The disputed wetlands delineation for the proposed Wegmans distribution center site and the numerous public concerns raised about the wetlands have led the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to open another comment period. 

This period is open October 20 – December 4. A public hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Citizens may go to this page on the DEQ website for dates and documents related to Wegmans draft Virginia Water Protection (VWP) permit:

https://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WetlandsStreams/PublicNotices.aspx

Protect Hanover, the citizen group formed to respond to the proposed Wegmans distribution center and other irresponsible development in the Hanover County, has drafted a letter to the DEQ and the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) offering seven reasons why Wegmans draft VWP permit must be denied.

Among its assertions Protect Hanover points out:

• The wetlands determination is incomplete and inaccurate;
• Secondary impacts to adjacent wetlands have not been considered;
• The site is not the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (LEDPA). Both agencies must find this site as LEDPA in order to issue permits;
• A lack of environmental justice for Brown Grove by a perfunctory process denies them a full say about impacts to their community;
• Army Corps prematurely determined that no Environmental Impact Statement is needed.

Use these links to take action . . .

Protect Hanover invites citizens to draft their own letters or use language from their letter. Go to this link:  bit.ly/ProtectHanover

To read Brown Grove history: bit.ly/browngrovestory

To sign the Brown Grove petition: bit.ly/browngrovepetition

The proposed site for the Wegmans distribution center is inappropriate for many credible reasons: environmental damage, added traffic, insufficient infrastructure, juxtaposition to residential neighborhoods. Citizens have brought up many serious issues.

In their zeal to make this development work out though, Hanover County and Wegmans have pushed a vision far too dismissive of the citizen stakeholders. County residents need more than hurried and superficial attention to their concerns.

They need dialogue, not decree.

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