North Carolina Landowners Fight Atlantic Coast Pipeline Invasion During Pandemic

We will be blogging individual articles from The League Line, our quarterly newsletter

Spring 2020 issue: http://bredl.org/theleagueline/Spring2020.pdf
Index to this and other issues: http://bredl.org/theleagueline/index.htm

On Friday afternoon,  March 27, 2020, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League’s (BREDL) attorney Cathy Cralle-Jones received a phone call from an Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP)  attorney requesting that an out-of-state real estate appraiser be given permission to visit several Eastern North Carolina properties---on Monday, March 30^th. BREDL, and the landowners refused to allow this.

Incredibly, ACP offered to have their appraisers use PPE (personal protective equipment) so desperately needed by our health care providers, first responders, and other essential services. Perhaps ACP and their representatives should donate their supply to their local health care providers and first responders.

Ms. Cralle-Jones said: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is continuing to push condemnation proceedings in North Carolina even though the FERC route in Virginia has been stopped by the 4th Circuit and is pending decision by the Supreme Court of the United States.  As a part of those proceedings, ACP is seeking to have appraisers travel across several state lines in order to enter onto private property so they can conduct their appraisals to support their court testimony and unbelievable conclusion of no impact to any areas outside the pipeline easement.  This is risky, inappropriate and unnecessary pipeline intrusion onto private property that must stop.  

This flagrant attempt by ACP to take advantage of the dire circumstances that communities across North Carolina are facing is appalling and must be stopped. This action also demonstrates exactly how much care and concern ACP has for the communities they are forcing the pipeline through. Governors in the three states (North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia) impacted by the Atlantic Coast Pipeline should act immediately, and tell ACP, as they are telling thousands of other businesses and residents, to Stay Home.

Landowners in North Carolina and Virginia that are facing the same or similar tactics by Dominion/Duke Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline, please contact BREDL: Sharon Ponton ponton913@msn.com (Virginia) or Therese Vick therese.vick@gmail.com  (North Carolina)

Zero waste through the spirit of our youth

We will be blogging individual articles from The League Line, our quarterly newsletter

Spring 2020 issue: http://bredl.org/theleagueline/Spring2020.pdf
Index to this and other issues: http://bredl.org/theleagueline/index.htm

~By Associate Director Rev. Charles Utley

What impact does the COVID-19 coronavirus have on our Zero Waste Projects? As we strive to move
forward to improve the environment through the use of renewable energy and clean-living conditions,
we now face new challenges.

With the closing of many facilities there is a great need to seek other means of communication and mobility. Therefore, we are opening the doors to take a closer look at our Zero Waste Program in Augusta, Georgia. Now that schools have closed, students are now faced with idle time. Although class
work is still in process this is a good opportunity to reach out to students and invite them to participate in recycling. Recycling bins are something that our youth can assist with, determining what they will “look like,” because there are more than 32 million Americans who are confused about which bin to use
for what item. Youth can assist in thinking of new innovative ideas for our goals, 2030 intermediate and 2050 100% clean renewable energy.

With the fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus, it makes me wonder what people have been listening to. When it comes to protecting our environment, people have been speaking about taking care of our world and safe living conditions for centuries. Now, the fight against COVID-19 coronavirus should strengthen our recommendations for Renewable Energy, Recycling, and Climate Change Remediation for the future.

It has been an uphill fight to get people to support stopping polluting industries, nuclear construction, and intrusive pipelines in our communities. Environmentalists have been speaking about contamination that you could not see but that had an effect on everyone in its pathway, regardless of race, creed, color and ethnicity. But too often the plea fell on deaf ears. So the fight continues.

Now that the COVID -19 is sweeping our world and lives are being lost, gloves and masks are being put on for protection. All of this is being done because people are afraid of something that cannot be seen. Before the COVID-19 came
into existence, we faced many arguments and challenges about contamination being produced in our atmosphere. What seemed to be farfetched, impossible and unthinkable is present and is threatening everyone in the world today.

I hope that this pandemic will stimulate our youth to get involved with renewable, safe living conditions wrapped into climate justice and Zero Waste by 2050. And as our youth seek new ways of communication and mobilization, each can also serve as an eyewitness to this present struggle. As our youth gain knowledge, becoming inspired through their participation in their own future, this will provide them with the needed tools for the future goal: 2050 Zero Waste.

Therefore, it is my desire to incorporate within our own Internship Program with Paine College ways to continue our Zero Waste Program with young people’s participation.