The Southside Messenger
by John Arsenault

Several weeks ago (Aug 10th) I testified at the DEQ public hearing, where my comments in support for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) caused a small uproar in the meeting room that forced a 15 minute recess. In order to provide some additional thoughts on this subject, I am submitting this letter to the editor.

As I detailed my experience at the DEQ public meeting, I lived in Alaska for 30 years (1971-2001) and worked for decades in the oil/gas development industries. Most notably on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) from beginning to end (1974-1977). And later in the development of the Prudhoe Bay/North Slope oilfields. The TAPS pipeline is a 48” “hot oil” pipeline that travels almost 800 miles through the most delicate and harsh environment in America. Crossing hundreds of streams and rivers (the only crossing of the Yukon River in Alaska is the TAPS bridge w/pipeline), over two significant mountain ranges and borders Fairbanks, Alaska’s 2nd largest city. Please think about these extreme weather conditions, extremely delicate arctic life conditions, engineering challenges and the safe/smart/successful construction of the TAPS pipeline and hundreds of additional pipelines across the tundra in the Prudhoe Bay area. During the winter, temperatures in Prudhoe Bay a can reach a wind-chill factor of -100 degrees BELOW 0. These environmental conditions have a significant effect on all operations. The requirements to build pipelines that are safe, smart and successful under these conditions is staggering, but these requirements have been met and exceeded for over 40 years. I have personally witnessed procedures that protected the environment and the local communities. The Alaskan people that live in these arctic areas, are the Inupiat Eskimos. They have directly supported and benefited from the oilfield development during the last 50 years. This support has been based on knowing that the development is safe, smart and successful for them and their arctic heritage that goes back over 3,000 years.

Two of the pipeline contractors involved with the ACP project have extensive experience from the mentioned above Alaska pipelines. Price-Gregory and Associated Pipeline. These are two companies I worked for and as a result of that, I can speak from personal experience in Alaska, these companies are absolutely the best in the pipeline construction business. Without a doubt, the ACP leadership has chosen the absolute best companies to construct this pipeline and support facilities. The pipeline construction techniques of today are really “state of the art” with directional boring to go under some streams/rivers, increased requirements for welds and pipeline design engineering, just to mention a few aspects of today’s modern pipeline construction.

In conclusion, thousands of pipelines in America have been built during the last 60-70 years that are safe, smart and successful. All of this experience will be applied to the ACP project, to include thousands of people that have decades of pipeline experience. In the years ahead, this project will be thought of as a very good economic opportunity for Virginia, just as the generations in Alaska have viewed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. As a related positive example, the state of Alaska has no state income tax, not state sales tax and every man/woman/child will receive a $1,100.00 check from the Prudhoe Bay oilfield income known as the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend in the middle of October, 2017. This no-tax, and direct benefit payment to Alaskans has been going on for over thirty years. Virginia you are looking at a very bright future with the ACP.

John Arsenault
Cullen, Virginia

Read the full letter to the editor in The Southside Messenger