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 imp...
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