BUCKHANNON — Proponents of — and opponents to — the construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline poured into the Buckhannon-Upshur High School auditorium Monday night to talk about the line’s potential effect on one critical resource — water.
While some of those who turned out for the two-hour public hearing — one of only two held in the state — said construction of the natural gas pipeline was safe and would have minimal impact on water quality, staunch environmentalists countered that contamination of water was a very likely possibility. The only way to prevent that contamination, they said, is to not build the pipeline.
Monday night’s hearing centered on the question of whether the DEP should issue what’s called a State 401 Water Quality Certification to the builders of the pipeline, primarily Dominion Energy. According to the Clean Water Act, 401 certifications must be issued “for activities that will or may discharge or fill into the waters of the state,” according to the DEP website. If certification is issued, the project will proceed; however, if it is denied, construction will be delayed at the very least.
The 600-mile-long, 42-inch pipeline will run for 99 miles through West Virginia, crossing through Harrison, Lewis, Upshur, Randolph and Pocahontas counties before traveling into Virginia and then south, ending in eastern North Carolina. Hosted by W.Va. DEP communications director Jake Glance, people both for and against issuance of the 401 certification had the opportunity to speak.
Those in favor of allowing the project to proceed with 401 certification argued that the pipeline will bolster West Virginia’s economy and tax revenue base.
Charlie Byrd, executive director of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia, called the ACP “a vitally important infrastructure project to all West Virginians.”
“Energy-efficient clean-burning natural gas produced in West Virginia will in part provide the much-needed additional supplies of natural gas to our region … to meet the ever-growing energy demand,” Byrd said. “The ACP route is the result of years of comprehensive studies and surveys to avoid and minimize impact on sensitive areas. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline has accommodated over 300 reroutes in an effort to reduce impacts to the environment and cultural and historic resources.”
Atlantic Coast Pipeline is being developed by four energy companies, including Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and Southern Company Gas; however, Dominion Energy will construct and operate the pipeline.
Byrd added that the ACP will generate jobs, tax revenue and is “critical to the West Virginia economy” as well as a “ a “step toward energy independence.”

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The Record Delta – Katie Kuba – 08/02/2017