Ohio EPA announces public hearing on water quality certification for proposed pipeline project

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) will hold a public hearing on a water quality certification application for a pipeline that would run through 14 Ohio counties on Sept. 28 in Fremont, Ohio.
 
The water quality certification application, filed by Kinder Morgan Utopia, is a necessary step toward any project that includes discharging, dredging or using fill material in a way that impacts Ohio waters. In addition to obtaining the certification from the Ohio EPA, the company will also need a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
 
While the project may impact current water quality conditions, the Ohio EPA will review the project to ensure that it does not violate the state’s water quality standards, which establish conditions to protect human and environmental health. The agency will also review the project based on technical, economic, social and environmental considerations before making a decision about the water quality certification.
 
The meeting will take place at Ross High School Little Theatre beginning at 6 p.m.
 
The proposed pipeline would potentially impact the Tuscarawas, Walhonding, Mohican, Huron-Vermillion, Sandusky, Cedar-Portage, Lower Maumee and Ottawa-Stony watersheds. It would run through the following counties: Harrison, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Stark, Wayne, Ashland, Richland, Huron, Seneca, Sandusky, Wood, Henry, Lucas and Fulton.