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Public Safety and Emergency Response

At Equitrans, we believe in safety — above all else — and protecting the public and our local communities is of the highest importance. Our goal is to operate our assets safely and responsibly, while also ensuring the public understands our operating practices and is aware of critical safety facts related to pipelines and natural gas. Equally important is an effective and efficient emergency response plan, which serves to minimize risk and damage, emphasize safety, and convey appropriate information to stakeholders.

 

Public Safety — Protecting Our Communities

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Safety is vital to Equitrans and the communities we serve. We continually communicate with local communities near our operations to raise awareness of our activities, convey key safety information, and address any questions or concerns.

One way we do this is by mailing an annual safety brochure to residents and businesses located near our assets to keep them informed of our operations. We also engage with local first responders, public works employees, elected officials, school districts, and other key community leaders. This engagement, which may occur in-person or virtually, involves informing them of our operational processes, providing related educational resources, listening to their thoughts and feedback, and building relationships through group meetings or personal outreach. The topics we address include items such as:

  • Activities occurring along our pipeline routes or compressor station facilities
  • Types of equipment used at a particular site facility
  • Preventative measures to reduce potential hazards and ensure pipeline integrity
  • How to avoid right-of-way encroachments
  • How to identify and report a potential pipeline leak
  • Equitrans’ Crisis Management and Emergency Response Plan

Equitrans public awareness program works to raise awareness of pipelines in our communities and improve stakeholders understanding of the important function that pipelines play in transporting energy.

Our engagement helps to raise awareness of pipelines present in local communities and furthers our commitment to public safety. It is our goal to routinely inform the public that while pipeline accidents are possible, pipelines are a safe mode of energy transportation. It is our belief that a well-informed public enhances the safety measures we employ. Importantly, public awareness of nearby pipelines helps to mitigate potential emergencies or releases due to third-party damage or right-of-way encroachments.

One of the greatest challenges of safe pipeline operations is accidental damage caused by excavation, directional drilling, construction, farming activities, or homeowner activities. To ensure public safety, we urge stakeholders to utilize the “Call 811 Before You Dig” program available across the United States. By calling 811 prior to an excavation of any size, stakeholders play an important role in public safety and help to avoid unintentional damage to a pipeline. The national program directly connects a caller to their states One Call Center where they can report their planned digging project. The One Call Center subsequently communicates this information to all local utilities so they can mark the underground locations of their pipelines, water lines, and cables on the property. In our home state of Pennsylvania, we historically sponsor and participate in the annual Pennsylvania 811 Safety Day conference, which provides safety education for the excavation and utility industries through hands-on demonstrations of tools and techniques, as well as discussions on new safety theories.

Public Awareness

Our public awareness program works to raise awareness of pipelines in our communities and improve stakeholders understanding of the important function that pipelines play in transporting energy. Ongoing engagement furthers a deeper understanding of our operations and right-of-way encroachments, which helps to minimize the risk of third parties creating potential emergencies or accidental releases. We routinely update our understanding of our audiences, including the affected public, emergency officials, public officials, excavators, and state One-Call Centers. Equitrans offers several communication channels to assist stakeholders in understanding what to do if a pipeline incident were to occur, how to prevent pipeline incidents, and how to use their state’s One Call System. Our communications channels may include:

 
  • Pipeline awareness and educational mailings
  • Business reply cards to measure understanding of the educational content
  • In-person and webinar meetings
  • A self-paced, online training platform to provide access to pipeline response training and damage prevention efforts (designed and launched by Equitrans consultant, Paradigm)
  • An Emergency Response Portal that provides operators with a secure, cost-effective location for publishing and distributing their emergency response plans to local emergency responders (designed and launched by Equitrans' consultant, Paradigm)

We continually communicate with local communities near our operations to raise awareness of our activities, convey key safety information, and address any questions or concerns.

In accordance with the Pipeline Hazardous Material and Safety Administrations (PHMSA) public awareness program, operators are required to provide stakeholder training sessions regarding their companys asset locations and operations. During the pandemic, virtual meetings were held to convey the required information and allow for effective stakeholder and operator participation. While these virtual meetings were successful and met regulatory requirements, in 2022 Equitrans resumed in-person operator training sessions and also co-hosted additional training sessions across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Evaluating Our Approach to Public Safety

 

We continuously evaluate the effectiveness of our public safety awareness campaigns. Specifically, we work to verify that local communities near our pipelines are aware of the natural gas lines’ proximity to their homes and neighborhoods and provide general safety information regarding natural gas pipeline operations. In doing so, we utilize two evaluation methods: 1) a third-party survey of local community members; and 2) community group meetings hosted by third-party organizations.

