Category Archives: Citizen Activism

Nelson County’s Comprehensive Planning Process

Did you know that Nelson County is currently working on a new comprehensive plan that will keep the county’s long term vision in focus into the year 2042?

The comprehensive plan is a ‘road map’ document used by local government and citizens that guides decisions in the county. Important topics such as development, land use, amenities, transportation, housing, and the economy are covered. The plan outlines strategies to achieve that vision. Though it does not carry the same weight as zoning regulations or laws, it does help guide decisions to ensure consistency with the community’s vision. The Implementation Chapter in the Comp Plan states the following: “The Board of Supervisors and staff should consider the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan when preparing the annual budget. The budget works in conjunction with the Comprehensive Plan to move the County towards a thriving and productive future. Communities can strengthen the link between the annual budget and Comprehensive Plan by documenting how the budget and proposed capital projects align with the Plan.”

Nelson county’s new plan is currently in the development and review phase. Once accepted by officials, the plan is a legal statement of community policy in regard to future development. The summer of 2023 offers opportunities for draft review and final revisions prior to public hearings and adoption in the fall.



Draft documents can be found and reviewed here (https://www.nelson2042.com/document-library ). Comments can be submitted at the same webpage, or directly to your county supervisor.

Friends of Nelson is dedicated to a future that preserves our natural heritage, protects property rights and values, and promotes a healthy, prosperous future for all citizens in Nelson County, VA.

Stop FERC From Rushing Twelve Gas Project Certificates Through!

For decades FERC has held meetings on the 3rd Thursday of every month, but FERC Chair James Danly has moved the FERC meeting to Tuesday January 19th. This move of the meeting was likely made in order for James Danly to push through Trump’s energy agenda, before Danly is removed from his position by incoming President Biden.

Danly’s last stand is marked by an agenda that includes approval of certificates for a dozen gas pipelines and gas export terminals around the country.

This includes: New Fortress Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission, Rio Grande LNG, Algonquin Gas Transmission, Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline, Iroquois Gas Transmission, Penn East Pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline, Golden Pass LNG, Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, Jordan Cove Energy and Spire STL Pipeline.
According to an article by Arianna Skibell in Energy Wire on Friday, ‘the agenda also features a proposal to expand a contested capacity market rule, which opponents say harms renewable resources, to New York state.’ This is a transparent attempt to advance the regressive pro-fossil fuel agenda of the Trump administration. Help stop Danly from pushing through these last minute approvals! Call the FERC commissioners and demand they oppose this rushed effort by Chair Danly to do the bidding of twice-impeached President Donald Trump. We demand that the FERC meeting be rescheduled and that Commissioners take a stand against fossil fuel expansion.

Chair James Danly: (202)-502-8338
Commissioner Neil Chatterjee: 202-502-6477
Commissioner Richard Glick: 202-502-6530
Commissioner Allison Clements: 202-502-6300
Commissioner Mark Christie: 202-502-8110

E-mail: james.danly@ferc.gov

neil.chatterjee@ferc.gov
allison.clements@ferc.gov
mark.christie@ferc.gov

“Request a Meeting With Danly”
https://ferc.gov/about/commission-members/chairman-danly/meeting-and-speaking-requests
Twitter:
@RichGlickFERC
@FERC
@FERChatterjee
@ClementsFERC

 

from Beyond Extreme Energy 

Banks invested in the MVP and what you can do

According to a recent Oil Change International article, the following banks are invested in the MVPJP . Morgan Chase, Bank of America, TD Bank, PNC, Union Bank, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and U.S. Bank.

If you have accounts with any of these banks please consider contacting them and urging them to divest from the MVP, which is already way over budget and far behind schedule. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if the MVP money dried up, and the MVP canceled the project!

A draft letter is below. Please feel free to copy, past, and edit it as you see fit. I think that a snail mail letter is most effective, but an e-mail may help as well. You may also want to send a copy to the manager of your local branch.

