Allegations of Fraud Made by Leyzorek

Statement of John Leyzorek to Pocahontas County Commission Meeting 14 3 16 in re Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Thank you, Commissioners, for accepting my comment in this form.

You formerly gave your support for this proposed project on its originally proposed route through National Forest North of Durbin, in the form of a letter to the FERC.

The National Forest decided the project was too destructive of their land to permit it to pass, so ACP proposed a new route which transfers the destruction a few miles South, mostly to private land.

As all are aware, this has created a small storm of objections, from many directions..

 At your last meeting, you three appropriately responded by orally expressing opposition to the new route, 

HOWEVER  none of you would make a formal motion to express your opposition in the concrete and effective form of a new letter to Dominion and/or FERC.Before renewing that request I would like to add two thoughts to the discussion.

I went to the informational meeting at Snowshoe put on by Dominion last week, and looking at the map of the entire proposed route, I noticed that the route basically runs South-east from its origin in Lewis or Harrison County, crossing here and in our neighboring counties some of the most rugged terrain in the Eastern US, meeting an existing pipeline near Northhampton which goes to the port of Newport News, before turning South in Eastern Virginia toward  its terminus in Robeson County.

So, the route looks like an upside-down letter "L".  Now if that "L" were to be turned right side up, making its Southward travel first before turning East, the total distance would be the same, but the terrain traversed would be hugely easier, less dangerous and expensive to cross.

So one may ask, why the more difficult, dangerous, and expensive route?

 The obvious answer is, that the real destination of this pipe is its connection with the existing pipe to Newport News, from which the gas can be exported to a more profitable market

There is already a liquefaction plant nearby. and, as I have said before, it will be the legal obligation of the pipeline operator to its stockholders to export the gas if it is more profitable to do so, regardless of any existing supposed contracts which Dominion had drummed up to deceive FERC that this is a project with value to the American public.

So, that is my first point, the proposed route as well as the realities of law and markets all tell us that this project is a fraud on the public.

My second point is that the Forest Service refused to allow it to cross their land, fearing its destructiveness......and their voice was listened to.

.If some new future route crosses my land, or yours, and we are similarly concerned, will our voice be as loud in Dominion's or FERC's ears as the Monongahela national Forest's was?  Alas, probably not.

Furthermore, I hear the proposed route has already changed again, to avoid the entrance to the Snowshoe Resort.  Some folks will breathe a sigh of relief, to others the nightmare is now knocking on their door. 

I do not believe this high-frequency dance is an accident, but a stratagem by Dominion to create a moving target, to confuse and exhaust us.  There is no doubt that wherever is might be built, it would permanently compromise and disfigure the land, forever foreclosing numerous productive, delightful, and sustainable uses.

 So, we citizens and private landowners must look to you, our County Commission, to be our loud voice for the protection of our land, and must ask you not only to oppose one particular newish not so Northerly route , but to re-think your original position, and absolutely oppose ANY route through ANY of Pocahontas County.Thank you