Governor Manchin appoints boundary commission

Governor wants Va.-W.Va. boundary dispute settled

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, who recently appointed members to a long inactive Boundary Commission, formally requested it to settle a dispute of the state line between Highland County, Va., and Pocahontas County, W.Va. Manchin said Pocahontas believes a portion of the Highland New Wind Development project "as presently engineered, encroaches upon the territory of this state." Manchin said, "If, indeed, a portion of the project is constructed in West Virginia, certain state regulatory action is required." Manchin asked the commission to investigate, and take all actions needed to identify the line, including contacting Virginia agencies, or recommending legislation.

The question arose after HNWD's surveyor located the boundary differently than the established line because one of its turbine towers had been sited in Pocahontas County on its maps.

If the surveyed line is deemed correct, the tower will still have blades that spin across the border. HNWD's attorney has said moving the tower may not be possible due to setback requirements under its permit in Highland County.

See next week's Recorder for details.

— Anne Adams