February 14, 2022| February 14, 2022
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Chickahominy Pipeline, LLC today announced the suspension of its plan for a unregulated gas pipe through five Virginia counties. The proposed pipeline would have connected to the Chickahominy Power Station (a 1,600-megawatt power station), which was canceled by regional electric grid managers.
According to SELC Senior Attorney Greg Buppert, it was not a good idea to invest in so-called natural gasoline at a time when Virginia has made a commitment to a clean, low-carbon energy grid. As the cost of clean energy continues to decline and the cost of gas projects continues to climb the Chickahominy Pipeline would have been a backwards-looking investment at odds with Virginias track record of leadership in the South.
In 2021, the Virginia State Corporation Commission rejected Chickahominy Pipeline, LLCs petition seeking approval to build the pipeline without commission oversight. The company’s request for reconsideration remains pending. The Southern Environmental Law Center represents Concerned Citizens of Charles City County and Hanover Citizens Against A Pipeline.
Catharine Tucker, Hanover Citizens Against a Pipeline, stated that the Chickahominy Pipeline would have cut right through Virginia’s heart. We are happy to have it suspended. We will be watching for any other plans that could cause harm to communities like ours.
In 2019, Virginia environmental regulators had approved an air pollution permit for the Chickahominy Power Station over the objections of local residents in predominantly Black communities in Charles City County, many of whom were not allowed to speak during a final hearing on the project.
Chickahominy Pipeline, LLC had poor outreach to the individuals in the pipelines path, when building public trust and ensuring environmental protections are crucial for any proposal that has the potential to increase pollution and harm communities, said Chesapeake Bay Foundation Environmental Justice Staff Attorney Taylor Lilley. If Chickahominy Pipeline decides to reopen the project we hope the company will engage with the community and transparently assess the impact.
The Chickahominy Pipeline is the latest pipeline to be affected by setbacks in Virginia. Dominion Energy cancelled the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020 after it lost many of its required permits before the court. The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board denied a permit to the Lambert Compressor Station in 2021. This would have supported an extension of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, called MVP Southgate.
According to Peter Anderson, Appalachian Voices Virginia Policy Director, the Chickahominy Power project was poorly designed and poorly planned. No matter if the utility is a private or public utility, new gas processing, transmission, and combustion infrastructure must be halted within thirty years to adequately address the climate crisis. It is not the right time to build new gas infrastructure. Virginians won’t accept the damage to their land and air.
Under the Virginia Clean Economy Act, the Commonwealth will completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from its power sector by 2050 and new gas projects like the Chickahominy Pipeline are likely to be expensive stranded assets.
The pipeline would have had serious consequences on the ground for landowners who would have to clear, trench, and blast hundreds of private properties along its route. The commission’s oversight is crucial to determine if a project such as this is really necessary before landowners or the environment are affected.
Wanda Roberts, a citizen group that monitors the project, stated that gas infrastructure such as the Chickahominy Pipeline or the plant it was meant to feed pose a real threat to our communities. Charles City County residents demand more transparency and accountability since years. We are happy to see this project being suspended.
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Concerned Citizens in Charles City County (C5) is an association of citizens that formed in response to proposals to locate the Chickahominy Power Station and the C4GT power plant in Charles City County. These proposals were advanced with little involvement from residents of predominantly Black communities located near the proposed plants. C5 works with Charles City County residents in order to keep them informed. They provide adequate notice of environmental issues and give them the opportunity to get information. C5 empowers citizens with as many information as possible to make decisions and take action. It also gives citizens the opportunity for their voices to be heard.
Hanover Citizens Against A Pipeline is an association of landowners who have been notified that their property is in the path of the proposed Chickahominy Pipeline and other residents of Hanover County and neighboring counties concerned about the project. This association’s mission is to support Hanover County landowners and potentially affected landowners from neighboring counties.
Appalachian Voices has been a regional grassroots advocate for healthy communities and environmental protection for over 20 years. The non-profit organization is a leader in Appalachia’s shift from fossil fuels towards clean energy and a just tomorrow. It has offices in Boone, Durham, Charlottesville, Norton, Virginia, and Knoxville, Tennessee. appvoices.org
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to Save the Bay, and keep it saved. CBF is dedicated to restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed, protecting the livelihoods of those who live in and around it, through advocacy, education, litigation and restoration efforts. CBF has 300,000 members in the United States and offices in Annapolis, Easton, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Cbf.org
