~2M Gal. Drilling Mud in OH Swamp). That 2 million gallon “spill” in April triggered a shutdown of all HDD work in Ohio. It was only last December that Rover was allowed, by FERC, to resume more HDD work at the Tuscarawas site (see FERC Gives Rover OK to Resume All HDD Work, Incl. Tuscarawas River). After “losing” another 200K gallons down the hole, FERC shut it down a second time, on the 24th. So why is Rover frustrated? Because (a) losing some drilling mud was predicted and expected, and (b) NONE of the 200K gallons of mud lost has come back to the surface. There is no “inadvertent return,” as it’s called. Rover says 200K gallons staying down the hole, in the ground and not coming back out, is no big deal. That’s why they’re frustrated…
Read More “Rover “Frustrated” with FERC Order to Stop Drilling at Tuscarawas”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kentucky | Kinder Morgan | Pipelines | Regulation | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

Part of TGP’s Broad Run Pipe Expansion Starts Up in Kentucky
January 31, 2018January 31, 2018

In December 2016 MDN brought you news about Kinder Morgan’s “Broad Run Expansion Project” that will expand transportation capacity of natural gas on the existing Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) system. Antis tried to stop the project, but the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected their pleas (see FERC Denies Anti Request to Stop KM’s Broad Run Expansion Project). The Broad Run Expansion includes construction of two new compressor stations in Kanawha County, WV, one new compressor station in Davidson County, TN, and one new compressor station in Madison County, KY. TGP is also increasing compression capacity by modifying two of its existing compressor stations in Powell and Boyd counties in KY by replacing existing capacity with new, higher-rated horsepower compression units. The project will provide an extra 200,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of transportation capacity along the same path as the Broad Run Flexibility project, which was placed in service on Nov. 1, 2015. All of the additional gas will come from Antero Resources and their Marcellus/Utica program. Kinder/TGP has been busy working on the $406 million project and the pieces are now coming together. On Monday, FERC sent a letter to KM/TGP telling them the brand new compressor station in Madison County, KY can begin operations. KM plans to have the entire project up and running by June 1st of this year…
Read More “Part of TGP’s Broad Run Pipe Expansion Starts Up in Kentucky”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Shell | Statewide PA

Landowners Who Negotiate with Shell Ethane Pipeline Get More $
January 30, 2018February 2, 2018

In February 2016, MDN exclusively broke the news that Shell had begun to sign leases with landowners for a 97-mile ethane pipeline (two branches) to feed their mighty cracker plant (see Exclusive: Shell Leasing Land for 2 Pipelines to PA Cracker Plant). Since that time we’ve tracked any news we could find that reveals what Shell is paying landowners in Beaver County (and elsewhere) for the right to run the ethane pipeline (called the Falcon Ethane Pipeline) across their land. So far, we’ve seen rates as high as $75 per foot, and as low as $43 per foot. We just spotted another mention. An extensive (and well written) article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviews a number of landowners who have dealt with Shell, signing leases to allow the ethane pipeline across their land. The article opens with the story of a couple and their attempt to negotiate with Shell. If you play too hard to catch, Shell might route the pipeline around your land, onto your neighbor’s land instead. But sign too early, and maybe you’re leaving money on the table. It’s a fine line–causing stress and strain. In reading the article we really perked up when we read about Ed Bilik, founder of Greensburg-based Western Pennsylvania Gas Leasing Consultants. Ed was the first guy to sniff out the eventual path of the pipeline–which he did by knocking on doors to see where Shell landmen had already visited. Bilik eventually got 41 landowners to sign with him, allowing Bilik to help them with negotiations. According to Bilik, “Shell started out offering $40 per foot for the right to lay two pipelines.” Bilik would not say how much his clients eventually got from Shell, but he did say this: “We exceeded that [amount] multiple times,” meaning his clients got a whole lot more than $40/foot when they signed. Here’s a portion of this enlightening article…
Read More “Landowners Who Negotiate with Shell Ethane Pipeline Get More $”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Research

ISO New England Warns Blackouts Coming If No New Gas Pipelines
January 30, 2018January 29, 2018

