Rover Pipeline Brings Benefits to Communities Throughout the Midwest

The Rover Pipeline will transport natural gas from processing plants in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to markets throughout the Midwest. And construction of the project is currently underway – highly trained contractors have begun working their way across Ohio in recent weeks, and Michigan residents of Lenawee, Washtenaw, and Livingston Counties can expect to see signs of Rover’s progress as the pipeline reaches Michigan. The Michigan Forest Products Council (MFPC) has been closely following developments in the Rover project since its proposal over two years ago

Construction of the project is expected to bring a number of positive economic impacts to the communities through which Rover passes. In Michigan alone, Rover will create as many as 1,500 construction jobs, generate an estimated $8.7 million in sales tax revenue along with approximately $6 million in property taxes.

Further, as construction crews move through communities along the project route, their demand for goods and services has already greatly benefitted local businesses. As the Mansfield News Journal recently noted, Rover “has brought a lot of business to Richland County with workers staying in local hotels and campgrounds, eating in local restaurants and shopping in local stores.”

Further, elected officials in Ohio are already making big plans for the revenues that Rover will provide their communities. According to the Canton Repository, the Tuscarawas Valley Board of Education is aiming to use tax revenue funds from the Rover Pipeline to build a new K-12 school for the county. “Our goal would be to utilize Rover Pipeline tax revenue as the local share for a co-funded state facilities project. This would not place any additional tax burden on the residents,” Tuscarawas Valley Superintendent Mark Murphy said.

And these are just two early indicators of the many positive impacts that construction of the Rover Pipeline will create. Once complete, the project will provide safe, efficient access to domestically-produced, clean-burning natural gas throughout the region – from businesses and manufacturers to domestic consumers. MFPC looks forward to a successful completion of the Rover Pipeline and its many beneficial effects.