Nisource Corp. Threaten Ohio's Public Lands
Nisource, the parent company to Columbia Gas of Ohio and numerous other subsidiaries, is planning to destroy pristine swaths of Ohio’s forested land. This Indiana-based corporation leases miles of public land in Ohio’s state parks and forests to maintain natural gas pipelines and wellheads. Instead of doing regular ground inspections, it wants to cut 50-foot swaths around pipelines in order to save money by instead flying over the land to make inspections. For more than two years, citizens and organizations have been urging the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to protect Ohio’s public lands from these unprecedented and unnecessary clearings.
Nisource recently filed for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA was passed into law in 1973 to protect plant and animal species and their habitat from extinction. The ESA is responsible for listing endangered or threatened species, consultation with all federal agencies and enforcement of the prohibited activites such as “takes.”
“Takes” are defined as activities that could “harm, harass, kill, hunt…species.” Nisource has filed for an ITP to obtain a permit to “take” species. The ESA was amended to allow “takes” that are “incidental to otherwise legal activities.” In order for Nisource to obtain the permit it must submit a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).
An HCP explains the reason for the activity, assesses possible impacts and develops “minimization and mitigation” plans for those impacts. The ITP Nisource proposal includes a one-mile corridor around 15,500 miles of existing pipelines, storage wells and other structures. Nisource plans to clear-cut the trees and apply chemical herbicides throughout the entire corridor. This request will also include future projects for the next 50 years. There are 3,000 miles of pipelines in Ohio as well as the largest natural gas
storage area in the eastern U.S. The storage fields are located in the Mohican State Forest and Hocking Hills area. This one mile corridor will encompass the entire Mohican State Forest. Two pipelines run through the Mohican gorge, a national natural landmark. If Nisource is permitted in this section of the forest, one of Ohio’s most cherished vistas will be forever marred.
There are 22 endangered species in Ohio that could significantly be impacted, as well as many other species that are not currently threatened. Citizens recognize that pipeline companies have a duty to inspect and maintain transmission lines, but not to the detriment of the rights of public and private landowners or Ohio’s precious natural resources.
For more information, contact The Coalition to STOP Nisource! at www.coalitiontostopnisource@yahoogroups.com or email Keith Sadler at k_b_sadler@yahoo.com