Records: State police spent nearly $50K on pipeline hearings

Documents show Virginia State Police spent nearly $50,000 on personnel and equipment during 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 whether to grant water permits for the projects.

Both hearings drew protesters, with opponents concerned about water-quality impacts and other issues.

The companies developing the pipelines say they can be built in a way that protects the environment.

The documents show the police agency spent around $34,588 on equipment use, $5,753 on regular-time pay and $8,630 on overtime.