16 February 2020

Stand against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline & Risky and Unnecessary Natural Gas Pipelines Threaten Our Region 15FEB20

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24 FEBRUARY 20 is the date for protest at the U.S. Supreme Court in D.C. while the case against the atlantic coast pipeline is made before the court. Work on the pipeline started in 2017, was supposed to be completed in 2019 but fortunately the courts have been ruling in favor of the people most of the time. This case should stop the pipeline for good, but justice can no longer be expected from the SCOTUS since Sen moscow mitch mcconnell r KY prevented hearings and a vote on Pres Obama's last nominee to the court, Merrick Garland. Now the entire American justice system including the Supreme Court is being stacked with fascist neocons by the drumpf / trump-pence administration and the gop / greed over people republican party. Click the link to sign up to attend the protest organized by Friends Of The Earth, 350.org, the Southern Environmental Law Center and others.

On Feb 24, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case to determine if the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) can cross the Appalachian trail. This is the first time the Supreme Court has heard a case about a pipeline in years — and a major opportunity to put a meaningful check on the power of pipelines and the fossil fuel industry.

While lawyers make their case to the Justices inside the courtroom, our people-powered movement will demonstrate that a majority of the public outside the court wants a check on the power of fossil fuel and pipeline companies.

This is an open call to all pipeline fighters, mountain defenders, water protectors and climate resisters to join us in DC on the morning of February 24, 2020. Click here to RSVP.

With the undue influence that fossil fuel and pipeline companies have currently, it is critical that we unify our movement through escalated action against all pipelines and let our position be known to the Supreme Court and the public.

Like all pipelines, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a disaster in the making. If built, the ACP would produce emissions equal to 20 coal plants a year. The project would also require 38 miles of mountaintop removal, devastating countless communities including the African American community of Union Hill, Virginia and the homes of 30,000 Indigenous people across North Carolina.

It’s up to all of us to stand up against environmental racism and the unchecked power of the fossil fuel industry. Stand with us at the Supreme Court on Monday, February 24th.

There will be roles and responsibilities available for anyone interested. To make it possible for as many people to participate as possible, we’ll organize a communal breakfast, prayer vigil, and briefing before our rally.

See you at the Supreme Court,

Ju-Hyun

PS - We also welcome your participation with shared travel, housing and other arrangements. Let us know on the form if you need assistance or are interested in helping.

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Risky and Unnecessary Natural Gas Pipelines Threaten Our Region

Our region’s rivers, streams, and forests are in the crosshairs of a massive, highly controversial proposed interstate natural gas pipeline. Designed to move natural gas from the Marcellus Shale to the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline would fragment some of the most intact, forested landscapes in the Southeast—including the George Washington National Forest. Cutting across steep slopes and through rivers, streams, and wetlands, the pipeline would put numerous bodies of water at risk of increased sedimentation and harm to sensitive species like brook trout. Not only would the project harm our region’s environment and communities, but the bottom line is that it is not necessary to meet the region’s demand for natural gas.

Dominion Energy and Duke Energy are rushing forward with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline even though it lacks strong market support, and they plan to pass the cost of this pipeline on to their customers. This unnecessary pipeline will not only harm the mountains, forests and waterways in its path – it will also disrupt the lives of the people living and working along its 600 mile long route and lock a new generation into decades more of fossil fuel consumption.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will cost Virginians

SELC is working on several fronts to challenge the construction of this pipeline. At the federal level SELC is challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on its decision to permit this project. A central argument against the pipeline is the growing evidence that the project is not necessary. In the three years since the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was proposed its justification as a fuel source for gas-fired power plants has continued to erode. New analysis shows that demand for gas-fired electricity generation is not growing in our region and is not expect to grow significantly for the foreseeable future.

Question of Demand

There is notable difference between Dominion’s inflated demand projection and that of the region’s grid operator, PJM Interconnection. By 2027, that difference equals almost 2 gas-fired power plants.

The proposed project has received approval from various federal and state regulatory agencies. SELC and its partners have sued five of those agencies in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

SELC is a founding member of the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance, a coalition of 43 organizations from across Virginia and West Virginia with grave concerns about the proposed route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. SELC has partnered with citizens who are acutely concerned about the risks to their agricultural and rural communities, including damage to scenic landscapes and the risk of pollution.