New Route To Be Filed For Atlantic Coast Pipeline
The review and final decision for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project was delayed in January when the National Forest Service rejected the proposed route through the Monongahela and George Washington National Forests. Now, in a press release dated February 12th, ACP LLC is announcing that next week they will formally adopt an alternative route they believe will meet the Forest Service’s requirements and provide a viable path forward for the project. According to ACP, finding a viable route through the national forests is an important milestone for the project and would allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to continue its environmental review.
The alternative route was selected to avoid Cheat Mountain and Shenandoah Mountain because of certain species that inhabit those areas, as specifically requested by the Forest Service. The route will reduce total mileage in the national forests by more than one-third, from 28.8 miles to 18.5 miles.
The alternative route will impact approximately 249 new landowners in Randolph and Pocahontas counties in West Virginia, and Highland, Bath and Augusta counties in Virginia. The alternative route will add approximately 30 miles to the total length of the project. A map of the alternative route is attached to this story on our website, alleghenymountainradio.org.
ACP reported they are contacting landowners along the alternative route to request permission to survey their properties so the route can be thoroughly evaluated. Atlantic will submit a preliminary analysis of the route to the FERC next week, and plans to hold a series of public informational open houses along the route in early March.
Story By
