Clairton Coke Works from above Monongahela River

Article by Michael Machosky, Next Pittsburgh, April 30, 2021

Photo of Clairton Coke Works from above Monongahela River, Mark Dixon, Blue Lens, LLC.

U.S. Steel’s decision to shut down one of Pittsburgh’s most notorious sources of pollution and cancel a $1.5 billion upgrade to the Mon Valley Works has reignited a longstanding conflict over jobs and environmental concerns.

“Today is a difficult day,” said David Burritt, president and CEO of U.S. Steel, in a statement posted on Twitter. “U.S. Steel is setting aside this project as we step forward to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. In this world — a world that still needs steel — we need to find aggressive decarbonization solutions.”

“This month, U.S. Steel announced our goal to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050,” he added.

Zachary Barber, a clean air advocate with PennEnvironment praised the decision to permanently shut down three nearly-70-year-old coke batteries at the Clairton Coke Works in 2023.

“Permanently closing the three worst-polluting coke batteries at U.S. Steel’s Clairton plant will come as a huge breath of fresh air to residents in the Mon Valley and across the region,” said Barber. “For too long, U.S. Steel has run roughshod over our environmental protections and churned out dangerous levels of harmful air pollution. Closing these batteries is a necessary and long overdue step toward reducing that damage and cleaning our region’s air.”

Asthma rates for children in Clairton are three times higher than in the rest of the country. The Mon Valley frequently ranks among the worst places in the country for air quality, routinely failing the American Lung Association’s annual air quality reports.

About 3,000 people work at the Mon Valley Works’ three sites.

Clairton Coke Works is the third-most toxic air polluter in Allegheny County in PennEnvironment’s Toxic Ten list. The Cheswick Power Plant ranks as number one on the list and ATI Flat Rolled Products in Brackenridge is second. From 2012 until 2015, 6,700 air permit violations were reported for the Clairton plant, with more than four violations per day on average. In 2018, a massive Christmas Eve fire at Clairton Coke Works knocked out pollution controls for three months.

However, Pittsburgh Works Together, a union/business alliance, notes in a statement that U.S. Steel’s decision to cancel the upgrade to the Mon Valley Works (including its plants in Clairton, Braddock and West Mifflin) will cost an estimated 1,000 well-paying construction jobs, and signal “a diminished future for steelmaking in the Pittsburgh region.”

The project had included a state-of-the-art casting and rolling mill and co-generation plant.

“The continuous caster was intended to allow the Mon Valley Works to manufacture lighter, stronger steel intended for the auto industry, which in turn would have resulted in more efficient cars with lower emissions,” said Jeff Nobers, executive director of Pittsburgh Works Together. “Now that won’t happen here.”

A delay to the permitting process by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) during the pandemic was cited by U.S. Steel as a reason for their decision to rethink the investment.

“We are disappointed that there was a suggestion by U.S. Steel that their decision was based in part on the ACHD’s permitting process,” said ACHD Deputy Director of Environmental Health Jim Kelly. “We worked closely with U.S. Steel for an extensive period of time on this project, starting in May 2019. Certainly, COVID-19 had an impact on how all organizations operated. Neither the ACHD nor U.S. Steel were an exception. But I can verify that we continued to work proactively to move this project along.”

A number of elected officials expressed their disappointment. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who lives in Braddock, lamented the loss of a chance to make “the greenest steel in the world” in the Mon Valley, in a statement.

“I’m disappointed that the company isn’t moving forward with an initiative that would have been good for our environment, our economy & jobs, and our residents,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in a statement.

The steelmaking giant reiterated its commitment to the region, though. The three batteries to be shut down represent only 17% of coke production capacity at Clairton.“U.S. Steel remains committed to steelmaking in the Mon Valley for the next generation, with future investments to be developed in alignment with our 2050 carbon-neutral goal,” said Burritt.

“The decision to cancel this project is difficult but is made with optimism for what the future holds for the Mon Valley Works — an economic powerhouse the generated $4.6 billion to the region’s economy in 2018. I have no doubt that our skilled and dedicated workforce at the Mon Valley Works will help lead this change — we have always forged ahead together.”

According to a report by Public Source, if that 17% reduction in coke production leads to a 17% improvement in emissions, it would make the pollution levels in the Mon Valley more in line with neighborhoods like Lawrenceville and better than the air quality in North Braddock, Wilkinsburg, and Neville Island.

Some environmental groups criticized the steelmaking giant for not making the cleaner, more efficient upgrades that were promised. “This latest announcement continues U.S. Steel’s pattern of broken promises to residents of the Mon Valley while highlighting its recent purchase of Big River Steel’s electric arc furnace facility in Arkansas, a non–union shop,” said a statement by The Breathe Project. “The Mon Valley has endured a long history of broken promises, followed by abandonment, that has burdened communities for generations.”

