The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has announced its intent to develop an environmental impact statement and the opening of a public comment period for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate project. These actions are part of the federally mandated scoping process which will help the agency determine whether the project is in the public convenience and a necessity, and what the environmental impacts would be along the pipeline route.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate project is a joint venture between EQT Corporation and NextEra Energy Inc. If approved, the pipeline would extend from West Virginia through Virginia and into portions of Alamance and Rockingham counties in North Carolina. FERC is the agency which makes the decision on whether to approve the project. The project owners have not submitted any permit applications to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
Brief, text-only comments on the proposed project may be submitted electronically using the FERC eComments function on the agency’s website at https://ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. The website also offers the option of submitting comments electronically with supporting documentation using the eFiling feature at: https://ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. In addition, written comments may be submitted to Secretary Kimberly Bose, FERC, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, D.C. 20426. When submitting public comments, be sure to include docket number PF18-4-000 to ensure they are considered in the agency’s final decision. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. Sept. 10, 2018.
As part of the comment process, the federal agency will host three public scoping meetings in areas that would be impacted if the pipeline project is approved. The goal of the scoping meetings is to identify specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the environmental impact statement. FERC staff and a court reporter will be on hand at the meetings to accept verbal comments from members of the public. All three meetings will be held 5-8 p.m. Dates and locations are as follows:
- Aug. 20: Reidsville Event Center, 223 S. Scales Street, Reidsville, N.C. 27320
- Aug. 21: Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex, 19783 U.S. Hwy. 29, Chatham, Va. 24531
- Aug. 23: Vailtree Event and Conference Center, 1567 Bakatsias Lane, Haw River, N.C. 27258
More information about FERC’s natural gas pipeline approval process is available online at https://ferc.gov/resources/processes/gas-pipe-stor-perm.asp. The agency also offers an informational guide for landowners at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/gas/gas.pdf.