Environmental

Biodiversity and Land Stewardship

We acknowledge that our activities impact the surrounding landscape and protecting and preserving the environmental resources near our assets is central to our mission as a Company. From project initiation to completion and throughout an asset’s operational lifespan, we continually evaluate how we identify sensitive environmental areas to better preserve biodiversity and minimize our impact on ecosystems. We take our responsibility as land stewards seriously and work with local communities and state and federal agencies to ensure the approaches we use to protect natural resources are as effective as possible.

Managing Ecological Resources

3-3
Management of material topics

304-1
11.4.2
Operational sites owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas

304-2
11.4.3
Significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity

304-3
11.4.4
Habitats protected or restored

304-4
11.4.5
IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations

306-3
11.5.4
Waste generated

306-3
11.8.2
Significant spills (The spills related content in GRI 306: Effluents and Waste 2016 remains in effect.)

413-2
11.15.3
Operations with significant actual and potential negative impacts on local communities

EM-MD-160a.1
Description of environmental management policies and practices for active operations

EM-MD-160a.2
Percentage of land owned, leased, and/or operated within areas of protected conservation status or endangered species habitat

EM-MD-160a.3
Terrestrial acreage disturbed, percentage of impacted area restored

EM-MD-160a.4
Number and aggregate volume of hydrocarbon spills, volume in Arctic, volume in Unusually Sensitive Areas (USAs), and volume recovered

3-3
304-1
304-2
304-3
304-4
306-3
413-2
EM-MD-160a.1
EM-MD-160a.2
EM-MD-160a.3
EM-MD-160a.4

Equitrans is committed to protecting the environment, maintaining biodiversity, and preventing land degradation. As good land stewards, we diligently work to ensure our activities maintain our natural resources for future generations, as the loss of biodiversity has far-reaching consequences that can lead to ecosystems becoming less productive and less resilient to change. Biodiversity loss can also lead to a loss of aesthetic value and cultural diversity, impacting our relationship with our surrounding communities, reputation, and license to operate. It is our goal to preserve these important resources and, when possible, restore any disturbed areas to their original, natural condition.

Our existing operational assets are located on nearly 111,000 acres of land (excluding the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and MVP Southgate projects) across OH, PA, and WV, all of which are near or within environmentally sensitive or protected areas. These protected or sensitive areas include federal- and state-owned properties, such as state parks and game lands, as well as county parks and recreation areas.

 

Proactive Project Planning

Prior to the commencement of a construction project, we conduct studies to determine whether threatened or endangered species are present within the vicinity of the project. The review process includes desktop and field studies to identify potential habitat or presence of protected species. If any threatened or endangered species are found, we consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), as well as state and local wildlife agencies, to ensure our construction and operations minimize any impacts to these protected species. The most common species of state or federal concern found within our operating areas are bats, mussels, and various plants.

 

We also assess and identify environmentally sensitive areas along a proposed pipeline route or facility location to minimize potential impacts that may result from our construction projects. Together with publicly available information, our route development team utilizes a geographic information system (GIS) equipped with current aerial photography, historical landslide mapping, slope modeling, aspect mapping, and terrain visualization to identify any unique environmental features and/or environmental justice concerns. Once a baseline route has been established and landowners have granted survey permissions, crews are deployed to perform field feasibility studies. Our environmental team and route development team collaborate to adjust the route as needed. During the routing process, the teams aim to maximize project efficiencies and minimize overall project disturbance by considering factors from all project disciplines, including biodiversity and environmental functions. Routes may also be modified for other reasons, such as avoidance of cultural resources and landowner requests.

Through our comprehensive pipeline routing and facility footprint design efforts, Equitrans strives to minimize temporary impacts and, when possible, avoid permanent impacts to sensitive species and resources.

Using the information gathered, we are able to take appropriate steps to avoid, where possible, any potential biodiversity and environmental impacts and proactively plan activities to minimize impacts. For example, if a stream or wetland cannot be avoided, we strive to cross the resource perpendicularly and at the narrowest location and look to efficiently reduce the area of disturbance in the riparian buffer to minimize potential impacts. Additionally, in locations where a bat habitat is identified, we strive to minimize tree clearing by locating the project area along other linear projects or re-adjusting it to open areas. Schedules for these project activities are adjusted so that necessary tree clearing happens during designated and approved timeframes when direct impacts can be avoided. We are often able to minimize temporary impacts and, when possible, avoid permanent impacts to sensitive species and resources through our pipeline routing and facility footprint design efforts.

