Comment to WVDEP on Water Quality Impacts of the MXP

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has released for public comment the state stormwater permit needed for the Mountaineer XPress Pipeline (MXP). You can submit comments on the MXP Stormwater permit through December 22, 2017. If you have questions, please contact Autumn Crowe, [email protected].

ACCESSING AND REVIEWING THE PERMIT

Oil and Gas Construction Stormwater General Permit (WVR310872): For more info on this permit see our Guide to Stormwater Permits. View the permit application on WVDEP website. View a map of the Mountaineer Xpress Pipeline route.

SUGGESTED COMMENTS

Stormwater Permit: MXP’s application does not meet the requirements for the WVDEP Oil & Gas Construction Stormwater General Permit.

• The applicant has not demonstrated that impacts to water quality have been minimized.
• Wet trench crossing methods are proposed for minor water bodies causing increased sedimentation in streams.
• Impaired streams crossed by wet trench methods will exceed water quality standards and be unable to meet their total maximum daily load pollution prevention requirements.
• The use of rip rap is proposed for stream restoration instead of WVDEP’s preferred method of restoration using natural stream channel design techniques.
• Engineering calculations for the sizing of culverts are not included in the application.
• Site-specific spacing distances for trench line barriers are not included in the application.
• No water quality monitoring is proposed. Monitoring is not required, but can be requested. Monitors should be installed at sensitive stream crossings similar to the efforts being conducted along proposed pipeline routes in VA.

SUBMIT COMMENTS TO WVDEP BY 8PM ON DECEMBER 22^nd

1. You can submit comments through WV Rivers’ online commenting tool.
2. By email with the permit number (WVR310872) in the subject line: [email protected]
3. By mail referencing the permit number (WVR310872) in your letter:

Director, Division of Water and Management, DEP
ATTN: Sharon Mullins, Permitting Section
601 57th Street SE
Charleston, WV 25304-2345