Administrative Watch: NC Denies Pipeline Permit
It seems that shoddy science and corporate political connections are no longer enough to grease the skids for a major environmental decision in North Carolina. The NC Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) last week rejected a requested erosion and sedimentation permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
DEQ said that the submitted plans were inadequate, and gave the applicants 15 days to submit revisions or 60 days to appeal the denial. The rejection was the first state decision on multiple permit approvals which the pipeline must receive in order to move forward.
Duke Energy and three other energy companies are seeking state approvals for the proposed 600-mile-long pipeline to carry natural gas from West Virginia to North Carolina. It would traverse multiple streams and rivers through eight NC counties. In addition to the erosion and sedimentation control permit, the project would require a water quality permit, air quality permit, and stormwater management permits.
The Trump Administration is campaigning for rapid approval of new fossil fuel development, transport, and usage infrastructure. North Carolina’s rejection of inadequate study and planning work for this pipeline is an early warning shot that the state will not blindly follow the Trump energy lead.
