Ed. — From the Sunday, May 24, print edition.
Dear Editor:
The Back Bay Restoration Foundation is the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to conserving and improving Virginia Beach’s two southern watersheds, namely the Back Bay and North Landing River watersheds.
Our efforts focus on education, stewardship and outreach to preserve the largest watersheds in Virginia Beach. We team with other nonprofits and city, state and federal agencies to work toward best solutions for the future of the Back Bay and North Landing River watersheds.
The foundation is generally supportive of alternative/renewable energy generation because of its many obvious environmental benefits. At the same time, we have concerns with the onshore transmission route Avangrid is currently proposing for its Kitty Hawk Wind Project.
By proposing to use the Nimmo VIIB corridor, our concerns are currently similar to those we have documented in our comments on the city’s environmental assessment for the Nimmo Parkway VIIB project.
We realize that environmental impacts from underground transmission lines may be significantly different from those we identified in our comments about the Nimmo Parkway project and are looking forward to reviewing and evaluating the draft environmental impact statement that should be published in 2024. At that time, we will submit science-based comments and recommendations that mitigate impacts to the Back Bay Watershed.
Until that time, we look forward to working with the city of Virginia Beach, Avangrid and other stakeholders in developing the best alternatives and technologies to reduce terrestrial impacts to the Back Bay Watershed.
— Jared Brandwein, Virginia Beach
Ed. — The author is the executive director of the Back Bay Restoration Foundation. This was adapted from a letter to the City Council and City Manager Patrick Duhaney.
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