Once the pipeline route or facility site is confirmed to have met the objectives of the routing process, the permit preparation phase further refines the avoidance and minimization of potential project impacts. Permit preparation involves coordinating with the appropriate regulatory agencies for pre-application meetings and initial consultations. Through ongoing conversations, the agencies provide guidance regarding the actions needed for Equitrans projects to remain in compliance with regulatory requirements. After the project plans are finalized and the permit applications are submitted, the team continues to coordinate with regulatory agencies and also engages with other external stakeholders to understand and resolve concerns.

Construction Oversight

We strive to avoid or minimize any negative biodiversity or environmental impacts throughout all phases of a project. When construction begins, our team members, including on-site contractors, are advised of the regulatory requirements and environmental permit conditions that must be adhered to during project activities. Project team members also receive project-specific training on environmentally sensitive areas; proper installation and maintenance requirements for erosion and sediment controls (E&SCs), using best management practices (BMPs); incident response procedures; and an overview of special conditions that apply to sensitive resources. Project limits are clearly defined prior to the start of construction, with project-specific flagging and signage installed to maintain awareness and ensure avoidance. Additionally, we utilize on-site monitors in select areas to ensure the work being done adheres to the assigned avoidance and mitigation measures.

The potential impacts from erosion and sedimentation during our construction activities are generally short-term and temporary in nature. Equitrans works with contractors to minimize both the project footprint and duration. We implement temporary stabilization measures within the required timeframes and in many cases within a shorter timeframe than required by a permit's conditions. Prior to earth disturbance activities, and following BMPs, we install appropriate E&SCs that meet or exceed regulatory requirements. Throughout construction, the E&SCs are routinely monitored, weekly at minimum and after measurable rainfall events, until adequate vegetation and stabilization is achieved. Further, in 2022, Equitrans implemented the use of vegetative buffers, where necessary, to improve sediment control measures and enhance the capture of sediment upslope from E&SCs measures. Within the project limits, existing and mature vegetation is left undisturbed along the edge of the construction work areas to function as a natural filter. This vegetative buffer increases the effectiveness of the E&SC measures and protects surrounding waterbodies by slowing runoff, promoting stormwater infiltration, enhancing sediment retention within the project limits, and reducing sediment loss during storm events.

 

Water bars are a type of control measure for managing stormwater runoff on linear pipeline projects. In 2022, Equitrans implemented two design modifications to water bars located in areas flagged as having poor soil conditions or steep terrain with a high potential for accelerated erosion. The first modification was the application of a double-sump configuration, which increased both the time that stormwater is retained and the sediment capacity of the sumps. The second modification, erosion control matting, was installed in the water bar flow path in areas where soil conditions exhibit potential for accelerated erosion.

In 2022, Equitrans implemented the use of vegetative buffers to improve sediment control measures and enhance the capture of sediment upslope from E&SC measures.

For aquatic resources that cannot be avoided, Equitrans reduces the project right-of-way (ROW) width at stream crossings to provide a larger buffer between the project crew and the stream; utilizes construction crews that specialize in aquatic resource crossings to further reduce potential impacts during pipe installation; installs the pipeline facilities as a separate construction activity; and completes the restoration of the buffer areas immediately after installation and prior to returning flow to the stream channel. As an example, during 2022, Equitrans deployed large riprap as a stabilization measure to preserve stream bank integrity, creating an erosion resistant barrier between the stream and the erodible stream bank soil. Synthetic products, such as turf-reinforced matting, were also utilized as a long-term stabilization measure.

