
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 7, 1995                   TAG: 9506070085
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ROBERT LITTLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

ASSEMBLY CONSIDERS PIPELINE

General Assembly members were optimistic Tuesday that they can reach an agreement to approve the Lake Gaston pipeline within three weeks, but only by unstitching and re-tailoring the version offered by negotiators in Virginia Beach.

The problem: Lawmakers from Southside Virginia and even parts of Tidewater said they think the agreement has been forced on them by officials in Virginia Beach, who negotiated the settlement privately with North Carolina leaders.

Members of a special committee of the House of Delegates held the legislature's first hearing on the settlement Tuesday, just three weeks before the proposed compact's June 27 expiration date. The panel scheduled a series of meetings and hearings over the next two weeks, in tandem with a similar state Senate committee.

The group also appointed two subcommittees: one charged with smoothing out differences among delegations from various parts of the state and another to confer with officials in North Carolina, who also must approve the deal.

Chairman Franklin Hall, D-Richmond, said some legislators seem unlikely to support the pipeline without more inclusive negotiations.

``We've come a long way not to try our best to wrap this thing up,'' Hall said.

Virginia Beach City Manager James K. Spore said Tuesday that he is concerned about Hall's interest in reopening the settlement negotiations.

``I think to try and start renegotiating a settlement agreement that took four months to negotiate, at this point, would be very difficult,'' said Spore, who did not attend the committee meeting because it conflicted with a council meeting. ``I'd like to know what their concerns are.''

The onus remained, however, on negotiations in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, where officials have been unable to agree on a portion of the agreement that would restrict Norfolk's ability to sell surplus water. Without a quick compromise between those two cities, most lawmakers agreed that participation by the General Assembly is pointless.

Del. Glenn Croshaw, D-Virginia Beach, said, ``It's crystal clear: If Norfolk and Virginia Beach don't reach an agreement in the next 10 days, this thing is dead.''

Still, General Assembly members promised to trudge on, trying to settle other differences so the pipeline agreement can be voted on quickly if Tidewater officials reach a compromise. Gov. George Allen has said he would call a special General Assembly session on short notice.

One key to the deal's success could be appeasement of Southside lawmakers who believe the compact restricts their rights to use their own water.

Boards of Supervisors in Franklin, Bedford and Henry counties have voted to join some Southside localities in a lawsuit to try to stop the pipeline. Franklin County Administrator Macon Sammons has suggested that the three counties surrounding Smith Mountain Lake - Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania - hire an engineer to study the pipeline's possible impact on the lake.

The agreement requires that any locality removing a substantial amount of water from the Roanoke River basin return most of it to the basin. Bedford County's long-range water plans propose using Smith Mountain Lake, which is in the Roanoke River basin, to supply water to the Forest and Boonsboro communities, which are in the James River basin. County officials fear the agreement could make that impossible - or too costly.

Lake Gaston, which also is part of the Roanoke River basin, straddles the Virginia/North Carolina border in Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties.

The proposed deal would allow Virginia Beach and other South Hampton Roads municipalities to pump as much as 60 million gallons of water from the lake each day. Norfolk currently provides all of Virginia Beach's drinking water.

``They're buying Norfolk's water now, but under this agreement, they're not paying the Roanoke River basin anything,'' said Ralph Axselle Jr., an attorney representing a group of Southside businesses.

Attorneys for Virginia Beach had hoped the committee would address only a section of the agreement that would allow water to be pumped from the lake and restrict future ``out-of-basin transfers'' - the only portion requiring legislative approval.

But chairman Hall said the committee will address all aspects of the deal before considering anything in a formal session of the full assembly.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995

by CNB