Citing concerns, Air Board delays action on compressor station permit

Dominion unable to articulate why their pipeline is needed

 

For Immediate Release:
Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 

Contact:
Lee Francis | Deputy Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org

 

RICHMOND – Today, the State Air Pollution Control Board delayed taking action on an air permit for the proposed Buckingham County compressor station until their December meeting.

If approved, this facility, citied in the majority black community of Union Hill, will pump downstream natural gas from Dominion Energy’s unnecessary and environmentally destructive Atlantic Coast Pipeline. In the process, nearby residents will be exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution and noise from the 53,783 horsepower facility, not to mention the constant threat that it could malfunction and explode, as has been the case with similar compressor stations in other states.

In response to today’s hearing, Lee Francis, deputy director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:

“Today, given multiple opportunities to explain to the Air Board why, exactly, this pipeline and associated compressor station are needed, Dominion Energy floundered – they simply couldn’t answer that very basic, elementary question. The truth is this pipeline is not necessary for power generation in Virginia. Still, Dominion expects its captive ratepayers to foot the bill while Virginians along the route suffer from the unprecedented environmental impacts that would accompany this pointless pipeline. Nowhere would these be more hard-felt than in Union Hill.”

About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.

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