West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued the order to stop the construction activities of the US$4.2bn Rover natural gas pipeline project in certain areas because of environmental violations. The construction will not restart until ongoing questions about diesel fuel contamination are resolved. Controversy has surrounded all phases of the Rover pipeline construction steps so far, including namely its route in Ohio, Michigan and now Virginia as well as concerns about compressor stations and disputes with local landowners.
Besides, the operator already faces sanctions from Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental violations and a federal ban on drilling activity issued by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that delayed the anticipated startup of the first phase from late July up to late summer 2017. The project second and final phase is currently expected for November 2017 but the transportation of significant volumes is not expected before 2018.
The Rover project is operated by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) and will be designed to transport 3.25 bcf/f (33.5 bcm/y). The project will stretch over 713 miles (1,609 km) from the Marcellus and Utica shale fields in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia (US) up to the Canadian province of Ontario. The pipeline will interconnect with the Midwest Hub near Defiance, Ohio, where 68% of the gas will be delivered for distribution to markets across the US. The remaining 32% will supply the state of Michigan via the Vector pipeline.