Third-Party Surveys

Our telephone and postal surveys use a three-step approach to complete the evaluation process. The first step is survey design, which includes developing questions that will measure the scope of our public outreach, based on three specific measures: our effectiveness in conveying the content; the clarity of the content; and our impact on desired safety awareness and behaviors. Next, we identify our key audience areas and conduct the surveys, targeting a completion of 400 surveys per identified audience to ensure we obtain a statistically significant sample. The third phase includes compiling and analyzing the survey results and preparing a final report, which includes the responses for each survey question and the results of the three specific effectiveness measures.

Community Group Meetings

Equitrans has two approaches for evaluating community group meetings. First, to measure the scope of our public outreach and the effectiveness of the content, we consider the people and organizations that attended each meeting. Second, each meeting participant receives a survey card, which includes questions regarding their knowledge of pipelines and their thoughts on the meeting’s effectiveness and usefulness to their daily activities. Based on the responses, we are able to measure the clarity of the content and its effectiveness as related to our desired safety awareness and behaviors. 

Crisis Preparedness and Response

A crisis is defined as any situation that is critical and/or sensitive to the Company and, if not addressed or managed appropriately and promptly, could have an adverse impact on the Companys operations, business, and reputation. A crisis may occur at any time and can involve an individual or a group of people; be inside or outside the Company; be created by a sudden, tragic, dangerous, or volatile event that demands quick action; or may develop out of an emerging issue that becomes sustained. Crises come in many forms, including operational incidents, non-operational events, cybersecurity events, and natural disasters. Regardless of the crisis, an appropriate and timely response is critical.

Equitrans recognizes that a crisis requires coordinated efforts for immediate response and corrective action. When executed correctly, an effective response serves to minimize risk and damage, emphasize safety, reduce internal and external confusion, and convey appropriate information to stakeholders.

 

Crisis Management Plan

Equitrans’ Crisis Management Plan (Crisis Plan) is designed to provide an enterprise-wide management process and structure that enables appropriate levels of communication and response to a range of major events or potential crisis situations. We require that the Crisis Plan be reviewed annually to ensure it provides effective guidance on how to manage and execute a crisis response. The Crisis Plan’s structure aligns with the Company’s six “Crisis Incident Classifications,” which are categorized as follows:

  1. Operational: fires, explosions, accidents, serious injuries, fatalities, spills/discharges
  2. Security: criminal acts, workplace violence, landowner threats, protests
  3. Business/Financial: significant legal disputes, dramatic stock falls, activist shareholders, significant liquidity, credit or capital constraints, customer-related issues
  4. Information Technology: data loss, system failures, hacking, other cyberattacks or compromises of technology
  5. Regional/Industry: terrorism, natural disasters, industry and/or competitor-related incidents
  6. Health/Safety: pandemic, localized natural disaster, building closures, inclement weather

In accordance with the Crisis Plan, Equitrans designated cross-functional crisis management teams (CMTs) and incident commanders that are activated in response to crises. The Crisis Plan outlines the roles and responsibilities, courses of action, delegated authorities, and instructions for various CMT members, as well as communication protocols. In the event of a crisis, the incident commander is responsible for leading the crisis response effort and coordinating with executive management team members. These management team members provide executive level oversight of the Crisis Plan and are responsible for ensuring that the Companys Board of Directors is apprised of a crisis and related material developments in a timely manner.

We believe an effective crisis response plan serves to minimize risk and damage, emphasize safety, reduce internal and external confusion, and convey appropriate information to stakeholders.

As part of our initial response to an emergency or crisis, an alert is sent out to internally affected parties through the Company’s electronic alert system, or other methods, as appropriate. We also seek to coordinate with the relevant first responders, government agencies, and elected officials, and will engage the assistance of expert third parties, as needed.

Aligned with the Crisis Plan, Equitrans maintains specific incident response plans, which primarily pertain to operational matters (e.g., spills or incidents at compressor or dehydration stations). These specific incident response plans are for reference in the event of a certain type of crisis and provide guidance regarding roles and responsibilities specific to the type of crisis.

