RICHMOND, Va., May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Atlantic Coast
Pipeline LLC is announcing today that it has identified several
alternate route segments as potentially having the least impact to
environmental, historic and cultural resources and they are being
incorporated into the proposed route of its approximately 550-mile
interstate natural gas transmission pipeline across three
states.
"ACP has been listening to landowners, federal and state
agencies and surveying to find the route with the least impact.
While we have not surveyed them yet, we have determined there are
several alternate segments that may have less of an impact than the
initially proposed route," said Leslie
Hartz, vice president-Pipeline Construction for Dominion
Transmission Inc., which is responsible for engineering and
overseeing the pipeline's construction. "Surveying is necessary to
determine the final route."
The ACP LLC, a corporation formed by Dominion (NYSE: D), Duke
Energy (NYSE: DUK), Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) and AGL
Resources (NYSE: GAS), is proposing to build the $4.5 billion to $5 billion pipeline to serve
multiple public utilities and their urgent energy needs in
Virginia and North Carolina. The natural gas transported
safely by this project will be used to generate electricity as well
as to heat homes and run local businesses. By providing access to
low-cost natural gas supplies from a diverse set of producing
regions, the ACP will increase the reliability and security of
natural gas supplies in Virginia
and North Carolina.
Detailed information about the identified alternate segments
will be presented in the drafts of 12 Resource Reports that will be
filed this month with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC). A final proposed route will be included in the formal FERC
application later this summer.
The identified alternate segments that are being incorporated
into the proposed route are located in two Virginia counties, Augusta and Nelson. Landowners would know them as the
Augusta Industrial Park variation, the Appalachian Trail South
alternate, the East of Lovingston Connector alternate and the East
of Lovingston alternate.
Atlantic has begun contacting Virginia landowners of the identified
alternate segments and other remaining segments that have not given
permission to survey their properties, asking again for their
permission so the company can find the best route with the least
impact.
Atlantic is following a Virginia law that requires an initial letter
be sent to landowners requesting permission to survey. If
permission is not granted in response to this request, companies
then are required to send a notice of intent to enter the property
prior to performing the surveys.
Atlantic has elected to do more than is required by Virginia law to ensure that every landowner
has ample opportunity to be heard. If permission is denied again,
rather than send crews to survey, the company will initiate legal
action and ask the courts to affirm the Virginia law. Overall, landowners of about 83
percent of the entire route have given the company permission to
survey.
"No one knows their property better," said Hartz. "It is in
their best interest for them to allow us to survey and talk with
them about the land's unique characteristics. We have looked at
more than 3,000 miles of potential routes and have adjusted the
route hundreds of times as a result of surveys and discussions with
landowners. Surveying the few parcels that remain will give
us the best information to assess impact."
Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC was created to develop, own and
operate the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). The underground pipeline
project would facilitate cleaner air, increase 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 project website at
www.dom.com/acpipeline.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atlantic-coast-pipeline-chooses-alternate-segments-for-proposed-route-300084787.html
SOURCE Dominion Resources