Action Alert – Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Lambert Compressor Station – Pittsylvania County, VA

Mountain Valley Pipeline is trying to build a compressor station in Pittsylvania County, Virginia for the Southgate extension of the MVP main line. The challenges facing the main line rise daily, as the chance of its completion falls with each new roadblock. We need your action to bring the “Southgate” air permit for review by the full Virginia Air Pollution Control Board. In your comments, you can request a hearing from the Air Pollution Control Board, address concerns about harmful air pollution, serious environmental justice concerns, cumulative impacts from potentially adjacent existing infrastructure, and discuss how your community may be adversely impacted by the compressor station. 

Three possible actions you can take are detailed below:

Map of Mountain Valley Pipeline and Southgate proposed route through Virginia and into North Carolina.
Image Source
  1. Watch the The Pittsylvania County NAACP Branch #7096’s Zoom Webinar on MVP Southgate Lambert Compressor Station from February 2nd, 2021
  2. Listen to the DEQ MVP Lambert Compressor Station Public Hearing from February 8th, 2021
  3. Submit a public comment by April 9, 2021 – Check out the video of our March 4th, 2021 COMMENT PARTY!

Key background information: The state of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality denied a key water quality permit for the MVP Southgate project. In a letter dated August 11,2020, NC Division of Water Resources Director Danny Smith stated: “Due to uncertainty surrounding the completion of the MVP Mainline project,” it has determined that “work on the Southgate extension could lead to unnecessary water quality impacts and disturbance of the environment in North Carolina.” (NC Policy Watch) MVP appealed this decision, and the oral argument was heard January 26th in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. A ruling is forthcoming. You can listen to the audio here. 

Call to Action 1:  Listen to Pittsylvania County NAACP Branch #7096 Zoom Webinar on MVP Southgate Lambert Compressor Station

The Pittsylvania County NAACP Branch # 7096 http://naacppittsyco.org/ hosted a Zoom Meeting at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, February 2 in collaboration with ARTivism Virginia to answer community member questions about the proposed Lambert MVP Southgate Compressor Station and to learn how to best participate in the February 8th, 2021 Public hearing on the air permit for the station.  

Experts on regulation, community organizing, legal and health were present as well as members of previously impacted communities. You can listen to the recording here on Youtube or here on Facebook.

Speakers included Karen Campblin, Environmental and Climate Justice Chair for the VA State Conference NAACP, Dr. Mary Finley-Brook, Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment at the University of Richmond, Lynn Godfrey, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter’s Community Outreach Coordinator for Stop the Pipelines campaigns and Mark Sabath, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville.

Call to Action 2: Listen to the DEQ MVP Lambert Compressor Station Public Hearing 

Where: Listen at THIS LINK 

Call to Action 3: Make a Comment to DEQ — View the recording of our NO MVP LAMBERT COMPRESSOR STATION comment party from Thursday, March 4th.

I coudn’t attend the comment party on March 4th, How can I comment?

  • You can comment by email. Please email: anita.walthall@deq.virginia.gov 
    • Please see the talking points document for full instructions
      • Subject: Mountain Valley Pipeline Lambert Compressor Station Draft Air Permit
      • Include your name, mailing address and telephone number with your comment. 
    • PLEASE Bcc. Elle De La Cancela at elle@chesapeakeclimate.org when you email your comment, so we can track how many comments are submitted
  • You can comment by mail. Please send to: DEQ Blue Ridge Regional Office, Attn: Anita Walthall, 901 Russell Drive, Salem, VA 24153.

What do I say?

By When? 

  • UPDATE: DEQ has extended the comment deadline! Comments are due by April 9, 2021 

Supplemental Reading and Information: