Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance

Virginia Governor Urged to Protect State’s Water Quality in Pipeline Reviews

The Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition (DPMC) has written Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe “to restore the integrity and credibility of your administration’s regulatory reviews of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) and Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) proposals.” The September 22 letter points to recent regulatory actions in other states to address concerns over the impact of natural gas pipelines on water quality:

These judicial and state actions further illustrate that Virginia has all necessary authority to reject pipeline projects unless it is proven that water protection standards will be met and that the evidence now before the State fails to meet that requirement for either ACP or MVP.

FERC Decisions on ACP and MVP Could Occur Anytime

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) met on September 20 for the first time since January with the necessary quorum to act (3 members). A decision on the Mountain Valley Pipeline had been scheduled to occur by that meeting, but as of this week no permitting decision on the MVP has been announced by the agency.

Regulators Accused of Being “Asleep at the Wheel” in New Report

Art of the Self-Deal, a new report issued this week by Oil Change International, charges “that regulators are asleep at the wheel when it comes to assessing whether new gas pipelines are in consumers’ best interest.” Issued in collaboration with Public Citizen and the Sierra Club,

New “Path of the Pipeline” Website Highlights Stories of ACP’s Impact

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) has added a new section to its website that features numerous individual stories depicting the adverse impacts of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). “Path of the Pipeline” features short video presentations about people affected by the ACP,

WV DEP Asks Federal Court to Vacate 401 Certification for MVP

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) filed a motion in federal court to invalidate its earlier approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). Under section 401 of the Clean Water Act, individual states must certify that interstate gas pipelines will not have significant effects on water quality before construction can begin.

Faith Leaders, Pipeline Activists Demonstrate at Virginia DEQ Offices

Hundreds of demonstrators showed up September 13 at the various offices of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to express concerns about the how the agency is conducting its water quality certification review of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Local & ACP

Virginia’s environmental agency to press ahead on pipeline permits as other states hit the brakes

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– Richmond Times-Dispatch – 9/18/17

Regional & MVP

West Virginia Revokes Approval Of Mountain Valley Pipeline As Legal Terrain Shifts

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– Huffington Post – 9/14/17

Big Picture

Baseload compensation a high priority for FERC, Chatterjee tells Congress

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– Utility Dive – 9/15/17

Our member group Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition has produced a series of interactive Story Maps that take a deeper look at some of the reasons the ACP and MVP are unacceptable proposals. Click on the map image below to navigate to the full map content.