We consider E&SC failures as any instance when erosion and sediment control structures fail to prevent sediment releases to water, resulting in an escape of sediment out of the project’s limit of disturbance (LOD). We evaluate each E&SC failure to determine if the event occurred due to natural forces or resulted from a controllable factor. These events are collectively evaluated for improvements. Releases that occurred in 2022 had minimal impacts to waterbodies. During these events, clean-up efforts were initiated as soon as the releases were discovered, and the appropriate federal and state agencies were notified as required. Following clean-up efforts, E&SC experts evaluated the root cause of these releases. Based on the evaluation’s findings, we increased and modified our BMPs in the areas, as described earlier in this section, to further reduce the risk of similar events occurring in the future.

Managing Environmental Impacts

If an environmental event occurs, we acknowledge our responsibility and take action to implement the necessary steps to remediate the situation as quickly as possible. In most cases, the impacts to terrestrial and aquatic resources are minor and temporary. When impacts do occur, we work quickly and carefully to remediate them as outlined in our Spill Reporting and Response Procedure.

The Spill Reporting and Response Procedure involves several steps and is initiated when field staff report incident data and observations to the environmental team. The environmental team reviews the incident information alongside the project’s specific permit and regulatory requirements and makes a recommendation to legal staff regarding whether the incident should be reported to the appropriate regulatory agency. If the event is reportable, the environmental team will notify the regulatory agency and work with them until compliance is reestablished. The environmental team also conducts a follow-up incident investigation to determine whether the incident was controllable or uncontrollable. If deemed controllable, feedback is provided to construction and operations staff, where in-depth discussions are conducted to help determine what could have been done differently.

If the event involves a spill, leak, or release from our operations, our mitigation procedures and measurements are designed to ensure the health and safety of our employees, contractors, and communities, while also minimizing any environmental impact. Equitrans properly disposes of and reports all substances released in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations. To improve transparency, the spill data was expanded for our 2023 reporting to include glycol and antifreeze spills.

Hydrocarbon Spills1 20192 2020 20212 2022
Number of Reportable Spills3 0 1 2 1
Total Reportable Spill Volume (Gallons)3 0 99.7 5,147.9 139.9
Number of Non-Reportable Spills4 9 5 3 8
Total Non-Reportable Spill Volume (Gallons)4 1,220.0 7,118.2 255.8 1,120.1
Volume of Spills in Unusually Sensitive Areas (Gallons)5 0 0 0 0

1) Includes 100% of the Eureka Midstream assets; excludes MVP and MVP Southgate projects; no spills occurred in the Arctic as the Company does not have any operations in or near the Arctic

2) Values have been restated to include non-reportable glycol and antifreeze spills greater than 1 bbl (42 gallons)

3) Includes spills greater than 1 bbl (42 gallons) that were reportable under federal, state, or local regulations

4) Includes spills greater than 1 bbl (42 gallons) that were not reportable to federal, state, or local agencies

5) SASB defines Unusually Sensitive Areas as those identified within PHMSA’s National Pipeline Mapping System

Equitrans regularly evaluates our processes to limit incidents and better mitigate the risk of future spills or leaks. We track all spills and leaks that occur and analyze data to identify any trends or concerns that may require technical solutions from our engineering team. Our operations team also conducts quarterly reviews to identify patterns and implement solutions to mitigate and avoid future impacts.

Habitat Restoration

 

Recognizing our operations can and do impact the environment, Equitrans is committed to doing its part to create and maintain healthy ecosystems. To help offset any negative impacts, we have implemented many programs focused on habitat restoration, land stewardship, and biodiversity. Our habitat restoration efforts focus on repairing or replacing habitats damaged by our construction activities. Additionally, once a pipeline is operational, we implement methods to safeguard biodiversity assets along the pipelines ROW. We strive to meet or exceed regulatory standards and collaborate closely with property owners to return their property to as close to its original condition as possible.

Additionally, we make efforts to accommodate any special requests or preferences of the landowner, such as fencing, native seed mixes, planting specific tree species, and limiting areas for heavy equipment crossing. We re-establish contours and re-vegetate with state-approved, native, riparian, and pollinator seed mixes and, when possible, with vegetation requested by property owners. For wetland and riparian areas, Equitrans uses wetland and riparian seed mixes to restore the habitat after temporary impacts from construction. We also routinely accommodate property owner requests for topsoil segregation, which preserves removed topsoil for restoration once local work is complete. In 2022, we disturbed and restored 381 acres of habitat across our operations, inclusive of stabilized areas of ongoing construction.

