State to hold hearings on natural gas pipeline
State officials will hold two public hearings in early September, one of them in Kernersville, to receive public comments on possible effects on water quality from a proposed natural gas pipeline project crossing through the Kernersville area.
The proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC, or Transco, would be an expansion of an existing gas transmission pipeline. In North Carolina, the project proposes construction of approximately 24.1 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline in Guilford, Forsyth and Davidson counties, known as the Salem loop; construction of approximately 4.4 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline in Rockingham County, which is known as the Eden loop; and modifications to existing infrastructure in Davidson, Cleveland, Iredell, Lincoln and Gaston counties.
The proposed pipeline project would temporarily affect 8,100 linear feet (1.5 miles) of streams and 11.2 acres of wetlands related to the construction.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources’ first public hearing will be on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 6 p.m. at the Rockingham Community College Advanced Technologies Building Auditorium, 560 County Home Road, Wentworth. Speaker registration opens at 5:30 p.m. onsite via a sign-in sheet.
The second public hearing will be Thursday, Sept. 4, at 6 p.m. at the Kernersville Municipal Council Chambers, 134 E. Mountain St. Speaker registration opens at 5:30 p.m. onsite via a sign-in sheet.
Two large stream crossings and one open water crossing are proposed to be installed underneath surface waters using the horizontal directional drill or conventional bore methods.
In all locations, Transco is proposing that once construction is complete, the ground surface, streams and wetlands would be restored as near as practical to their pre-construction condition.
For a project to be issued a certification, it must meet the following criteria:
The project minimizes adverse impacts to surface waters and wetlands based on consideration of existing topography, vegetation, fish and wildlife resources, and hydrological conditions.
The project does not result in the degradation of groundwaters or surface waters.
The project does not result in secondary or indirect impacts that cause or will cause a violation of downstream water quality standards.
The project provides for replacement of permanent impacts through mitigation.
The riparian buffer authorizations are required since the proposed project would impact streams located in the Jordan Lake and Randleman Lake watersheds.
In addition to speaking at the public hearing, the public can also submit comments by mail to Samantha Wooten, 401 Permitting, 1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC, 27699-1617. Public comments may also be submitted by leaving a voicemail at 919-707-8495. Written comments must be received by DWR no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 6.