Atlantic Coast Pipeline
| Atlantic Coast Pipeline | |
|---|---|
 Map of Atlantic Coast Pipeline | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | WV, VA, NC |
| General direction | North-south |
| From | Harrison County, WV |
| To | Robeson County, NC |
| General information | |
| Type | Natural gas |
| Owner | Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC |
| Partners | Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, Southern Company Gas |
| Technical information | |
| Length | 600 mi (970 km) |
| Diameter | 42 in (1,067 mm) |
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a proposed 42 inch natural gas pipeline that would run about 600 miles (970 km) between West Virginia and eastern North Carolina.[1][2]
Development
The pipeline was announced in September 2014, and the developers began the application process for regulatory approval the following month.[3] The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project on December 30, 2016, with a final EIS expected in June after a period of public comment on the draft.[4] Contingent on federal approval, construction is proposed to begin in late 2017[4]—a construction contract was signed in September 2016 in preparation—and gas transport is planned to begin in late 2019.[5] The cost of building the pipeline is estimated at $5.1 billion.[4]
Plans for the pipeline led protests from landowners in its path, largely in Virginia.[6] An anti-pipeline group, "All Pain No Gain," raised money to run radio and television advertising in opposition of the pipeline, and dozens of landowners attempted to block surveyors from their property, though the pipeline's developers filed lawsuits against them,[6] and Virginia law permits surveying on private property, as well as the use of eminent domain in construction.[3] Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Southern Environmental Law Center (a Charlottesville, Virginia-based non-profit), and Appalachian Voices, have also expressed opposition.[4] After the issuance of the draft EIS, a Sierra Club official said that the developers had not proven the demand for the gas transported by the pipeline, as well as criticizing the EIS for not addressing the risks of building a pipeline through unstable karst terrain prone to sinkholes and landslides.[4] An official at Dominion Resources, one of the developers, said that the pipeline route had been adjusted 300 times, for a total of 250 miles (400 km) of rerouting, since its original draft in order to accommodate "environmentally sensitive areas" and other concerns.[4]
Characteristics
Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC is the developer and planned operator of the pipeline; the company is a joint venture between Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, and Southern Company Gas,[5] with Dominion serving as the lead stakeholder.[7] The pipeline is proposed to start in Harrison County, West Virginia, drawing gas from wells in the Utica and Marcellus gas fields, and travel southeast through eastern Virginia and North Carolina to its terminus in Robeson County, North Carolina.[5] A branch is proposed to run east to Chesapeake, Virginia, bringing the total length to about 600 miles (970 km).[5] The pipeline is proposed to have a 42 inches (110 cm) diameter for much of its length, with the southern end in North Carolina measuring 36 inches (91 cm) wide.[3] It would have a capacity of about 1,500,000,000 cubic feet (42,000,000 m3) of gas daily.[4]
References
- ↑ "Project overview map" (PDF). Dominion. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- ↑ "Atlantic Coast Pipeline" (PDF). Dominion. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Appalachia gathers dissent to gas pipeline bound for eastern N.C.". McClatchy DC. November 11, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Long-awaited draft environmental statement on Dominion's Atlantic Coast Pipeline released". Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 30, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 "Atlantic Coast Pipeline hires main construction contractor". Oil and Gas Journal. September 22, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- 1 2 "Battle heats up over controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline". McClatchy DC. June 15, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ↑ "McAuliffe doubles down on pipeline support, hints at economic prospects". Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 15, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2017.