Some contact information for these banks follows:

JP Morgan Chase
270 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Attn: James Dimon, CEO

Bank of America
100 Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28255
Attn: Brian T. Moynihan, Chairman and CEO

or e-mail Holly O’Neill, client care
hollyoneill.client care@bofa.com

TD Bank
1701 Marlton Pike East, 200
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Attn: Gregory T. Braca, CEO

or Same address Attn: Michelle Hickey, Head of Chairman’s Service Center

or Michelle.Hickey@td.com

PNC
The PNC Financial Services Group
One PNC Plaza
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Attn: William S. Demchak, CEO

or bill.demchak@pnc.com

Union Bank
1980 Saturn Street
Monterey Park, CA 91755
Attn: Steve Cummings, CEO

Wells Fargo
420 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
Attn: Charles W. Scharf, CEO

or Wells Fargo and Company
P.O. Box 63750
San Francisco, CA 94163
Attn: Board of Directors

or boardcommunications@wellsfargo.com

Citigroup
388 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013
Attn: Michael Corbat, CEO

U.S. Bank
800 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402-7014
Attn: Jennifer Thompson, CFA

or jen.thompson@usbank.com


Dear (name of person)

I have an account with (name of bank) in (your location). I have been pleased with the services that I have received from (name of bank) and with the assistance I have received from (name of bank) staff.

Nevertheless, I am very disturbed to recently learn that (name of bank) is invested in the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which remains under construction, and faces numerous regulatory and legal challenges.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline is an unjust fossil fuel project that is threatening thousands of rural property owners on, and along the proposed route. They are having their land forcibly taken from them by eminent domain for private gain, or compelled to sign a legal agreement to use their land for the pipeline. Their property values have plummeted. What was the biggest investment of their lives is now becoming the biggest loss of their lives, through no fault of their own.

Their personal safety, and the safety of their families will be placed at risk due to the extreme explosive potential of this dangerous pipeline. Their drinking water wells and springs will be seriously threatened by pollution from the pipeline. Their property will be forever defaced.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline is also planning to bring thousands of pipeline workers into small rural communities during our Covid-19 national health emergency. This act of incredible selfishness could easily cause a superspreader event that could sicken and kill local residents, many of whom are elderly and low income, with few health services available.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline will contribute heavily to climate change, and lock in greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come, while it is very likely that most of the gas will be exported, instead of being used by United States consumers.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline is also way over budget, and way behind schedule, with ever increasing expenses continuing to mount up, while it continually fumbles its responsibility to obtain needed permits, and follow the law.

Their is nothing right about the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

I don’t want my hard earned money going to a project that is morally corrupt and financially precarious.

Please divest (name of bank) from the Mountain Valley Pipeline. I you do not do so I will look to divest from (name of bank).

Not Just Another Pipeline – The expansion of Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline is a breathtaking betrayal of Minnesota’s Indigenous communities – and the environment.

From The New York Times. Minnesota Gov. signed off on final water permits for Enbridge to complete an expansion of its Line 3 Pipeline. December 28, 2020

The new section of pipeline will allow the pumping of oil sands and other forms of crude oil from Alberta to Wisconsin. It will cut through Indigenous treaty lands along the way. Despite pending lawsuits, construction has already started.


This is not just another pipeline, but a potential ‘climate bomb’ as it will facilitate the production of one of the most carbon-intensive fuels on the planate for decades to come. An environmental impact assessment of the project found the potential impact of the pipeline’s carbon output to be 193 million tons per year, the equivalent of 50 coal-fired plants or 38 million vehicles on the road.


In addition to this massive carbon cost, the destructive mining of the tar sands will affect the environment of Alberta’s boreal forests permanently. And if the pipelines leak, the sludgy mixture is almost impossible to clean up. The pipelines route will run through two watersheds draining directly into Lake Superior. The Great Lakes contain 84 percent of North America’s available freshwater and the pipeline is an existential threat to our water supply.


Young people are chaining themselves beneath pipeline trucks, clamping themselves to bulldozers, facing down semi trucks. It is unbearable. They know exactly what is at stake.

New FERC Office

The new omnibus spending bill that Congress has just approved (and which the President may or may not sign) includes among its 5,000+ pages language establishing an Office of Public Participation at FERC. 

The package would also direct FERC to establish an Office of Public Participation, marking a major win for consumer advocates who have long pushed for a greater say in the commission’s oversight of electricity markets and major natural gas infrastructure projects.


“For too long, public interest organizations have lacked the resources to meaningfully participate in important FERC proceedings,” Tyson Slocum, energy program director at watchdog group Public Citizen, said in a statement.

“Providing intervenor compensation to consumer groups, environmental justice organizations and other members of the public interest will revolutionize public interest representation and democratize policy making at FERC.”


Slocum called the requirement to set up the office the biggest development at FERC in 20 years.


If Trump signs the package into law, FERC will have 180 days to inform Congress about how it will design, fund and operate the office.


The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 authorized FERC to create such an office — and authorized more than $7 million over four years — but it was never created, and Congress never set aside more funding.