Coalition to Protect Prince William County
PO Box 382
Haymarket, VA 20168
www.protectpwc.org
PRESS RELEASE
For more Information contact:
Elena Schlossberg
Executive Director, Coalition to Protect Prince William County
admin@protectpwc.org
COALITION SAYS LATEST DOMINION INFORMATION DOUBLES RESIDENTS AT RISK
Executive director urges officeholders and citizens on all routes, “Stay vigilant. Stay informed. Stay engaged.”
Haymarket, Virginia (June 29, 2015) – The Coalition to Protect Prince William County recently learned that Dominion Virginia Power removed three routes from consideration for the Haymarket Project – the New Road (two alternatives), Northern, and Western routes (two alternatives). Dominion will hold a meeting from 5-8PM, July 15, at Battlefield High School, to discuss their five proposed routes: I-66 “Hybrid” and Overhead; Railroad; and the new Madison and Carver Road routes through Gainesville neighborhoods.
Coalition executive director Elena Schlossberg noted, “Dominion has been busy. After last November’s reset, five alternatives were in play. Including the Railroad option; and two more lines spinning off that in the Madison and Carver Road alternatives; and the new revelation of two versions of the New Road and Western alternatives – that’s ten total alternatives on the map. Twice the lines – and nearly twice the number of residents at risk.”
Schlossberg cited three specific groups who should be keenly aware of what is happening. “First,” she said, “to those finding themselves newly – or once again – on Dominion’s active consideration list, I reaffirm the Coalition’s commitment to fight for you. We are one Coalition, and one community – not on my property, not on my neighbor’s property. We will continue to advocate I-66 and buried as the only acceptable route, if the need for a transmission line can be proven at all.”
“Second,” Schlossberg continued, “anyone on the New Road, Northern, and Western routes must understand they are not safe. As Dominion has said repeatedly, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), requires an exhaustive routing study looking at all electrically viable solutions and route alignments. Ultimately, the SCC makes the final route determination, and every route Dominion studied remains available for SCC consideration. As our friends along the Haymarket Projects’ Railroad route have learned – or neighbors in Fauquier County near the Option A 2/3 portion of the Warrenton-Wheeler Project put into consideration by the SCC after Dominion dropped it – nothing is final until the SCC decides.”
“Third,” Schlossberg added, “to our public sector stakeholders – including those on the county Board of Supervisors and in the Virginia General Assembly – thank you for your support thus far. Supervisor Pete Candland graciously acknowledged the Coalition in his June 24 comments. Pete is right that, ‘There is considerable work that remains to be done.’ Short-term, more county residents have been placed at risk, and your continued support, visible influence, and exercise of the power of your offices will be critical as we fight for I-66 and buried. Long-term, you each must recognize county-level zoning and development policies coupled with local and regional demand for power leave county residents vulnerable to future battles just like today’s. It’s not enough to be merely forward-thinking – our leaders must be forward-acting.”
Schlossberg concluded “The Coalition, and all of us, knew from the start this would be a marathon. None of the residents in our communities created this problem – but clearly the community-at-large is having an impact on this process. We all must continue to work together to ensure the best possible outcome – for everyone.”
# # #
