More than a year ago, as he was attempting to fend off a primary challenge from an opponent dead set against the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines, then-Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam called for the contentious projects to “be held to the highest environmental standards” in a letter to the state’s environmental agency.
Last week, armed with a new report warning of the hazards the pipelines’ construction poses to drinking water, trout streams and wetlands, a trio of environmental groups sought to hold Northam to that pledge.
The report, commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council, says sediment loads in the streams and wetlands crossed by the pipelines would increase during and after construction, continuing at levels “above baseline on a permanent basis,” among other findings.
