Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP)

This page provides information on current activities related to Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company’s (Transco’s) Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP). The purpose of this pipeline project is to transport natural gas from an existing Transco station and an interconnect with Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Main Line project in Virginia with delivery points in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

A portion of the SSEP designated as the Eden Loop is proposed to be located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and Rockingham County, North Carolina. (A pipeline loop is a segment of pipe constructed parallel to an existing pipeline to increase capacity.) In Virginia, the Eden Loop would include the construction of 26.8 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline. The SSEP also proposes the addition of two electric motor-driven compressor units at Transco’s existing compressor station in Virginia.

In the Commonwealth, the construction of natural gas pipelines is regulated under several environmental programs.

Virginia Water Protection (VWP) Permit

DEQ administers the Virginia Water Protection (VWP) permit program, which follows state regulations and federal guidelines under the Clean Water Act. State law requires that a VWP Permit be obtained before disturbing a wetland or stream by clearing, filling, excavating, draining, or ditching. Applications can be made through the Joint Permit Application (JPA) process.

In June 2025, DEQ received a JPA for Transco's SSEP. Attachment A of the JPA includes a VWP Permit Application. DEQ is currently evaluating the VWP application (in accordance with VWP Permit Program Regulation 9VAC25-210-10 et seq).

Use DEQ's Permitting Enhancement & Evaluation Platform (PEEP) tool to view the status and target timeframe for this permit application.
- Under 'Facility Name' select 'Southeast Supply Enhancement Project- Eden Loop' from the drop-down menu and click 'Apply.' The Request Number for this project is 25-1277.
Click the 'Project Documents' tab to view documents related to DEQ's review of the SSEP's VWP Permit Application.
Email DEQ with questions or inquiries about SSEP's VWP Permit Application at: transcossep.vwp@deq.virginia.gov
Looking for the entire JPA? Click this link to view all JPA documents and attachments submitted for the SSEP on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s website.

Upland 401 Certification

The conditions and requirements of a VWP Permit do not cover activities in upland areas, outside of wetlands and streams, that may result in a discharge to state waters. The construction of natural gas transmission pipelines greater than 36-inches inside diameter, that are subject to a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity under § 7c of the federal Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. § 717f(c)), may include activities in upland areas that could have the potential to affect water quality, but do not fall within the scope of the VWP Permit program. In these situations, the issuance of a VWP Permit as well as a Section 401 Water Quality Certification together fulfill the certification requirements under the Clean Water Act.

An application was submitted by Transco to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in October 2024 for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the SSEP. As currently proposed, the portion of the SSEP natural gas pipeline to be constructed in Virginia would have a 42-inch diameter. Therefore, in June 2025 Transco submitted an Upland 401 Certification Application to DEQ, which is currently under review.

Click the 'Project Documents' tab to view documents related to DEQ's review of the SSEP's 401 Upland Certification Request.
Email DEQ with questions or inquiries about SSEP’s Upland 401 Certification Application at: transcossep.upl@deq.virginia.gov

State Surface Water Determination (SSWD)

To evaluate impacts to state surface waters (such as streams, wetlands, and open waters) from the SSEP, these features must first be identified, or delineated. This delineation is an essential part of the project’s VWP permit application (use the ‘Virginia Water Protection (VWP) Permit’ drop-down tab on this page for more details about the SSEP’s VWP Permit Application) and Joint Permit Application (JPA). DEQ requires that the delineation be performed in accordance with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 1987 Manual (and applicable Regional Supplements), approved by DEQ, or that a USACE Jurisdictional Determination is received.

Before submitting the SSEP’s VWP Permit Application, Transco submitted two State Surface Water Determination (SSWD) requests to DEQ – one for SSEP’s Cherrystone Permittee-Responsible Mitigation (PRM) site project, and another for the construction of the SSEP natural gas pipeline itself. (DEQ works with Professional Wetland Delineators to make its own SSWDs for VWP Permits.) In June 2025, DEQ issued a Preliminary Virginia SSWD for the Cherrystone PRM site project, and another Preliminary Virginia SSWD for the pipeline construction.

Documents related to these SSWD requests and DEQ issuances can be found under the ‘Project Documents’ drop-down tab.

Cherrystone Permittee-Responsible Mitigation (PRM) Site Project

For projects impacting wetlands, Virginia law requires compensatory mitigation “to achieve no net loss of existing wetland acreage and no net loss of functions in all surface waters” (9VAC25-210-116.A). This means that when wetlands and surface waters are impacted, compensation is required. Compensation options include purchasing mitigation bank credits or in-lieu fee program credits, as well as the development of a permittee-responsible mitigation (PRM) site. When a permittee develops a PRM site, they will undertake the restoration, establishment, enhancement, or in some cases preservation, of a wetland site to offset wetland impacts from a project. The permittee is then responsible for the monitoring, preservation, and long-term management of the wetland site (33 CFR 332.3).

