The June 6 visit of David Paylor, Director of the Virginia Department of Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), to a portion of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline route in Highland and Bath County has been followed up with a series of questions. In a June 11 letter from hosts of the day-long visit – Bill Wilson, President of the Jackson River Preservation Association, and Richard Brooks, President of the Cowpasture River Preservation Association – Director Paylor was asked for if the DEQ will defer planned hearings in August if Dominion’s application is not yet complete, whether the agency will require site-specific erosion and sediment control plans, as well as stormwater management plans, and insist upon a list of specific streams where instream blasting is planned.

Follow-up Questions Asked of DEQ’s Paylor

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.