DANVILLE, Va. – A new report by American Rivers ranks the Dan River as the eighth most endangered river in the United States, citing concerns over proposed development and energy infrastructure projects in the region.
The report highlights potential threats from data centers, real estate development and pipeline construction, which advocates say could impact water quality and the surrounding ecosystem.
“Anytime you’re building a pipeline, you’re going into the earth and causing damage. Time will tell exactly what the impacts are,” said Tia Hunt, communications manager for 7 Directions of Service.
Two pipeline projects — a Transco expansion and the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate — would affect areas near the river. Environmental advocates say construction poses the greatest risk, particularly through sediment runoff and potential chemical exposure during trenching and excavation.
“There’s always going to be a threat of chemicals and sediment erosion,” Hunt said.
Developers of the Southgate project say safeguards are in place. In a statement, a spokesperson writes, “It’s disappointing but not surprising to see opponents of linear infrastructure continuing to spread misinformation about the construction of this critical energy project.
The MVP Southgate is proposed to cross under the Dan River. This construction method is designed to protect sensitive resources by avoiding direct impacts to the water body. Federal and state regulators have performed a comprehensive review of the project’s construction plans, including this crossing method, and recognized the project’s plans are appropriate and can be performed safely and responsibly, with no significant impacts to environmental or historic resources. When construction is complete, the MVP Southgate will become part of the network of more than 55,000 miles of underground natural gas pipelines spanning across Virginia and North Carolina, efficiently operating out of sight and out of mind to provide the energy needed to power modern life.
We are committed to building this critical infrastructure project and safely meeting the region’s demand for more affordable, reliable, lower-carbon energy."
Tiffany Haworth, executive director of the Dan River Basin Association, said long-term planning is critical when considering projects that could affect natural resources.
“It’s important that our government works closely with community members to think not just in terms of what’s going to work today, but what will be the best decisions for future generations,” Haworth said.
Concerns about pollution are shaped in part by past incidents, including a 2014 coal ash spill from a Duke Energy facility that contaminated drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people and led to a costly cleanup effort.
“People had to drink bottled water. We saw algal blooms form throughout the river. We saw wildlife destroyed, recreation and the economy impacted,” Haworth said.
Environmental groups are now calling on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and North Carolina Governor Josh Stein to enforce the Clean Water Act which they say offers more protections to the river.
“The Clean Water Act would ensure that the pipeline would be constructed in the way that it’s legally required to. But we see a lot of pipelines and they’re being constructed, all kinds of violations are going on," said Hunt.