Recently formed lake organization Cut Unnecessary Regulatory Burden, Inc., or CURB, is ramping up their message in the coming weeks to push Appalachian Power Company to change their Shoreline Management Plan.

During CURB’s second meeting Thursday at the Moneta Library, interim president, Bill Brush, discussed plans for what he called a “march on Washington.” According to Brush, a march could help in gaining support, as well as possibly attracting national attention. That attention could compel Appalachian Power and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to make changes to their plan, Brush stated.

Brush would like to have as many as 50 lake residents or more who are dissatisfied with the current Shoreline Management Plan join in the march in order to make an impact. While there, he and other lake residents would meet with the lake area’s state and representatives. With the help of members of Congress, Brush would like to find a way to work with Appalachian Power and FERC to change or remove many portions of the plan that Brush and others consider “unconstitutional.”

CURB already has been in close contact with Virginia 5th Congressional District Rep. Robert Hurt. Hurt recently sent a letter to FERC requesting mediation between Appalachian Power and lake residents to discuss the plan. A response letter from FERC stated that there already had been a comment period during the Shoreline Management Plan’s relicensing earlier this year and “do not see a need to hold a technical conference.”

Brush is optimistic the march, planned for this September or October, will help force FERC to reevaluate the need for mediation. Until that time, Brush is continuing to explore other avenues that could lead to Appalachian Power reworking their current plan.

Brush discussed a Virginia Dare cruise to show shoreline mismanagement around Smith Mountain Lake. He believes the cruise would a good way to raise donations, as well as give lake residents an up close look at what is wrong with the plan.

CURB is actively seeking donations for a possible lawsuit if they cannot succeed in making changes to the plan through other means. Brush stated, however, that he would like to “exhaust every other possible remedy before a lawsuit.”

The cruise would give Brush and other members the opportunity to point out some of CURB’s main concerns with the shoreline plan.

The four main concerns with the plan pointed out by Brush at last week’s meeting were sedimentation, shoreline erosion, invasive aquatic vegetation, and debris build up along coves. According to Brush, the shoreline plan requires lake residents to obtain a permit to dredge sedimentation build up, as well as to prevent shoreline erosion. Brush stated that these changes usually help improve the lake and make it more attractive. Also, shoreline stabilization such as riprap also protects a lakefront homeowner’s land from falling into the lake.

“You have to get a permit from AEP [American Electric Power] to protect your own land,” Brush said.

The other two issues, invasive aquatic vegetation and debris build up, are improperly handled by Appalachian Power, according to Brush. He said the power company does little to protect the lake against the two issues. Instead, Brush stated that they many times consider coves filled with debris and invasive aquatic vegetation a possible beneficial habitat for wildlife.
To learn more visit their website: http://www.curb-ferc-aep.com/