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Biologists warn pipeline route crosses habitat for critically imperiled species
Summary
A biologist and other speakers said the proposed corridor would cross tributaries upstream of preserves that host critically imperiled species, urging separate evaluations and stronger permit scrutiny to protect those habitats.
Dr. Aaron Bell, a biologist at North Carolina State University, told commissioners that tributaries along the proposed route are home to multiple imperiled species, including the Cape Fear Shiner and federally endangered harperella. He said the pipeline would cut directly through sensitive streams and could imperil the largest breeding populations upstream of a nature preserve.
"The proposed site is absolutely the worst possible site for the proposed pipeline doing its proximity," Dr. Bell said, noting that a single chemical release could wipe out entire local populations. He asked commissioners to require separate ecological evaluations and to insist on permits and mitigations commensurate with the risks to listed species.
Other speakers echoed ecological concerns and asked the county to insist that state and federal agencies consider cumulative and watershed-scale impacts before approving any work in the corridor.
