| | | | | |

Atlantic Coast Pipe Workers Change Hearts & Minds in WV

Dominion Energy began work on the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project in West Virginia in May 2018 (see Atlantic Coast Actual Pipeline Construction Begins in WV). Unfortunately work is now stalled on ACP thanks to lawsuits filed by Big Green organizations. We spotted a heart warming story of how, when construction first began, a WV resident had major concerns. Frankly, she was against the project. But pipeline workers soon changed her mind.
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Big Changes Coming in Randolph County, WV with Atlantic Coast Pipe

Randolph County, WV is about to see some big changes in the coming months. Why? In “early spring” somewhere around 400-1,200 workers will descend on Randolph as work begins to build the mighty $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) being built by Dominion Energy. Members of the Rotary Club of Elkins heard a presentation earlier this week about what to expect when the pipeliners come a callin’. Some of those impacts include: higher traffic levels, more business for restaurants and convenience stores, an uptick in business at local laundromats, and higher occupancy for hotels and apartment buildings. According to Denise Campbell, community liaison for the ACP, “There’s a lot of opportunity.” Here’s a recap of Campbell’s comments to the Rotarians…
Continue reading

| | | | |

Dominion Works with WV Community to Re-Route Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Atlantic-Coast-Pipeline-Alternative-Route-Map
Atlantic Coast Pipeline map – click for larger version

We love it when adults are in the room and discussing important issues, rather than petulant babies stamping their feet and demanding “no drilling” and “no pipeline.” When there’s adults in the room, things get done. Such was the case when Dominion officials met with Randolph, WV County Comissioners to update them on the status of the $5 billion, 550-mile long Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, slated to come through Randolph County. The 42-inch pipeline is not without controversy because anti-fossil fuelers convert what used to be routine pipelines into controversy. But there was no controversy at the meeting. Commissioners, on behalf of residents, had expressed concerns over the pipeline’s route through the Mingo Flats area. And guess what? Dominion has changed the route to avoid that area. Contrary to the image of a Big Evil Pipeline Company that “does what it wants,” Dominion (and others, like Kinder Morgan, and Sectra Energy, and Williams, etc.) makes every attempt to accommodate landowner requests when building a new pipeline. Here’s how it works when there’s adults in the room…
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Atlantic Coast Pipeline Proposes New Route to Save the Salamanders

MDN told you last month that the US Forest Service, drunk on its own power, vetoed a path through a few miles of national forests for the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline (see US Forest Service Blocks Atlantic Coast Pipeline in National Forests). Using cow nob salamanders and red spruce as their excuse, USFS said “nyet comrade” to Dominion in their quest to build a natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to North Carolina. Dominion had requested a special permit to cross teeny tiny sections of the Monongahela and George Washington national forests in West Virginia and Virginia. So now what? Last week Dominion announced an alternate route for the pipeline (see map below) that avoids most of (not all of) the forests–adding another 30 miles to the 564-mile pipeline, and disrupting 249 landowners in Pocahontas and Randolph counties who will now need to sign easements to allow the pipeline across their land. All to avoid a few miles of forestland. Here’s the latest on the mighty Atlantic Coast Pipeline, re-routed because of a salamander…
Continue reading

| | | | | |

USFS Approves Survey for Marcellus Pipeline in Mon Natl Forest

In January MDN told you that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) was considering a plan to allow surveyors into the Monongahela National Forest (see USFS Seeks Comment on Pipeline Survey in Monongahela Natl Forest). At the time, USFS was seeking public comment on a plan to allow surveyors into the forest to chart a potential route through 17 miles of the Mon National Forest for the Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline–a 550-mile, $5 billion pipeline that will carry Marcellus and Utica Shale gas from West Virginia through Virginia and into to North Carolina. The section of the forest to be surveyed is located in Randolph and Pocahontas counties in WV. Good news! The USFS has decided to allow the survey to go forward…
Continue reading

| | | | |

The Incoherence of WV’s Anti-Pipeline “Movement”

There are perhaps a dozen or less people in West Virginia who show up at meetings to protest against several much-needed pipeline projects in the state. One of them, Lauren Ragland, is a little known protester who started a group called West Virginia Wilderness Lovers, which seems to have changed names recently to WV MATTERS. Ragland sometimes appears at meetings toting around a hula hoop (see Hula Hoops & Tall Tales from WV Anti-Drillers Opposed to Pipeline). The membership of her group has magically grown to “95,000 members” according to the latest communication. Yeah, right. Anywho, Lauren, for whatever reason, includes MDN on her press release distribution list. The latest release is included below with no changes. If someone can please tell us what it’s about, we’d appreciate a heads up. From what we can tell, it’s absolutely incoherent, as is much of the anti-drilling movement…
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

USFS Seeks Comment on Pipeline Survey in Monongahela Natl Forest

AvatarHere on Pandora where the forests are sentient and can think and feel…oh wait, that’s in the movie Avatar and the sequel is not due out until the end of 2017 (drats!). We live on Mother Earth, not on Pandora. But you wouldn’t know it by the reaction of anti-drillers at the prospect of running Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline through 17 miles of the Monongahela National Forest. You’d swear the forest can actually feel it–and would experience a catastrophic wound in its very soul…
Continue reading

| | | | | |

Verbal Dueling at Anti-Pipeline Meeting in Randolph County, WV

A couple of West Virginians verbally sparred at an “open house” conducted by the West Virginia Wilderness Lovers yesterday to essentially bad mouth and denigrate Dominion and their planned $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline project. The incident happened in Mill Creek (Randolph County), WV. One local landowner, who we will charitably say was making some wild claims about Dominion and the pipeline (it’s going to blow up and burn his family to ashes), was challenged by a pipeline union worker, also from Randolph County…
Continue reading

| | | | | | |

Hula Hoops & Tall Tales from WV Anti-Drillers Opposed to Pipeline

We never tire of reading about (and witnessing) stupid antics and statements from anti-drillers. Frankly, it amuses us. It doubly amuses us when we point it out and make fun of them in their own absurd behaviors and statements. The latest instance are those opposing new pipelines in West Virginia. At a meeting last Thursday’s Randolph County, WV Commission meeting, one anti-driller used a hula hoop, and another made the wild claim that methane causes cancer. All in a day’s work for the anti-drilling ignorant…
Continue reading

| | | | | | | | | |

Crestwood to Build New Marcellus Pipeline in NE WV

Houston-based Crestwood Midstream yesterday announced they will construct a new 16” inch Marcellus gathering pipeline that will run 42 miles through Preston, Taylor and Barbour counties in northeast West Virginia, connecting to Columbia Gas Transmission’s WB Pipeline in Randolph County, WV. By connecting to the WB Pipeline the new gathering pipeline will have access to the Washington, DC and Baltimore markets.

The new pipeline will be completed by this time next year and already has a long term “anchor” contract with Mountaineer Keystone, a Pittsburgh-based drilling company that will commence their horizontal drilling program in the area in the middle of 2012.

Continue reading