 

Executing Our Crisis Management Plan — Rager Mountain Storage Facility Incident

On Sunday, November 6, 2022, Equitrans Midstream was notified of an incident at its Rager Mountain Storage facility, located in Jackson Township, a remote area of Cambria County, Pennsylvania. There were no injuries reported, no mandatory evacuations of nearby property owners, and no immediate public safety concerns.

As part of the Companys emergency response process, Equitrans technicians arrived on site and observed natural gas escaping from a 1 5/8 vent on a single storage well, which was working as designed to relieve pressure from the casing. A safety perimeter was established and, in line with safety protocols, the local fire department also responded to the incident.

Upon notification of the incident, an electronic alert was sent to all members of Equitrans Crisis Management Team to initiate additional response efforts, and Equitrans immediately notified the National Response Center, PHMSA, the PA DEP, and the PA PUC. Equitrans quickly engaged and contracted the assistance of a specialty well services company to address and resolve the venting, and their expert personnel, along with required equipment, began arriving on-site within a few hours of initial incident notification. All physical flows of natural gas in and out of the Rager Mountain Storage facility were temporarily suspended; and in coordination with the FAA, a no-fly zone was established during response efforts. The flow of gas was stopped on November 19, 2022.

Stakeholder Outreach During the Incident

Equitrans used multiple approaches to efficiently and effectively provide timely updates regarding the Rager Mountain incident:

  • At the onset of the incident, Equitrans immediately contacted all relevant state and federal agencies, as well as local emergency services teams and local and state elected officials.
  • A dedicated Community Hotline was established to provide regular incident updates, with messaging updated every 24 hours from November 6, 2022, to November 20, 2022. The Hotline remained open through December 12, 2023, and included an option for callers to leave messages with any questions, providing an avenue for Equitrans to personally respond.
  • During the first two days of the incident, Equitrans land agent team conducted initial door-to-door visits to community members and property owners within a two-mile radius of the Rager Mountain facility. Secondary door-to-door visits were done the week of November 13, 2022, and letters were provided for those not home, and follow-up calls were made to address any questions.
  • The land agent team also notified the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and PA State Game Commission, and provided ongoing updates as requested.
  • Local township supervisors and local emergency services personnel received daily updates via email, phone, and text messaging, and Equitrans government affairs team provided routine updates to state elected officials.
  • Equitrans customers received routine updates via the Rager Mountain Informational Postings Web Site.
  • Media statements were provided on a daily basis to local, regional, and national news outlets, and virtual interviews were conducted on multiple occasions with the local TV station in Johnstown, PA.

In coordination with PHMSA an independent, full root cause investigation is underway and is expected to be complete in summer 2023, and Equitrans will continue to inform the respective state and federal agencies of its activities and findings, including as it works to return the field to injection operations. Other post-incident workstreams are also continuing. Additional information regarding the Rager Mountain incident can be found in the GHG Emissions and Climate Change and the Asset Safety and Integrity sections of this report.

Preparation Is Critical

Adequate preparation is critical for taking quick and effective action during an emergency response. We conduct regular crisis drills and routinely review the Crisis Plan and related individual incident response plans (based on the six Crisis Incident Classifications) to ensure we are prepared in the event of an emergency. We also conduct training sessions for our incident commanders and crisis coordinators to provide updates on our processes and procedures, reinforce existing protocols, and further prepare for potential incidents and crisis events. Additionally, following an incident, Equitrans conducts a reporting and analysis debrief to identify any safety gaps or further precautionary measures that should be evaluated for implementation. Equitrans also evaluates its CMT personnel designations on a quarterly basis to ensure appropriate CMT staffing and to verify CMT contact information.

Externally, Equitrans regularly provides opportunities to meet with local first responders to inform them of our work, discuss coordination, and educate them on midstream industry crisis management practices. To strengthen our collaboration, we offer annual follow-up sessions to first responders and welcome local fire departments to tour our facilities. We often donate to first responder organizations in our local communities to enhance capabilities, increase safety preparedness, and fortify our relationships.

In addition, and as part of our public awareness program, Equitrans reaches out to landowners and homeowners located along a pipeline right-of-way or near our facilities to inform them of the potential risks our operations could have on nearby homes and to review evacuation plans in case of an emergency. Equitrans provides its Community Hotline number to nearby landowners or homeowners, as well as important contact information for local emergency responders. By keeping local community members informed of our practices, Equitrans is demonstrating its commitment to safety as our number one priority.

Highlight Stories

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.

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.  

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. 

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.

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.  

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

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!

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

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