Operational Disturbances1

2019

2020

2021

2022

Terrestrial acreage disturbed

2,251

2,555

1,053

381

Terrestrial acreage disturbed that was restored

100%

100%

100%

100%

1) Includes 100% of the Eureka Midstream assets; excludes MVP and MVP Southgate projects

Evaluating Our Approach to Biodiversity and Land Stewardship

Equitrans recognizes the importance of maintaining and enhancing habitats that support biodiversity. Our operational footprint is primarily in rural areas, meaning our pipelines traverse intrinsically and economically valuable natural environments. Our approach to land stewardship is based on several factors, including an understanding of how our activities can affect local ecosystems.

We are members of various industry associations, including the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America and the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC). Through these associations, we participate in working groups that allow peer companies to share best practices for site planning, development, restoration, and other topics that foster land protection. Participating in these discussions improves our knowledge and bolsters our land stewardship efforts. As an example, an MSC workgroup focuses on habitat restoration topics, including the benefits of pollinator seed mixes.

 

To further our land stewardship efforts, Equitrans also purchases mitigation credits to offset impacts to streams and wetlands; plants native seed mixes to enhance local habitat restoration in sensitive resource areas; and partners with private companies and organizations to install habitat structures to support the specific needs of species, such as bat boxes and fish spawning structures. In 2022, Equitrans purchased mitigation credits to offset impacts to a wetland from a slide in West Virginia. In Pennsylvania, native seed mixes were used where feasible, including being applied to the ROW for two pipeline systems.

Finally, to affirm our commitment to enhancing land and water stewardship, our Biodiversity Statement details the procedures and best practices Equitrans uses to preserve biodiversity in our operating area. We recognize the importance of our restoration efforts and believe areas with strong biodiversity can adapt and withstand the negative effects of climate change. We respect the natural beauty of the land and partner with community leaders to ensure our operations do not negatively impact our communities. For more information regarding our approach to biodiversity and land stewardship, please visit the sustainability pages of our website.

Highlight Stories

Enhancing Methane Monitoring

In January 2023, Equitrans announced its status as a founding member of the newly formed Appalachian Methane Initiative (AMI), a coalition of regional natural gas operators committed to further enhancing methane monitoring throughout the Appalachia Basin and facilitating additional methane emissions reduction in the region. The AMI coalition was formed for the purpose of establishing and effectuating a methane monitoring, reporting, and mitigation network throughout the geographic area known as the Appalachian Basin.’

AMI’s efforts are intended to promote greater efficiency in the identification and remedy of potential fugitive methane emissions from operations in the Appalachian Basin through coordinated satellite and aerial surveys on a geographic-basis as opposed to an operator-specific basis and taking into account advanced methane monitoring and reporting frameworks. Additionally, the coalition will seek to coordinate and share best practices in mitigating methane emissions from natural gas operations, including production and midstream, and collaborate on activities and monitor results through transparent, publicly available reporting. 

For much of 2023, AMI is focusing on developing and implementing a pilot monitoring program to cover select areas of interest within the Basin’s major operating footprints, with the goal of working to develop and implement a full-Basin monitoring plan in 2024.

As part of AMI’s official launch, a news release was issued by the coalition’s founding members. We believe our membership in AMI will support our ongoing methane reduction efforts and complement our many ESG initiatives, and we look forward to working with other coalition members on advancing AMI’s initiatives.

Inspiring the World to Reuse

As we broaden our sustainability investments, we are especially proud of our partnership with Fill It Forward, an organization whose mission is “to inspire the world to reuse” by focusing on the elimination of single-use waste, such as plastic bottles and bags. In 2021, Equitrans partnered with Fill it Forward as a means of engaging and educating employees, while at the same time elevating our many ESG (environmental, social, and governance) initiatives.

In late 2021, we launched our Fill It Forward campaign with a custom holiday gift box for employees that included reusable tote bags and bottles with individual ‘scan tags’ that acted as a re-use tracker. When the tags were scanned, the data was automatically uploaded to Equitrans’ custom group on the Fill It Forward app and was used for tracking our collective impact, such as waste diverted, emissions saved, and how much ocean pollution was prevented.

