Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance

Impacted landowners, concerned citizens, and trained volunteer monitors participated in a “VioBlitz” over the August 9-11 weekend.  Sponsored by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, an ABRA member and a partner in the ABRA CSI program (Compliance Surveillance Initiative), participants traveled portions of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and documented as many permit violations as possible over a 3-day period.

The challenge to the Federal Energy Commission’s (FERC) approval of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline been scheduled for oral argument on October 16 before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  The plaintiffs are 14 conservation groups, including several ABRA members, that are represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and Appalachian Mountain Advocates.

A new rule that would significantly limit the protections for endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was announced August 12 by the Trump Administration.  The rule, originally proposed in July 2018, will go into effect 30-days after it is published in the Federal Register (as of August 15,

A new proposed rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would weaken the ability of states to regulate their own waters.  The rule, proposed by EPA on August 12, will have a 60-day comment period that begins when the rule is published in the Federal Register (which had not happened as of August 15). 

A petition filed this week with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) requests that the agency revoke the 401-certification granted to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.  In its August 13 letter to NCDEQ, Friends of the Earth and the NC Climate Solutions Network state:

Facts we have discovered since January of 2018 show significant adverse impact to the largest community of American Indians east of the Mississippi River from the construction and operation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and projects dependent upon it. 

A proposal by the U.S. Forest Service (NFS) would severely limit the opportunities for
the public to comment on environmental analysis conducted by the agency in accordance with
requirements of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). The proposed public
comment restriction is part of a proposed rule by the NFS “to increase efficiency in its
environmental analysis.” Public comments on the proposed rule are due August 12.

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• – News Leader – 8/15/19

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• – Jonathan Sokolow; Medium – 8/15/19

• Related:
• Definition of Insanity: Mountain Valley Pipeline Asks for “Emergency Authorization” to Prevent a Life Threatening Landslide

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• – The Washington Post – 8/13/19