A federal court judge today denied Columbia Gas the right to move forward with construction of a gas pipeline through public land in Washington County, Md. The ruling is a blow both to Columbia Gas and to the pipeline’s main intended customer, the Rockwool insulation factory in West Virginia, now […]
Eastern Panhandle Expansion
14 posts
After cancelling a public hearing last month on a permit for an extension of the Mountaineer Gas Pipeline, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) appears to be waffling on setting a new date–and the people who asked for a hearing are growing impatient. The proposed 4.85-mile distribution line […]
Hagerstown, Md. — To transport gas from the fracking wells in Pennsylvania and Ohio to the Eastern Panhandle, Columbia Gas, a subsidiary of TransCanada, needs to drill under the Potomac at Hancock, Md. But if things go wrong, it could mean disaster for the river and all who depend on […]
Hundreds of people packed the room at the Shepherd University Student Center Wednesday night to deliver impassioned statements to the West Virginia Public Service Commission on a permit for a gas pipeline extension in the Eastern Panhandle. The proposed extension of the Mountaineer Gas Pipeline would cut through Jefferson County […]
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) granted Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC a wetlands and waterways permit for the Eastern Panhandle Expansion, also known as the Potomac Pipeline. Environmental organizations have already come out with statements expressing disappointment and calling the permit “a serious mistake.” The permit for the 3.3-mile […]
Five women blocked the doors of the Maryland State House in Annapolis on Wednesday, demanding that Gov. Larry Hogan take immediate action to prevent construction of a gas pipeline and drilling under the Potomac River. Holding enlarged photos of their children and grandchildren, all five were arrested for trespassing […]
Annapolis, Md. — Those opposed to gas infrastructure in Maryland have stepped up their campaign to influence Gov. Larry Hogan, and he may be feeling the pressure. About 250 people rallied on Lawyer’s Mall in front of the Maryland Statehouse on the evening of February 15, then surrounded the […]
Environmental groups are questioning the good faith of a Maryland state agency tasked with the permitting of a proposed gas pipeline which would cross underneath the Potomac River, saying it made a decision to greenlight the project before the application was even submitted. Potomac Riverkeeper Network accuses the Maryland Department […]
A Maryland state agency will continue hearing testimony on the permitting of a TransCanada pipeline at a later date to allow dozens of people to speak who weren’t able to on December 19 because of time constraints. The Maryland Department of the Environment is weighing whether to grant oil and […]
The Maryland Department of the Environment will hold a hearing on December 19 in Hancock, Md. on TransCanada’s proposed Eastern Panhandle Expansion (also known as the Potomac Pipeline). The 3.4-mile gas pipeline requires a Section 401 water quality certification from the state to complete the federal licensing process under the […]
Shepherdstown, W.Va. — Three hundred and fifty people spanned the James Rumsey bridge between Shepherdstown, W.Va., and Sharpsburg, Md. on Saturday to draw attention to TransCanada’s plan to drill under the Potomac River and lay a gas pipeline. Holding hands across the entire width of the Potomac River and symbolically […]
Greedy pipeline companies in league with complicit government officials are the driving force behind two gas pipelines intended to deliver Pennsylvania gas to the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, opponents contend. On August 11, environmental advocacy group Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) hosted a press conference on the Potomac River’s […]