WEST VIRGINIA (WVDN) – –With approximately 94% of the project complete, the Mountain Valley Pipeline once again has the green light to resume construction after a recent ruling by The U.S. Supreme Court in late July. Protesters continue to show their opposition to the project, including two who were arrested in Roanoke County, Virginia, last week after chaining themselves to construction equipment in an effort to delay completion.
With only 20 linear miles of pipe remaining, construction on the project has been met with incredible resistance from residents and environmentalists who fear environmental damage, including wildlife, air quality and water. While many are concerned about the project’s impact on these areas, others are worried about the condition of unfinished portions of the pipeline that have been exposed to the elements as construction was delayed in court.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) voted for the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement that would secure the completion of the pipeline on June 1, 2023. “West Virginia is truly America’s Energy MVP and we are proud to continue providing the energy the rest of our nation relies on,” Manchin said. On June 3, the President of the United States signed legislation to approve the necessary permits and authorizations for construction. Upon completion, the projected cost of the Mountain Valley Pipeline is $6.6 billion. The project includes the following West Virginia counties in its proposed route: Braxton, Doddridge, Fayette, Greenbrier, Harrison, Lewis, Monroe, Nicholas, Summers, Webster and Wetzel.
On July 10, 2023, completion of the project was temporarily halted following a ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia. A little more than two weeks later, on Thursday, July 27, 2023, The Supreme Court overturned that decision and ruled in favor of an emergency request filed by Mountain Valley Pipeline, thereby allowing work to resume. The property in dispute was a 3.5-mile stretch in Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest, along with several stream crossings in West Virginia.
While the finalization of the pipeline has likely won the legal battle in court, it has not entirely won over the court of public opinion. The project, which began in 2018 as a natural gas pipeline system that would span approximately 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia, is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
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