MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Plans are moving forward for a proposed natural gas gate station near the border of Montgomery and Roanoke counties.
On Wednesday night, the Montgomery County Planning Commission voted 5-2 in favor of a special use permit needed for construction and operation of the station. During the meeting, many local residents spoke out against the plans. Henry Bryant, who lives down the road from the proposed station, said he is worried.
"I'm concerned for air pollution, water pollution, possible health risks to nearby residents, said Bryant.
Roanoke Gas requested the permit, with company officials saying the station would help them better serve customers. If created, the station would connect to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, allowing customers to receive gas from it. That doesn't sit well with some community members.
"Every single person that I have spoken to or someone else that I know has spoken to are against this. They don't want it there," said Bryant.
The station would be designed to meter the gas and regulate the pressure to deliver it to local customers. To move forward, the permit will have to be approved by the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors at an upcoming meeting.
We did reach out to Roanoke Gas for a comment but have not heard back.
To learn more about the station plans, click here.