ICWA has been gathering information about issues and alternatives regarding water testing before and during construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).

On October 13, 2017 MVP received certification from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Getting water tested in advance of construction by a certified independent consultant is an important step landowners can take to help ensure that you have credible baseline evidence of the quality of your pre-construction water. ICWA strongly recommends that landowners who have been approached by MVP talk with their attorneys about water testing options.

The information provided is in four separate documents:

• Overview by ICWA (August 28, 2017) outlines some basic issues and alternatives.
• A “Scope of Work” proposal from Downstream Strategies, Inc. (DSS) of Alderson identifies key parameters (what to test for), and costs for Downstream to do that testing.
•  Two Excerpts from Downstream Strategies, Guidance for Monitoring Effects of Gas Pipeline Development:
  • “Recommendations for Landowner Monitoring” gives more information about water testing before and during pipeline construction.
  • “Guide for Services” includes a list of independent consultants in our region as well as information about water monitoring procedures.

The full DSS Guidance for Monitoring Effects of Gas Pipeline Development (large 13 mb file) is available on their website here.