Friends of Wintergreen (FOW) has requested the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to require the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC to perform the same analysis of the undue risk of resource damage along the pipeline route in Nelson County, VA (where Wintergreen is located) as the U.S. Forest Service has requested of the company for its proposed route through the George Washington and Monongahela National Forests. The November 22 letter states:

FOW submits that the risks associated with this portion of the Proposed Route equal or exceed the risks associated with the Forest Service’s Selected Sites because:

The steepness of the slope on Piney Mountain – 66%, 69%, 78% and 85% in several locations – exceeds the “very steep to extremely steep (30 degrees [58%] short slope” in GWNF Site 5 and, overall, equals or exceeds the steepness of the slopes that are encountered in all or portions of 9 of the 10 Forest Service Selected Sites.
The Piney Mountain area and adjoining areas in Nelson County have a history of extreme weather events. For example, in 1969 Hurricane Camille dropped up to 31 inches of rain in Nelson County, mostly in a 3-5 hour period. This resulted in catastrophic flooding and mountain slope failures. In all, 153 people were killed, 8,931 people were injured, 5,662 homes were destroyed and another 13,915 homes experienced major damage.
The risk associated with the path of the Pipeline on Piney Mountain are magnified by the fact that Piney Mountain is in a much more populated area than Forest Service lands. If a landslide occurred on the side of Piney Mountain, the boulders and other debris would be swept into the South Fork of the Rockfish River (a designated “Virginia Scenic River”) and across Beech Grove Road (State Route 664), a designated “Virginia Scenic Byway” that carries as many as 10,000 residents and guests to the entrance to Wintergreen Resort and is a major connector between Augusta County and Nelson County.

Wintergreen Asks FERC for Site-Specific Analysis of High-Hazards

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.