Transco to Charleston

Dominion’s 55-mile Transco to Charleston pipeline will cross through sensitive habitat in the Upstate from Moore to Chappells. When completed, the project will permanently impact 255 acres of land, including agricultural, forest and residential land, and will cross bodies of water 73 times, including the South Tyger, Enoree and Saluda Rivers and many of their tributaries. Also potentially impacted are three drinking water providers – the Woodruff Roebuck Water District, the City of Clinton, and the City of Newberry. The project also calls for a permanent 50-foot right of way easement along the length of the pipeline, causing habitat fragmentation and reducing shade to streams at crossings. Read our oped about property rights and eminent domain.

Upstate Forever disputed the need for this pipeline (in light of the construction on the VC Summer nuclear plants in the midlands) as well as the route choice. Together with SCELP, we filed a motion to intervene, and continued to oppose the project.  However, in April of 2017, when it became clear that the VC Summer Summer Nuclear Units 2 and 3 would not be built, we decided not to continue with our appeal. Upstate Forever is now turning its attention to regulatory reform in our state's energy policies. Read more about the VC Summer failure and why SC needs a shift in its energy paradigm.
 

Timeline

2013

• Summer – Dominion solicits interest for natural gas transportation from Williams Transcontinental facilities in SC

2014

• SCE&G agrees to be the anchor shipper on the greenfield pipeline (new route in previously undeveloped territory) estimated to cost over $119M.

2016

• March 25 – Dominion’s application for a FERC Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity is noticed in the Federal Register and the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

• April 11 – The SC Environmental Law Project (SCELP) files a Motion to Intervene on behalf of Upstate Forever.

• June 7 – SCELP files comments to FERC questioning the need for the project in light of SCE&G’s V.C. Summer nuclear reactor project, stating that a full Environmental Impact Statement is warranted, and requesting details substantiating need through the Freedom of Information Act. Read SCELP's comments (PDF)

• October 19 – Environmental Assessment (PDF) (rather than a full EIS) released with a 30-day comment deadline.

• November 18– SCELP files comments on behalf of UF expressing continued concerns with the need for the project, with the issuance of a less stringent Environmental Assessment versus a full EIS, and challenging FERC’s Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). Read the comments (PDF)

2017

• January 24 – Laurens County Council issues a resolution opposing the use of eminent domain for construction of the pipeline in Laurens County.

• February 2 – FERC issues Dominion a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, authorizing the company to utilize eminent domain to acquire pipeline right-of-way. This certificate is issued the day before FERC loses a quorum of commissioners and without the necessary DHEC Section 401 water quality certification. Read our appeal of the FERC Certificate (PDF)

• March 29 – Westinghouse, the contractor for the V.C. Summer nuclear project, announces it has filed for bankruptcy protection, jeopardizing the completion of the Summer reactor units 2 and 3.

• April 11 – DHEC issues its Notice of Department Decision recommending approval of the Section 401 Water Quality Certification, the last significant approval needed for the project to move forward.

• April 26 – Upstate Forever and SCELP announce that they will not appeal DHEC’s decision in light of the Westinghouse bankruptcy and the likelihood it will force the abandonment of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Units 2 and 3 by SCE&G.

For more information, contact Megan Chase-Muller, State Policy Director, at mchase@upstateforever.org.

Photo: Scott T. Hipp