BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE
PO Box 88 ~ Glendale Springs, North Carolina 28629 ~ Phone (336) 982-2691 ~ Fax (336) 982-2954 ~ Email: BREDL@skybest.com

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
December 14, 2018

Contact:
Louis Zeller 336-982-2691

League Takes Governor Northam to Task Over Compressor Station Vote
Statewide Radio Ad Campaign Launched

Today the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League announced a statewide radio ad campaign targeting Governor Ralph Northam’s interference in the air permitting decision on the proposed natural gas compressor station slated for Buckingham County.

The 30-second spot is being aired on WRVA-AM News Radio, Virginia’s most powerful AM radio station. The ad asks the Governor to explain his sudden dismissal of two members of the State Air Pollution Control Board who questioned the site suitability of the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline compressor station in Buckingham’s Union Hill community. The roots of this site date back to the 1860’s when freedmen established this largely African-American farming community after the Civil War.

The voice of the ad is that of BREDL’s Executive Director, Lou Zeller. Asked to explain the message, Zeller said, “Governor Northam cannot disguise the intent of his action. He is serving his powerful friends at Dominion Energy. And it’s a stick-in-the-eye to the people of Virginia who elected him.”

The ad states:

For four years landowners, concerned citizens and grassroots groups have followed the rules in an effort to inform the public and state officials about the risks and dangers of natural gas pipelines and compressor stations.

Now, Governor Ralph Northam has fired two members of the State Air Pollution Control Board midstream in their decision-making.

The Governor has abused his power, corrupted the process and broken the public trust. Call the Governor today and ask him “why?”

The ads are set to run until the next meeting of the State Air Pollution Control Board on December 19. Reflecting on the expected vote, Zeller said, “We hope the board will still reject the permit. It simply does not meet minimum standards.”

WRVA’s base of operations is near the Virginia State Capitol. WRVA-AM broadcasts 24 hours per day on clear-channel frequency of 1140 kHz, with a 50,000 watt signal designed to reach rural areas. At night when radio signals travel farther, WRVA can be heard throughout the Eastern and Central U.S.

The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League was founded in 1984 by people in Virginia and North Carolina concerned about a national nuclear waste dump in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The public education campaign launched by the League and others helped to create regional resistance. The US Department of Energy abandoned the plan in 1988.

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The 30-second ad can also be heard on the BREDL website at the following URL: http://www.bredl.org/audio/BREDL_DEC6-2018.mp3