Blue Ridge Mountains & Shenandoah Valley

From Rick Webb, Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition, December 20, 2017

In the last two weeks, the Virginia State Water Control Board made important decisions about both the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. There has been confusion about exactly what the Board’s decisions said and what they mean for future actions on both projects.

Although the Board acted illegally by issuing certifications without all of the information needed to ensure water quality protections, the Board did not simply accept the VA-DEQ’s misleading recommendations in favor of the proposed projects. Of most importance, the Board recognized what citizens have said for months – that it did not have all of the information needed to support final approvals and felt it necessary to reserve authority for future actions.

In the case of the MVP, the water quality certification allows the Board to revisit the issue of water body crossings instead of simply relying on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blanket approval.

In the case of the ACP, the water quality certification delays construction until essential plans and studies, including erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, and karst analysis, are completed and submitted to the Board for approval.

A positive outcome will depend on proper reviews by the VA-DEQ, meaningful opportunity for public critique and input, and appropriate Board response to remaining deficiencies.

For more information and perspective, see What Did the State Water Control Board Do?

Rick Webb, Program Coordinator

Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition

rwebb.481@gmail.com