Pipeline

[John M. Brooke]

 Dominion Resources announced plans for a new pipeline to transport shale gas produced from the Marcellus/Utica formations. The $2 billion Dominion Southeast Reliability Project would build a 42-inch, 450-mile pipeline from West Virginia to North Carolina, passing through Virginia between Highland and Brunswick counties (with a connection to Hampton Roads). This pipeline is planned to go through, or be in close proximity to, the McDowell Battlefield and within sight of Fort Edward Johnson on Shenandoah Mountain. This pipeline could be a direct threat to the preservation of one of the most pristine and intact Battlefields in Virginia. Large right-of-ways and erosion would be a problem. The published route of this pipeline is so close to the battlefield it basically bisects it. The route follows the southern boundary of the CWPT land it currently owns and would run through the "target property" they hope to acquire. I contacted the CWPT to see if they knew anything about the proposed route of this pipeline. The response was "we will definitely look into this". After three months (and a lot of pipeline publicity) nothing on their web sight gives any indication that they are fighting this pipeline. When Wal-Mart threatened to build next to the Wilderness Battlefield it made major headlines with the CWPT. When Disney made plans for a theme park near Manassas Battlefield they fought it. I guess oil and gas companies are exempt from battlefield preservation!

 



The trench lines of Fort Edward Johnson




The site of the artillery fortifications


The southern end of the battlefield where the proposed pipeline would be built
 

A sinkhole close to the main battlefield, the karst geological features of the area would be another concern if a pipeline were built
 

[CarlS]

Definitely sad to hear.  Might be one thing if they put a 6 foot swath through the area and didn't cross any trench lines.  But we know they'll have big equipment in there and likely clear a 100 yard wide path and keep it cleared as they do with power lines.  Woodlands will not be allowed to grow back so they don't get in the way of maintenance or have roots damage the pipe.

[Jine]

John,

That pipeline would run about three miles to the south of me and its construction be visible from my deck, residing on Afton Mountain. I'm not the NIMBY type, and my emotions are mixed on the subject. Much of the opposition to the pipeline comes from the pro-snail darter and anti-free market crowd, including some of my avowed socialist neighbors.

Having said that, the pipeline will no doubt wreck the lives of many salt-of-the-earth folks and their ancestral land. I haven't seen a map that defines the proposed route really well, but to read that it could impact McDowell puts it into a new and disturbing light. I'm afraid "Big Oil" will win this fight, and look at how many major and minor battlefields have either been destroyed or bisected by the interstate system. Nothing stands in the way of "progress", I think they call it.

[CarlS]

Here is an article on the pipeline. 

    http://www.therecorderonline.com/news/2014-05-22/Top_News/Proposed_pipeline_would_run_through_Highland.html

It has a good map showing the route through Virginia and down into NC.  Click on the map in the article to open it and then in the lower right corner you can click to enlarge it for detail.  Quite a project.  An interesting thing to note on the map is the existing pipelines which are quite abundant.

[John M. Brooke]

Jine,

 I agree that a pipeline would not be the end of the world. However, a pipeline of this size and impact on the surrounding land would be bad news for this battlefield. As I'm sure you know most battles in the 1862 Valley Campaign were small in comparison to the main Battles involving the whole army. The Battle of McDowell  is a fairly small one, with only about 6,000 men engaged on both sides. The amount of land that comprises the Battlefield is also small in size and it would not take much to really have an impact. I think the Civil War Preservation Trust does a lot of good, not trying to bad mouth this organization by any means. It just seems they are not willing to take on "big oil" and that it is a foregone conclusion that this pipeline will happen no matter what. Not to mention that some folks think this pipeline could be the beginning of fracking in this part of Virginia. I'm sure you remember the debate about allowing fracking in the George Washington National Forrest. Which would put at risk the drinking water supply for the whole area as well as Washington D.C., the headwaters of the Potomac start in Highland County. I hope people will have the common sense to preserve this Battlefield because if you haven't had the chance to stand on top of Sitlington Hill and look out over the valley below it is a view worth saving.