On March 6, 2001, we were tipped off about the plan to begin laying pipe from route 360 to the site of the proposed outfall on the Pamunkey River. No County official made contact to inform us of this plan, despite the fact that workers would be using our farm road and traveling across our property.
In less than 24 hours, largely by sending email to members of the SaveOurRiver.org mailing list, we mobilized more than 70 people to be at the gate to Newcastle Farm (proposed site of the sewage discharge) early on the morning of March 7. Together we stood at the entrance for several hours while thirteen trucks loaded with huge, 36" diameter pipes had nowhere to go. Many commuters who passed us on their way to work honked their horns in support. Some even stopped and joined us.
Later that afternoon we recieved a call from our attorney, who informed us that we would have to proceed to the Hanover Courthouse immediately. County officials intended to secure an injunction--the equivalent of a restraining order--to prevent us from blocking access to the proposed construction site. Following a two-hour hearing, the judge issued a temporary injunction. Another hearing will take place on August 24, 2001, in order to determine whether to make the injunction permanent.
Despite the legal outcome, we are pleased that so many people supported us on that cold spring morning on such short notice. It was the first real test of the grassroots movement built through SaveOurRiver.org. The demonstration attracted the attention of all three local television news teams as well as the newspapers. The March 7 protesters' message, which is that Hanover County should not build while unanswered questions persist and unresolved lawsuits are pending, reached many people.
