ROANOKE RAPIDS – One of three comment sessions hosted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) will be held locally in Roanoke Rapids.

That event is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 111 Carolina Crossroads Parkway, Roanoke Rapids.

On the same day, a press conference and “People’s Hearing” is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Mystique Events Center, located at 1652 NC HWY 125, Roanoke Rapids. That event is sponsored by the Concerned Citizens of Northampton County, Clean Water for NC.

The ACP is proposed to be a nearly 600 mile highly pressurized gas line from West Virginia to North Carolina, including a compressor station in Northampton County.

FERC released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the ACP that community and environmental advocates have called “biased toward favorable economic predictions” and “severely lacking in the required environmental reviews.”

As a result, FERC’s DEIS concludes that there are almost no adverse impacts on communities, land, water and air, while advocates disagree strongly.

The public is urged to attend the FERC sessions to give short oral comments to FERC staff, then to join the nearby public meetings sponsored by local organizations.  At these “Peoples’ Hearings” the public can learn more about the pipeline’s impacts and share comments with others in your region.

If you would like to see a list of some key concerns before the hearings, email hope@cwfnc.org.  Summaries of key concerns will be posted at cwfnc.org and FrackFreeNC.org on Friday, Feb. 10.