In a comprehensive, strongly-worded letter sent this week to members of the Virginia State Water Control Board (SWCB), lawyers from several conservation and environment groups stated that the Board “must be certain that it has ‘reasonable assurance’ that the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines will not violate Virginia’s water quality standards” or it must “deny the applications and reconsider certification for these projects only after the problems identified here are fixed.”

The October 25 letter highlighted the key legal issues confronting the SWCB in reviewing the proposed pipeline projects:

“1. The Board has well-established legal authority to deny 401-certification for the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines to protect water quality.

“2. DEQ has not provided the Board the information it needs to conclude that it has reasonable assurance” that state water quality standards will be protected.

“3. DEQ has excluded from consideration other critical information that is necessary for the Board to determine that there is “reasonable assurance” that water quality standards will be protected.”

Signatories of the letter were: Ben Luckett, Appalachian Mountain Advocates;

Margaret Sanner, Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Tammy Belinsky, Preserve Craig; Greg Buppert, Southern Environmental Law Center; and David Sligh, Wild Virginia.

State Water Control Board Told It Can Say No!

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.