The Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC is announcing today that it has identified several alternate route segments as potentially having the least impact to environmental, historic and cultural resources and they are being incorporated into the proposed route of its approximately 550-mile interstate natural gas transmission pipeline across three states.
“ACP has been listening to landowners, federal and state agencies and surveying to find the route with the least impact. While we have not surveyed them yet, we have determined there are several alternate segments that may have less of an impact than the initially proposed route,” said Leslie Hartz, vice president-Pipeline Construction for Dominion Transmission Inc., which is responsible for engineering and overseeing the pipeline’s construction. “Surveying is necessary to determine the final route.”
The ACP LLC, a corporation formed by Dominion (NYSE: D), Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) and AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS), is proposing to build the $4.5 billion to $5 billion pipeline to serve multiple public utilities and their urgent energy needs in Virginia and North Carolina. The natural gas transported safely by this project will be used to generate electricity as well as to heat homes and run local businesses. By providing access to low-cost natural gas supplies from a diverse set of producing regions, the ACP will increase the reliability and security of natural gas supplies in Virginia and North Carolina.
Detailed information about the identified alternate segments will be presented in the drafts of 12 Resource Reports that will be filed this month with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). A final proposed route will be included in the formal FERC application later this summer.
The identified alternate segments that are being incorporated into the proposed route are located in two Virginia counties, Augusta and Nelson. Landowners would know them as the Augusta Industrial Park variation, the Appalachian Trail South alternate, the East of Lovingston Connector alternate and the East of Lovingston alternate.
Atlantic has begun contacting Virginia landowners of the identified alternate segments and other remaining segments that have not given permission to survey their properties, asking again for their permission so the company can find the best route with the least impact.
Atlantic is following a Virginia law that requires an initial letter be sent to landowners requesting permission to survey. If permission is not granted in response to this request, companies then are required to send a notice of intent to enter the property prior to performing the surveys.
Atlantic has elected to do more than is required by Virginia law to ensure that every landowner has ample opportunity to be heard. If permission is denied again, rather than send crews to survey, the company will initiate legal action and ask the courts to affirm the Virginia law. Overall, landowners of about 83 percent of the entire route have given the company permission to survey.
“No one knows their property better,” said Hartz. “It is in their best interest for them to allow us to survey and talk with them about the land’s unique characteristics. We have looked at more than 3,000 miles of potential routes and haveadjusted the route hundreds of times as a result of surveys and discussions with landowners. Surveying the few parcels that remain will give us the best information to assess impact.”
Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC was created to develop, own and operate the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). The underground pipeline project would facilitate cleaner air, increase reliability and security of natural gas supplies, and provide a significant economic boost in Virginia and North Carolina. For more information about the ACP, visit the project website at www.dom.com/acpipeline.
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