Three of the sixteen state legislative leaders who filed an April 4 letter with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have investments in companies associated with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). They are:

Thomas Norment, Majority Leaders, VA Senate – $50,ooo+ stock in Dominion
Ken Goodman, NC House (Chairman, Main Street Delegates – $10,000+ in Duke
Corey Palumbo, Minority Whip, WV Senate – investments in Waco Oil & Gas, a firm that drills wells in the Marcellus shale fields

Other state legislators signing the letter, but whose financial disclosure forms did not indicate investments in firms associated with the ACP are:

Virginia: Del. William Howell, Speaker of the House; Del. M. Kirkland Cox, House Majority Leader; Sen. Richard Saslaw, Senate Minority Leader; and Del. Matthew James, Vice Chair of the Hampton Roads Caucus

West Virginia: Sen. Mitch Carmichael, President of the Senate; Sen. Ryan Ferns, Senate Majority Leader; Rep. Daryl Cowles, House Majority Leader; Sen. Roman Prezioso, Jr., Senate Minority Leader; and Rep. Timothy Miley, House Minority Leader

North Carolina: Rep. Timothy Moore, Speaker of the House; Sen. Phil Berger, Senate President Pro Tempore; Sen. Daniel Blue, Jr., Senate Minority Leader; and Rep. John Bell, IV, House Majority Leader

ABRA last week wrote to all state legislators in Virginia and West Virginia pre-emptively urging that they not endorse the ACP (as discussed in last week’s ABRA Update)

Some Legislative Leaders Endorsing ACP Have Financial Ties to ACP

ABRA CONSERVATION HUB

ABRA’s Conservation Hub program promotes responsible resource management by providing access to critical information needed for effective public involvement in environmental review and oversight.

Following the defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020, ABRA initiated the Conservation Hub to support informed public engagement with the broader range of environmental issues confronting the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Mountain region. The Conservation Hub builds on the analysis and information sharing capacity achieved through ABRA’s Pipeline CSI project during the years of ACP opposition.

The Conservation Hub is based on the use of GIS mapping to provide details and context for land development projects and management practices that involve risk of environmental harm, as well as for environmental preservation and restoration initiatives. The Conservation Hub also provides access to regulatory documents and assessments related to specific projects or issues.

Multiple Conservation Hub sites, focused on individual projects or issues, have been developed collaboratively with ABRA’s partners and allies. Going forward, we invite conservation groups, individuals, and communities to provide ideas for new Hub sites and GIS mapping that can contribute to informed public engagement on behalf of environmental integrity in the Allegheny-Blue Ridge region.