Please note, this letter may be sent either by post, (use address in the heading below

or as an email, go to FERC: Documents & Filing – FERC Online – eRegister, where you will have to first register and then select PF15-6, then copy this into the comment field, or better yet,

With either of these letters, include the specifics of your personal opposition to the pipeline. How will it affect the wildlife and plants, what is special about them, how might it impact your health personally?

These letters/emails must be submitted by April 28th

_______________________________

Date: ______________

To the Attention of: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E. Room 1A
Washington, DC 20426

RE: Docket No. PF15-6-000

As a resident of Buckingham, VA, I am deeply concerned about the potential effects of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Compressor station sited for Buckingham County.

My concerns are as follows:

• Public safety and potential hazards are associated with the transport of natural gas and the proposed facility in Buckingham. In the past, Dominion has violated proper hazardous waste disposal procedures and caused contamination to the surrounding ground and water in other areas of Virginia and in West Virginia.
• Impacts to property and homes The ACP threatens the natural scenic value and the property ownership of approximately 200 landowners in Buckingham. This project takes away the fundamental American right of property ownership. Properties and neighborhoods adjacent to the pipeline will experience a decrease in property marketability due to the presence of a 42” pipeline. For some Buckingham residents, the proposed ACP comes within a few hundred feet of their home, putting them within the known blast radius (min. 1100 ft.) of the pipeline should an explosion occur.
• Environmental Justice Low income minority communities are frequently the site of unwanted industrial projects or waste disposal. The Dominion Compressor is sited for a low income African American community within Buckingham County.
• Emissions and air quality- Compressor stations are known emitters of Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs), Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) and Particulate Matter(PM). Design plans for the Dominion Compressor should be publicly available for review no less than one year before Dominion is allowed to file for its permit with FERC. The public should be fully informed about the expected emissions of the proposed Compressor station. No design plans for the Compressor have been made public.
• Noise levels– Any proposed Compressor design should ensure zero noise pollution. Buckingham is a quiet rural community.
• Impact on our waterways, flora & fauna-The James River is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Any contamination to it and to other waterways that feed into it would be in direct opposition of our statewide effort to preserve the Chesapeake Bay. Fragmentation of our forests will jeopardize local wildlife and native plants.
• Impact on ground water– Dominion should be willing to accept any liability for contamination to ground water in Buckingham County as a result of the Pipeline and Compressor. Round-Up (glyphosate) negatively impacts soil microbiology and can leak into waterways; it should not be used to control weeds on easements.
• Impact of emissions, noise, and possible ground contamination on nearby agriculture-. Certified organic agricultural operations in close proximity to the Pipeline and/or Compressor may no longer be eligible for certification due to contamination. There are reported impacts of reduced birth rates in cattle due to proximity to gas pipelines. An investigation of the impacts of gas infrastructure, with a focus on 42” pipelines and compressors, needs to examine the impacts to production and birth rates in farm animals. Currently, there are no baseline studies regarding air, soil and water quality in Buckingham. All reports must be comprehensive in nature and publicly available for review and comment at least one year in advance of any permitting by FERC for the proposed ACP and Compressor.
• Health Impacts Emissions, noise and contamination pose a threat to our health and quality of life. Compressor pollutants have been implicated in health risks where exposure is intense and/or extended in nature. Some residents of NY living in close proximity to a compressor station report nausea, headaches, difficulty breathing, and skin rashes. The information void created by Dominion, the threat of lawsuit and anticipated life-changes and risks caused by the ACP & Compressor are already causing undue psychological trauma for affected landowners in the Buckingham community.
• Impact on existing land uses-Buckingham residents have dreams for their properties. Without the ability to fence and restrict access, easement corridors become serious threats to privacy, security, and even normal range/pasture use where animals need to be confined. The ACP and Compressor will adversely impact growing communities such as the Yogaville Village Center.
• Economic Impacts Loss to Buckingham businesses, including the loss to ecotourism along the James, during construction of the Pipeline and Compressor are real concerns. Additionally, economic reports on the ACP do not assess the costs associated with the potential loss of flora and fauna and the potential increased health costs due to pollution exposure. Cost assessments do not account for the likely scenario of gas export by Dominion or its partners which will ultimately inflate the cost of natural gas for American consumers.
• Natural Gas for Public Benefit? The regulatory process must critically examine what domestic needs the ACP is intended to fulfill. Alternative methods of meeting those needs should be fully researched and directly compared with ACP costs. Public benefit of the ACP will NOT outweigh public harm unless Dominion maximizes the use of existing infrastructure, utility easements and rights of way and minimizes the seizure of private land from Virginia voters.

In closing, I wish to express my opposition to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Compressor station for Buckingham. There has been no public hearing on the issue in the County, no Scoping meeting despite promises that one would be here, and there has been little public information available on the project.

Thank you very much for your time and your consideration of my concerns.

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