The Honorable Governor Ralph Northam

1111 East Broad Street

Richmond, VA 23219



Governor Northam:

In February 2017, you wrote to the DEQ that MVP and ACP “should be held to the highest environmental standards” and “must undergo a thorough evaluation of their impacts on our natural resources.” Now is the time for you to prove that you meant those words. ACT NOW to restore integrity and openness to these regulatory processes?

* Direct DEQ to assess the potential water quality impacts for individual stream and wetland crossings, in combination with the project’s other impacts on water quality, rather than rely on the US Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit.

* Direct DEQ to hold public comment periods for erosion and sediment control, stormwater, and karst mitigation plans before final approval and to present recommendations to the State Water Control Board based on its own findings and the public's comments and ask for official Board action to approve or disapprove those plans.

*Direct DEQ to inform MVP and ACP that tree-felling is prohibited unless and until the applicants meet all conditions in the certifications issued by the Board.