ROCKY MOUNT (WSLS 10) - On Tuesday, members of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL) released information regarding emails and letters exchanged between local leaders and representatives from the Mountain Valley pipeline. The documents were received after BREDL submitted a Freedom of Information Act request.
People in Franklin County said some Board of Supervisor members are not being neutral in their stance on the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
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"When you are elected by the citizens of Franklin County to a position of supervisor, you are not elected to be neutral," said Michael Carter, BREDL. "You are either for a project or against a project".
During Tuesday's Franklin County Board of Supervisors meeting, members of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League pointed to emails between former County Administrator Rick Huff and representatives from Roanoke Gas. According to one email exchange, Huff asked at the "request of Board of Supervisors" whether a gas line can "economically be tapped in order to serve Franklin County". Opponents of the pipeline said the correspondence shows supervisors are in favor of the gas line. However, Chairman Cline Brubaker said the board only wants to make an informed decision.
"We absolutely are not talking a side behind their back" said Brubaker. "I think you can be neutral and not be fully in support or opposed to it".
On the other hand, Boone District Supervisor Ronnie Thompson said he stands firmly against Mountain Valley's plan to build a pipeline through Franklin County
"We need gas in the county. No one is arguing that," said Thompson. "I think it needs to come from Roanoke Gas."
Carter and others said they hope all sides of the Mountain Valley Pipeline debate can come together as one, discuss the pros and cons and do what is in the best interest of Franklin County.
"I hope they'll form a citizen's committee with some of our group {BREDL} and some of the supervisors," said Carter. "So that we can work on this project jointly."