CLARKE COUNTY, VA. — Clarke County residents, farmers, and landowners today launched Unlink Clarke, a new nonprofit advocacy organization formed to stop the proposed Valley North transmission line from cutting through Clarke County. Unlink Clarke also announced that it has retained Torridon Law, with former Virginia Attorney General Richard Cullen serving as lead counsel in the efforts to keep the transmission line out of Clarke County.
The proposed Valley North project would construct approximately 260 miles of new 765-kilovolt transmission lines from West Virginia to Maryland. Preliminary routes could bring the project through Clarke County, requiring a new 200-foot-wide corridor with towers reaching approximately 150 to 175 feet – all to transmit power through a community that would receive no benefit from the project.
“Clarke County should not be forced to sacrifice its farms, historic landscape and way of life for a massive transmission line that provides our community no benefit,” said Tom Yannucci, chair of Unlink Clarke. “We are bringing together residents from across the county and have retained former Virginia Attorney General Richard Cullen and the experienced legal team at Torridon Law to stand with us. We have built a serious, well-resourced effort, and we are prepared to fight for the place we call home.”
Clarke County has spent decades protecting its rural character, agricultural economy and natural resources. More than one-quarter of the county's land is protected by conservation easements. The county's delicate karst geology also raises serious concerns about the potential effects of construction on groundwater, private wells, and sinkhole risks.
“I am confident that when presented with all the facts about the consequences this project would have for Clarke County, Dominion and its partners will recognize that the Valley North transmission line should not be routed through the county,” said Richard Cullen, partner at Torridon Law.
Cullen brings more than four decades of legal and public-service experience to the effort. He has served as Virginia attorney general, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and most recently, counselor and chief legal adviser to Governor Glenn Youngkin. During four decades at McGuireWoods, including more than 10 years as the firm's chairman, Cullen handled some of the nation's most consequential legal matters.
Torridon Law's nationally recognized team includes former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mark Christie, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and former chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (Virginia SCC), and former Virginia Attorneys General Richard Cullen and Jason Miyares, and Lindsay Fisher, former deputy chief of staff, director of policy & legislative affairs, and deputy counselor for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, as well as other attorneys with extensive experience in complex litigation, regulatory proceedings and government investigations.
“I am proud to see residents, farmers and landowners come together to defend their community,” said David Weiss, chair of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors. “Clarke County has worked for generations to protect its historic landscape, agricultural economy and natural resources. The Board has made its position clear: we strongly oppose routing this project through Clarke County.”
The Clarke County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted two resolutions strongly opposing construction of the Valley North project within the county.
Unlink Clarke's work to stop the Valley North transmission line will focus on three central priorities:
- Protecting Clarke County's water and environment: Unlink Clarke will fight to protect groundwater, private wells, natural landscapes and the land residents rely on from the potential impacts of the proposed transmission line.
- Preserving farmland and agriculture: The organization will fight to protect working farms, conservation easements, and agricultural land from a massive new transmission corridor that could permanently disrupt how that land is used.
- Defending Clarke County's character and way of life: Unlink Clarke will work to preserve the historic communities, natural beauty, and rural character that residents have spent generations protecting.
About Unlink Clarke
Unlink Clarke is a nonprofit advocacy organization made up of Clarke County residents, farmers, landowners and conservation advocates working to prevent the proposed Valley North transmission line from being constructed through Clarke County. The organization is committed to protecting the county's farmland, groundwater, conservation investments, historic landscape and rural character through community organizing, independent research, regulatory advocacy and legal action.
Members of the press: contact unlinkclarke@gmail.com for interviews, property visits, photography and filming.