Roanoke County to request rehearing on FERC's pipeline certification

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Roanoke County is pushing back against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's certification of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline -- 11 days after the federal agency approved both pipelines for our area. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to file a request for a rehearing.

"We are asking FERC and DEQ to ask for a deeper level of plans. They have submitted some plans and we had our county engineer look at those and he has some further questions and we'd like for those questions to be answered," said Ruth Ellen Kuhnel, attorney for Roanoke County.

Roanoke County is hoping a rehearing will allow FERC to take a closer look at the county's main concerns -- how will the pipeline affect water quality, erosion and sediment.

"People are very worried that this behemoth of a pipeline, the construction is going to affect the water supply and the water sources," said Kuhnel. 

Roanoke County is an "intervenor party," meaning it can formally petition FERC. Once the petition is filed, FERC has 30 days to respond. 

"We just want to be at that table so we can review and verify if that project is built according to specifications and that it does not have a negative impact on our citizens," said Joe McNamara, chairman on the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors.

Along with a closer review of water quality impact, the county is also hoping for a clearer picture of how historic and cultural resources will be protected.

In its petition, the county is also asking for any construction or development of the pipeline to be stopped while the request for a rehearing is being considered.