RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Documents show it cost Virginia State Police nearly $50,000 to staff public meetings on state permits for two controversial natural gas pipelines.
The documents, obtained through a public records request and provided to The Associated Press, outline the agency’s spending during four days of State Water Control Board meetings about the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines.
The board met at a Richmond community center in December to consider water permits for the projects, and both sets of hearings drew protesters.
The documents show the police agency spent around $34,588 on equipment use, $5,753 on regular-time pay and $8,630 on overtime.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller says “equipment use” means the cost of vehicle gas and maintenance expenses, not new equipment purchases.
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