Following last week’s decision by the Virginia State Water Control Board to grant Section 401 water quality certification for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a group of ABRA members filed suit against the Water Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality. The Petition for Review was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (Richmond) by the Sierra Club, Appalachians Voices, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Wild Virginia, represented by Appalachian Mountain Advocates. Initial briefs are to be filed next month.

MVP Certification Decision Challenged in Court

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.