“Instead of embracing innovation, investing in the Mon Valley and improving quality of life while securing employment, the latest announcement follows a pernicious cycle that leads to abandoning Mon Valley workers, communities and residents. The announcement also cynically uses the excuse of reducing the company’s carbon footprint for the announcement.”

Recently, U.S. Steel also ended its controversial effort to drill fracking wells for natural gas on the Edgar Thomson steel mill property in Braddock.

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GROUP AGAINST SMOG & POLLUTION, 412-924-0604, info@gasp-pgh.org

GASP’s Earth Week of Actions: How to Get Involved, Use Your Voice & Be in the Know About Air Quality, April 20, 2022

Earth Week is a great annual reminder of the importance of being in the know about local air quality issues, as well as getting involved with, and using your voice to, affect environmental change.

And this Earth Week, GASP wants to help you do that, so “Get in the Know” …

It’s been said many times, in many ways: Knowledge is power. This is especially true when it comes to air quality issues. Because we know *just* how complex and confusing air quality issues can be, we created the GASP’s Plain-Language Guide to Understanding Local Air Quality.

In this guide, we give you the skinny on what air pollutants are a concern locally, where it comes from, how air quality is regulated, as well as how to make an air quality complaint when you smell something foul in the ambient air.

THIRD FIVE-YEAR REVIEW REPORT FOR ORDNANCE WORKS DISPOSAL AREAS SUPERFUND SITE MONONGALIA COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA

Smokestacks of Morgantown Ordnance Works

DATE: September 12, 2016 (Five year intervals)

§ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

USEPA Region III, conducted this Third Five-Year Review (FYR) of the remedial actions implemented at Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) of the Ordnance Works Disposal Areas (ODWA) Superfund Site (also known as the Morgantown Ordnance Works Site or MOW), located in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The purpose of this FYR was to determine if the remedial actions that have been implemented are protective of human health and the environment. The review process consisted of the following activities: notification and involvement of stakeholders, review of existing and relevant documentation and data, identification and review of recent and new information, and an assessment of Site conditions. This report documents the review process and presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations. It is important to note that Operable Unit 2 of this Site was addressed under removal authorities. Since all of the contaminated material was removed, no operation and maintenance (O&M) of OU-2 is required and it is therefore not part of this Five-Year Review.

This FYR concludes that the remedy is protective of human health and the environment. The PRPs have implemented the remedy at Operable Unit One in accordance with the remedial action objectives of the 1999 ROD, and it is currently functioning as intended. The landfill has not been found to be a significant source of contamination to the groundwater in the area and the COCs identified in the 1999 ROD have not been detected in groundwater samples during this FYR period. The multi-layer RCRA landfill cap was determined to be effective in containing hazardous waste materials, the treatment wetland ponds appeared to be functioning as intended, and Site access restrictions were found to be functional. Institutional controls are in place to prohibit disturbing the landfill cap, use of groundwater, and non-commercial use of any kind within OU1. Operation and Maintenance including annual inspections, leachate monitoring and treatment wetland monitoring are performed pursuant to the 2012 Operation and Maintenance Plan. Additionally, results of this FYR report indicate that the remedial action objectives for the selected remedy have been achieved.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Region III, with assistance from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), conducted this Third Five-Year Review (FYR) of the Ordnance Works Disposal Areas Site (OWDA or Site), pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Section 121(c), National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP) Section 300.400(f)(4)(ii), and OSWER Directives 9355.7-02 (May 23, 1991), 9355.7-02A (July 26, 1994), and 9355.7-03A (December 21, 1995). The Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance, EPA 540-R-01-007 (USEPA, 2001), was consulted in preparation of this FYR. This is a post- Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) remedial action, enforcement- lead response action, statutory review. The triggering action for this statutory review is the signature date of the Second Five Year Review, September 16, 2011.

This document will become part of the Site file and is the Third FYR for the OWDA Site. This review evaluated the OU-1 remedial measures at the OWDA. The review process consisted of the following activities: (1) notification and involvement of stakeholders, (2) review of existing and relevant documentation and data, (3) identification and review of recent and new information, and (5) an assessment of current Site conditions.

This report presents the methods, findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the FYR of the former OWDA. The purpose of the FYR is to ensure that a remedial action remains protective of human health and the environment and is functioning as designed.

