COLUMBUS — The Sierra Club Ohio Chapter has launched an interactive map of proposed fracked gas pipelines coming to the state. The project was developed by the Chapter while responding to the over 100 environmental laws broken by ET Rover Pipeline since April.
The government websites that house documents pertaining to pipeline proposals can be difficult to navigate. In the case of ET Rover, thousands of documents are uploaded to this case at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission portal making gathering basic information on the pipeline difficult for the majority of people.
There is crucial information that is just not available to the general public without advanced knowledge of topography and GIS understanding.
I visited the Richland County library for a map of ET Rover only to receive a map for that county. The thought of having to go to 18 counties to try and build the entire map is daunting.
The Ohio Chapter provided a fellowship to Ohio State Undergraduate student Nick Moore, a Natural Resources Major for the project.
“I hope this map will raise awareness to the risks our communities face when these proposed pipelines are built. Each pipeline project is a massive endeavor, and it will only take one flaw to create a catastrophe. We all know perfection is impossible,” Moore said.
The map also shows the routes of Enbridge Nexus Pipeline, Kinder Morgan’s Utopia and Tennessee Gas pipelines, and Columbia Buckeye Xpress and Leach Xpress pipelines. In addition to the pipeline routes, the map will allow users to zoom into the pipelines and see the recommended evacuation zone.
The map also features the following locations where Ohio’s most vulnerable people go for services in the evacuation zone:
● 241 School
● 134 Daycare centers
● 162 Medical facilities
● 66 Nursing and retirement centers
● 36 Drinking water intake locations
Our ultimate goal for the project is to put this information in the hands of Ohio families. We want them to use the information to make informed decisions about their health and safety.
This project builds on the recently released National Pipeline Map.
For more information on the health risks of exposure to fracked gas pollutants.
Cheryl Johncox
Beyond Dirty Fuels Organizer
