The Atlantic Coast Pipeline Effect on Wetlands in

Virginia By: Travis Wood & Coleman Behne

Longwood University Student Showcase 04/22/2020

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What is a Wetland?-areas where water covers the soil

-federally protected area

-Two categories

-Coastal

-Inland

2Source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wetlands_in_Mason_Neck_SP,_Virginia_-_1.jpg

Benefits of Ecosystem Services From Wetlands -Wetlands serve as the backbone of various species and ecosystems

-Serves as a breeding zone for species

-Store massive amounts of carbon

-Control climate change

3Source: https://www.earthwiseaware.org/what-are-ecosystem-services/

Wetland Improving Water Quality -Removes inorganic nutrients, processes organic wastes, and reduces sediments.

-Wetlands reduce algal blooms and dead zones that result from excessive amounts of nutrients.

-They can replenish groundwater.

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Source: https://water.usgs.gov/nwsum/WSP2425/hydrology.html

Flood Protection-Wetlands can store and slowly release water from precipitation events.

-These benefits can slow flood events downstream and sediment transportation.

-Lessen the likelihood of agricultural lands, homes, and businesses from flood damages.

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Wetlands Protect Against Erosion -Because of their positions around lakes, rivers, and oceans they can strengthen the soils around water bodies.

-The vegetations roots can hold the soil in place, break up the energy from waves, and break up the flow and currents of rivers.

6Source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/wetlandfunctionsvalues.pdf

Economic Value of Wetlands- Water Quality improvements

- Congaree Bottomland Hardwood Swamp in South Carolina

- Reduce flooding - Flood damage costs about $2 billion per

year

- Sources of fishing- 75 percent of commercial fishing- Valued at $1.17 billion in 2004

- Habitats of endangered species- 20% of the US’s threatened and

endangered species live in wetlands

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Source: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/threats-to-water-quality-from-mountain-valley-pipeline-and-atlantic-coast-pipeline-water-crossings-in-virginia_2018-02-26.pdf

Wetland Mitigation Banking-According to the National Mitigation Banking Association

(NMBA), mitigation banking is defined as “the restoration,

creation, enhancement, or preservation of a wetland, stream,

or other habitat area undertaken expressly for the purpose

of compensating for unavoidable resource losses in advance

of development actions, when such compensation cannot be

achieved at the development site or would not be as

environmentally beneficial. (Jhawar, 2020)”

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How Mitigation Banking Works-If a developer is negatively impacting a wetland, they can purchase another damaged wetland site and restore, enhance, or monitor this area to increased levels.

-This is in place to protect wetlands but the benefits are not always restored to levels of pre-development

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What is the Atlantic Coast Pipeline?-600 mile natural gas pipeline that brings energy from WV and PA to NC.

-Projected to cost 5.1 billion but has been recently raised 30%

-Passes through various wetlands, natural forests, and other federally protected areas

-The ACP will provide many economic benefits like job creation, higher tax revenue, and lower energy costs, according to Dominion Energy

-50 foot wide area over the ACP must remain clear of trees after construction

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Dynamics of the ACP

11Source: https://www.southernenvironment.org/news-and-press/news-feed/ferc-faces-court-challenge-on-atlantic-coast-pipeline

Impacts to Wetlands- Over 315 acres of wetlands will

be impacted in Virginia- 600 acres will be impacted in

North Carolina - Decreased absorption and

infiltration of surface waters - Reduced functionality and

vegetative productivity- Can cause significant hydrologic

changes- Forested wetlands degraded to

herbaceous or shrub-scrub wetlands 12

Source: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/threats-to-water-quality-from-mountain-valley-pipeline-and-atlantic-coast-pipeline-water-crossings-in-virginia_2018-02-26.pdf

Economic Benefits

- Creation of 17,000 jobs- Only during the construction phase

- Will attract many new businesses - No plans to give any natural gas to new businesses

- Supply the increased demand on natural gas- The demand for natural gas is projected to stay the same

- Increase the economic activity by $2.7 billion

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Source: https://www.southernenvironment.org/cases-and-projects/proposed-natural-gas-pipeline-threatens-scenic-western-virginia

Economic Costs-One time cost (during construction): $72.7-141.2 million

-Annual costs: $96.1-109.1 million

-Total property value lost: $55.8-80.2 million

-Total loss in property taxes: $281-408 thousand

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Long term Environmental Effects -Rover pipeline spilled 2,000,000 gallons of drilling fluids in Ohio last year.

-Potential spills could contaminate rivers, streams, wetlands, underground aquifers and other drinking water sources.

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Source: https://www.ecowatch.com/rover-pipeline-spill-2526282302.html

Keystone Pipeline, North Dakota- Spilled 383,000 gallons of oil into rural wetlands- Largest oil spill in the US in the last decade- Opened in 2010- Had over a dozen spills in the first year

- Mostly small spills

- Spilled 16,800 gallons in 2016- Spilled 276,864 gallons in 2017

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Source: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01112019/oil-spill-keystone-pipeline-tar-sands-north-dakota-wetlands-kxl

Environmental Justice

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Source: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/threats-to-water-quality-from-mountain-valley-pipeline-and-atlantic-coast-pipeline-water-crossings-in-virginia_2018-02-26.pdf

Environmental JusticeCompressor stations

- Compress natural gas- Decrease air quality- Buckingham County, Virginia

- 85% African American- VA as a whole is 19% African American

- Northampton, North Carolina- 79% African American- Highest rates of lung and bronchial cancer

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Source: https://northeastsupplyenhancement.com/the-projects/project-facilities/

Works Cited Atlantic Coast Pipeline. (2019). About l ACP. Retrieved from https://atlanticcoastpipeline.com/about/default.aspx.

Betcher, M., Clingerman, J., Hansen, E. &. (2018). Threats to Water Quality from Mountain Valley Pipeline and Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Water Crossings in Virginia. Threats to Water Quality from Mountain Valley Pipeline and Atlantic Coast Pipeline Water Crossings in

Virginia. Downstream Strategies. Retrieved from

https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/threats-to-water-quality-from-mountain-valley-pipeline-and-atlantic-coast-pipeline-water-crossings

-in-virginia_2018-02-26.pdf

Bottorff, C., Phillips, S., & Wang, S. (2016). Economic Costs of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Economic Costs of the Atlantic Coast

Pipeline. Key-Log Economics. Retrieved from

https://www.abralliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Economic_Costs_Of_The_Atlantic_Coast_Pipeline-KeyLogic_2-16-16.pdf

EPA. (2006). Economic Benefits of Wetlands. EPA. Retrieved from

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/economicbenefits.pdf

McKenna, P. (2019). Keystone Pipeline Spills 383,000 Gallons of Oil into North Dakota Wetlands. Retrieved from

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01112019/oil-spill-keystone-pipeline-tar-sands-north-dakota-wetlands-kxl

NC Warn. (2019). Fracked Gas Pipeline Would Cost NC $20 Billion -- News Release from Energy Justice NC Coalition. Retrieved from

https://www.ncwarn.org/2019/06/fracked-gas-pipeline-would-cost/.

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