Say No to Rover

Energy Transfer's Rover Pipeline is not a service to the nation. This may seem
controversial, or like a NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) argument. Many would say that
Rover is a service because it carries natural gas to states that need it.
Notwithstanding what most corporations would say, Rover is not helpful, because
it is not only taking away taxpayer's money, but also leaving possibilities of
dangerous explosions, or a harmful environmental footprint.

Rover is a service because Michigan and Ohio need natural gas. Energy Transfer
has proposed a natural gas pipeline the Rover Pipeline that will begin
construction in January 2016. It will be a 42-inch natural gas pipeline, carrying
3.25 billion cubic feet per day from stations in West Virginia, Ohio, and
Pennsylvania into Michigan, then connecting with the existing Vector pipeline,
which will run into the Dawn Hub in Canada, where it will be distributed
throughout the market in both the U.S. and Canada. Ohio and Michigan are the 8th
and 9th biggest natural gas consuming states, respectively1. Their needs both far
outstrip their production rates, and this Rover pipeline is coming from very
bountiful resources in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Michigan, Ohio, and
everything else the Dawn Hub provides to are getting a great boost in energy
thanks to Rover.

Although Rover gives Michigan and Ohio valuable energy, it is not safe. According
to Energy Transfer, At Energy Transfer and with Rover pipeline, safety is our top
priority. This does sound very good in theory, but it doesn't come easily. Energy
Transfer had an accident on May 4th in Lyndon Township, Michigan, when a 20
pipeline burst2. Later, they had a big blow-up with their pipeline explosion in
Cuero, Texas on June 14th this year3. The Cuero accident was from a 42 natural
gas pipeline, just like Rover will be. There is no information on what the causes
were; nor is there evidence that something won't happen again. Two incidents in
as many months is not a good record; and Energy Transfer really has to live up to
their safety is our top priority theory.

Although natural gas is a clean resource for the planet; the way we get it
hydraulic fracturing is toxic for the environment. Energy Transfer says Rover
selected a path that avoided and minimized the crossing of sensitive
environmental resources as our base routing guideline4. This is a great way to
keep the environment green, clean, and safe. Nevertheless, this sounds
hypocritical when one looks at the way natural gas is drawn from the ground.
Hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking', involves pumping water deep into the ground to
release natural gas. This also involves 'fracking fluids', which are made of toxic
additives and chemicals that invariably escape into the groundwater
(diammonium peroxidisulphate; methanol; and 2,2`,2-nitrilotriethanol to name a
few)5. If Energy Transfer wants to keep a standard of helping the environment, it
needs to start by using cleaner energy sources.

Bibliography:
1. "Rover Pipeline Fact Sheet." Energy Transfer, 1 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 Aug. 2015.
<http://www.roverpipelinefacts.com/documents/ROVER-Fact_Sheet_3-03-15.pdf>.
2. "Gas Main Explosion in Lyndon Township Causes Large Crater." Chelsea Update Chelsea Michigan News
RSS. 5 May 2015. Web. 14 Aug. 2015. <http://chelseaupdate.com/gas-main-explosion-in-lyndon-townshipcauses-large-crater/>.
3. Hiller, Jennifer. "Investigators Looking into Cuero Pipeline Explosion." Fuel Fix. 15 June 2015. Web. 14 Aug.
2015. <http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/06/15/investigators-looking-into-cuero-pipelineexplosion/#30288101=0>.
4. "Energy Transfer." Energy Transfer. 2015. Web. 14 Aug. 2015.
<http://www.roverpipelinefacts.com/landowner-facts/land-protections.html>.
5. Crane-Murdoch, Sierra. "Unpacking Health Hazards in Fracking's Chemical Cocktail." - High Country News.
21 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Aug. 2015. <http://www.hcn.org/issues/43.3/unpacking-health-hazards-in-frackingschemical-cocktail>.