Along with helping to eliminate waste, there was a charitable component to our Fill It Forward campaign. Each employee scan unlocked a $1 donation for every reuse, which contributed funds to our chosen charitable organization — DigDeep’s Appalachia Water Project. The funds collected were used to provide clean drinking water through the installation of meter-to-home water lines for families in southern West Virginia who currently have unsafe, limited, or no water at all. Our goal was to generate 10,000 scans and raise $10,000 for the Appalachia Water Project, and we were thrilled to have reached our goal roughly six months into the campaign. In addition, as part of Equitrans’ annual holiday giving initiatives, we made a separate donation of $20,000 to the Appalachia Water Project.

Thanks to the efforts of our employees — Equitrans was the proud recipient of Fill It Forward’s Changemaker Award for 2022. This unique ESG-focused campaign was a means of engaging and educating employees, while also elevating our sustainability efforts. Together with Fill It Forward, we believe that the simple act of reusing is the first step towards creating a sustainable mindset for all generations — and as an added benefit — being able to connect families with access to safe water will ensure the health and success of communities for years to come.

Equitrans Midstream’s Impact
 
19,968.42
lbs of emissions saved

 
617.58
lbs of waste diverted from landfill

 
11,734.02
kwH of power saved

 
123.52
lbs of ocean pollution prevented
20,586
total reuses

Source: Statistics calculated by Fill It Forward, as of year-end 2022

Employee Generosity — Giving Back To Our Communities

Equitrans Midstream is committed to making a difference in our communities, and the United Way is just one way we can join together to support those in need. For our 2022 campaign, we selected the United Way of Washington County as our primary United Way affiliate, which aligns with our Company headquarters’ location. Employees also had the opportunity to donate to the United Way of their choice by selecting from other United Way affiliates located in our primary operating states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia.

To jump start our 2022 United Way campaign, we held a basket raffle during our all-employee meeting and holiday celebration in Morgantown, WV. Employee teams donated 27 individual baskets, with raffle ticket sales raising more than $11,000 in donations. This was matched dollar-for-dollar by our Corporate Local Giving Program, jump-starting our 2022 campaign with a contribution of more than $22,000 to the United Way.

Through our official United Way campaign, which is conducted annually via individual, online donations, Equitrans employees pledged roughly $57,000 in individual contributions, which was matched dollar-for-dollar through the Equitrans Midstream Foundation for a total of approximately $114,000. Additional donations were made outside of our formal campaign, and, based on totals provided by the United Way of Washington County — Equitrans’ contributions totaled more than $169,000 in 2022 — making us the top contributor in their Chairman’s Award for Top 5 Workplace Giving Campaign Partners program.

Equitrans also received the agency’s Campaign Excellence Award, which is presented to a workplace giving campaign partner that puts forth extra effort in running their annual workplace giving campaign. In addition to our traditional campaign, this award was due in part to the hosting of our special to basket raffle event, which engaged all employees and included matching funds by the Equitrans Midstream Foundation and the Company’s Corporate Local Giving Program.

The United Way of Washington County’s mission is to unite people, resources, and organization to improve lives in Washington County. Through Equitrans’ support, the various programs at United Way will be funded to serve the most pressing needs in vulnerable populations within our local operating areas. Our donation is a powerful force for change, and we thank our employees for their generosity and support!

Productivity Redesigned

As the world continues to adapt and evolve, companies are re-evaluating their management approach and taking into consideration the individual needs and circumstances of their employees to create work-life harmonization. With the implementation of person-centric leadership practices, Equitrans took the opportunity to redesign how we operate, improving performance and engagement and increasing our ability to compete for talent.

In early 2020, Equitrans began to recognize the benefits of a flexible workplace model. We initiated a deeper dive into the concept by soliciting survey feedback from office-based employees regarding their preferred ‘workplace persona’ preferences (anchor, flex, and remote). Today, we have fully embraced a ‘person-centric’ work environment, which takes into account the physical, cognitive, and emotional needs of employees and encourages them to find the best integration between their work and personal lives. With this approach, work is no longer about where an employee is located, but about the actual work an employee does. Importantly, employees are evaluated on work produced, without consideration to where or how they worked.

