Dan River, North Carolina | Roderico Yool Diaz
Protect the Dan River - Help ensure the Clean Water Act is Upheld & Indigenous Communities are Consulted
The Dan River is a vital source of drinking water for nearly one million people and a crucial lifeline for wildlife. Even before state boundaries existed, the Dan River was — and remains — a living relative to Indigenous peoples of the region. The importance of this river can not be understated for those who depend on it.
Sadly, two major gas pipeline projects threaten these relationships and the health of this vital river. The construction of these pipelines will put clean drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents at risk, disrupt critical wildlife habitat, and desecrate Indigenous cultural sites.
Governor Spanberger of Virginia and Governor Stein of North Carolina must hold pipeline companies to the highest standards and ensure construction complies with all Clean Water Act safeguards to protect the health of the river and its communities.
Tell Governors Spanberger and Stein to ensure Clean Water Act standards are upheld during pipeline construction and meet with Indigenous communities to understand the potential risks and impacts of pipeline construction for Native communities moving forward.
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Threats to the Dan River include ongoing cleanup efforts from Duke Energy's 2014 coal ash spill, real estate development, proposed data center development, and existing industrial sources along the river, including Duke Energy's Belews Creek coal-fired power plant.
The communities and ecosystems of the Dan River are already experiencing harm and face escalating risks if pipeline projects move forward. Local communities that rely on the Dan for drinking water, farming, and cultural practices are in harm’s way. Construction of these pipelines could make access to clean drinking water uncertain for these communities due to the buildup of mud, sediment, and chemicals, while blasting and trenching along the pipeline’s route could destabilize riverbanks and increase the risk of flooding.
In 2014, the Duke Energy coal ash spill released toxins that settled into the riverbed and infiltrated the river’s food chain, creating long-term uncertainty about drinking water and fish safety. The Dan River and surrounding communities cannot afford to have another preventable tragedy like this happen again.
While the permits for SSEP and MVP Southgate have already been issued, we are urging Governor Spanberger and Governor Stein to ensure their state agencies enforce Clean Water Act requirements during the construction of these pipelines and hold the pipeline companies to the highest standards for protecting the Dan River and the clean water that communities need.
