Title
Receive a presentation from the Agriculture Advisory Board on the Enbridge Pipeline Public Hearing held August 18, 2026
Abstract
Introduction & Background: In response to Enbridge Gas’s efforts to site and construct a new natural gas pipeline traversing central and southern Chatham County, the Chatham County Agriculture Advisory Board (AAB) conducted a public hearing on August 18, 2022, at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center. Per the conditions of N.C.G.S. 106-739, the AAB may hold public hearings on public projects likely to have an impact on agricultural operations in the county, particularly if such projects involve condemnation of all or part of a farm enrolled in the Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) program. While the AAB is not aware of condemnation action to date, at its public meeting on July 30, 2026, a quorum of AAB members unanimously voted to hold a public hearing addressing these impacts on August 18, 2026, based on requests from numerous VAD participants.
At the hearing, the AAB heard a presentation from Enbridge representatives, followed by questions and answers. During the public comment portion of the hearing, 13 participants in the county’s Voluntary Agricultural who will either be directly or indirectly impacted by the Enbridge Pipeline spoke in opposition to the project. The AAB also heard or accepted written public comments from 28 members of the general public. Approximately 100 hundred citizens were in attendance for the hearing.
In this presentation, AAB chairperson Dave Eskelund will review the AAB’s recommendations based on the results of the public hearing and formally present the AAB’s report on the Enbridge Pipeline’s impacts on the county’s agricultural resources, including summaries of the concerns and issues raised at the public hearing.
Discussion & Analysis: N.C. General Statute 106-739 authorizes county Agricultural Advisory Boards to hold public hearings on public projects likely to have an impact on agricultural operations, particularly if such projects involve condemnation of all or part of any farm participating in a Voluntary Agricultural District. Similarly, Chatham County’s current Voluntary Agricultural District ordinance empowers the AAB to “hold public hearings on projects likely to have an impact on agriculture.”
Earlier this year, the Enbridge Gas Corporation announced plans to construct a new national gas pipeline traversing agricultural areas in central and southern Chatham County. Based on Enbridge’s current routing proposal, the AAB estimates that 23 VAD member farms will be impacted (either directly or adjacently) by the proposed route, in addition to significant impact on other areas of prime agricultural soil, working farms and forests, and to long-term agricultural and forestry management practices.
Following the public hearing, the AAB compiled a written report, summarizing the concerns and objections Chatham County agricultural landowners have raised about the pipeline project and proposing recommendations to the Board of Commissioners for minimizing these impacts and becoming better prepared for future utility infrastructure projects that will impact the county’s agricultural land, economy, and resources.
How does this relate to the Comprehensive Plan: The “Plan Chatham” Comprehensive Plan devotes an entire section within Chapter IV to preservation and development of Chatham County’s agriculture and forestry resources. The recommended projects support the “Primary Goal” of this section, which is to “Preserve, protect, and enable agriculture and forestry,” as well as the secondary goal of “Preserving the rural character and lifestyle of Chatham County.” Furthermore, the plan recommends "Encourage Participation in the VAD Program” and to “consider enhancements" to the VAD program that provides additional levels of protection to VAD participants. “Plan Chatham” also recommends “land use policies tailored to areas identified as strategic farmland” and “updates to regulations to better meet the needs of the agricultural community.”
Budgetary Impact: There is no budgetary impact associated with the AAB recommendations in this report.
Recommendation/Motion: Receive a presentation from the Agriculture Advisory Board.