Rather than conforming to legacy practices or location constraints, Equitrans’ person-centric work model is defined by flexible work experiences, intentional collaboration, and empathy-based management. For our field-based employees, who are primarily required to work onsite, we rolled out flexible work guidelines to demonstrate our commitment to our person-centric work approach. Upon implementation of this new work model, roughly 44% of employees are working remotely, 25% split their time between working remotely and at an Equitrans location, 31% work from an Equitrans location full-time, and less than 1% work part-time.

We expect our person-centric model will continue to improve employees’ satisfaction and retention, as well as help to expand our talent pool. Since implementing our workplace personas, the number of employees working in other U.S. locations has increased, and we have been able to improve gender diversity. As part of our new work model, we periodically conduct employee surveys and focus groups to obtain feedback, using the results to adjust our workplace practices, as needed.

Office-Centric vs Person-Centric Work Design
Office-Centric Person-Centric

Provide consistent work experiences to deliver equality of experience

Provide flexible work experiences to deliver equality of opportunity

Enable serendipitous collaboration to deliver innovation by chance

Enable intentional collaboration to deliver innovation by design

Drive visibility-based management to deliver performance by inputs

Drive empathy-based management to deliver performance by outcome

Our Bees Are All The Buzzzzz

At Equitrans, there is a clear tone that begins at the top — sustainability is critically important to the world we live in and is also essential to the future growth of our Company. In 2023, E-Train celebrated Earth Day with the kickoff of a two-year sustainability partnership with Alvéole. Alvéole focuses on bee-friendly communities for greener cities by installing honey bee hives at business locations across the world to foster environmental awareness and educate communities on the importance of creating sustainable bee populations. In fact, according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, honey bees help to produce one-third of our food supply by pollinating $15 billion worth of crops in the U.S. each year, including more than 130 types of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. 

Through our new partnership with Alvéole, E-Train is hosting and supporting two honey bee hives at each of our Canonsburg, St. Clairsville, and Waynesburg offices. The hives were installed in late spring, and the bees have begun to collect nectar and pollinate thousands of flowers and plants. With the help of our assigned Alvéole beekeeper, the hives will become established, and the bees will re-emerge every spring to pollinate flora to grow food and produce E-Train’s own locally sourced honey.

Equitrans and Alvéole also established “MyHive” microsites for each of E-Train’s office locations. The MyHive sites are located on Equitrans’ intranet, and employees can access the sites at any time to find educational honey bee information and receive updates on our hives. As an added benefit, Alvéole beekeepers will conduct various on-site informational events for employees, such as beeswax candle making and honey extraction sessions. 

As we continue to safely and responsibly operate our network of natural gas pipelines, water lines, and compressor stations, it’s important to remember that the decisions we make today have a lasting and positive impact on future generations. On Earth Day and every day, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard by embracing our responsibility to operate in a manner that minimizes impacts on our natural resources and — above all else — we must keep safety our top priority, always.

Managing and Protecting Pipeline Integrity

Identification and management of landslide risk is a vital aspect of Equitrans’ daily work activities; however, the risk of a landslide is not limited to the midstream industry. Landslides can occur in any type of terrain, including both hills and valleys, and can be associated with any type of ongoing construction or pre-existing land disturbance. Natural factors such as rainfall and surface runoff water can amplify their frequency or severity; and left unmanaged, landslides have the potential to impact our environment. For Equitrans, this impact may include creating unnecessary strain on our underground pipelines, which are typically located in a variety of terrains as compared to our non-linear assets. To avoid unsafe situations and protect the integrity of our pipeline network, our engineering team uses a multi-faceted approach to aggressively identify and manage areas at risk for potential landslides. 

To identify potential land movement near our assets, Equitrans’ engineers utilize aerial patrols, drones with photogrammetry change detection, and routine on-site inspections — or, if required, a combination of these methods may be used. In each case, we monitor our pipeline rights-of-way looking for any indication of unstable soil, such as discoloration, downed trees, or other data that could indicate a change in topography. Following a thorough evaluation of each asset location or suspected slide area by our engineering and compliance teams, we assign a priority ranking to indicate the potential for further movement and any risk to the environment or to the integrity of the pipeline.