1.1 PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this FYR was to evaluate whether the response actions undertaken at OU-1 are functioning as intended and remain protective of human health and the environment. Another objective was to identify and provide recommended remedies for any issues of concern associated with the implemented response actions. Section 121(c) of CERCLA, as amended by SARA, and §300.430(f)(4)(ii) of the NCP mandate that a post-SARA remedial action be reviewed no less often than every five years after initiation of the remedial action at sites where hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remain at levels above those that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure. This is the Third FYR for the OWDA Site.

1.2 SITE OVERVIEW

The OWDA is part of the former Morgantown Ordnance Works (MOW), and is located approximately one mile southwest of the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, along the west bank of the Monongahela River (See Figure1). The OWDA Site is often referred to as the MOW Site. The OWDA Site is located within a 670 acre industrial park known as the Morgantown Industrial Park which is owned by Enroute Properties, Inc. The property which comprises the OWDA OU-1 Site is currently owned by the Morgantown Industrial Park Associates (MIPA) which are the previous owners of the Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP). For the purposes of environmental investigation and remediation, OWDA is made up of three segments:

A. OU-1 encompasses a small portion of the MIP formerly used for disposal of tar and other wastes;
B. Two tracts of land currently owned and operated by Crompton Corporation (purchased from General Electric (GE) Company in 2003). The tracts are known as the North Plant and South Plant. Crompton/GE properties are not covered under the Superfund Program, but are covered by Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action authorities.
C. Operable Unit 2 (OU-2) covers all other parts of MIP, including abandoned production areas, never used parts of the property (undeveloped woodlands), and currently leased parcels.

1.3 CURRENT STATUS OF OPERABLE UNITS

All OU-1 remedial action work has been completed as part of the overall requirements of the Administrative Order for Remedial Design and Remedial Action, Docket No. III-90-27-DC, signed by USEPA on June 20, 1990. The named Respondents are Rockwell International Corporation, Olin Corporation, GE Specialty Chemical, Inc., and Morgantown Industrial Park Associates, Limited Partnership (MIPA).

OU-2 encompasses all other parts of the MIP. OU-2 is not included within the Site’s NPL boundary. OU-2 comprised the remainder of the property, not including the currently active Crompton/GE Facility, and was addressed through a removal action performed in 1997 that included the following actions:

• Removal of water/debris from on-site sumps and pits;
• Off-site disposal of soils/sediments;
• Backfilling and re-vegetation of excavated areas; and
• Elimination of physical hazards.

USEPA has indicated that it does not expect further CERCLA responses for OU-2, as documented in the OU-1 ROD:

“EPA does not anticipate further CERCLA response actions within OU-2 of the OWDA, expansion of the NPL listing to include OU-2, or issuance of a ROD for OU-2. Although cleanup actions deemed necessary by EPA at the GE properties within OU-2 will likely occur under RCRA, the Agency has reserved its right to perform or require CERCLA response actions in connection with such properties.”

As of the date of this FYR, the GE properties are being addressed through EPA’s RCRA corrective action program. Since all of the contaminated material was removed, no operation and maintenance (O&M) of OU-2 is required and it is therefore not part of this Five-Year Review. Actions taken to address OU-2 are documented in the August 20, 1997 Final Report, Morgantown Ordnance Works, OU-2 Removal Action Report.

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TABLE 1 — OWNERSHIP and ACTIVITY

1940 – 1945
E.I. Dupont de Nemours under lease to U.S. Government produced hexamine from ammonia and methanol

1945 – 1950
Sharon Steel and Heyden Chemical leased property for coke plant and ammonia production

1951 – 1958
Olin Mathieson leased property and produced ammonia, methyl alcohol, formaldehyde, hexamine and ethylene diamine

1958 – 1962
Facility remained idle

1962 – 1978
Purchased and operated by Morgantown Ordnance Works, Inc. Leased to Sterling/Rockwell. 1964, Borg Warner purchase

1978 – 1982
Purchased and operated by Princess Coals, Inc.

1982 – Present
Purchased and operated by Morgantown Industrial Park Associates (MIPA), Limited Partnership

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Morgantown Ordnance Works Panoramas, 1940-1942 – Pieces of History, National Archives, 2018

Panoramic photograph of the construction of Morgantown Ordnance Works looking southeast at the plant, 10/9/1942. (National Archives Identifier 74627974)

https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/03/05/morgantown-ordnance-works-panoramas-1940-1942/

Belle Vernon wastewater treatment facility under I-70 Bridge on Monongahela River

From an Article by Don Hopey & David Templeton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 17, 2019

Fayette County Common Pleas Court Judge Steve Leskinen has ordered the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver to stop piping toxic runoff contaminated by shale gas drilling and fracking waste chemicals to the Belle Vernon sewage treatment plant.

