Proposed Buckingham compressor station high impact zone: 2 and 6 mile radius.

Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC [ACP] has applied for a special use permit [SUP] for a proposed 53,000 + hp compressor station in an agricultural A-1 zone in the Woods Corner/Union Hill neighborhood on Rt 56, adjacent to the Transco pipeline. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Thursday January 6, starting at 6 pm at the Administration Building, Rt 60, 13380 W James Anderson Hwy, Buckingham, VA 23921. Farmville Herald Article

Sign up for public comments ends at 5:55 pm. The BoS stated that they will hear all comments from those signed up, limited to a strict 3 minutes per individual, 5 minutes per organization. This is it folks! Please come voice your opinion or simply show up to show that you care and are watching. There is no pipeline without this compressor station.

Schedule:

Friends of Buckingham Monthly Meeting
Public Hearing prep, help with writing comments
Wednesday January 4, 6 pm
Buckingham Arts Center
Buckingham 23921
Refreshments will be served

Public Hearing
6 pm, Thursday January 5
4 pm Buckingham Arts Center open for pre-hearing gathering
5:15 pm PAUSE [Peaceful Action Uniting Stewards of the Earth] Song & Prayer Circle, outside Admin building
5:30-5:45? Sign up begins for public comment

History

The Planning Commission approved the SUP at their November 21, 2016 meeting in spite of the overflow crowds and comments submitted by the public and a poll taken by the Farmville Herald where 512 out of 589 polled, (that’s 87%), voted “No, the dangers are too great to build a compressor station.” The vote came after a backroom memorandum of understanding [MOU] was made between Kyanite Mining, Columbia Pipeline and Dominion Resources/ACP LLC.

From Lakshmi Fjord’s letter to the editor: “A tap has been possible for decades between Kyanite, Columbia and existing Transco Pipeline Corridor. Kyanite first said it would not seek a tap when quoted $5 million-plus by Dominion Resources.

Yet, the day before the Buckingham Planning Commission made public the conditions related to ACP LLC’s application for a special use permit/SUP — to exempt its only proposed Virginia compressor station in an A1 agricultural district — this MOU with a not-yet FERC approved ACP pipeline is made public. The commissioners’ very mild conditions post-MOU have no relation to their strong conditions voiced pre-MOU addressing ACP’s compressor station vulnerabilities.” Read more.

Tips for public comments:   Please speak from your heart, and your particular concerns. Below are numerous possible concerns. The BoS is especially interested in the economics.

The promises of tax revenue will quickly evaporate by the:

• Devaluation of land, therefore loss of tax revenue
• Taxes would have to increase for citizens.
• Road and bridge damages and repair from heavy machinery
• Increased costs of security due to higher crime rate – usual with the many outside workers
• Promises of local jobs are lies – all specialized.
• Disruptions to existing businesses
• Pollution healthcare costs to individuals and public health services
• Stranded costs expected as pipeline usefulness will likely be less than 10 years, [40 years is common time frame for paying off]

Other concerns:

• Who would pay for the Kyanite tap? The county?
• What if the pipeline gets sold to a foreign company? Who will be responsible?
• The ACP is an LLC, so the county is responsible for all accidents, leaks, explosions which occur with alarming regularity.
• US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has sub standards for lower population densities.
• 135 federal PHMSA inspectors oversee 2.6 million miles of pipeline, which means each inspector is responsible for almost enough pipe to circle the Earth.
• First responders need training in evacuation, as there is nothing they can do other than let an explosion burn off.
• Communications with the community when things go wrong? There are no requirements; companies have poor track records.

Submitted by Heidi Dhivya Berthoud