The 600-mile Dominion Energy Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project has completed about 35 miles of the project and that’s it. Why? Lawsuits, brought by Big Green groups. The biggest challenge the project faces is a lawsuit that ruled ACP could not cross under the Appalachian Trail. Dominion appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court where it now sits. By all accounts, the recent oral arguments before the Supremes went well for ACP (see Atlantic Coast Pipeline had Very Good Day in US Supreme Court). Although the Supreme Court case is the biggest obstacle, there are other, smaller cases ACP still must overcome.
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Category: Virginia
FERC Issues Favorable Final EIS for MVP Southgate Pipe to NC
Although the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project from West Virginia to southern Virginia is facing intense opposition by Big Green in completing the project (currently on hold because of court challenges), the project is now 90% built and in the ground. It should be done later this year. And then what? And then it’s on to building a 75-mile extension from southern Virginia into North Carolina, called MVP Southgate (see Mountain Valley Pipeline Launches Plan to Expand 70 Miles into NC). On Friday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a favorable final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for MVP Southgate. The only step left, which is now a foregone conclusion, is for FERC to issue a certificate allowing MVP Southgate to begin construction.
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MVP Update: USFWS Needs More Time; Antis Pester DEQ
Last Friday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) asking for an extra 45 days to revise an Endangered Species Act (ESA) review of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project. Also from last week: anti-fossil fuelers (Big Green groups) virulently opposed to MVP (which is 90% built) continued to hound the project by pestering the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) over minor violations the DEQ found in construction activities from September to December. Big Green wants to know what the DEQ is going to “do” about the violations.
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Construction to Begin on Southeastern Trail Expansion Pipe in VA
In April 2018 Williams filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to expand capacity along the mighty Transco Pipeline to increase the amount of gas the pipeline can flow to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S by 296 million cubic feet per day. The Southeastern Trail expansion project (SET), as it’s called, was given final approval by FERC in October 2019 (see FERC Approves Transco Southeastern Trail Expansion Pipe Project). Last Friday Williams asked FERC for permission to begin construction in Prince William and Fauquier counties in Virginia.
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4th Circus Clown Judges Nix Va. Compressor Permit for AC Pipe
The Lorax Judge strikes again. One year ago the Virginia State Air Quality Board, at the prompting of Gov. Ralph Northam, voted to approve a low-emissions compressor station for Dominion Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), to be built about an hour outside of Richmond, Virginia (see Va. State Agency Approves Atlantic Coast Pipe Compressor Stn). Big Green groups with deep pockets litigated that decision, making the disgusting claim that the compressor station is “racist” because it will be built in a community founded by emancipated slaves following the Civil War.
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Virginia Landowners Sue to Emasculate FERC in Bid to Block MVP
In a lawsuit filed last week, three couples who own land along the route of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) in Virginia, who don’t want the pipeline crossing their land, are trying to overturn federal approval of MVP by emasculating the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This is not the first time someone has tried to emasculate FERC using MVP.
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2nd Gas-Fired Power Plant, Pipe Coming to Charles City County, VA
MDN previously told you about a mammoth new Marcellus-fired electric generating plant is coming to Charles City County, Va.–near Richmond. The Chickahominy Power Station, as it’s called, will be a 1,650 megawatt (biggest in Virginia!) state-of-the-art natural gas-fired power plant (see Huge New Marcellus-Fired Power Plant Coming Near Richmond, VA). A second power plant being developed by C4GT is also on the way to Charles City County and will be built about a mile away from the Chickahominy plant. The C4GT project is getting serious.
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Mountain Valley Pipeline Settles Lawsuit, Pays Virginia $2.15M
In October MDN told you Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) had been bullied by the Attorney General in Virginia into agreeing to pay a $2.15 million fine and subject itself to stricter monitoring–an ongoing anal exam–as they complete construction of the pipeline in the state (see Fed Court Suspends Mountain Valley Pipe Permits; $2.15M Fine). MVP construction is currently on hold and is due to restart in 2020. Although the AG and MVP both agreed to the outrageous fine and oversight plan in October, it’s not official until a judge signs off–which happened on Wednesday.
