Pressure Mounts on Virginia Officials Weighing Pipeline Projects

Virginia regulators face pressure to not issue water permits for the Atlantic Coast pipeline construction project.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Pressure is mounting on Virginia officials to slow or reconsider the water quality certifications they intend to issue for a pair of natural gas pipeline projects.

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/2weTFJn) that hundreds attended public hearings this month to express concerns with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and state Water Control Board.

An environmental law group is contending that Dominion Energy’s proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline won’t save money as the company claims. Instead, the group says it could cost Virginia customers more than $2 billion in unnecessary costs.

Mary O’Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, says the federal agency could act on the two projects any day. The agency approves gas pipelines and has issued favorable environmental impact statements for both pipeline projects.