Editor:

Water is life. Most of us depend upon private wells for water in our homes. Many of us regularly enjoy Virginia’s waters for recreation. We appreciate the natural system that makes it possible for us to have this water. However, developers of the fracked-gas, Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines want profit. They plan to expose our water, our land and our health to risk at levels they control so they can profit.

Each state on the pipeline routes must certify that the projects will not violate state water quality standards before construction may begin. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has drafted permits for both pipelines; but the State Water Control Board — an independent citizen board of seven water experts — has the authority to deny them.

More than 20,000 people submitted comments over this summer — the vast majority saying that construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline or Atlantic Coast Pipeline would create such significant damage that our state water quality standards would be violated. Virginia officials can and must stop these pipelines.

Please join us at the Virginia State Water Control Board pipeline permitting meetings at Trinity Family Life Center, 3601 Dill Road, Richmond. Those for the Mountain Valley Pipeline will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 and 7, and 9:30 a.m. and Dec. 11 and 12 for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Ruby L. Laury

Buckingham