ABRA in 2018: A New Year and New Challenges - Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance

A year ago, in the first week of January 2017, ABRA members were deeply involved in analyzing the then just released Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) and beginning to develop arguments and strategies to present to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission during the comment period and at hearings on the DEIS. At that same time last year, none of the environmental agencies in the three states through which the ACP was to cross had yet to identify a process by which they would evaluate the potential impact of the project on their respective state’s water quality. And, the U.S. Forest Service was still evaluating the wisdom of permitting the ACP to cross the Monongahela and George Washington National Forests.

Twelve months later, FERC and the Forest Service have approved the ACP, West Virginia has waived its review of water quality, Virginia has given a conditional yes to issuing a water quality permit, North Carolina’s environmental agency continues to study the ACP water quality application.

The project is admittedly closer to receiving all final approvals, but our fight continues vigorously to defeat this unnecessary and environmental damaging project. Legal challenges to some of the aforementioned approvals have already commenced (see here and here). More such challenges are being evaluated. In the meantime, ABRA has taken steps to strengthen the coalition’s overall effort to ultimately prove the economic and environmental folly of the ACP:

The ABRA Steering Committee, which guides coalition programs and policy implementation, has been expanded to broaden the diversity of interests and expertise represented;

A Board of Directors has been created to strengthen the overall management of the coalition;

A new program, to be announced soon, is under development to address the need for greater scrutiny of the ACP as the project gears up for the possible commencement of construction; and

New opportunities will soon be created to help more people be productively involved in the continuing fight against the ACP.

ABRA’s Steering Committee and Board of Directors thanks all of you for your tremendous efforts in 2017. We look forward to working with you in new ways in 2018.

ABRA in 2018: A New Year and New Challenges

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.