Davidson County Board of Commissioners passes resolution expressing concern on Transco’s SSEP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2025

CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (276) 289-1018, dan@appvoices.org

LEXINGTON, N.C. — Last night, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution expressing concern around the proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC — a subsidiary of Williams Companies, commonly referred to as Transco — wants to construct 54 miles of methane gas pipeline and increase the horsepower of compressor stations in Virginia and North Carolina. 

SSEP, if permitted and built, would include 10 miles of 42-inch-wide pipeline in Davidson County and a large expansion of the gas-fired compressor station northwest of Lexington. 

This resolution of concern comes after the board of commissioners passed a resolution in support of the project in November 2024, following a brief presentation from Transco that omitted important information about the safety, air and water quality impacts of the project. Affected residents have been sharing their personal concerns and more detailed information about how the project would hurt Davidson County. Davidson County is the fifth governing body to adopt a resolution of concern on this project, following the town of Midway, Guilford County, Forsyth County and the city of Greensboro.

In the new resolution, the board of commissioners cites concerns over public safety, given the residential neighborhoods and schools located within the impact radius in the case of a leak, fire or explosion. SSEP would run under three existing pipelines just 1,000 feet from Wallburg Elementary School. The commissioners encouraged the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to deny approval of the project and its required permits until they fully consider Davidson County residents’ concerns, thoroughly evaluate all potential risks and alternatives in a comprehensive Environmental Assessment, and require Transco to submit notification plans in the case of an incident. 

About 700 residents live within three miles of the proposed compressor station expansion. The gas-powered equipment Transco is opting to use for the expansion would release chemicals, including fine particulate matter, that can have severe negative impacts on nearby residents’ health. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s EJScreen tool, 55% of people in the census block directly across the street from the site are considered low-income. This project could burden low-income communities with higher healthcare costs, considering the potential impact of air pollution on residents’ health.

“I thank [the board] for listening to the community by choosing to pass a resolution of concern,” said Jeneen Orioli, a local resident who lives near the compressor station near Lexington. “We do not benefit from this project in the least; in fact, we bear the greatest burden in our health, our quality of life, and in our property values being reduced and utility bills being increased.”

“SSEP would harm already overburdened communities,” said Crystal Norford, Environmental Justice Organizer for Clean Water for North Carolina. “It’s an injustice to our community. We thank the Davidson County Board of Commissioners for listening to the concerns of the community and using their power to hold Transco accountable.”

“I commend you all for proposing a resolution that urges FERC and DEQ to deny any permits until they consider the concerns raised by Davidson County residents, and ensure these stakeholders are meaningfully involved in the development of the permits and decision of approval for the project,” said Nicole Eastman, Riverkeeper Assistant and Watershed Protection Specialist at Yadkin Riverkeeper. 

“Rather than rush the buildout, in which we would have to live with 50 years of increased pollution, wouldn’t it make more sense to take our time to better understand the health impacts on the surrounding communities, as well as all reasonable alternatives to meet the needs or energy with less polluting and more affordable forms that are available?” said John Calhoun, Conservation Chair of Foothills Sierra Club.