The judge granted a temporary injunction against the landfill Friday afternoon, based on a joint request from Fayette County District Attorney Richard Bower and Washington County District Attorney Eugene Vittone II.

The injunction, effective immediately, prohibits the landfill from sending contaminated waste water, known as “leachate,” to the sewage treatment plant, and also prohibits the sewage facility from discharging wastewater containing “contaminated chemicals” from the landfill into the Monongahela River.

A hearing on a permanent injunction is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. next Friday.

Neither the sewage treatment plant in Fayette County, nor the landfill in Westmoreland County, is in Washington County, but Mr. Vittone said many communities using the river for their public water supplies are.

The injunction was granted just two days after the Belle Vernon Municipal Authority decided to stop accepting the leachate from the landfill because it is damaging the biological sewage treatment process and causing the illegal discharge of poorly treated wastewater into the river.

Most of the leachate is produced by rainwater that falls on the landfill and seeps through the garbage and drilling and fracking waste material, where it picks up contaminants. The leachate is collected by underground drains and channeled into a pipe that runs approximately three miles to the treatment plant.

The landfill, owned by Uniontown-based Nobel Environmental Inc., was piping an average of 100,000 gallons of leachate a day to the sewage treatment plant, double the amount allowed in the contract, said Guy Kruppa, the sewage plant supervisor.

He said testing done by the authority shows the leachate contains high levels of ammonia, total suspended solids, and a host of chemicals and compounds consistent with shale gas drilling and fracking waste, including volatile organic compounds, magnesium, barium, phenols and oil and grease.

That concentrated cocktail of chemical compounds is killing the “bugs” that digest the sewage, Mr. Kruppa said, and inhibiting the sewage plant’s ability to treat the waste before it is discharged into the river.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, which has permitting and enforcement duties for both the landfill and the sewage treatment plant, had urged the municipal authority to continue accepting the runoff, while the landfill builds a new pre-treatment facility. It even proposed an arrangement in which the landfill would pay any past and future fines levied against the sewage plant for illegal discharges into the river.

Mr. Kruppa said Wednesday that such a pay-to-pollute arrangement “isn’t ethically right,“ and Friday said the injunction was sought to “force the landfill to stop and shut off the pipe.”

Ro Rozier, a spokesperson for the landfill owner, responded to a request for comment Friday with an email saying, “Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill never received a copy of the contract termination notice from the Belle Vernon Municipal Authority. We never received a complaint or copy of the court order. We have only received this information through the media.

In good faith, WSL has decided to shut off the pipe even though we are not in violation of any water quality standards.

We do have approved alternatives for disposal of the waste water which will begin immediately. We will continue making large investments in onsite technology to improve leachate quality that will exceed government standards.”

The Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, which has also gone by the name Tervita Rostraver Township Sanitary Landfill, began accepting oil and gas “drill cuttings,” consisting of mud and rock drilling cuttings, in August 2010, according to the DEP.

In 2017 it accepted a total of 119,716 tons of shale gas drilling and fracking waste, or 40% of its total waste stream. That’s a sharp increase over the shale gas cuttings it took in during the previous three years, but still only half of the 80% allowed by Its DEP permit.

The landfill’s annual operations report for 2018, which will contain the amount of shale gas drilling and fracking waste it accepted, isn’t available until June 30, but the landfill said tonnage did not increase.

Because the region had wetter than usual weather last year, leachate runoff did increase.

Belle Vernon Mayor Gerald Jackson, who also sits on the municipal authority board which terminated its contract with the landfill Wednesday and gave it 14 days to shut off the leachate flow, said public officials in communities along the river support the injunction.

“It’s 100%. We’re all behind it,” Mr. Jackson said. “We [Belle Vernon] wanted to go shut off the pipeline from the landfill when we first found out about it but the DEP told us to hold off. We would have shut them off already.

“We’re all looking for quick action. No one wants to be blamed for any contaminants polluting the river.”

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See Also: Injunction to stop fracking waste from getting into Monongahela River, WTAE News 4, May 20, 2019

A Fayette County judge signed a joint request by the district attorneys for Fayette and Washington County to stop leachate from getting to the Monogahela River.

According to District Attorneys Richard Bower and Gene Vittone, the Westmoreland sanitary landfill was pumping 100,000 to 300,000 gallons of contaminated waste water from fracking to the Belle Vernon sewage plant daily. The plant can only treat 50,000 gallons a day.

The contaminated waste water was ending up in the Monongahela and the communities downstream.

A spokesperson for the landfill says they “decided to shut off the pipe even though we are not in violation of any water quality standards. We do have approved alternatives for disposal of the waste water which will begin immediately.”

