Access to the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) from any industrial park in Lunenburg County would be cost prohibitive, according to its community development director.

“If taps will be made available along the route, the cost, in excess of $1 million per mile, of getting a line to any industrial park in Lunenburg County, would be prohibitive,” said Beverly Hawthorne.

The proposed natural gas pipeline isn’t slated to travel through Lunenburg County, though it will pass through neighboring Nottoway and Prince Edward counties, which, if taps are located there, could have residual effects on Lunenburg.

The 600-mile pipeline is being proposed by Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, which is made up of energy companies, including Dominion, which is leading the project. The pipeline will begin in West Virginia, travel through Virginia and end in North Carolina.

“Generally, because of the scheduled route of the ACP, which passes through Prince Edward and Nottoway, Lunenburg County will not have access to the gas,” Hawthorne said. “The route, at its closest point, is over 20 miles from the industrial parks in the county.”

The benefit of access to natural gas, Hawthorne said, is being “able to meet the needs of all types of businesses who currently are set up to operate using gas.”

“Because Lunenburg County, at this time, will be bypassed by the gas line, we have not investigated any type of revenue stream generated by access to the ACP,” she said.