To the Editor,

Make way in the land a byway, for the coming of the vaunted pipeline.

Heralded as tonic for economic woes, an endless supply of methane for Robeson, its neighbors and even South Carolinians. But, lo, it must then carve a swath through streams and across the careening Lumber. Someone forgot …

it is a National Wild and Scenic River, a N.C. State park, and a N.C. Natural and Scenic River.

But tribute is paid for educational deficiencies and “possible environmental damages.” Oh! That it could be impossible, so future residents might gratefully regard that stewardship. The future? It’s already here in renewables, battery storage, efficiencies, and this state … second in the USA in solar energy production.

So fossilized is this proposal, amortized over 30 years, for generation plants that become stranded assets when alternatives surpass. Translation: Ratepayers pay-on, shareholders sell-off. Ah! These muttered soliloquies must only be voices in the wilderness. More balanced reporting is needed from our trusted sources.

A starting point could be from the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC’s filings with the N.C. Division of Water Resources: “The action forecast for Robeson County can be characterized as having the potential for only modest increases in development. Unlike Johnston and Cumberland County, the potential for project-induced growth in Robeson County is low due to a combination of development obstacles that include a declining population, lack of utility infrastructure, and separation from development hubs in Fayetteville and Raleigh.

Colin Osborne III

Lumberton