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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20140957 Ver 1_Project Update (July 2015)_20150715Atlantic Project Update s� July 2015 Pipeline Birds over the James River: We continue to refine the route using feedback from landowners, agencies and other stakeholders as well as field surveys to identify the best possible route with the least impacts. From the Project Director Project Timeline Activity Timing Survey /Route Planning May 2014 - Ongoing FERC Pre - Filing Request October 2014 FERC Application Late Summer 2015 FERC Certificate Summer 2016 Construction 2016-2018 In- Service Late 2018 Sign up for ACP a -News We continue to make progress on the Atlantic Coast • Pipeline (ACS'). v'Ve received tens of thousands of comment letters during the scoping period; hundreds of inquiries through social media, voice mail and email; and valuable information through discussions with landowners and other stakeholders at numerous open houses, scoping meetings, site visits and other outreach activities. Additional data is being collected by field surveys currently under way in many areas throughout the study corridor. Feedback in all of these forms is helping us identify the best possible route for the ACP with the least impact to the environment and cultural and historic resources. We thank you for your comments, questions and suggestions, and for your continued interest in the ACP. We look forward to sharing additional information with you via this newsletter and through our newest contact vehicle, ACP e -News. Email addresses that have been submitted at various outreach events have been used to develop an initial mailing list. If you have not shared your email address with us yet, we invite you to visit the ACP website (www.dom.com /ACPipeline) to subscribe. Thank you. Carole A. McCoy, Authorif'ed Representative Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC Visit the ACP website www.dom.com/ ACPipeline ACP e -News to sign up for the electronic newsletter. s See inside for more details. 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.ciov/heID/how-to/ecomment.asD: (Subject line: Docket#: PF15 -6 -000) ACP Project Team • Website: www.dprn.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 Environmental Surveys: What We Do and Why Resource surveys are crucial in pinpointing environmental and cultural resources present within the study corridor. Survey crews play an important role in studying the route to identify historical or archeological resources, threatened or endangered species, soil types and other important conditions or features. In addition, surveys are necessary to gather information required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as part of its environmental review of the project. No one knows the land better than the people who live on it. Input from landowners and residents is crucial in identifying features such as springs, family cemeteries, gardens and planned building sites. Granting survey permission does not imply agreement with pipeline construction; however, it does help the route planners avoid impacting sensitive areas on a property as much as possible. ACP field teams are currently conducting surveys throughout the study corridor. ACP's survey crew members are qualified technical experts in their subject area. In some cases, survey crew members' credentials must be reviewed and approved by state or local agencies. Some crews are specific to the project's geographical area and specialize in a specific species. For example, the ACP Red - cockaded Woodpecker: This small black and white bird was listed as federally endangered in 1970. Field surveys were conducted this spring to identify potential foraging and nesting habitats. Photo used with permission: Greg Lavaty and American Bird Conservancy. has salamander survey crews to review research and focus on identifying potential salamander habitat. There is also a botanical crew at work in the Monongahela National Forest, who walk ahead of the routing crew to identify and Cheat Mountain Salamander: This species flag the locations of rare or endangered plants, and make sure the plants are not is known only to occur in West Virginia and disturbed during surveys. Other specialized crews focus on identifying potential karst was federally listed as threatened in 1989. features, wetlands and water resources. Photo used with permission: N. Karraker, Survey crews are easily identifiable. Ph.D., Wetland Ecology Department, Their vehicles will typically list the University of Rhode Island. project name and a phone number to call with questions. Crews wear high visibility vests and safety glasses, and always carry a photo ID that lists their name and the project they are working on. At the end of the day, survey crews complete progress reports. The reports point out safety issues or potential hazards, describe landowner encounters, detail the field data collected that day and list the parcels surveyed. The reports also identify anticipated progress, including the parcels scheduled to be surveyed in the coming days. Land agents use the information to notify landowners about surveying at least 24 hours in advance and record specific landowner requests related to surveying. The information collected during surveys serves many purposes, including: Survey Crew: This crew is conducting a shovel test in a field within the ACP study corridor. Shovel tests are used to look for cultural artifacts. supplying Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data to ensure maps are drawn accurately; providing critical data to engineers who are creating and adjusting the proposed route; and providing information to local, state and federal agencies who help regulate and oversee the project. Ultimately, surveys make sure the project team and regulatory