Rover Pipeline sediment pollutes adjoining land area

From an Article by Joe Napsha, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, November 13, 2018

A natural gas drilling company was fined $294,000 by the state for polluting the Monongahela River last year with about 4 million gallons of mine water when it punctured an abandoned mine as it was boring underneath Route 136 in Forward Township to install a pipe to carry fresh water for a drilling site.

The Department of Environmental Protection in Pittsburgh said Tuesday EQT Production Co. in Cecil paid the fine as part of a consent order and agreement covering violations of the Clean Streams Law in Allegheny County.

According to the DEP, EQT inadvertently pierced the abandoned Gallatin mine on January 17, 2017 as it was boring a hole underneath Route 136 to install a pipeline from the Monongahela River to its Rostosky drilling site in Forward Township, Allegheny County. It took EQT until Jan. 31 to stop the discharge through the waterline borehole to unnamed tributaries of the Monongahela River and associated wetlands.

EQT was aware when it applied for permits in July 2016 there were several abandoned coal mines in the area, the DEP said. EQT relied on regional mapping that generally described mine pools as “not flooded or unknown” but did not undertake any further investigation. There were seeps of orange water near the area of the waterline borehole.

Since the incident, EQT has constructed a collection and drainage system similar to what was in place when the water was discharged. EQT also agreed to establish a $100,000 fund with the Clean Streams Foundation to provide for the maintenance, operation, and replacement of the system.

In September, Commonweath Court upheld a $1.1 million fine levied against EQT Production’s parent company, EQT Corp. of Pittsburgh, for violating state environmental laws by failing to prevent significant contamination from a fracking water holding pond in Tioga County six years ago.

The state Environmental Hearing Board found that water from the drilling site in Tioga County continued to pollute area groundwater, even after the company emptied the pond.

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ROVER natural gas pipeline agrees to pay $430,000 penalty for water pollution violations

From an Article by Kate Mishkin, Charleston Gazette, June 12, 2018

Rover Pipeline LLC has agreed to pay the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection $430,000 for water pollution violations in the state, according to a consent order made public Tuesday.

The natural gas pipeline project and the WV-DEP made the deal May 15, documents show, but the public comment period for the consent order ends July 13.

The agreement is in response to notices of violation and cease-and-desist orders issued to Rover Pipeline dating back to April 2017, said Jake Glance, spokesman for the DEP. In all, the pipeline has received 18 notices of violation and two cease-and-desist orders, the most recent of which was issued on March 5, when the regulators said crews left trash and construction partially buried on site and failed to clean the roads around the construction site.

The DEP also issued a cease-and-desist order in July 2017 for similar violations.

Rover is just one of the major pipelines being built to tap into the region’s natural gas boom. Last month, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, another pipeline project, also received a violation notice from the DEP for violating water quality standards — problems environmental and citizen groups warned might happen.

“What Rover shows us is that pipelines do have water quality impacts and when you layer the steep terrain and the complex hydrology … you’re getting into uncharted territory and we fear we’re going to see more problems and possibly even worse than we see with Rover,” Rosser said. “We hope it’s not in repeated nature we’ve seen with Rover.”

The $430,000 agreed-upon penalty is substantial, but it’s a small sliver of the project’s $4 billion budget, she said. Plus, the DEP spends money to monitor the pipelines and inspect construction sites.

“So $430,000, I would suppose a great deal of that went to cover DEP’s ability to provide the oversight. And then you’ve got a hundred sites where the streams have been polluted, and how can you put a dollar figure on that?” Rosser said. “The chemistry of the streams has been changed and can’t be reversed to how they were.”

Construction on the pipeline was “essentially complete,” and the company is working with the WV-DEP to finalize the settlement, a spokeswoman for the company said. The consent order references violations dating back to April 2017, including failing to control erosion and keeping sediment water from leaving construction sites.

“The good news that I see is that [the] DEP was on top of it, that they did a good job documenting multiple violations and it shows the importance of oversight of these projects because this company did not appear to be acting in good faith,” said Angie Rosser, executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition.

Energy Transfer Partners, Rover Pipeline’s owner, also owns the Dakota Access Pipeline — the subject of protests and heightened attention over its being built in North Dakota.

The 713-mile-long Rover Pipeline will move natural gas from processing plants in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Crews are building the pipeline in Doddridge, Tyler and Wetzel counties in West Virginia.

Rover is just one of the major pipelines being built to tap into the region’s natural gas boom. Last month, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, another pipeline project, also received a violation notice from the DEP for violating water quality standards — problems environmental and citizen groups warned might happen.

“What Rover shows us is that pipelines do have water quality impacts and when you layer the steep terrain and the complex hydrology … you’re getting into uncharted territory and we fear we’re going to see more problems and possibly even worse than we see with Rover,” Rosser said. “We hope it’s not in repeated nature we’ve seen with Rover.”