How often do we have to repeat the warning that electrical blackouts are coming to New England if the region does not get new sources of natural gas by building more pipelines? This is not some reckless, wild eyed blogger guy saying it–the warning comes from the top, from the people who operate the electric grid! We first raised the warning back in 2014 (see Officials: New England Faces Blackouts Without New Nagas Pipeline). Last May ISO New England–the independent, non-profit Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) that manages the electric grid for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont–released a study that warned of a coming shortage of natural gas to fire electric power plants in wintertime (see Study: New England Electric Shortage from Lack of NatGas by 2025). ISO New England is back with another reporting warning of “dire scenarios in the future” if New England doesn’t wise up and get more natgas pipelines built. “Without additional natural gas pipeline capacity, rolling blackouts or other emergency actions will likely be needed by the winter of 2024-2025 to keep the power system operating reliably.” It’s sad to see New England’s so-called leaders continue to block new pipelines to the region. One or two well-placed pipelines from the Marcellus could help the region avert the completely predictable disaster that’s on the way…
Read More “ISO New England Warns Blackouts Coming If No New Gas Pipelines”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Pipelines | Regulation

After Months of Delay, Atlantic Coast Pipe Gets NC Water Permit
January 29, 2018January 29, 2018

Atlantic Coast Pipeline path through North Carolina – click for larger version

On Friday, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a federal stream/water crossing permit for Dominion’s $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP)–a natural gas pipeline that will stretch from West Virginia through Virginia and slice through the midsection of North Carolina, almost to the border with South Carolina. The permit comes more than a year and a half after Dominion and their partners filed an application for it. It is the final “biggie” permit required to construct the project in NC. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved ACP last October (see FERC Approves Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley Pipeline Projects). West Virginia previously issued a water crossing permit for the project, and Virginia recently granted a conditional approval for its water crossing permit. NC was the last domino to fall, and now it has. However, the project is still not out of the woods in NC just yet. First, the DEQ attached all sorts of extra requirements to the water permit they issued. Second, even though a water/stream crossing permit is the biggest and most important permit, NC continues to delay the project by withholding other permits (see NC Continues to Delay Atlantic Coast Pipe, Rejects Part of Erosion Plan). Friday’s water permit issuance was, however, a very positive development–a signal that the rest of the permits although delayed, will be forthcoming. Dominion said it will begin construction in NC (and VA and WV) this year, and finish the project sometime in 2019…
Read More “After Months of Delay, Atlantic Coast Pipe Gets NC Water Permit”
Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Canada Rejects Discounted Rates for U.S. Shale Gas to New Brunswick
January 29, 2018January 29, 2018

Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline map – click for larger version

The Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline (M&NP) runs from Goldboro, Nova Scotia through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to the Canadian – U.S. border near Baileyville, Maine. The pipeline continues through Maine and New Hampshire into Massachusetts where it connects with the existing North American pipeline grid at Dracut, Massachusetts. It used to be that offshore natural gas from Nova Scotia fed the pipeline, which ran from north to south. But those offshore fields are running low, and the Marcellus/Utica appeared. These days the M&NP runs from south to north–at least part of the system does. One of M&NP’s big customers is Irving Oil, with a refinery and cogeneration (natgas-fired) power plant in Saint John, New Brunswick. Irving is an M&NP customer. However, another pipeline company offered to build a new pipeline to feed Irving Oil’s operations with natural gas, at discount. M&NP said that’s crazy. They want to keep Irving as a customer, so they cut a deal with Irving to import natural gas from the U.S. (in all likelihood, Marcellus/Utica gas), flowing the gas from the Maine border to St. John and Irving’s operation there. The only thing standing in the way is the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB)–which is kind of like our own Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The deal offered by M&NP requires NEB approval because it lowers the toll (fee charged) and changes directions to import/flow U.S. gas to Irving. Last week the NEB rejected M&NP’s plan, saying the plan is “premature” because the Maritimes region is facing a period of uncertainty. It is not clear (to the NEB) where natural gas will ultimately come from, and what the market actually needs. Offshore? Canadian fields? Import from U.S.? It’s not yet clear how it will all shake out. So the NEB turned down M&NP’s request. What happens now?…
Read More “Canada Rejects Discounted Rates for U.S. Shale Gas to New Brunswick”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide OH | Sunoco Logistics

