Dominion asks feds to begin review of pipeline
RICHMOND – Energy provider Dominion Resources Inc. is asking federal regulators to begin its environmental review of a proposed $5 billion pipeline that would deliver natural gas to the Southeast.
Opponents of the project in the Augusta County area expected the request to be made soon. They are planning a rally against the project Saturday that was organized before Friday's announcement.
The 550-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline that would run through West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina is a joint venture between Dominion, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and AGL Resources. The corridor would include 43 miles through Augusta County.
Dominion said it took the necessary first step in the extensive Federal Energy Regulatory Commission review process on behalf of its partners Friday.
The project will need the approvals of 40 federal, state and local regulatory agencies before construction can begin.
Those in the area who oppose the project have been in touch with the federal commission for weeks and have posted more than 100 letters of concern on the agency's website, said Nancy Sorrells, one of the leaders of the Augusta County Alliance.
The alliance was formed this summer when Dominion's plans became public. "Today's action by Dominion simply moves our work into a new phase," Sorrells wrote in an email.
The Alliance plans an anti-pipeline rally from 2:30-5 p.m. Saturday in Constitution Park in Waynesboro.
Officials in a number of localities also have endorsed the project but it is finding pockets of opposition along its planned path, including Augusta and Nelson counties.