The Rover pipeline, owned and operated by Energy Transfer Partners, has spilled 150,000 gallons of drilling fluid into wetlands near the Tuscarawas River in Stark County, Ohio. Last April, the pipeline spilled 2 million gallons in the same area.
The pipeline, which cost $4.2 billion and cover 713 miles, has been dubbed a “climate disaster.” An analysis by Oil Change international last summer round that is the pipeline was built it would cause as much greenhouse gas pollution as 42 coal-fired power plants.
A partial stop to drilling activities was called for after the pipeline spilled 2 million gallons into fragile wetlands. Ohio regulators have fined the company for violations multiple times. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has had to investigate the presente of toxic diesel fuel in spilled water, and more than 100 organization have called for the FERC to reevaluate the pipeline’s permit, but nothing has been done.
Drilling activities resumed in December, and only a month later the pipeline has spilled again.
The Rover pipeline alone has more “noncompliance incidents” than any other interstate gas pipeline. It has set the record for more native inspection reports that any other major interstate natural gas pipeline. The pipeline has accrued 104 violations since construction started last March. This is more negative reports than the next four pipeline projects combined.
LATEST: Rover pipeline has more env. violations than any other nat gas line built since 2015, w/ @naurtorioushttps://t.co/TmRpBsVufc pic.twitter.com/Ub3anjV9xm
— Catherine Traywick (@ctraywick) August 17, 2017
The Ohio Environmental Protection agency inspected the newest spill on January 10 and reported 146,000 gallons of drilling fluids had been leaked down the pilot hole installation under the Tuscarawas River. Three attempts to seal the hole have failed.
Ohio EPA says it it “intends to closely monitor this situation if loss of returns continues.”
Energy Transfer Partners is the same company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline and has a reported 69 accidents that have polluted rivers in the last two years.
Last September the company was fined $2.3 million for several water and air pollution violations in Ohio alone.
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