As a final step, Equitrans pairs the geographic location data of known and suspected landslides with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) information. This analysis is done on a daily basis and allows Equitrans to identify rainfall events that could affect the stability of existing slide-prone areas and to rapidly respond and investigate when conditions change on the ground. In accordance with a defined framework that accounts for slide priority and rain severity, personnel may be deployed to conduct visual, on-site inspections. Beyond rainfall data, we also monitor temperature data to understand freeze thaw cycles and similarly deploy personnel to evaluate sites under changing conditions. Through continued use of these evaluation tools — aerial inspections, drone imaging, and manual site inspections — Equitrans remains committed to environmental and operational safety through its robust process to identify and manage potential landslides.

In addition, Equitrans launched a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) pilot program in 2020 to aid in the enhanced detection of potential landslides along our pipeline rights-of-way. Today, we conduct semi-annual LiDAR flights across thousands of miles of pipeline. The adoption of LiDAR technology and utilization of our enhanced construction standards are collectively designed to improve Equitrans’ ability to mitigate landslide risk for the safety of our employees and communities, and for the benefit of our customers, investors, and the environment. 

Renewable Electricity and Scope 2 Emissions

With the publication of the Company’s Climate Policy in 2021, Equitrans established targets that include a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 methane emissions by 2030 and a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. Since this time, Equitrans has aggressively focused on reducing its direct Scope 1 emissions, which included the replacement of pneumatic devices and the installation of vent gas recovery units during 2022. These activities are expected to directly contribute to a reduction in methane emissions from operations. Additional information and details on the Company’s reduction efforts can be found in the GHG Emissions and Climate Change section of this report.

Equitrans is also working to reduce its indirect Scope 2 emissions, which are emissions related to purchased utilities, such as electric generation and heat. One method of aiding in the overall reduction of indirect Scope 2 emissions is through the purchase of certified renewable energy credits or RECs. Each REC is a certificate that corresponds to the environmental attributes of electricity that is generated from a zero-emissions renewable source and delivered to the electricity grid.

For the year-ended 2022, Equitrans purchased and retired 35,000 Green-e Energy certified RECs for its operations. These purchased RECs represent 35,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of generated renewable energy, which in this case was from wind energy generated in Oklahoma and delivered to the corresponding regional electric grid. By purchasing and retiring these RECs, Equitrans is taking credit for the renewable energy generated and ensuring that it is not accounted for elsewhere in the country. By purchasing these certified RECs, Equitrans was able to account for 100% of its purchased electricity through the supply of zero-carbon renewable energy, as related to its indirect Scope 2 GHG emissions.  

Proactive Project Outreach

Equitrans Midstream relies on proactive community engagement and feedback to foster a culture of trust, inclusivity, and transparency, and we view our projects and operations through a lens of responsibility and accountability. In keeping with this belief, environmental justice is an important component of our stakeholder outreach activities. Our Environmental Justice Policy lays the foundation of our commitment to provide for the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in any public process involving our operations, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income. 

It is often said that actions speak louder than words, which was the case for the outreach team working on our Ohio Valley Connector Expansion (OVCX) project. As a critical component of the project’s pre-planning phase, our team contracted the services of an outside vendor that specialized in the identification of environmental justice communities located near the project. After consulting with the FERC, the EPA, and our contracted environmental justice specialists, Equitrans extended the OVCX project’s landowner contact radius an additional 0.5 mile to maximize the outreach efforts and ensure all stakeholders were personally aware of and involved with the project details.

In addition to our land team contacting property owners and community members within the expanded radius, the OVCX outreach team conducted multiple pop-up educational meetings and community open houses; solicited pre-paid comment and suggestion cards; distributed various informational mailings; and remained engaged with the community every step of the way by responding to questions and feedback. To better understand the needs and challenges faced by those living near the proposed project, we also met with local organizations and elected officials, as well as other key decision makers. These additional, proactive measures taken by our OVCX outreach team went above and beyond regulatory requirements to ensure consistent communication and transparency throughout the project’s lifecycle.  

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