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Dominion Issues RFP to Build Gas-Fired Peaker, Cancels Mo. Later
“Peaker plants” are small electric generating plants that produce electricity for brief periods during high demand. Older peakers were often powered by oil. Newer peakers are powered by natural gas. In early November Dominion Energy floated an RFP (request for proposal) for companies to build a series of peakers (no smaller than 50 megawatts) totaling a combined 1,500 MW to come online beginning 2022 in Virginia. A month later, following criticism from a competitor, Dominion has canceled the RFP…at least for now.
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4th Circus Grills Dominion Lawyers About “Racist” Compressor Stn
Of all the issues that drives us crazy, this one is near or at the top of the list–the charge that building a low-emissions compressor station for Dominion Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) about an hour outside of Richmond, Virginia is “racist” because it will be built in a community founded by emancipated slaves following the Civil War. The so-called “environmental justice” issue.
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Out-of-State, Paid Protesters Continue to Hassle MVP in WV, VA
What appears to be an organized, ongoing effort to stop legal construction activity for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) continues in both Virginia and West Virginia. Out-of-state (paid) protesters chain themselves to equipment and block roads in a “death by a thousand cuts” approach to prevent the completion of the 85% completed MVP project. Is it time to bring racketeering charges against the groups and people behind these activities? We think it is.
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Virginia Approves Marcellus-Fired Power Plant Project Near Richmond
MDN first told you about plans to build the Chickahominy Power Station, a 1,650 megawatt state-of-the-art natural gas-fired power plant, in June 2018 (see Huge New Marcellus-Fired Power Plant Coming Near Richmond, VA). We’d not heard or read anything about the project since March of this year (see Marcellus-Fired Power Plant Project Near Richmond, VA Advances). However, there has been an important new development.
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VA DEQ Stops Works on Tiny 2-Mile Segment of Mountain Valley Pipe
It appears the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has become politicized. Why is it that leftists (like Va. Gov. Ralph Northam) politicize what are supposed to be impartial government agencies? The DEQ has issued a “stop work” order to Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) for construction activities along a tiny two-mile stretch in Montgomery County. Fine, if there are issues, stop the work. It’s the highly politicized and inappropriate press release the DEQ issued that accompanied the stop work order we object to.
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Mountain Valley Pipe “Critical” to Roanoke Gas Customers
Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), a 303-mile natural gas pipeline from West Virginia into Virginia (being built by Equitrans Midstream) is now 85% complete. Lawsuits are holding up completion of the pipeline, now expected to be done in mid-2020. The project has faced opposition from a small but dedicated group of loons willing to break the law (see Left-Wing Radical Arrested, Removed from MVP Excavator in Va./). Roanoke Gas is stepping up to say MVP and the gas it will bring to the region is “critical” for their gas customers.
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18 Virginia Legislators Oppose Atlantic Coast Pipe, 122 Don’t
A small cabal of 18 leftist Virginia state legislators sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulator Commission (FERC) last week trash talking the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) proposed by Dominion Energy. The odious Sierra Club “applauds these legislators for standing up to polluting corporations like Dominion Energy that are putting their profits over people.” Same old tripe the Clubbers always peddle. What the Sierra Club doesn’t tell you is that there are 140 Virginia legislators, meaning 122 legislators either support, or certainly don’t oppose, ACP. Translation: The vast majority of Virginia residents and their representatives are in favor of ACP.
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Left-Wing Radical Arrested, Removed from MVP Excavator in Va.
A long-haired hippie chained himself to the top of an excavator being used to construct the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) last Friday in Montgomery County, Va. He stopped construction for six hours. A small group of radicalized protesters stood nearby using megaphones to shout support for their comrade and to hurl foul language against workers building the pipeline (typical antis). Around midday, Virginia State Police used a lift to reach and remove the hippie, promptly arresting him.
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