A planned July 7 hearing by the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board on the proposed Lambert Compressor Station (LCS) for the Mountain Valley Pipeline has received strong criticism from a cross-section of conservation and citizen organizations. In a June 23 letter to David Paylor, Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), 23 groups, including ABRA and several of its members, pointed out that the Air Board Chair had originally proposed a two-day hearing on the proposed air permit for the LCS in order to accommodate the hundreds of individuals who submitted comments.
The letter argues that a two-day meeting would be more reasonable to accommodate the large number of people would wish to weigh in about the LCS and that remote participation options should be provided given that the Covid health crisis is not fully abated. Instead, DEQ has scheduled a one-day Air Board meeting for July 7 with only in-person participation. The groups’ letter urged that the original plan for a two-day meeting be pursued, with both evening and daytime opportunities for those wishing to comment, including the option for virtual participation and further written submissions. For a copy of the groups’ letter, click here.