Frustrated Property Owners Set Meeting on New Pipeline ProjectFrustrated Property Owners Set Meeting on New Pipeline Project

8/20/14 - A local landowner says there’s something’s fishy with a proposed gas pipeline project - the second that could be coming through her yard. An informational meeting on the proposed ET Rover Pipeline is being organized by area citizens to discuss the project, possible impacts and what can be done to provide input as it moves forward. The company’s website says ET Rover Pipeline LLC is a new interstate natural gas pipeline company being designed to transport natural gas from processing facilities located in the Marcellus and Utica Shale areas to market regions in the United States and Canada. Oceola Township resident Beth Duman described what was supposed to be an informational meeting hosted by the ET Rover company in Fenton as a “mass mess” and says the company keeps flip-flopping on whether or not the line will even cross her property. Duman says they just went through the much disorganized Enbridge experience and know firsthand how much hardship was placed on local residents because of it. Now, Duman tells WHMI now they’re dealing with another company that seems equally as disorganized as she still can’t get any straight answers. Public meetings are required as part of the approval process and more than 100 people attended the Fenton meeting but Duman says not much happened as there were poorly labeled maps on tables from all over and company representatives were hard to identify. In an effort to educate those interested, Duman and other landowners have organized an informational meeting and the public is welcome to attend. Jeff Axt from POLAR or Protect Our Land And Rights will be providing information along with Beth Wallace from the Pipeline Safety Trust. Unlike the replacement of the Enbridge 6B pipeline, Duman says submissions can be made to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC and procedures for doing so will also be discussed. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7pm on Thursday, August 28th at the Oceola Township Hall. A link to the ET Rover website is below and the meeting has not been endorsed by the company. (JM)