Hydrogeological Assessment of Watershed Impacts Caused by Constructing the Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline Through Summers and Monroe Counties, West Virginia by Pamela C. Dodds, Ph.D., Licensed Professional Geologist
Submitted by the Indian Creek Watershed Association to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, August 15, 2016
From the Executive Summary
A gas pipeline constructed in Summers and Monroe Counties, as described in the Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (MVP) Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Related Authorizations, submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) October, 2015, will cause environmental degradation and destruction which will adversely impact landowners and communities:
1) The MVP gas pipeline construction will adversely impact headwater aquatic habitats which serve as the base of the food chain for the entire river continuum ecosystem.
2) The MVP gas pipeline construction will adversely impact springs and wetlands by soil removal.
3) The MVP gas pipeline construction will require deforestation and blasting, both of which will reduce groundwater recharge and cause significant changes to the amount of groundwater available as a drinking water source, as well as to groundwater flow routes.
4) The MVP gas pipeline construction will degrade karst environments. Karst terrain is strongly developed in the limestone and dolostone underlying the surficial bedrock in Summers County and in the northern and eastern portions of Monroe County and also in the surficial limestone bedrock underlying the southeastern portion of Monroe County.
5) The MVP gas pipeline construction will cause increased stormwater discharge and also degrade stream functions at the numerous locations where stream crossings are proposed.
6) The MVP gas pipeline construction will create the potential for landslides.
7) The MVP gas pipeline construction will create the potential for pipeline collapse in areas known to have experienced earthquakes.
8) Cumulative damage would result from the MVP gas pipeline construction. The findings provided in this report are in contrast to the MVP statement on page 22 of its October, 2015 application that, “There Is Minimal Potential For Adverse Impacts To Landowners And Communities Affected By The Project”. The findings provided herein support the conclusion that there would be significant adverse impacts resulting from construction of the proposed pipeline through Summers and Monroe Counties. Cumulative adverse impacts will result from construction of a gas pipeline in the numerous watersheds of first order high gradient streams in Summers and Monroe Counties.