The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) has scheduled two public hearings in early September to gather input on the potential water quality impacts of Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC’s (Transco) proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project.
The first hearing will take place at 6 p.m. on September 2, 2025, at Rockingham Community College Advanced Technologies Building Auditorium in Wentworth. The second hearing is set for 6 p.m. on September 4, 2025, at Kernersville Municipal Council Chambers in Kernersville. Speaker registration for both events opens onsite at 5:30 p.m.
Transco has applied to DWR for a Clean Water Act Section 401 Individual Water Quality Certification, as well as Jordan Lake and Randleman Lake Riparian Buffer Authorizations, for the construction associated with the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project.
The project involves expanding an existing gas transmission pipeline system. In North Carolina, it includes building about 4.4 miles of new pipeline in Rockingham County (the Eden loop) and approximately 24.1 miles across Guilford, Forsyth, and Davidson counties (the Salem loop). There are also planned modifications to compressor stations and other facilities in Davidson, Cleveland, Iredell, Lincoln, and Gaston counties; these changes are not expected to affect jurisdictional waters or state-regulated riparian buffers.
Construction would temporarily affect roughly 8,100 linear feet—about 1.5 miles—of jurisdictional intermittent and perennial streams and impact about 11.2 acres of wetlands under federal jurisdiction along the route in North Carolina.
Two large stream crossings and one open water crossing are proposed to be installed beneath surface waters using horizontal directional drilling or conventional bore methods. Two smaller streams will be avoided because they are adjacent to roadway crossings that use similar installation techniques; this approach is intended to prevent direct impacts on surface waters.
According to Transco’s proposal, after construction all disturbed ground surfaces—including streams and wetlands—would be restored as close as possible to their original condition.
For projects needing a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a state-issued Section 401 Water Quality Certification is also required before federal approval can be granted (https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/clean-water-act-section-401-certification).
The purpose of the state certification is to determine if the project meets water quality standards and whether impacts have been avoided or minimized where possible.
Certification requires that:
– The project minimizes adverse effects on surface waters and wetlands by considering local topography, vegetation, wildlife resources, and hydrology.
– The project does not degrade groundwater or surface water.
– The project does not cause secondary or indirect violations of downstream water quality standards.
– Permanent impacts must be offset through mitigation measures.
Riparian buffer authorizations are necessary because parts of the pipeline cross streams within the Jordan Lake and Randleman Lake watersheds—areas subject to special rules requiring vegetated buffers near waterways that feed into these drinking water sources (https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-resources-permits/wastewater-branch/401-buffer-permitting/jordan-lake-riparian-buffer-protection-rule).
Members of the public may provide comments either by speaking at one of the hearings or by submitting written feedback via mail or email by October 6 at 5 p.m., using this link: Public comment link. Comments can also be left by voicemail at 919-707-8495. All input received will inform DWR’s decision-making process according to timelines set out in Session Law 2023-137.
Project documents—including applications and draft community profiles—are available online: Permit file.
