CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The State Corporation Commission on Tuesday released a final order approving a natural gas compressor station in Chesapeake, clearing the way for a project that met with sizeable public opposition.
The compressor station for Virginia Natural Gas will be located off South Military Highway near Bainbridge Boulevard was approved by Chesapeake City Council on July 15, 2025. The approval came despite backlash from residents in nearby neighborhoods such as Crestwood and Ava Gardens, who raised concerns about the health impacts of air and groundwater pollution, noise and declining property values.
The residents said it was an injustice to continue to expect people in minority communities to bear the financial and quality-of-life burden of industrial projects that benefit corporations…