agencies have the most accurate information to select the best route possible with the least impact to the environment and cultural and historic resources. Safety First: Drive to Arrive Safety is the number one priority of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC. As the summer season gets into full swing, many of us find ourselves spending extra time on the road heading to a ball SAFEgame, a weekend at the cabin, a family reunion or a trip to the beach. We want to make sure RIVING our employees, contractors, families, friends and the communities we serve arrive safely to Y V their destinations. We urge everyone to put cell phones and other distractions aside, concentrate and Drive to Arrive. Introducing... ACP a -News A number of landowners and other stakeholders have shared their email addresses with us - - at various outreach events over the past few months. Several have indicated that email is ACP their preferred method of receiving information on the project. In response to that feedback, we are pleased to announce that we will be rolling out a brand new contact vehicle this a -News summer, ACP e -News. The electronic newsletter will be distributed about once a month, or as needed depending on project milestones or announcements. If you would like to subscribe to the ACP a -News, visit the ACP website at www.dom.com /ACPipeline. Click on "Project Status" or "Contact Us" to see the subscribe button. Frequently Asked Questions How will the ACP generate $25 million in local property taxes across three states? Landowners are already paying property taxes, so how does the project generate more property tax money? The current, proposed route for the ACP covers more than 550 miles through a three -state region. If approved, just like landowners pay property taxes for their home and land, ACP will pay property taxes on the physical assets we would install underground. The property owner is still responsible for paying property taxes on the land above the pipeline. ACP would also pay property taxes on the compressor stations proposed in Lewis County, WV; Buckingham County, VA and Northampton County, NC. Where can I find the ACP project team's response to a comment I submitted during the scoping period? The ACP project team is responsible for responding to all comments, written and verbal, received during scoping. The responses appear in the Responses to Issues Raised During Scoping ( Scoping Response) documents and in the Environmental Resource Reports. The original Scoping Response was filed in May and a supplemental edition in June. All documents filed with FERC are available for review on the ACP website (www.dom.com /ACPipeline). All comments received were reviewed, categorized, coded and entered into a database. Comments were grouped according to their corresponding Environmental Resource Report. If several comments involved the same issue, a single response was prepared to address that group of comments. Comment letters or verbal statements involving several issues were broken down by category and each issue was added to the appropriate group. Individual commenters' names and affiliations are not included in the reports. In some cases, a commenting agency or organization is identified. To find a response to a specific issue, review either the corresponding section of the Scoping Response or the appropriate Environmental Resource Report. Dominion- Dominion Transmission, Inc. 701 East Cary Street Richmond, VA 23219 Project Update: July 2015 Atlantic Coast Pipeline Jennifer Burdette North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resoureces Division of Water Quality 1601 Mail Service Ctr. Raleigh, NC 27699 -1601 olo�, rr, lennllll���lll llrl�l"rlleraloolrlrrrorf �If.�rro,lfrrrr Regulatory Update Supplemental Scoping Comment Report As we reported in the May newsletter, the official scoping period for the ACP project ended April 28 and the project team filed an initial response to scoping comments on May 12. A supplemental response document was filed on June 11 to address additional comments received at the end of the scoping period. FERC will continue to accept comments throughout the term of the project. (See Contact Vehicles on front panel.) Presorted First Class U.S. Postage PAID Richmond, VA Permit No. 729 Anticipated next steps for FERC • Review draft resource reports • Review ACP application and issue Notice of Application (NOA) - this ends the Pre - filing Phase and begins the Application Phase • Analyze data and prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) • Open public comment period for DEIS Next steps for ACP Prepare final EIS Continue surveys: currently proposed / alternative routes If project approved: issue Certificate of Public • Continue outreach: landowners and other stakeholders Convenience and Necessity • Monitor stakeholder feedback and input for potential inclusion in resource reports • File formal application with FERC (Late Summer 2015) About Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC is a company formed by four major U.S. energy companies — Dominion (NYSE: D), Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) and AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS). The company was created to develop, own and operate the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), an interstate natural gas transmission pipeline designed to meet growing energy needs in Virginia and North Carolina. The ACP would be capable of delivering about1.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas through access to multiple supply basins throughout the U.S., to be used to generate electricity as well as heat homes and run local businesses. The underground pipeline project will facilitate cleaner air, increase the 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 company's website at www.dom.com /ACPipeline.