FERC denies Dominion request to keep cutting trees

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has denied Dominion and Atlantic Coast Pipeline developers’ request to extend their tree-cutting window to May 15, 2018.

“FERC made the right decision today by holding ACP developers to their promise to protect migratory birds. Tree-cutting restrictions are a critical part of the measures FERC required to minimize the harmful effects of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline,” said Southern Environmental Law Center senior attorney, Greg Buppert. “Dominion’s last-minute request to renege on its commitments to environmental protection is another example of the company’s attempt to flex its political muscle for quick rubber-stamp approvals.”

SELC, on behalf of its clients, Shenandoah Valley Network, Highlanders For Responsible Development, Virginia Wilderness Committee, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Cowpasture River Preservation Association, Friends Of Buckingham, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition, Sound Rivers, Winyah Rivers Foundation, and with partners at Appalachian Mountain Advocates, filed an objection to Dominion’s tree-cutting extension request at the commission on March 17, 2018.

SELC is still awaiting a decision from FERC on a request for a rehearing on the commission’s approval of the entire project.