Dominion purchases land for natural gas compressor station site in Buckingham

Dominion Transmission Inc., the lead partner in Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, said it purchased the 65-acre property on Monday for $2.5 million from Variety Shade Landowners of Virginia.

The site of the proposed compressor station — which would be driven by four natural gas-fired turbines at 40,645 horsepower — lies along the north side of state Route 56 between Route 660, also known as Shelton Store Road, and Route 663, also called Union Hill Road.

Opponents of the pipeline project have speculated that property in that vicinity would be proposed for the station in order to connect with a current natural gas pipeline operated by Williams Transco. Officials for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline have said they intend to connect with the Transco line to take gas from it and ship gas on it.

“Compressor stations typically need about 10-15 acres for its facilities,” said Dominion spokesman Jim Norvelle. “The remaining acreage would be left intact as a visual and noise buffer.”

Dominion purchased about 148 acres farther south in Buckingham “as an alternate site, had this primary location not been available,” said Norvelle, who added that the company “has not determined what it will do with the alternate site.”

The proposed $5 billion pipeline would cut through Buckingham on a 550-mile route from the shale fields of the Marcellus Basin in West Virginia to electric power plants and natural gas customers in southeast Virginia and North Carolina.

The proposed route would cross the James River from Nelson County while avoiding the pending Norwood-Wingina Rural Historic District. The pipeline instead would swing northeast to within a half-mile of the property line of Yogaville, a spiritual community and retreat that lies about 5 miles from the proposed compressor station site.

Yogaville officials are strongly opposed to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which they say would harm the community’s ability to operate effectively as a spiritual retreat during construction. They also decry the potential environmental and health hazards caused by the planned compressor station.

“The proposed location of Dominion’s compressor station is an affront to all of us here at Yogaville, and we will not rest until the project is stopped,” said Swami Dayananda, director of Yogaville Environmental Solutions.

“That this pipeline company would be motivated to permanently alter a beautiful rural and residential area, that includes not just Yogaville but two Baptist churches, should be offensive to anyone who cares about public health, and the freedom to enjoy our natural resources in peace,” Dayananda said in statement. “The bottom line is Dominion’s proposal is unacceptable.”

Dominion said it will be required to comply with federal and state environmental laws, including the regulation of noise and air emissions from the compressor turbines.

But opponents say the compressor station would emit toxic pollutants associated with respiratory and other health effects.

“This is especially of concern, since Dominion has not yet indicated that they will do baseline air quality studies to assess the current air quality in Buckingham,” said Heather Nolen, co-chair of Friends of Buckingham. “This would need to be completed before construction.”

Nolen said the community expects answers to its questions before the Atlantic Coast Pipeline files its formal application next month with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“We are yet waiting for the specifications for this compressor station, which Dominion has not provided to Buckingham citizens in spite of their expected application to FERC in September,” she said.