For the SSEP, Transco purchased stream credits and proposed the development of a PRM site on the northwestern side of Transco’s existing Right-of-Way (at the Batterman Road/Fairview Road - Route 703 intersection in Pittsylvania County, Virginia; Cherrystone Creek is located immediately north of the area surveyed for the SSWD). In the development of the Cherrystone PRM site project, Transco would impact surface waters in order to restore these wetlands and create the PRM site. For this reason, a separate SSWD was needed for the Cherrystone PRM site project.

Other Regulatory Oversight & Authority

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

In May 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. In June 2024, FERC also issued a Notice of Scoping Meetings and Extension of Scoping Period for the Planned Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. In response to these notices, DEQ and Virginia's other natural resource agencies submitted comments and recommendations to FERC.

In October 2024, Transco filed an application requesting a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to FERC, to authorize the construction and operation of the SSEP.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

In June 2025, Transco submitted a Joint Permit Application (JPA), which included a request for a Department of the Army (DA) permit for the SSEP, under the provisions of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. (The JPA documents can be accessed on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission's website using this link.) In response, the USACE issued a Public Notice of the JPA submittal, soliciting comments from the public and other interested entities.

Other State Entities

Transco has also applied to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) for additional permits related to the SSEP.

Project Documents

State Surface Water Determination (SSWD)

Cherrystone PRM Site Project (Preliminary Va SSWD issued by DEQ on 6/12/2025)

Cherrystone PRM_2025-06-12_SSWD No. 000385_Det. Ltr

1. Final Report SSWD-000385_2025-06-04

2. Final Report SSWD-000385_2025-06-04_updated maps

3. Final Report SSWD-000385_2025-06-04_delineation map

SSEP Natural Gas Pipeline Construction (Preliminary Va SSWD issued by DEQ on 6/13/2025)

SSEP_2025-06-13_SSWD No. 000214 - Det. Ltr

1. Final Report SSWD-000214_2025-06-12

2. Final Report SSWD-000214_2025-06-12

3. Final Report SSWD-000214_2025-06-12

4. Final Report SSWD-000214_2025-06-12

5. Final Report SSWD-000214_2025-06-12

6. Final Report SSWD-000214_2025-06-12_delineation map

VWP Application (received by DEQ on 6/6/2025)

1. SSEP_Overall Permit Cover

2. SSEP_VA - JPA

3. SSEP_VA - EJ Report_final

4. SSEP_VA01 - WOTUS Delineation Report.1

5. SSEP_VA01 - WOTUS Delineation Report.2

6. SSEP_VA01 - WOTUS Delineation Report.3

7. SSEP_VA01 - WOTUS Delineation Report.4

8. SSEP_VA01 - WOTUS Delineation Report.5

9. SSEP_VA02 - DHR Coordination

10. SSEP_VA03 - Unanticipated Discovery Plan for Cultural Resources and Human Remains

11. SSEP_VA04 - Federal and State Listed Species

12. SSEP_VA05 - ETS Coordination

13. SSEP_ VA06 - VWPP_Checklist

14. SSEP_VA07 - USACE IP_Checklist

15. SSEP_VA08a - JPA_Standard_printed

16. SSEP_VA08b - Property Access Agreement

17. SSEP_VA09 - 401 Certification Request

18. SSEP_VA10 - Typical cross sections

19. SSEP_VA11 - Transco Plan and Procedures

20. SSEP_VA12 - LOD Greater than 75 Feet Information

21. SSEP_VA13 - Standard Vicinity Map

22. SSEP_VA14 - Standard USGS Map

23. SSEP_VA15 - APO Information

24. SSEP_VA16 - RPO Information

25. SSEP_VA17 - Permits Licenses

26. SSEP_VA18 - Alternatives

Looking for the entire Joint Permit Application (JPA)? Click on this link to view all JPA documents and attachments submitted for the SSEP on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s website.

401 Upland Certification Request (received by DEQ on 6/6/2025)

00-SSEP_401 Upland - Certification Request

01-SSEP_401 Upland - Typical cross sections

02A-SSEP_401 Upland - Upland Plan

02B-SSEP_401 Upland - Wetland Procedures

03-SSEP_401 Upland - Standard Vicinity

04-SSEP_401 Upland - Standard USGS

05-SSEP_401 Upland - Geohazard report

06-SSEP_401 Upland - Slopes Tables

07-SSEP_401 Upland - Karst

08-SSEP_401 Upland - Streams Tables

09-SSEP_401 Upland - SHWT Information