Richmond, VA -- This weekend, Virginia State Delegate Carroll Foy submitted a letter to the SCC [2] and Governor Northam requesting they deny all permits for the Header Improvement Project, a Virginia Natural Gas dirty fuel pipeline and compressor stations endeavor that would be planted near Carroll Foy’s district. In doing so, she becomes the 13th state legislator to call for denial of permits to the project. Carroll Foy cites concerns that declining fracked gas consumption in Virginia renders the project unnecessary, and that the project poses severe health threats to the Environmental Justice communities it cuts through. 

Carroll Foy particularly highlights the recklessness of pursuing this project in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, when state resources are already stretched thin handling a public health crisis. Today was the last day for public comments to the SCC on the proposed project.

In response, Food & Water Action Virginia organizer Jolene Mafnas is issuing the following statement: 

“Delegate Carroll Foy’s criticisms of the Header Improvement Project ought to send a clear message to the State Corporation Commission: this fracked gas endeavor is not in the best interests of Virginians, and would actively harm the communities where it would be built. 

“As Carroll Foy points out, the project would cost Virginia taxpayers over 20 million dollars, a hefty fee when one considers Virginia’s energy needs are declining and don’t even warrant this fracked gas buildout in the first place. Carroll Foy also points out that minority majority and low-income communities would bear the brunt of the damages from this project, as they would be in close proximity to the Gidley Compressor Station VNG plans to build. This is a further blow to their public health and an instance of an environmental justice violation. 

“We urge other state legislators to join in publicly opposing this project. As of now, Senator Jennifer McClellan, whose district would also be impacted by the project, has only called for more time to review the project, but not for officials to deny its permit. She has been supportive of the C4GT fracked gas plant [3] in the past, which would connect to the Header project. We must make clear to Governor Northam and the SCC that they must stop this unnecessary, unjust piece of infrastructure from moving forward.”