The final required permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will be decided upon by the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board when it meets November 8 and 9 to consider a proposed air permit for the project’s proposed compressor station in Buckingham County, VA. The Board will convene at 9:30 am on both days at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, Exhibit Hall Building, Level 2, Room E21-AB, 301 N. 3rd Street, Richmond, VA 23219
The meeting agenda sets forth the following:
November 8 – Review Permit for Proposed Buckingham Compressor Station Summary of comment presentation and opportunity for those who commented at the public hearing or during the public comment period to respond to the summary of the public comment period presented to the Board.
November 9 – Applicant comment, further station presentation and Board consideration.
In preparation for the meeting, the staff of the Department of Environmental Quality prepared a report for the Board that includes the proposed permit in its final form and a review of comments submitted to the agency during the public comment period that ran from August 8 to September 21. In its report, the staff noted that 3,800 email comments were received (with one email signed by 1,100 individuals), plus over 500 written mailed comments and 60 persons presenting oral comments at a September 11 public hearing. At the November 8 meeting, further public comments can be received, but only from those persons who previously commented in writing or at the public hearing.
As reported in last week’s ABRA Update, the Southern Environmental Law Center wrote Air Board members on October 23 to remind them that the Board “has the statutory obligation to consider whether issuance of the permit is reasonable and whether the proposed location is suitable. If this Board determines that the permit should not be issued, that decision cannot be disturbed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.” For a copy of the SELC letter, click here.