Jonathon Berman, (202) 297-7533, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Columbus, OH -- Yesterday, it was revealed that Energy Transfer’s Rover pipeline has had two major spills of drilling fluids into Ohio’s wetlands in just the past week. Construction began on the project on in mid-March 2017. On April 14th, 50,000 gallons of drilling fluids were spilled into a wetland in Richland County, Mifflin Township. On April 13th, 2 million gallons within a wetland adjacent to the Tuscarawas River in Stark County.
The Rover pipeline will carry fracked gas across four states and will cross three major rivers: the Maumee, Sandusky, and Portage, all of which feed into Lake Erie.
In addition to the Rover pipeline, Energy Transfer is the company behind the controversial Dakota Access pipeline.
In response, Sierra Club Ohio Director Jen Miller released the following statement:
“Construction just began just a few weeks ago, yet Energy Transfer has already spilled more than 2 million gallons of drilling fluids in two separate disasters, confirming our worst fears about this dangerous pipeline before it has even gone into operation. We’ve always said that it’s never a question of whether a pipeline accident will occur, but rather a question of when. These disasters prove that the fossil fuel industry is unable to even put a pipeline into use before it spills dangerous chemicals into our precious waterways and recreation areas.
“Construction on the Rover pipeline must be stopped immediately, as an investigation into Energy Transfer’s total failure to adequately protect our wetlands and communities is conducted.”
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