Selected moments from APPPL’s history

November 2016 Those who eventually came together as APPPL worked in various counties along the route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. We organized 3 simultaneous walks in Robeson, Cumberland and Nash Counties. About 250 people participated.

APPPL marches with a banner in 2016


December 2016 APPPL was officially formed in a meeting of about 50 activists from various organizations from around the North Carolina at a meeting at Franklinton Center at Bricks.


March 2017 APPPL organized and led a 200 mile, two week walk along the entire proposed route of the ACP from Northhampton County through all 8 ACP counties and ending at the Duke Energy complex in Richmond County. Over 300 people participated. On any given day anywhere from 10 to 100 people walked. Large gatherings, ceremonies, and rallies were held in Halifax County, Rocky Mount (Nash County), Buckhorn Church in Wilson County, Fayetteville, Pembroke, and Hamlet (Richmond County).


April 2017 At an event organized by NC WARN and others, APPPL testified at a hearing at Duke University opposing Duke Universities proposal to build a gas fired power plant on Duke’s campus. (The proposal was scuttled).

Meeting with Jeremy Tarr, Governor Cooper’s Energy Policy Director, to educate the governor and his staff about why the ACP should be stopped.

Organized meeting at the office of the NC Attorney General with landowners, NC environmental groups and other NC stakeholders to voice opposition to the ACP and to urge the AG to stop illegal land agents and surveyors.


May 2017 APPPL took a half ton of NC sweet potatoes to Washington DC for an event called “Sweet Potatoes Not Pipelines”. Working with Beyond Extreme Energy, we served sweet potato pies and gave out sweet potatoes on the sidewalk in front of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).


May, July 2017 In cooperation with Sierra Club, Winyah River Keepers, and others, APPPL helped organize one day kayak floats on the Tar River (Nash County) and the Lumber River (Robeson County).


May 2017 Helped organize and train participants for 3 hearings of the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency in 3 counties regarding FERC’s permitting of ACP.


Summer 2017 Organized participants for 3 public hearings by NC DEQ in 3 counties regarding NCDEQ’s 401 Water Quality Permit.


Spring Summer Fall Winter 2017 Numerous meetings, letters, emails, and lobbying with NC DEQ Secretary Michael Regan and his staff, and with the Governor’s energy advisor, Jeremy Tarr, and with Attorney General’s Office, raising issues regarding the ACP and reasons why the state should not issue a 401 Water quality permit.


September 2017 Two week, water-only public fast on sidewalk in front of NC DEQ offices in Raleigh to demand that the ACP not be issued a 401 Water Quality permit.


September 2017 Assisted Community Roots of Asheville’s banner drop from 80 foot high roof of parking garage in Asheville at NC Utility Commission hearing regarding Duke’s rate hike proposal.


December 2017 Picket at NC DEQ Offices in Asheville to raise issues of ACP 401 Water Quality Permit.


January 2018 Four days of continuous picketing at the Governor’s office.


February 2018 Governor’s’ office sit in to protest NC DEQ and the Governor’s issuance of 401 Water Quality permit. Met with Cooper’s aides and chief of staff for about 90 minutes during the occupation and conducted an interfaith prayer service afterwards in the lobby. Fifteen people were arrested after refusing to leave for more than 10 hours.


February 2018 Attended and temporarily disrupted BOEM dog and pony show in Raleigh about Trump’s proposed offshore drilling proposal in NC. Two of us talked to NC DEQ Secretary Michael Regan, where he agreed to a meeting in his offices.


March 2018 More long days of picketing at the Governor’s office led by Tom Clark, APPPL member and impacted landowner from Cumberland County.


April 2018 APPPL meeting with DEQ Secretary Regan.


May 2018 Erected a bamboo fracking tower in the driveway of Duke CEO Lynn Good to protest ACP during the week of Duke’s (on-line) shareholders meeting. One arrest.


June 2018 Meeting with state Representative John Autry in Raleigh followed by marches to the Governor’s office, DEQ, and the Attorney General’s office with rallies at each demanding suspension of ACP permit. About 50 people participated.


July 2018 One day “Walk Between the Creeks” and rally in Nash County with about 50 participants to shine light on Governor Cooper’s birthplace and his father’s autobiography. The ACP will cross and degrade that environment.


July and August 2018 Marches in Asheville (on 4th of July) and in Charlotte and Raleigh with a 50 foot long, 3 foot diameter inflatable pipeline to protest the ACP.


Summer 2018 to present Initiated lawsuit in Robeson County challenging the County Commission’s permitting of a pipeline metering station and 300 ft. tall monitoring tower. Hired a lawyer and raised money to support the lawsuit. Final court hearing scheduled for March 18, 2019.


October 2018 Teach-in about the ACP in a Fayetteville public park (attended by two state legislators).


