20140957 Ver 2_ACP 401 Certification comments_20170819

Strickland, Bev
From:Haw River Assembly <[e-mail]>
Sent:Saturday, August 19, 2017 11:47 AM
To:SVC_DENR.publiccomments
Subject:ACP 401 Certification comments
To: NC Division of Water Resources
Re: Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

The Haw River Assembly urges the NC Division of Water Resources to reject the 401 Certification for the
Atlantic Coast Pipeline. This project will impact almost 7 miles of streams and rivers and destroy riparian
buffers associated with them. The project will clear thousands of acres of forest and farmland in order to create
a 150 ft. rright of way for this pipeline. In addition, if permitted, the pipeline construction will cut through or
clear 600 acres of wetlands. The adverse impacts to these natural resources are not "temporary" and will have
serious impacts on the ecology of aquatic and terrestrial species, including endangered species, and water
supplies for a large portion of eastern NC. The ACP application for the 401 Certification is lacking in many
details, as well as glossing over important issues including the long term impacts of the initial pipeline
construction. There is no plan submitted for sedimentation and erosion control - construction sediment is one of
the most imminent threats to water quality during pipeline construction. We believe the NCDWR must also take
into account the long term risks of fossil fuel pipelines once they are built. The industry has a long history of
pipeline ruptures, explosions and smaller undetected micro-leaks that cumulatively can do tremendous harm to
watersheds.

The decision yesterday, August 18, 2017, by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to deny a 401 Certification
petition from Constitution Pipeline Company upheld the authority of states to reject projects that impact state
water quality standards. This victory is an important reminder to all states, including our own, that they have
the power to stop harmful pipeline projects.

We urge the NC Division of Water Resources to deny the Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the
Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Thank you.

Elaine Chiosso
Executive Director and Haw Riverkeeper
Haw River Assembly
P.O.Box 187
Bynum NC 27228
[phone]
[e-mail]
www.hawriver.org
Our 35th Year Working for Clean Water!
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