As part of its review of Dominion Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality hired a firm who currently works for Dominion to review Dominion’s ACP plans.

According to a memo between the DEQ and Dominion, obtained by DeSmog via a FOIA request, the DEQ hired EEE Consulting to review Dominion’s plans. Dominion agreed earlier to pay over $1.8 million for this review! Dominion also had the opportunity to look at EEE Consulting’s proposal and comment on it prior to the hiring.

Government affairs lobbyist, Craig Holman, says this case raises serious concern. “First, given that the contractor is being funded by the company building the pipeline, its allegiance may be primarily toward the private interest. Moreover, when Dominion is paying for the contractor to perform more than one job, the contractor is in effect incentivized to please Dominion in order to secure future contracts.”

Other conflicts of interest have occurred in the permitting process of the ACP. Merjent, a contractor hired by FERC, is tied to Dominion’s main ACP environmental consultant, the Natural Resource Group. GAI Consultants, a contractor hired by the U.S. Forest Service to review drilling, is one of Dominion main contractors on the ACP!

I’m appalled at the conflict of interest between Dominion Power, Virginia’s DEQ, and EEE Consulting, and the conflicts of interest with FERC and the U.S. Forest Service. Are people who will lose their land, livelihoods or homes through eminent domain, supposed to believe that no conflict of interests exist because these entities say so? Are we to watch over 30 miles of our mountain tops removed, all under the shady dealings of the entities charged with taking care of our best interests?

Aren’t there laws prohibiting this type of insider trading?