Folks in the Valley react to President Trump's approval of pipelines

On Tuesday, President Trump signed executive actions to advance approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.

Those here in the Shenandoah Valley fighting their own battles against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline say it's a step back for the country.

"I thought I heard a message last week of putting the power back in the hands of the people and this is definitely not that," said Nancy Sorrells. "This is putting the power in the hands of private corporations."

Sorrells is against the pipeline and said there are many differences between the pipelines affected by Trump's executive order and the ACP, but she is concerned.

"It's pretty clear that they're not going to be the job providers that some people say they are," Sorrells said.

However, those in favor of the pipeline, like Anne Seaton, said the executive order is a good sign for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

"When this thing is in the ground and growing jobs and growing employment opportunities to bring things to Virginia, people will look back and see this needed to happen." said Anne Seaton.

Her husband, Scott Seaton, agrees.

"I think this is one more step that it will ensure that it will be approved in the next six months," said Seaton.

Those against the pipelines, like Sorrells, say they'll continue to fight.

"We have our job cut out for us to go forward and make sure the system works for the people and not for the private corporation," said Sorrells.

Trump also says he wants to make it a requirement that if pipelines are constructed, they should be built with U.S. materials.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline still has several steps before any construction can begin - primarily, a final draft of FERC's environmental statement on the pipeline, which

that the pipeline "would result in temporary and permanent impacts on the environment, and would also result in some adverse effects" but "with Atlantic’s and DTI’s implementation of their respective impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures as well as their adherence to our recommendations to further avoid, minimize, and mitigate these impacts, the majority of project effects, with the exception of impacts on forest vegetation, would be reduced to less-than-significant levels."