Watching the Air We Breathe
Imagine waking up every morning knowing that the air outside your window contains toxic chemicals linked to asthma, heart disease, and cancer. For the community of Eastmont, that is the reality MVP Boost would create. In response to the proposed MVP Boost project, which would expand the existing MVP mainline capacity and construct a new compressor station, Mountain Valley Watch, a program of POWHR, is launching air quality monitors in Elliston, VA.
The proposed MVP Boost project would expand the capacity of the existing MVP mainline and construct a new compressor station in Montgomery County. Community members in EastMont have long raised concerns about pollution, pipeline safety, and the cumulative impacts of fossil fuel infrastructure on rural Appalachian communities.
In filings related to MVP Boost, residents highlighted concerns about groundwater, air emissions, noise and vibration effects, climate impacts, and risks to public health. To learn more about the proposed MVP Boost project, visit our page.
Compressor stations notoriously spew hazardous air pollutants - MVP’s application to the Virginia DEQ, now halted, and updated emission calculations state that the proposed Swann Compressor Station would emit:
43.6 tons/year of Particulate Matter (PM)
44.37 tons/year of Particulate matter less than 10 micrometers (PM₁₀)
44.36 tons/year of Fine particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM₂.₅)
22.55 tons/year of Volatile organic compounds (VOC)
50.76 tons/year of Nitric oxide (NO)
47.2 tons/year of Carbon monoxide (CO)
15.21 tons/year of Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
2.6 tons/year of Formaldehyde (HCHO)
555,601 tons/year of total Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
Beyond daily emissions, pollution rates would increase significantly when regular blow downs occur and when diesel generators are used to back up electric service. These additional air pollutants from the proposed facility are compounded by a community already bearing significant, harmful cumulative exposure from Interstate 81, Highway 460, Norfolk Southern coal rail traffic, and agricultural sources.
These pollutants are linked to asthma, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, cancer, and shorter life expectancy - read more about the health impacts of compressor stations. Vulnerable populations, including children, older adults, and people with existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, face the greatest risks.
The proposed station would be located in a community where many residents are already vulnerable to environmental harm. The 2022 Virginia Tech study identified that 41% of residents within a mile of the proposed compressor station are vulnerable to environmental harm due to age. Of surveyed households, 43% include at least one resident with a chronic illness or disability, including 41% with a lung or heart condition, making them more susceptible to harm from pollution. This project has no local benefit, only harm to health and wellbeing - read more about the disproportionate health impacts from MVP Boost.
New River Geographics and a community member building an AirGradient air monitor.
Mountain Valley Watch hosted a community monitoring day at Meadowbrook Library in April for folks to learn more about monitoring efforts and to hear from community members around concerns about how increased industrial activity could affect public health, water resources, and quality of life in nearby communities. Community-based monitoring fills gaps in regulatory oversight while giving residents access to localized, real-time information about the quality of the air they breathe.
Mountain Valley Watch recently upgraded the air monitor at the residence closest to the proposed compressor station. This new monitor adds data on carbon dioxide (CO2 ), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), and nitrous oxide (NOx) - check out the monitor’s real-time data.
Support Local Monitoring
We are funding this project through grassroots fundraising efforts so we can keep the project community driven, stay flexible to the needs of those being impacted, and build a sustainable monitoring system that doesn’t depend on short-term grant funding. Thank you to everyone that has donated so far!
We are almost 80% of the way to our goal - A contribution of $125 buys one air monitor to make a meaningful difference and help us continue to protect our communities from harm. Please view our donation page and consider contributing to close the funding gap on this critical project.
Voice Concern to FERC
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released an Environmental Assessment (EA) Report Aug. 7th that assesses the impacts the MVP Boost project would have on soils, geology, water resources, vegetation, wildlife, cultural resources, land use, noise, and air quality.
In the EA, FERC concludes the project would not have significant effects on air quality. However, FERC's own modeling (Table B.9-3, pg. 56) admits Swann's pollution would exceed screening thresholds - used to flag whether a project needs closer analysis - for six of nine pollutants. For community members in Elliston, these air pollution impacts won’t feel insignificant as they affect their health and quality of life. Some have already determined that they will have to move to protect their health if this infrastructure is built.
FERC also deems it has no way to measure this project's climate change impact because the Commission has no methodology. Yet it still signs off, writing it is "not characterizing the Project's GHG emissions as significant or insignificant" (p. 60). In the midst of a climate crisis, the project would emit 80,119 tons of CO2e from construction alone and about 1.08 million tons per year of CO2e from operations.
The deadline for comments on the EA is September 8th at 5PM EST. We don't have much time to make our voices heard about this dangerous project. Join us August 27th from 7-8 PM to learn how you can share your concerns about MVP Boost, RVSP here.
Join thousands of petitioners telling the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to listen to Southwest Virginia residents and reject MVP Boost. Sign on to the petition, participate in the August 27 training and register your concerns to FERC by submitting a comment. We need everyone's voices to convince FERC we care about our community and want to protect health.
Voice Concern to the EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to revise the public participation regulatory requirements for sources subject to Clean Air Act (CAA) New Source Review (NSR) programs approved into State Implementation Plans (SIPs).
The EPA wants to get rid of the mandatory requirement for public comment periods for air pollution permits and leave it up to state discretion to decide whether communities are informed about many permitting decisions before they are approved. Eliminating mandatory public comments silences communities. Our voices matter - The EPA is accepting comments on this proposal until August 21st. Leave a comment expressing your concerns today, visit POWHR’s sharepack.
