The Wilson Times
by Drew Wilson

North Carolina’s two United States senators are asking for faster approval for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

In a Sept. 25 letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis request “that the commission complete its review and issue an order approving the ACP at the earliest opportunity if all impact and avoidance and mitigation efforts are found satisfactory.”

The FERC is the federal governing body that is overseeing the permit process for the 600-mile natural gas line that could be built through West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. Some 12 miles of the 36-inch, high-pressure line could be built in Wilson County across tracts of land owned by at least 60 property owners.

“A timely review is vital to keeping the project on schedule to deliver new natural gas supplies by 2019,” the letter states.

Dominion Resources and Duke Energy are prime backers of the $5.5 billion project.

According to the letter from the Republican senators, “the project will provide expanded supplies of natural gas for residential heating as well as electricity generation, providing affordable energy for customers and businesses and stimulating economic development. The Marcellus and Utica shale region needs energy infrastructure like the ACP in order to utilize its natural gas resources. Building this pipeline will help create jobs in upstream production, mid-stream transportation and downstream manufacturing.”

According to the letter, “the project sponsors have engaged in extensive public education and participation efforts at open houses, scoping meetings and by soliciting public comments.”

The FERC released a final environmental impact statement on the project in July.

The senators’ letter said that report“indicates that the ACP design plan has incorporated thousands of revisions to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts to individual landowners and communities, sensitive ecosystems and historic and cultural resources.”

Citing the EIS, the letter states “the majority of impacts would be reduced to less-then-significant levels” because of the ACP’s proposed mitigation efforts.

“Any delay to start initial tree-clearing on schedule in November will result in significant delays and additional costs,” the senators’ letter says.

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