PHMSA Issues Notice of Probable Violation to ME2 Pipeline in Ohio
January 26, 2018January 26, 2018

In early January, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) told Sunoco Logistics Partners to suspend all work on the $2.5 billion Mariner East 2 (ME2) NGL pipline–from one side of the state to the other (see PA DEP Caves to Big Green Pressure, Stops All Work on ME2 Pipeline). No further digging of trenches, and no more underground horizontal directional drilling (HDD) work can be done “until Sunoco can demonstrate that the permit conditions can and will be followed.” The concern is that ME2 work is violating multiple permits, regulations and court-ordered restrictions. However, not ALL work was stopped. As we learned a week later, the DEP does not control and regulate everything–only the parts where dirt is moved (see Work on Mariner East 2 Continues Following “Stop Work” Order). There’s still work being done, like welding pieces of pipeline together, even today. Often overlooked in the ME2 project is the small part of the pipeline that crosses the border into Ohio. The PA DEP’s stop work order (and regulatory authority) does not extend there. The pipeline in Ohio is regulated by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Just coming to light now is a “Notice of Probable Violation” for ME2 in Ohio, issued by PHMSA on Jan. 11th. A PHMSA inspector noticed scrapes, coating damage and a “gouge” that extended into the pipe wall. Chance are none of it makes a hill of beans worth of difference. However, given the pipeline will flow “flammable” natural gas liquids (primarily ethane and propane), anything but a 100% standard of perfection gives antis an excuse to call for a halt to the project, both in Ohio and in PA, which they’re doing…
Read More “PHMSA Issues Notice of Probable Violation to ME2 Pipeline in Ohio”
Accidents | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide OH | Tuscarawas County

Analysts Speculate Rover Pipe Will be Delayed Following FERC Order
January 26, 2018January 26, 2018

Yesterday MDN brought you the news that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has slapped a stop work order on underground horizontal direction drilling (HDD) for Rover Pipeline at the site crossing under the Tuscarawas River (see FERC Stops Rover Drilling Near River After 200K Gal Mud Disappears). There is tough geography in that area. In April 2017, Rover lost approximately 2 million gallons of nontoxic drilling mud at that location, mud which leaked out of the hole and onto the ground (see Rover Pipeline Accident Spills ~2M Gal. Drilling Mud in OH Swamp). That accident caused a shutdown of all Rover HDD work in Ohio. Work eventually resumed (last year). Work at the Tuscarawas location didn’t resume until last December (see FERC Gives Rover OK to Resume All HDD Work, Incl. Tuscarawas River). But now Rover has lost another ~200,000 gallons of drilling mud in the Tuscarawas borehole. Hence the FERC order. Energy Transfer Partners, the builder of Rover, maintains the entire Rover project will be completed by the end of March. Given the new stop work order with no apparent resolution in sight for how ET plans to overcome the problems at Tuscarawas, industry analysts are now speculating that Rover will not be done by the end of March, as advertised…
Read More “Analysts Speculate Rover Pipe Will be Delayed Following FERC Order”
Accidents | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Regulation | Tuscarawas County

FERC Stops Rover Drilling Near River After 200K Gal Mud Disappears
January 25, 2018January 25, 2018

The Ohio EPA continues its yapping insistence that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) *permanently* shut down underground horizontal directional drilling (HDD) work being done by Rover Pipeline near the Tuscarawas River over concerns that nontoxic (totally safe) drilling mud keeps disappearing down the borehole. FERC listened, sort of. In an order dated yesterday, FERC told Rover to *temporarily* stop HDD work at Tuscarawas until Rover can outline a plan for moving forward that FERC has confidence will address concerns over the disappearing drilling mud. When mud used for drilling holes comes out on the surface any place other than the hole from which it went down, it’s called an “inadvertent return.” We call it a leak. However, if that same mud never comes back to the surface, as sometimes happens, it’s fine. Except when it’s a LOT of mud, as is the case in drilling near Tuscarawas where a cumulative 200,000 gallons of it have disappeared down hole, not (so far) coming back out. Sooner or later it seems likely that at least some of that mud will come back to the surface–somewhere. That’s the concern that no doubt prompted FERC to send Rover a letter yesterday telling them to (for now) stop HDD work at Tuscarawas…
Read More “FERC Stops Rover Drilling Near River After 200K Gal Mud Disappears”
Energy Services | Huntingdon County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Sunoco Logistics

