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Residents urge county to investigate train blockages and object to MVP Boost communications
Summary
Residents raised concerns during public comment about the Mountain Valley Pipeline Boost project’s outreach and Norfolk Southern trains blocking local crossings; a retired NS employee's letter says trains have blocked crossings for hours and cites the five‑minute legal limit on blocking crossings without a train break.
Several residents used the board’s public‑address time March 9 to raise safety and transparency concerns tied to the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) Boost project and local rail operations.
A speaker who identified herself as Melo criticized the developer’s newsletter for omitting notices about Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) public hearings and said the newsletter’s timeline and engagement descriptions appeared to downplay required regulatory hearings. "They point out their meaningful engagement and how they've been just a great neighbor," Melo said, but she added that the newsletter left out information about upcoming DEQ hearings.
Joshua Vana and a submitted letter from Penny Artistis Nunez, a retired Norfolk Southern employee and Elliston resident, urged the board to address repeated railroad crossing blockages near Elliston. Vana described residents’ concerns that Norfolk Southern train operations sometimes block road crossings and impede travel; he read from Nunez’s February 3 letter asking the county to revisit the issue with Norfolk Southern. The letter, read by Vana, notes that some trains have been parked near crossings to reduce yard congestion and that, in those cases, crossings may be blocked in violation of state law limiting blockages to five minutes without a train break.
The letter excerpted for the board said: "They are never allowed to block road crossings for more than 5 minutes without a train break." Vana and others asked the board to consider advocacy or further inquiry on behalf of Eastmont/Elliston residents. No board action was taken March 9; speakers asked staff and supervisors to follow up.
The comments add to ongoing community scrutiny of MVP‑related activities and local transportation safety concerns; supervisors acknowledged the remarks and said staff would follow up as appropriate.
