The Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board voted December 19 to delay its vote on a permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s proposed compressor station in Buckingham County until after a new public comment period. The basis of the delay was to permit the public to provide input on new information about the project that had become available since the earlier public comment period ended in September.
The new comment period begins today, December 21 and ends January 4. In a December 21 posting on its website, the Department of Environmental Quality stated:
On Wednesday, Dec. 19, the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board (Board) approved a new limited written public comment period on specific documents the Board received since the Nov. 8 and 9 meetings on the proposed permit for the Dominion Energy Buckingham Compressor Station.
The public comment period on the documents begins today, Dec. 21, and closes on Jan. 4, 2019.
Per the Board’s instructions, the documents to be considered relate to questions and concerns on demographics and site suitability for the proposed air compressor station.
The Board also clarified that the permit conditions – including the amendments that were discussed and approved at the Dec. 19 meeting – are not subject to this public comment period.
In addition, the Board made clear that any potential future health assessments discussed during the last meeting that relate to this permit will not be considered during this public comment period.
“There has been significant interest in this permit across the state,” said Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director David Paylor. “Through their request for a minimum, or limited, public comment period, the Board has indicated the need to expedite this process. It’s understood that the public is anxious to get clarity about demographics and site suitability in the Board’s subsequent decision. As the Board also has a statutory deadline for this permit, the agency has a legal obligation to resolve this matter as efficiently as possible.”
The date and the location for the next Board meeting has not been set, but will be announced as soon as details are available.
More information, including the public notice, is available on the Commonwealth of Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website at http://townhall.virginia.gov/. Written comments are to be submitted to DEQ by Postal Mail or hand delivery to the Piedmont Regional Office, Re: Buckingham Compressor Station, 4949-A Cox Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060; E-mail: ; or Fax: (804) 527-5106.
The specific documents being considered in this limited public comment period are also available on the DEQ website at www.DEQ.Virginia.gov.