Three bills designed to tighten up state regulation of pipelines cleared the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee of the Virginia House of Delegates on February 5. The measures now head to the House floor and they must be acted upon before February 11 to be considered in the Senate. The three bills, all sponsored by Del. Chris Hurst (D-Blacksburg), are:

HB 643 – Reduces from 36” to 24” the minimum diameter of natural gas transmission pipeline that is subject to certain regulatory actions, including a stop work order. For details, click here.

HB 644 – Directs the State Water Control Board to adopt regulations to penalize the accrual of water quality violations by large natural gas transmission pipeline projects. For details, click here.

HB 646 – Authorizes the State Water Control Board to include civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation, not to exceed $500,000 per order. Current law sets these limits at $32,500 and $100,000, respectively. For details, click here.

Virginia ABRA members and activists are urged to contact their state delegate to urge their support for these three important bills by clicking here and following the instructions. Do it today, as floor action will take place next week.

VA Pipeline Bills Clear Committee, Head for House Floor; Action Needed! Now!

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.