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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20140957 Ver 1_Project Update (April 2015)_20150401Atlantic Coast Pipeline ,a From the Project Director Project Update I would like to extend a sincere thank you to those of you who were able to attend one or more of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) open houses in January and March. The 11 open houses over three weeks in January and three additional open houses in March overall attracted 2,800 people. The March open houses were scheduled to address potential route alternatives in Augusta, Nelson, Buckingham, and Highland counties in Virginia, and Pocahontas and Randolph counties in West Virginia. If you were unable to attend an event in your area or would like another look at the open house display boards, handouts and maps, please visit the ACP website. We received a number of comment cards during and after the open houses and are in the process of following up on specific requests contained within those documents. Your insightful comments, questions and suggestions to both the ACP project team and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) representatives in attendance will help us move the project forward in a thoughtful and considerate manner. A brief summary of the open houses is included in this edition of the newsletter. As many of you know, on February 27, FERC issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the ACP and initiated a 60 -day scoping period. Additional information about the scoping period is available in this edition of the newsletter, on the FERC website and on the ACP website. In total, more than 7,500 people have attended the 37 public meetings held in relation to the ACP. These meetings include 13 open houses in September 2014, 11 open houses in January and three in March 2015 and 10 scoping meetings in March 2015. We appreciate your interest in the project. We will continue to provide updates via this newsletter as we move forward on the ACP. Thank you Carole A. McCoy, Authorized Representative Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC April 2015 ACP Open House: January 14, 2015, Nottoway County, VA Project Timeline Activity Survey /route planning FERC Pre - Filing Request FERC Application FERC Certificate Construction In- service Timing May 2014 - June 2015 October 2014 Late Summer 2015 Summer 2016 2016-2018 Late 2018 Contact Vehicles Federal Energy Regulatory Commission • U.S. Mail: 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 (Reference Docket#: PF15 -6 -000) • Electronic submittals: www.ferc.gov/help/how-to/ecomment.asp: (Subject line: Docket #: PF15 -6 -000) ACP Project Team • Website: www.dom.com /ACpipeline • Facebook: Atlantic Coast Pipeline • Landowner toll -free number: 888 -895 -8716 • General inquiry toll -free number: 844 - 215 -1819 • Email: ACPipeline @dom.com Open House Summaries January 6 -22, 2015 The ACP project team hosted 11 open houses from January 6 -22. The meetings were held in communities along the proposed pipeline study corridor. Approximately 2,455 people attended. In addition to maps of the proposed route and potentially affected parcels, the events featured the following information stations: ACP Open House: January 22, 2015, Lewis County, WV March 10, 19 and 23, 2015 • Project Overview • Joint Venture Partners • Community Benefits • Public Input/Regulatory • Construction and Safety • Compressor Stations • Environmental Representatives from FERC also participated in these meetings. "Even if those of us in the path of the pipeline consider it a net negative, I believe we owe it to our regional and national neighbors not to stand in the way of a higher standard of living for all. - Speaker at a FERC Scoping Meeting for ACP The ACP project team hosted three additional open houses in March to share information on potential route alternatives under consideration in Highland, Augusta, Nelson and Buckingham counties in Virginia, and Pocahontas and Randolph counties in West Virginia. Nearly 400 people attended. The open houses featured information stations much like the ones set up in January as well as maps of the proposed route and several route alternatives. Representatives from FERC also participated in these meetings. www.dom.com/ACpipeline Visit the newly re- designed ACP website to see the maps, factsheets, brochures and display posters presented at the open houses. • Click on Route Maps at the top of the page to view project overview, interactive and route alternative maps • Click on Open Houses and Public Meetings in the right -hand menu to view factsheets, brochures and posters Frequently Asked Questions Why can't the ACP be co- located with existing pipeline or electric transmission rights of way? When possible, we work to identify co- location opportunities with existing corridors (i.e., other pipelines, electric lines or roadways, etc.), but it is not always feasible. In some cases, existing rights of way may not provide a path where the pipeline is needed. Factors such as topography, legal prohibitions and lack of room for an additional right of way or work space can also affect the potential for co- location. In addition, soil conditions and side slope topography that may be suitable for roads or electric transmission power lines may not be suitable for burying interstate natural gas transmission pipelines. Where can I see a map that shows how ACP impacts my property? ACP has made arrangements with Doyle Land Services, Inc. to assist with the project. Land agents can provide specific parcel maps to affected landowners. In addition, maps of the proposed route Restored Right of Way as well as route alternatives currently under consideration are available on the ACP website. The ACP website also includes an interactive map searchable by parcel address. Finally, when the application is submitted to FERC later this summer the application and all associated maps will be distributed to the library of record for each county along the preferred route. How are route alternatives identified and when will ACP decide on the final route? Potential route alternatives are identified a number of ways, not the least of which include land surveys and input from agencies and landowners. Feedback from landowners is critical to finding the best route with the least impact to both cultural and environmental resources. Landowners know their property better than anyone else and can provide information on resources on their property. Already, hundreds of route adjustments have been made as a direct result of feedback from landowners and other stakeholders. ACP will submit a preferred route to FERC later this summer as part of the application process. ultimately, if FERC approves the project, FERC will decide the final route based on input from ACP project partners, landowners and other stakeholders. About the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC ACP is a joint venture of subsidiaries of Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and AGL Resources (parent company to Virginia Natural Gas). The partners propose to construct and operate a new 550 -mile underground interstate natural gas transmission pipeline originating in Harrison County, West Virginia, running through Greensville County, Virginia and extending south into eastern North Carolina. A lateral extension to Hampton Roads is planned near the Virginia -North Carolina border. �. , ��II� r _ Dominion, Dominion Transmission, Inc. 701 East Cary Street Richmond. VA 23219 Project Update Atlantic Coast Pipeline ... i- iiiIIiIIfiiiii -, lll ill iii, lil11i ill 111111111111 PRESORTED FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID RICHMOND, VA PERMIT #320 1627 T9 P3 * * * * * ** *AUTO* *ALL FOR AADC 275 Jennifer Burdette , 1617 Mail Service Center Regulatory Update FERC Scoping Period: February 27 - April 28, 2015 The scoping period helps FERC set the parameters or "scope" of the environmental review that will be conducted on the project. FERC invites public comments related to potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives and measures to avoid or lessen impacts. FERC hosted ten scoping meetings along the proposed route from March 9 -24, 2015. Attendees were invited to provide verbal comments on the ACP. Comments recorded at the scoping meetings are regarded the same way as written comments submitted to the FERC docket. "The construction of the project is an extremely important step toward pr -)moting stable energy prices, reliable supplies of energy and new economic development..." - Speaker at a FERC Scoping Meeting for ACP Comments regarding scoping are due by the close of business on April 28, 2015. FERC will accept general written comments beyond the scoping period. Comments can be submitted via U.S. Mail or electronic submittal. (See front panel.) Resource Reports FERC requires the ACP to submit 12 resource reports. To date and in accordance with regulatory requirements, ACP has submitted the following draft reports. The full text of these drafts is available on both the FERC and ACP websites. As additional reports are submitted to FERC, they will be added to the ACF website as well. Resource Report 1: General Project Description Resource Report 10: Alternatives Draft RR1 includes a general description of the proposed The initial draft of RR10 outlines route alternatives, length, location and construction of the pipeline as well as variations and adjustments that ACP has considered or is the general location of proposed compressor stations. evaluating.