The Atlantic Coast pipeline is dead
On Sunday, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy announced the cancelation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), citing ‘ongoing delays and increasing cost uncertainty which threaten the economic viability of the project.’ The pipeline would have transported fracked gas from West Virginia, Virginia and the Carolinas and was recently the focus of a Supreme Court decision giving the National Forest Service authority to issue a special use permit allowing the pipeline to cross the Appalachian Trail.
“Just one day after July 4, America is stunningly closer to true energy independence with the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline,” said Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The fossil fuel era is rapidly drawing to a close in Virginia and nationwide thanks to the ferocious six-year opposition to the destructive pipeline. That opposition was waged by environmentalists, farmers, justice groups and common residents across the region.”
First proposed in 2014, the 600-mile pipeline was widely opposed for its environmental impacts and the huge estimated cost of $8 billion to complete the project.
“The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was never needed, and the facts have never been more clear: fracked gas has no role in our energy future,” said Tom Cormons, Appalachian Voices Executive Director, in a statement. “From Robeson County, N.C., to Harrison County W.Va., in statehouses and courthouses, communities have stood shoulder to shoulder to protect their land, their water and their communities. Today’s announcement marks a historic victory for environmental justice.
“The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was a climate catastrophe and economic boondoggle from the start. The smart investment today is in the people of Central and Southern Appalachia. Not in the resources that might be extracted and exported, but in projects that generate local wealth, healthy communities and clean, sustainable energy. We are hopeful that this momentous victory is merely a tipping point as our society pivots towards a clean energy economy that works for all people.”
Police chase on Blue Ridge Parkway leaves one dead
One person is dead after an accident on the Blue Ridge Parkway that happened just after 6 a.m. on July 5, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The incident occurred after a deputy observed a vehicle “swerving into the oncoming traffic lane,” and attempted to initiate a vehicle stop. The driver sped away from the deputy, “resulting in the suspect’s fatality from injuries of vehicle accident,” the release said.
The name of the deceased has not been released while officials contact the next of kin. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the NC State Highway Patrol are investigating the incident.
Woman falls into Grand Canyon while taking photos
An Arizona woman is dead after plunging 100 feet into the Grand Canyon while taking photos on Friday, park officials said. Maria Salgado Lopez, 59, was with her family on the South Rim of the canyon when she accidentally stepped off the edge while taking photos. During the time of the accident, the woman was hiking off the designated path.
Salgado Lopez is the second person to die at the canyon in recent weeks. On June 24, a 49-year-old woman from California died of heat exposure while hiking the South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch.
