Atlantic Coast Pipeline stands still for now
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals halted Dominion Energy Inc.’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline project on the grounds that it may impact vulnerable species, according to NASDAQ.
The project’s trouble started earlier this year when a trio of environmental groups filed a petition with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to halt the pipeline due to a violation of the Endangered Species Act. The groups claimed a federal appeals court refused a required permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but allowed construction to proceed. The groups alleged that the pipeline’s developer did not have a valid Incidental Take Statement because no specific limits on the damage that can be done to endangered species during construction and operation of the pipeline were set.
Construction was first shut down in August but resumed in October. The latest suspension will set the project back even further.
Learn more: NASDAQ > Dominion’s (D) Atlantic Coast Pipeline Faces Another Setback
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.