October 2018 to Present Ongoing engagement with DEQ and the public under the recently issued Executive Order No. 80, “North Carolina’s Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy.” Much of that activity is focused on the “Climate Change Interagency Council” (“CCIC”). Tactics have included commenting and banner drops. We noted that EO-80 does not mention the ACP nor its emissions and seemingly dismisses the impacts of continued fracked gas development. In July 2019, several members attended their meeting in Winston-Salem – first with vigiling outside and then with spoken comments inside. Several of the DEQ’s scheduled public meetings were canceled.


November 2018 Ten Day Thanksgiving Fast and Prayer to End Climate Change in Asheville, where several of us fasted during the day in downtown Asheville to draw attention to climate change and Duke Energy’s role in promoting it.


December 2018 Two day kayak float on Tar River to raise issues relating to ACP’s drilling under the Tar River.


December 2018 Participated in a rally at SC Utility Commission hearing in Columbia, SC regarding Dominion’s proposal to purchase SCANA.


January 2019 Organized a demonstration in the lobby of DEQ headquarters in Raleigh (with livestreamed content) and joined a protest hosted by Triangle People Power.


February 2019 Emailed all 1400 DEQ employees a encouraging them to step forward as whistleblowers to raise issues about permitting of ACP. For two consecutive mornings we handed out fliers with our whistleblower letter to NC DEQ employees at NC DEQ offices in Raleigh (many had already seen our email).


February 2019 Organized a press conference in front of Dobbs Building in Raleigh immediately prior to a NC Utility Commission hearing about Duke’s IRP (proposal for energy development for the next 15 years, which proposes only 8% renewables by 2033).


February 2019 Mecklenburg County trial for the May 2018 arrest in Lynn Good’s driveway. Four Duke VIP’s, including Lynn Good’s husband attended, but did not testify.


March 2019 NC APPPL Bylaws approved and adopted. See them here.


April 2019 Collaborated – with Friends of the Earth, ActionNC, 350 Charlotte, and BankTrack – on an inside speak-out protest, an outside rally, and a banner drop in Charlotte during and adjacent to Bank of America’s Annual General Meeting.


May 2019 – Present Ongoing engagement with DEQ’s newly formed Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board. That engagement has included testifying at their hearings, building relationships with board members, and hosting members on site visits (e.g., Ms. Cole hosted in Robeson County), and promoting engagement with the board among APPPL and other groups. Physical engagements have occurred in Charlotte, Raleigh, and elsewhere – and online. APPPL’s focused engagement led to several special meetings of the board on the ACP. That engagement continues.



July 2019 Participated in Rate Hearing Rally in Charlotte – related to Piedmont Natural Gas.


November 2019 Participate in the planning and execution of a community gathering which included a meal, presentations from landowners (resisting eminent domain takings), activists, and organizers, and a march to the site of an LNG facility under construction by Piedmont Natural Gas (aka, Duke Energy). Connection to the ACP (if built) is expected. The principle organizer was the Robeson County Coalition to Protect Our Sacred Land and Waters; co-sponsors included Friends of the Earth and the Redtail Hawk Coalition.


February 2020 A permit revocation by the federal 4th Circuit Court of Appeals was itself appealed by ACP proponents to the US Supreme Court. Concurrent with arguments before the court by litigants, APPPL participated in an outdoor rally and arrestable action, both right outside the Courthouse. Other groups involved in the action included Friends of the Earth. See some reporting here. The Supreme Court decided in favor of the pipeline; see this analysis.

Arrestees

March – April 2020 NC APPPL Board Diversification Plan approved (see it here). Substantial grant received from Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR.org).


April – May 2020 Led and participated in remote digital tactics during corona virus lock-downs, focused on Annual General Meetings of major banks (e.g., Bank of America and Wells Fargo) and corporate entities (e.g., Duke Energy, Dominion Energy). Advocacy during those for stopping the ACP, a just transition, etc. Tactics included webinars, phone-ins, tweeting, Facebook and Google posts, letter writing, etc.


May 2020 – Present Ongoing support of and participation in racial equity protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder (among many).


June 2020 Special proceedings of the NC DEQ Environmental Justice & Equity Advisory Board, prompted by engagements of APPPL and others. Those proceedings resulted in issuance of this letter by the board to the DEQ Secretary Michael Regan.


June 2020 Several APPPL members gathered at DEQ’s Raleigh headquarters to press the message that DEQ must revoke the permit and that we stand behind questions being raised by DEQ’s Advisory Board about the ACP.


June 2020 The FERC-issued certificate approving construction of the ACP actually expires later this year. FERC opened a comment period relative to re-issuance of that certificate. APPPL is collaborating with Appalachian Voices, Friends of the Earth, Beyond Extreme Energy, and others in opposing that re-issuance.


Ongoing: Engagement on technical and public health aspects (including pipeline coating degradation and toxic leaching), legal issues (such as eminent domain and providing financial support for legal counsel), monitoring of developments (at federal, state, and local levels), support of other advocacy efforts, etc.