Eight Rivers Council Update for Mid-February 2017
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1. A well-attended and participatory community meeting on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was held at Linwood Community Library at 7 pm on Tuesday February 7. Sponsored by Eight Rivers Council, Greenbrier River Watershed Association, and West Virginia Rivers. Please read the accompanying attached report for details.
2. Property owners along the ACP route should be encouraged to hold tight and not deal with Dominion Land people to sell easements. This is the advice of Appalachian Mountain Advocates, a legal firm that will represent pro bono landowners.
3. We need to look closely at the land and water along and nearby the proposed ACP route. This includes streams, karst, caves, steep slopes susceptible to erosion, cemeteries, historical places, and water sources. These places were often commented upon to FERC yet were ignored or inadequately addressed in the DEIS. Very important that these site-specific areas are commented on in the DEIS before April 6. Help is available. Email environmental scientist Autumn Crowe or Alyssa Richmond for guidance. or Appalachian Mountain Advocates will respond to legal questions and can guide your DEIS response. http://www.appalmad.org/contact-2/
The DEIS document itself is over 2300 pages, so asking for help is understandable! But do not feel intimidated. Your comments are important!!!
4. FERC will hold public meetings in Elkins at the Gandy Dance Theater March 1 and in Marlinton at the Wellness Center March 2. FERC will take oral comments privately. We suggest that people also write out the comments they submit and share broadly. We would like to have volunteers outside the venues to leaflet and encourage and assist people in their making oral presentations.
5. Calling on Letters to the Editor of the Pocahontas Times every week on various topics related to the ACP. Topics could include personal stories on how the ACP would impact your business, quality of life, or property value; the hazard of living in a Blast Zone (incineration and evacuation areas); negative economic impacts on our communities; the unfairness of eminent domain for private gain; the fact that FERC has not established “need” for these pipelines since there is already sufficient supply and infrastructure projected for the future; how there would be no permanent jobs or gas; and the effect of pipelines on pollution, methane leakage, and on increasing fracking.
6. Some modest funds have been committed to yard signs, banners, and advertising. These should be available soon. Liz Kammeyer is developing a dedicated Facebook page for posting your video interviews, photos, and FERC responses, stories, and information.
7. Keep abreast with news by subscribing to weekly ABRA reports or archived at their website. Eight Rivers Council archives the reports, too. Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition has excellent mapping and other information. Greenbrier River Watershed Association and West Virginia Rivers Coalition are among many fine groups working against the ACP.
8. On Friday February 10, Senator Blair introduced into the West Virginia Legislature SB 245, a bill favored by the gas & oil industry to allow pipeline surveyors onto private land in lieu of eminent domain. If passed, this bill would over-ride Judge Iron’s ruling that private property owners can forbid surveyors. This assault on eminent domain must be resisted (as it was successfully last year). Contact legislators to demand that this assault on our constitutional rights be denied.
9. Do not despair! There are thousands of committed people across our multi-state region who are digging in to win this battle against the ACP. As patriots defending our neighborhoods and communities, we represent our children’s future and our nation’s promise.
Thank you for clean water, beautiful scenery, healthy ecosystem, property protection, and responsive government. We are strong when we stand together!
--Allen Johnson
Eight Rivers Council