MVP Southgate back again?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a permit request for the Southgate extension of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline on April 30. According to the notice, the natural gas pipeline is “subject to special emergency permitting procedures to address an energy supply situation” under a January executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The […]

Greener pastures

By Laura Vogel The Southern Environmental Law Center has fought—and won—some mighty environmental battles in its 35 years of existence. Right now, though, it’s in the midst of one of its biggest legal challenges: Pulling Virginia away from the brink of leaving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for good, after Governor Glenn Youngkin encouraged the […]

In brief: No pipeline, name game, and more

Pipeline defeated The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is history. In a surprise announcement on Sunday afternoon, Dominion Power called off the 600-mile natural gas pipeline that would have run from West Virginia to North Carolina. “VICTORY!” declared the website of the Southern Environmental Law Center. The news is a major win for a wide variety of […]

Clean up your act: Local environmental groups sound off on Trump’s Clean Water Act rollback

Keeping our waterways swimmable, fishable, and drinkable seems like an uncontroversial goal—but the Trump administration apparently disagrees. Since assuming control, the administration has made a series of efforts to weaken long-standing protections for America’s waterways. Local environmental groups have grave concerns about the potential effects of these suggested laws in Virginia and across the country. […]

Legal group challenges need for Dominion’s pipeline

A local legal group will file a last-minute opinion that there isn’t enough market demand for a $6 billion pipeline. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which will eventually approve or deny plans for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, is accepting comments for its draft environmental impact statement until April 6. “I think the bottom line here is […]

Riverkeeper pleased with coal ash settlement

Charlottesville’s Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the James River Association, reached a settlement with Dominion on the utility’s plans to dump coal ash wastewater from the Bremo Power Station in Fluvanna. A local riverkeeper says new standards will protect human and aquatic life. The deal between the groups, which will be enforceable by law, requires […]

Dominion to dump in Virginia rivers

The State Water Control Board officially approved Dominion’s permit to dump wastewater into two Virginia rivers January 14. The wastewater will come from coal ash pits at the Bremo Power Station on the James River and the Possum Point plant on the Potomac River. The board took two separate votes, tallying 5-1 for each permit. […]