Pittsburgh Based Pipeline Company Subpoenaed by Feds

The United States Attorney’s Office is investigating the Mountain Valley Pipeline project. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is jointly owned by NextEra US Gas Assets, LLC, Con Edison Transmission, Inc., WGL Midstream, RGC Midstream, LLC, and Pittsburgh-based EQM Midstream Partners, LP.

The pipeline is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2019, according to the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s website. The 42-inch in diameter pipeline will span approximately 303 miles from Wetzel County, West Virginia to Pittsylvania County, Virginia. It is an extension of the existing Equitrans transmission line, connecting it to a compressor station in Virginia owned by Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company. Its purpose is to serve the Mid and South Atlantic regions of the country with natural gas.

EQM Midstream Partners has confirmed that they have received a subpoena as a result of a grand jury investigation. Unfortunately, there is not an abundance of information as to why EQM had received the subpoena, but a spokesperson for the company has stated that they are will be fully cooperative in the investigation. Though the official nature of the investigation has not been revealed, there is speculation as to its roots. In late January of this year, two attorneys made accusations that the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s owners had violated the law by developing the pipeline without proper permits.

Regulatory violations have become commonplace in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins. As pipelines cross state lines, federal judgments can have regulatory effects for the entire nation.