PA Supreme Court Rejects Landowner Lawsuit Against ME2 Pipeline
January 25, 2018January 25, 2018

You may recall our story about the daughter of a Huntingdon County, PA landowner who took to a tree on her mom’s property in March 2016 in order to illegally stop crews working on tree clearing for the Mariner East 2 pipeline (see PA Anti Literally Goes Up a Tree to Stop Mariner East 2 Pipeline). It ultimately didn’t matter, because Sunoco came back and cut down the few trees they needed to cut anyway (see Sunoco Tricks Radicalized Protester – Returns and Cuts More Trees). Eventually law enforcement got around to arresting the daughter, and the mom (who also trespassed during tree clearing). Law enforcement also arrested two serial criminal trespassers/antis who participated. The charges against all them were later dropped (see Charges Dismissed Against Tree Sitting Anti in Huntingdon County). The landowner family, using Big Green lawyers, sued Sunoco–twice. One of the lawsuits challenged Sunoco’s right to use eminent domain in order to run the pipeline across the landowner’s land. That lawsuit was appealed all the way to the PA Supreme Court and on Tuesday, the court refused to hear it, meaning the decision of the lower Commonwealth Court upholding Sunoco’s right to use eminent domain stands. That is, the anti landowners lost. At least that first lawsuit. The second lawsuit was filed by the mom, her daughter and the two serial criminal trespassing antis (see Anti-Pipeline Quartet Sues Sunoco, ET, Police, Others re ME2 Arrests). That second lawsuit sues everyone and everything connected to their arrest (Sunoco, a private security firm, a publicist, and 27 state and local police officers) for violating their Constitutional rights. The second lawsuit is still alive and kicking. Meanwhile, here’s the good news that yet another attempt to block Mariner East 2 construction has been defeated…
Read More “PA Supreme Court Rejects Landowner Lawsuit Against ME2 Pipeline”
Berks County | Centre County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

PA Chips in $2M to Build NatGas Pipelines in Berks, Centre Counties
January 25, 2018January 25, 2018

In 2016 the Pennsylvania legislature, over the objections of PA Gov. Tom Wolf, voted to shift $24 million away from a boondoggle program called the PA Alternative Energy Investment Act and into a new program called the Pipeline Investment Program, or PIPE (see PA Gov Wolf Launches (Gasp) Pipeline Investment Program). The PIPE program helps fund pipeline construction to manufacturers, hospitals and schools to provide clean-burning, abundant, cheap and home-grown Marcellus Shale gas to those organizations. Since that time a number of PIPE $1 million grants have been doled out. Each time another grant is issued, Gov. Wolf’s publicity team makes a big deal out of it, pretending old Tommy is Santa Claus himself. Nary a word about Wolf’s original objection to the program. Last November Wyoming County got a $1 million grant to help run natgas pipes there (see PA Approves $2.4M Project to Run NatGas Pipes in Wyoming County). On Tuesday, Gov. Santa Claus handed out another two such grants. One $1M grant will go to Berks County (near Philadelphia) to run natgas pipelines to the Hamburg Commerce Park where it will feed 33 businesses and 20 area homes. The other $1M grant will go to Centre County (home of Penn State), where a new natgas pipeline will feed 6 businesses and 89 homes…
Read More “PA Chips in $2M to Build NatGas Pipelines in Berks, Centre Counties”
Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | NGLs | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH

UTOPIA has Arrived! KM OH Pipe Flowing Ethane to Canadian Cracker
January 24, 2018January 24, 2018

