The June 18 decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to grant a certificate to the Southgate Project, which would extend the Mountain Valley Pipeline into North Carolina, has been appealed. Appalachian Mountain Advocates, joined by Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a rehearing request with FERC on July 20 on behalf of a client group that includes 3 ABRA members. The rehearing request contends that in approving the project FERC did not properly follow requirements of the Natural Gas Act and the National Environmental Protection Act. The North Carolina Utility Commission also filed on July 20 a rehearing request on the Southgate Project, calling FERC’s decision to grant the certificate “not the product of reasoned decision making.”

Southgate Project Approval by FERC Appealed

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.