The $430,000 agreed-upon penalty is substantial, but it’s a small sliver of the project’s $4 billion budget, she said. Plus, the DEP spends money to monitor the pipelines and inspect construction sites.

“So $430,000, I would suppose a great deal of that went to cover DEP’s ability to provide the oversight. And then you’ve got a hundred sites where the streams have been polluted, and how can you put a dollar figure on that?” Rosser said. “The chemistry of the streams has been changed and can’t be reversed to how they were.”

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FERC approves service on two (2) Rover Pipeline laterals

Reported from the Kallanish Energy News Service, November 5, 2018

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has granted Rover Pipeline permission to begin additional service moving natural gas across northern Ohio.

The federal agency last week told the company it could begin service on the Sherwood Lateral, Sherwood Compressor Station, Sherwood Delivery Meter Station, CGT Lateral and CGT Delivery Meter Station in the Appalachian Basin (primarily in West Virginia).

They were the last parts of the Rover pipeline project that needed FERC approval.

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Federal agency cites Rover Pipeline for three (3) violations

Reported from the Kallanish Energy News Service, October 31, 2018

Rover Pipeline has been cited for three violations by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The violations are for improper testing of pipeline welds, failing to comply with specifications or standards on repairing dents to the steel pipe, and failure to build the pipeline to avoid stresses on the pipeline.

The agency said the company committed “probable violations.” The violations could have triggered multi-million-dollar fines, but the federal agency said no fines would be imposed. The company said it is not contesting the violations and has been working with the federal agency to correct the problems. It said it is “in general agreement” with the agency’s proposed compliance order.

The company has spent in excess of $11.5 million in correcting the problems, it reported. Those violations have prevented Rover Pipeline from beginning commercial service on its Sherwood and CGT laterals to move natural gas from the Appalachian Basin, the company acknowledged.

The violations were discovered in PHMSA inspections on January 25, March 19-22, May 8-11 and June 18. The violations were issued by the PHMSA on September 11 and came to light in a recent company filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that oversees interstate pipelines.

Rover Pipeline, an Energy Transfer Partners’ subsidiary, on October 25 filed a request with FERC seeking to begin full operations on the Sherwood and CGT laterals prior to November 1. It said the problems with the PHMSA had been corrected.

It said its shippers “have urgently requested Rover to place these facilities in service to allow their stranded natural gas supplies to be transported to Midwest markets.” A similar request was filed last August.

Those two laterals are mechanically complete and the final grading and seeding have been completed, Rover Pipeline wrote. The company said it has also filed plans for additional ground-movement areas outside the construction right-of-way along the Sherwood and CGT laterals.

The Sherwood Lateral runs about 54 miles from eastern Ohio into West Virginia. The CGT line runs roughly six miles from the Sherwood line to an interconnection with a Columbia Gas Transmission line. They are among the last Rover laterals to be approved for commercial service.

The $4.2 billion twin pipelines had encountered trouble with leaks and spills from horizontal directional drilling in Ohio where drilling had been halted for a time because of concern by state agencies. Construction was also halted for a time in West Virginia because of erosion and sediment control problems along pipeline laterals.

The 713-mile pipeline will move up to 3.25 billion cubic feet per day of Utica and Marcellus natural gas to the Gulf Coast, the Midwest and Ontario. Initial service on the pipeline began August 31, 2017.

Note Dogbone Shape of Luzerne Township

SPONSOR: Freedom From Fracking, Fayette County, PA

Announcement for Public Meeting on Dogbone Project near US Route 40 in Monongahela River Valley, May 15, 2018

With the apparent approval of the Fayette County zoning hearing board, and a local land owner, Chevron will construct five (5) one million-gallon tanks (5,000,000 gallons) to store and reuse frack water at the intersection of Rush Run Road and Haines School Road in Luzerne Township.

The intended facility will be operational for a period of 5 to 10 years, minimum. Trucks hauling frack and fresh water will run to the proposed facility on a 7 days per week, 24 hour per day basis. Frack water is said to contain radiation along with biocides and other chemicals.

The proposed tanks will not have tops on them and will be open to the air… thanks to our Fayette County zoning hearing board. Not only will the facility harbor many unsafe conditions, it will be a substantial nuisance to the folks who reside all around the area. Major truck traffic, lights at night, pumps and generators running at all hours, an increase in the amount of litter along Rush Run, and the terrible odor from frack water in open tanks. These are just a sampling of what this facility will provide our community.

Neither the township or our county government have done anything to help protect the landowners in the vicinity of the proposed facility. If anything, they are helping to support Chevron’s plans!