UTOPIA Pipeline route – click for larger version

In January 2016, Kinder Morgan (KM) committed to building the UTOPIA (Utica To Ontario Pipeline Access) pipeline, a 12-inch ethane pipeline that will run ~240 miles across the state of Ohio where it will connect with another pipeline and flow ethane all the way to a cracker plant in Canada (see Kinder Morgan Ready to Move Forward with UTOPIA East Pipeline). However, all was not utopia with UTOPIA–some Ohio landowners got a bumble bee in their bonnet and refused to deal. KM first sued them using eminent domain, then decided to alter the route instead and signed leases with more reasonable landowners (see UTOPIA East Pipe Re-Routes Around OH Antis, Drops Eminent Domain). Last June, KM’s vice president of public affairs, Allen Fore, said UTOPIA was under construction and due to go online in January 2018 (see UTOPIA NGL Pipeline Under Construction, Should be Online Jan 2018). And so it has! Yesterday KM announced UTOPIA is up and running and flowing ethane from the Utica/Marcellus all the way to a cracker plant in Canada…
Read More “UTOPIA has Arrived! KM OH Pipe Flowing Ethane to Canadian Cracker”
Braxton County | Doddridge County | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Lewis County | Pipelines | Regulation | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Mountain Valley Pipe Gets FERC Approval to Begin WV Construction
January 24, 2018January 24, 2018

MVP Map – click for larger version

Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)–a $3.5 billion, 301-mile pipeline that will run from Wetzel County, WV to the Transco Pipeline in Pittsylvania County, VA, has just received permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin tree clearing and construction of access roads and construction yards in five West Virginia counties–Wetzel, Harrison, Doddridge, Lewis and Braxton counties. The work will be allowed only where MVP has already obtained leases from landowners. This is the first actual construction to be authorized for the project, a milestone! MVP was approved last October (see FERC Approves Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley Pipeline Projects). However, five national anti-fossil fuel groups filed a lawsuit two weeks ago to try and stop the project (see 5 Radical Green Groups Sue to Stop Mountain Valley Pipeline). Let ’em try! Here’s the great news that even as you read this, it’s quite likely the chainsaws are up and running…
Read More “Mountain Valley Pipe Gets FERC Approval to Begin WV Construction”
Dominion Energy | Duke Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

Big Green Files Lawsuit Against VA Regulators for Approving Pipe
January 24, 2018January 24, 2018

In December members of Virginia’s Water Control Board voted 4-3 to approve issuing a water permit/certification for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project (see Atlantic Coast Pipeline Delayed in Virginia by Water Board Vote). ACP is a $5 billion natural gas pipeline project from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina being built by Dominion Energy and Duke Energy. The Water Board’s approval was conditional, the condition being that approval “is dependent on a final review of several environmental studies.” Those studies won’t be done until March or April of this year, meaning in all likelihood the project will be delayed. You would think Big Green groups would have rejoiced at the Water Control Board’s decision, effectively delaying the project. But they didn’t. Instead, a coalition of groups filed a lawsuit late last week against the Water Control Board–for doing their jobs. The groups claim the Water Control Board and the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have not done a good enough job of protecting Virginia’s water resources with respect to the ACP project…
Read More “Big Green Files Lawsuit Against VA Regulators for Approving Pipe”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

Atlantic Coast Pipeline Begins Cutting Trees in WV & VA (Not NC)
January 23, 2018January 23, 2018

In December MDN told you that Dominion’s $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project had asked permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin clearing trees along the path of the pipeline in all three states where the pipeline will run: West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina (see Atlantic Coast Pipe Asks FERC to Begin Tree Cutting in WV, VA, NC). FERC approved the project last October (see FERC Approves Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley Pipeline Projects). However, two of the three states–Virginia and North Carolina–have not yet given final water crossing permits for the project (see Atlantic Coast Pipeline Delayed in Virginia by Water Board Vote and NC Plays “Death by a Thousand Questions” with Atlantic Coast Pipe). Lack of water crossing permits isn’t stopping ACP, nor FERC. Last Friday FERC granted ACP permission to begin felling trees, and the chainsaws have been busy over the weekend–at least in WV and VA (not yet in NC). The clock is ticking. Because of cockamamie Obama regulations, clearcutting of trees along the path for a pipeline (or roadway, or whatever) is banned from April 1st through October 31st, in an effort to protect the “endangered” northern long-eared bat (see Marcellus/Utica Drillers Ask for Special Permit to Kill Some Bats). ACP will be busy between now and March 31st cutting down trees to prepare for laying pipe…
Read More “Atlantic Coast Pipeline Begins Cutting Trees in WV & VA (Not NC)”