Here Are Some Ways Advocates Are Fighting the Dirty Methane Gas Expansion Plan
Large energy corporations – Duke Energy, Enbridge, Inc., Williams Transco and Mountain Valley Pipeline developers – want to build a massive web of new methane gas pipelines and power plants in North Carolina. If they succeed, billions of dollars of debt from the costs of construction and fuel for these projects would be directly passed on to electric customers across the state, raising electric bills sharply – even for projects that are never finished.
In addition, our rural neighbors would face a slew of safety and health risks from these pipelines, with numerous schools, farms, health care facilities, and local businesses located dangerously close to the proposed project sites. Finally, we would all suffer from the climate-altering impacts of the surge in greenhouse gas emissions.
The NC League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) is co-sponsoring an online webinar about this proposed massive buildout of expensive and dirty methane gas infrastructure, the state of the fight, and how concerned citizens can fight back. “We Pay, They Profit: Fighting North Carolina’s Methane Gas Plan” will take place on Tuesday, August 26, 6:30 – 8 p.m. Register to participate in the Zoom call.
Mountain Valley Pipeline Extension: “Southgate”
One of these projects includes the proposed southern extension of the Mountain Valley Pipeline known as Southgate, a sub-topic directly relevant to the webinar.
State water quality permits for Southgate were the subject of a public hearing held by the NC Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on August 12. There’s still time for public comments on these permits. Comments will continue to be accepted by letters or by email until 5 p.m. on September 12.
Southeast Supply Enhancement Project
The other major pipeline under DEQ review now is Transco’s proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP), which will be the subject of public hearings on September 2 and 4. Participation in those hearings will be another opportunity for the informed public to weigh in. If you are concerned about any of these interrelated problems, you can learn more about these pipelines, their impacts, and other dirty methane gas projects at the webinar on August 26.
