On Nov. 18, NPS South Atlantic-Gulf Regional Director Mark Foust signed a Finding of No Significant Impact, recommended by Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout, to permit a right of way for an underground natural gas pipeline within the Blue Ridge Parkway boundary.

Dominion Energy North Carolina had applied for a permit to install, operate and maintain a 12-inch natural gas pipeline that would cross under the Parkway at milepost 393.3 in Buncombe County. The 50-foot-wide right of way would allow the pipeline to be installed using a horizontal directional drill perpendicular to the Parkway adjacent to an existing 143-foot-wide Duke Energy electric transmission line right of way. 

The application was evaluated in an Environmental Assessment, with public comments from traditionally associated tribes, stakeholders, residents and the public received during a 30-day public comment period. These comments addressed impacts to water resources, greenhouse gas emissions, safety, pipeline placement and consistency with the NPS mission. An appendix to the Finding of No Significant Impact addresses substantive comments. Comments related to the larger utility project beyond the permit on NPS land were considered beyond the scope of the EA. 

The EA, FONSI and other planning documents are available at parkplanning.nps.gov/dominiont2rowbuncombe.