Community concerns over Atlantic Coast pipeline

Dominion Transmission was recently sent letters by the Department of Environmental Quality regarding its Atlantic Coast pipeline project. The letters state that the company are required to conform to specific erosion and sedimentation standards for the pipeline project.

Irene Leech, a Consumer Studies Professor at Virginia Tech, comments on Dominion’s intention of running the proposed Atlantic Coast pipeline through her farm.

“From my perspective, they put my life at risk, all our property, all our heritage. I know the odds of something happening are very, very small. But I had a brother killed in a farm accident. My grandmother died in an accident. My husband was working for the Pentagon on 9/11. I was at Virginia Tech during the mass shooting. Things happen. We’ll have to live with the risk for the rest of time. The possibility of an explosion is the really frightening thing,” she says. “You can come up with statistics that make it seem very remote. The problem is that if it occurs it’s really deadly.”

Similarly, other residents are expressing concern over the pipeline running through the area. Yet, Dominion has responded by reassuring residents that the company will ensure industry best practices to ensure a safe operation.

Dominion Transmission Spokesman, Aaron Ruby, stated: “We’re a safety first company. That’s not a P.R. slogan. An emphasis on safety permeates the organisational culture and informs everything the company does.”

Edited from various sources by Stephanie Roker

Sources: Bacon's Rebellion, News Leader

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/project-news/27052016/community-concerns-over-atlantic-coast-pipeline/