We stand with the residents of Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, and we are calling on you to deny the permit to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would destroy the surface waters consisting of wetlands and streams. The proposed activity would permanently affect 1.19 acres of palustrine forested wetland (PFO), 0.76 of an acre of palustrine scrub-shrub wetland (PSS), 0.04 of an acre of palustrine emergent wetland (PEM), and 63 linear feet of streams. The proposed activity would temporarily affect 3.91 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands (PEM) and 17,065 linear feet of streams. The activity proposed in the permit will affect surface waters in the Middle New, Upper James, Upper Roanoke and Banister watersheds.

We need YOUR HELP for public comments on two public hearings on (1) a draft permit from the State Water Control Board that will allow the filling of wetlands and streams in Giles, Craig, Montgomery, Roanoke, Franklin, and Pittsylvania Counties, Virginia, and (2) the Board’s intent to provide Section 401 Water Quality Certification for activities authorized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

This is environmental destruction in action, and just one recent example of the injustice that communities of color in VA, W. VA and NC deal with.

APPLICANT: Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC; 2200 Energy Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317; VWPP No. 21-0416

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC has applied for a new permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project. The project is a 42-inch natural gas pipeline located along an approximate 107-mile-long corridor from the Virginia-West Virginia state line in Giles County southeast through Craig County, Montgomery County, Roanoke County, Franklin County, and Pittsylvania County to the Transco Village (located approximately three miles east of Chatham, Virginia).

The permit will allow the applicant to work in surface waters consisting of wetlands and streams. The proposed activity would permanently affect 1.19 acres of palustrine forested wetland (PFO), 0.76 of an acre of palustrine scrub-shrub wetland (PSS), 0.04 of an acre of palustrine emergent wetland (PEM), and 63 linear feet of streams. The proposed activity would temporarily affect 3.91 acres of palustrine emergent wetlands (PEM) and 17,065 linear feet of streams. The activity proposed in the permit will affect surface waters in the Middle New, Upper James, Upper Roanoke and Banister watersheds.

To compensate for the surface waters affected, the applicant would provide 7.114 wetland mitigation credits and 298 stream mitigation credits, and restore temporarily impacted areas to their original condition. The State Water Control Board’s preliminary decision is to issue the permit.

HOW TO COMMENT: All comments and requests must be in writing and received by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) by midnight on Oct. 27, 2021. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of the commenter/requester, and all persons represented by the commenter/requester.

We are also asking if you can SHOW UP IN PERSON to:

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: Aug. 28 to Oct. 27, 2021

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

• Sept. 27, 2021: At the Pigg River Community Center, 2410 South Main St, Rocky Mount, VA 24151
• Sept. 28, 2021: At the Radford University, Kyle Hall, Howe Street, Radford VA 24141

Both hearings begin at 6 p.m. and will adjourn when everyone present has had the opportunity to speak or the facility closes, whichever occurs first. Persons planning to attend public hearings are advised to check the MVP webpage for any changes to the meeting format or public health protocols.

Crystal Cavalier