Pipeline disputes owing more for harm to historic Ohio sites

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — A natural-gas pipeline project across Ohio hasn’t honored an agreement to pay for harm done to historic properties, the State Historic Preservation Office said.

The Rover Pipeline agreed to pay $1.5 million annually for five years but hasn’t made the first payment, which was due two months ago, The Repository newspaper in Canton reported. Rover previously paid $2.3 million for razing a historic home in Carroll County before notifying regulators.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission now has jurisdiction over the project and has been asked to handle the dispute.

A spokeswoman for Energy Transfer, the company building Rover, referred to a letter released by the company’s lawyers.

“Rover believes any additional contribution is unwarranted and unfair, and Rover is willing to vigorously defend itself against any attempts to leverage any additional contribution,” the letter read, in part.

The company maintains some details about the agreement were misleading or wrong, as well.

Energy Transfer will work with FERC and Ohio EPA to resolve the situation, spokeswoman Alexis Daniel wrote in an email.

Ohio and Rover’s dispute over damaged historic properties comes just weeks after the state Environmental Protection Agency addressed pollution concerns with the company.

The state EPA proposed Rover pay $431,000 for more than a dozen water and air pollution violations. Rover has caused mud spills from drilling, polluted stormwater and used open burning, according to Ohio EPA.