Members of the public, representatives of Dominion Energy and members of the Cumberland County Planning Commission weighed the pros and cons of a potential Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) construction yard on Salem Church Road in Cumberland.

The discussions concerning the conditional use permit addressed potential effects on the traffic along Route 45, hours of operation and its location in proximity to the construction site.

District Four Commissioner Hubert Allen voiced a thought-provoking statement about the ACP when he said, “As far as economic development, the impact is not just for the county in Cumberland but for the entire commonwealth of Virginia and basically the southeastern half of the U.S. or section of the U.S.”

The ACP is 600 miles long and will extend through parts of three states. The amount of job creation and industrial growth that could arise from this project is not to be understated.

Ron Baker, project manager with the ACP, also spoke about the construction yard’s location in the county and worked with a nearby resident to ensure the driveway to the construction yard and the resident’s driveway would be separate.

Questions and concerns from members of the public and members of the commission should also not be understated.

“What roads will these heavy trucks use in Cumberland? What impact will there be to bridges? The county will bear the burden of repairs,” Heidi Dhivya Berthoud said in an email addressed to the planning commission. “What about the dangers of heavy trucks encountering school buses?”

Planning commission members questioned an incomplete contract between the ACP and the Virginia Department of Transportation and the number of trucks and other vehicles passing on the road and highway.

Members of the board, with a few conditions, voted unanimously in favor of recommending the construction yard to members of the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors, which will hold a public hearing Feb. 11.

We at The Herald commend the planning commission members’ thorough research and queries regarding the construction yard and the consideration of both potential traffic and environmental drawbacks and industrial and economic gain in their decision.