Please join us in the effort to keep peace and tranquility in our Agricultural Community. Assist us in battling against big business that just moves in and does whatever it wants to, and also in ghting against our corrupt government agencies that just go along with whatever is best for their pocketbooks… not what is best for the people that live in these communities and have to deal with the problems they both dump on us.

We are a local group formed with the intention of protecting the community we live in. We are local landowners that care about where we live, the air we breathe, water we drink, livestock we raise and the general wellbeing of our community. Come and join us, if nothing else to keep updated on the matter at hand.

The meeting will be held for the community at 7:00 pm on May 15th at the Humbert Barn, located at 289 Heisterberg Road, E. Millsboro (Red Barn Lane). Please come with your questions and concerns.

Monongahela River water may be problematic.

From a News Report on WTAE, Action 4 News, November 6, 2017

BETHEL PARK, PA — Pennsylvania American Water has issued a 48-hour boil water advisory for 55 communities in Allegheny and Washington counties. An estimated 100,000 customers are affected. (See the list of communities below).

The advisory was issued as a precaution due to high levels of turbidity at the Elrama water treatment plant, according to PAWC. (The Elrama plant draws water from the Monongahela River a mile south of the Elizabeth bridge over the river on PA Route 51. Clairton is the next community downstream.)

The advisory applies only to drinking and cooking, not bathing or washing clothes.

Residents of impacted communities should bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.

Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

The advisory was issued as a precaution due to high levels of turbidity at the Elrama water treatment plant, according to PAWC.

According to PAWC, turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking water.

Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by suspended solids that are usually invisible to the naked eye. It is a key test of water quality.

The full list of communities is as follows:

Allegheny County — Bethel Park, Clairton, Dravosburg, Elizabeth Township, Elizabeth Borough, Glassport, Jefferson, Jefferson Hills Borough, Liberty, Lincoln, North Fayette, South Fayette, South Park, Upper Saint Clair, West Elizabeth

Washington County — Amwell, Avella, Buffalo, Burgettstown, Canton, Canonsburg, Carroll Township, Cecil Township, Chartiers, City of Washington, Claysville, Cross Creek, Donegal Township, East Washington, Fallowfield, Finleyville, Frankfort Springs, Forward Township, Green Hills Borough, Independence, Hanover, Hopewell, Houston, Jefferson, McDonald, McMurray, , Midway, Monongahela, Mount Pleasant, New Eagle, North Franklin, North Strabane, Nottingham, Peters Township, Robinson Township, Smith Township, Somerset Township, South Franklin, South Strabane, Union Township, West Middletown

WATER BUFFALO LOCATIONS:

Bethel Park Community Center: 5151 Park Ave., Bethel Park, PA 15102
Canonsburg Dam parking lot: McDowell Rd., McMurray, PA 15317
Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church: 112 W. Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317
Carroll Township Volunteer FireDepartment: 988 Route 837, Monongahela, PA 15063
Elrama Volunteer Fire Company: 17 Elrama Ave., Elrama, PA 15038
North StrabaneFire Department: 2550 Washington Rd., Canonsburg, PA 15317
South Fayette Township Library: 515 Millers Run Rd., Morgan, PA 15064
South Park Township Library: 2575 Brownsville Rd., South Park Township, PA 15129
Upper St. Clair Community & Recreation Center: 1551 Mayview Rd., Upper St. Clair, PA 15241

Source : http://www.wtae.com/article/pennsylvania-american-water-issues-48-hour-boil-water-advisory-for-bethel-park-residents/13439076

RE: Dominion’s Supply Header Project for the ACP

Overview
Dominion Energy Transmission, Inc. is proposing to construct and operate approximately 37.5 miles of natural gas pipeline and modify existing compression facilities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The project, referred to as the Supply Header Project (SHP), will provide natural gas supplies to various customers, allowing the transport of natural gas from supply areas in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to market areas in Virginia and North Carolina.

Visit the new Atlantic Coast Pipeline site and the Supply Header Project section for the latest information.

Quick Facts
Length: Approximately 37.5 miles of natural gas pipeline loop (3.9 miles of pipe in Pennsylvania and 33.64 miles of pipe in West Virginia)
Pipe Diameter: 30 inch in Pa.; 30 inch in W. Va.
Capacity: 1.5 million dekatherms per day
Compressor Station and Facility Upgrades:
Pennsylvania: JB Tonkin Station, Westmoreland County; Crayne Station, Greene County
West Virginia: Mockingbird Hill Station, Wetzel County; Burch Ridge Station, Marshall County

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From: WV Department of Environmental Quality
Date: October 31, 2017 at 10:09:09 AM EDT
Subject: WV-DEP Public Notice – General WV/ Water Pollution Control Permit Application – Harrison County – Dominion Energy Transmission, Inc.

