The Virginia Marine Resources Commission will conduct a public hearing next Tuesday on Caroline County’s plan to construct a water intake facility along the south bank of the Rappahannock River.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality approved Caroline’s permit to withdraw up to 9 million gallons of water per day from the Rappahannock. The water would be transferred to a treatment facility in the Carmel Church area and deposited into the Mattaponi River.
The Rappahannock Tribe is appealing DEQ’s decision to issue the permit. A Richmond County Circuit Court judge issued a ruling last week, allowing the appeal to move forward.
The VMRC public hearing will be held at its headquarters, located in the Hampton Roads area at, 380 Fenwick Road, Fort Monroe, Virginia 23651. The water intake facility would be constructed between Moss Neck and Olney Corner in the Rappahannock Academy area off U.S. Route 17.
Written comments for the public hearing must be in by Wednesday so the VMRC can review them before the meeting, which will be live-streamed.
In-person comments will be permitted, but must be limited to three minutes.
After more than a year of public hearings and debate, DEQ approved Caroline’s permit application late last year. The Rappahannock Tribe announced shortly thereafter that it would appeal the decision.
The Caroline Board of Supervisors initially voted in 2024 to condemn a portion of a farmer’s land in Rappahannock Academy to construct an intake facility that would transport water to a treatment plant to serve homes and businesses on the western side of the county.
Later that year, after State Sen. Richard Stuart (R-Westmoreland) and others spoke out against its plans, the county removed the term “industrial cooling” from its permit application and lowered the amount request to 9 million gallons. Caroline officials are hopeful the Rappahannock withdrawal comes to fruition to address major water quality issues in the Town of Bowling Green and other parts of the county.
