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Opponents respond as Mountain Valley Pipeline segment ruptures during test
A picture of a ruptured section of the Mountain Valley Pipeline circulating on social media this week ignited a fury of opposition from those who have protested the project for years. The damaged pipeline, which the photo showed being hauled down a roadway, was the end result of hydrotesting on a section of the mainline pipe on May 1 near Route 221 on Brent Mountain. The incident came as the pipeline’s developers asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an in-service date of June 1, a decision protesters continue to oppose.
Federal, State Agencies Quiet About Mountain Valley Pipeline Failure
The state and federal regulatory agencies that oversee the Mountain Valley Pipeline have said little about a rupture last week during a pressure test. Groups that oppose the Mountain Valley Pipeline say last week’s failure in Roanoke County, Virginia, shows the risks the project poses to communities and property. Because it is undergoing testing now, Wednesday’s rupture only released water. But the pipeline’s builder, Equitrans Midstream, has asked federal regulators for permission to begin operations at the end of this month.
Dominion: Nuclear plant upgrades on budget and schedule
Dominion Energy‘s push to extend the life of its two half-century old nuclear power stations is on target with its $1.2 billion phase 1 budget and schedule, although one critical step, replacing the giant heat exchangers around each reactor, has been more complicated than first thought. The aim is to extend the life of its Surry and North Anna power stations, in Surry County and Louisa counties respectively, for another three decades.
New study documents location of discriminatory deed covenants in Arlington and N. Va.
New research shows that thousands of Arlington deeds from the early-to-mid 20th century included language that barred people of certain races, nationalities, or religions from buying property. Researchers contend that these practices, known as restrictive covenants, play a major role in the segregation of neighborhoods throughout the county and across Northern Virginia, the effects of which are still evident today.
Labor protections worth delay of Arlington Career Center construction, unions and lawmakers say
Arlington unions and state representatives are doubling down on calls for more labor protections in the construction of the new Arlington Career Center. A $132 million construction contract is up for consideration at an Arlington School Board meeting on Thursday. At least a year of delays would likely result if the School Board seeks a prevailing wage agreement for the project, guaranteeing that workers get paid wages comparable to market rates, Arlington Public Schools staff said at a meeting last month.
Dominion Announces Plans for South Loudoun Power Line Project
Dominion Energy is moving forward with another transmission line project that would begin in Fauquier County and cut through Prince William and connect with Loudoun’s Wishing Star substation west of Dulles Airport. The 500 kV, 26-mile-long project was approved by PJM Interconnection, the regional power coordinator, to meet the growing demand for power in the region. During a virtual community meeting about the project April 30, Dominion representative Rob Richardson said the company would like to file its plans with the State Corporation Commission this summer.
Virginia eviction filings surpass pre-pandemic highs
Eviction filings continue to climb, according to an analysis from researchers with Virginia Commonwealth University. The report, which analyzed eviction cases from the last quarter of 2023, identified nearly 42,000 eviction filings across the state of Virginia — a 15.6% increase from the prior quarter. Eviction filings now stand at 125% of pre-pandemic levels, according to VCU’s RVA Eviction Lab. The lab studies publicly available data and issues quarterly reports on housing instability. ... Eviction filings do not translate directly to executed evictions.
Russell County votes to close 2 schools to afford raises for teachers
Russell County School Board members said they voted Tuesday night to close two small elementary schools because they felt it came down to a difficult choice between keeping the buildings open or giving teachers much-needed raises. The school system’s teacher salaries are the lowest in this region and at or near the bottom across the state. Over two years, the system has lost 51 teachers to other school systems that pay more, according to Superintendent Kimberly Hooker. As a cost-savings move, she recommended the closings of Swords Creek and Copper Creek elementary schools after this school year.
UVa president: ’Necessary to rely on assistance from the Virginia State Police’ to clear encampment
The organizers of an encampment in support of Palestine at the University of Virginia knew that pitching tents could trigger action against their protest. University officials made that clear when they first gathered Tuesday afternoon. What they and the faculty members who were helping them communicate with police and administrators did not anticipate was the force with which that action would come. Instead of citations and facilities management taking down the tents, they were met with a multi-agency, coordinated police action with officers wearing riot gear and military-grade equipment.
Yancey: Salem is losing population. Here’s how demography drives the proposed HopeTree development
Today we tell a tale of two cities. Charles Dickens told his through London and Paris. I shall tell this one through Salem and Roanoke, although the issues involved here are universal so you don’t need to live in either of those places to find some relevance to the issues they’re dealing with. The Salem City Council faces an upcoming decision: whether to allow mixed-use development of part of the HopeTree Family Services property, often known as the Virginia Baptist Home. It would be the largest residential development in the city’s history. This is broadly similar to a decision that the Roanoke City Council recently made — in that case, on whether to allow development of the Evans Spring property, the largest undeveloped piece of land in the city.