The Sierra Club released a report today (March 31) on the impacts of Transco’s proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) on communities in North Carolina, including low-income and communities of color.
Overburdened and Overlooked: Communities Harmed by Transco's Southeast Supply Enhancement Project identifies communities along the proposed route of the SSEP pipeline project that are already overburdened by poor air quality and low income.
This report serves to educate elected officials, regulators, and the public on some of the impacts of the proposed project that have been left out or minimized by Transco. The report provides recommendations for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), and other decisionmakers to apply closer scrutiny to the major potential impacts of the proposed project.
The Sierra Club co-wrote the report with 7 Directions of Service, an Indigenous-led environmental justice community organization operating on the ancestral homelands of the Occaneechi-Saponi in rural North Carolina.
Caroline Hansley, Campaign Organizing Strategist with Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
“Transco has made every effort to downplay the impacts on the communities most affected by the proposed SSEP project– communities that already have some of the worst air quality in North Carolina. This report serves as a sharp reminder that FERC and state decisionmakers should not simply take Transco at its word and must do all they can to protect the everyday people who would bear the burden of increased pollution caused by SSEP.”
Dr. Crystal Cavalier, Director & Co-Founder of 7 Directions of Service, issued the following statement:
"The data is clear. Pollution is already high in several communities where Transco proposes to build its Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. Rightfully, there is growing public concern over SSEP, and the dangers this project poses into the future. We urge state-level regulators and representatives to do the right thing: Carry out a robust evaluation, protect the most vulnerable North Carolinians and ensure impacted folks are heard at every stage."
Read the full news release and information about an upcoming virtual press briefing.