PEMBROKE — The clear, cold waters of Little Stony Creek cascaded over granite bedrock as Rick Sizemore watched from the banks and wondered.
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Mountain Valley sued George Santucci, president of New River Conservancy, left, and Rick Sizemore, founder of Eagles Nest Ministries, in 2017, after they balked at the company’s offer to buy a construction easement through Sizemore’s land.
MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times
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Rick Sizemore, founder of Eagles Nest Ministries, had planned to build a church retreat on a 204-acre piece of property before the pipeline came through. “How do you put a price tag on a dream being scarred?” he said.
MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times
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George Santucci, president of New River Conservancy
MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times
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Tangent Outfitters owner Shawn Hash looks toward Little Stony Creek downstream of the Cascades Recreation Area, from the 2:14 community lodge. The Mountain Valley Pipeline route runs near the lodge and has altered the plans of the property owners to build a church retreat on the land.
Photos by MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times
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The federal permits that the pipeline needs to cross more than 1,000 streams and wetlands have been either vacated or suspended for environmental reasons.
MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times
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The Mountain Valley Pipeline is planned to run under Little Stony Creek, a Class II wild trout stream, on land that is part of a conservation easement through the New River Conservancy.
MATT GENTRY | The Roanoke Times
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