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Natural Gas Pipelines Become Issue in Virginia's Governor's Race

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello says if elected he'll work to block construction of two proposed natural gas pipelines.

Perriello announced his opposition to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Mountain Valley Pipeline at a Richmond news conference Wednesday.

The former congressman said the proposed pipelines, which have drawn opposition from environmentalists and property owners, are a bad investment and Virginia should instead focus on energy efficiency measures and renewable energy.

The two pipelines would snake through hundreds of rural locations to deliver fracked natural gas to the Southeast.

Perriello's opponent in the Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, did not say whether he supports or opposes construction of either pipeline, but said he wants a "robust and transparent" review process before they are built.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.