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017 @ 10:08 AM
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State of West Virginia
Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Water and Waste Management

PUBLIC NOTICE –

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION’S, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, 601 57TH STREET SE, CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA 25304-2345 TELEPHONE: (304) 926-0440.

APPLICATION FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE GENERAL WEST VIRGINIA WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PERMIT NO. WV0115924

Public Notice No.: SM-45-2017 Public Notice Date: November 03, 2017

Paper: The Exponent/Telegram of Clarksburg, WV

The following has applied for coverage under the General WV/ Water Pollution Control Permit No. WV0115924 for this facility or activity:

Appl. No.: WVR310846

Applicant: DOMINION ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC.
707 E. MAIN STREET, RICHMOND, VA 23219

Location: HARRISON COUNTY

Latitude: 39:10:16 Longitude: 80:33:37

Receiving Stream:
UNT/Tanner Fork/Tanner Fork/Kinchcloe Creek/West Fork River/Monongahela River

Activity:
This application is for the construction of approximately 33.6 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline, a new metering station, and compressor stations. The project will disturb approximately 668.7 acres of land crossing Doddridge, Tyler, and Wetzel Counties.

Business conducted: Industrial

On the basis of review of the application the “Water Pollution Control Act (Chapter 22, Article 11-8(a)),” and the “West Virginia Legislative Rules,” the State of West Virginia will act on the above application.

Any interested person may submit written comments on the site registration permit application and may request a public hearing by addressing such to the Director of the Division of Water and Waste Management within 30 days of the date of the public notice. Such comments or requests should be addressed to:

Director, Division of Water and Management, DEP
ATTN: Sharon Mullins, Permitting Section
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25304-2345

The public comment period begins November 03, 2017 and ends December
03, 2017.

Comments received within this period will be considered prior to acting on the permit application. Correspondence should include the name, address and the telephone number of the writer and a concise statement of the nature of the issues raised. The Director shall hold a public hearing whenever a finding is made, on the basis of requests, that there is a significant degree of public interest on issues relevant to the site registration permit application and this facility’s coverage under the General Permit. Interested persons may contact the Public Information Office to obtain further information.

The application may be inspected, by appointment, at the Division of Water and Waste Management Public Information Office, at 601 57th Street SE, Charleston, WV, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on business days. Copies of the application and the General Permit and Fact Sheet may be obtained from the Division at a nominal cost. Individuals requiring Telecommunication Device (TDD) may contact our agency by calling (304) 926-0493. Calls must be made 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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NOTE: The Monongahela River will receive the total dissolved solids (TDS) and suspended solids resulting from the Supply Header Pipeline as specified above. The Mon River is a primary water supply to Morgantown and other cities and facilities. And, the Mon River already exceeds levels of 250 ppm TDS frequently. Duane Nichols

Comment on Draft TMDL for Monongahela River Watershed — Urgent

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Public Meeting on August 20th. Comment Period Ends September 3rd.
 
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection announces a comment period and public meeting on draft Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired streams in the Monongahela River Watershed.
 
A TMDL is a plan of action used to clean up streams not meeting water quality standards. Each of the streams under TMDL development has been identified as violating state water quality standards and the federal Clean Water Act requires TMDL development for them. The pollutants addressed in this project are acidity (pH), total iron, total manganese, total selenium, dissolved aluminum, chlorides and fecal coliform. After consideration of public comments, the DEP will submit final draft TMDLs to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval.
 
A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Aug. 20, to present a general discussion of the TMDL development process and to answer questions regarding the proposed TMDLs. The meeting will be conducted at Fairmont State University in the Falcon Center, Conference Room 3, Room 303, 2101 Locust Ave. Parking is available to guests on the third floor of the parking garage across from the Falcon Center.   
 
The DEP invites public comment on all aspects of the draft TMDL. The comment period extends through Sept. 3, 2013. Written comments may be submitted by U.S. Mail, electronic mail, and fax. The preferred form for comment submissions is e-mail or disk in order to expedite the review and response process. Written comments should be postmarked no later than Sept. 3, 2013. Comments should be sent to:
 
Steve Young, ATTN: Monongahela River TMDL Comments
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
601 57th Street,Charleston, WV 25304
 E-mail: stephen.a.young@wv.gov
 
This Draft TMDL is available for review on DEP’s webpage here.
See completed TMDLs below:
 www.dep.wv.gov/tmdl

CDs may  be obtained by calling Steve Young at (304) 926-0495, TTY 711 (304) 558-2751.
 
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