Gas pipeline proposed to run through Lenawee County east of Tecumseh

A second natural gas pipeline is being proposed to be built through Lenawee County by Nexus Gas Transmission. The other pipeline, ET Rover, is projected to run northward through the Irish Hills area. The 250-mile pipeline, according to a map from Nexus Gas Transmission, appears to run near Blissfield northward to the east of Britton and then northeastward into Washtenaw County. There, the pipeline connects with existing pipeline, the new pipeline originating from Kensington, Ohio, and ending in Ontario, Canada.The final location for the pipeline and new facilities will be determined by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which will review the proposed and alternative routes to determine which will have the least environmental and stakeholder impact while still meeting the intent of the project and needs of the market.Currently, Nexus Gas Trans-mission is waiting for the FERC to approve the company’s use of the pre-filing review process. The proposed pipeline will be capable of transporting at least two billion cubic feet per day of natural gas and will consist of 36- to 42-inch diameter piping. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $2 billion with the company predicting the pipeline to be in service as early as the fourth quarter of 2017, with construction starting as early as the first quarter of 2017. According to the company’s website, the project will create “significant jobs during the construction phase and ongoing,” though gives no specifics as to how many jobs, temporary or permanent could actually be created. The next step for Nexus Gas Transmission lies in the hands of the FERC, as they begin scoping to determine environmental issues and reach out to applicant stakeholders. An informational meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Adrian College’s Adrian Tobias Center located at 110 S. Madison St. in Adrian. The meeting runs from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.