Next Wednesday, May 30, at 5 pm, is the deadline for comments to the Virginia State Water Control Board to provide input on the adequacy of the U.S. Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit 12 in protecting streams and wetlands crossed by the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Written comments may be submitted via hand-delivery to DEQ, 1111 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219; via postal mail to DEQ, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218; or via e-mail at the following email address(es) ONLY – emails and attachments sent to other email addresses or internet sites will not be considered:

All ABRA members are urged to file their own comments and encourage their members and constituencies to do so as well. Wild Virginia has prepared an excellent guide to provide assistance: “Suggestions for Comments to DEQ Public Notice Impacts from Waterbody Crossings and Water Quality Standards,” available by clicking here.

Another helpful resource is an impact table of waters potentially affected by the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The document is published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Norfolk District and is available here.

Note: As of 4 pm on May 24, the Virginia DEQ website has been down since Tuesday, May 22. Persons seeking to file comments should be aware of that and consider submitting mailed comments should the website problem persist.

One Week Remains to Comment to Virginia DEQ on Stream Crossings

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.