A $6.2 billion natural gas pipeline project in Virginia and West Virginia is once again in limbo after a federal appeals court ruled the Mountain Valley Pipeline must halt construction over a water permit.
The 303-mile proposed pipeline cannot restart construction until West Virginia reconsiders a permit to build through the state’s streams and wetlands after past water contamination violations, the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, a leading proponent of the pipeline, directed his ire at the environmental groups challenging the endeavor, including the Sierra Club.
“It is infuriating to see the same 4th Circuit Court panel deal yet another setback for the Mountain Valley Pipeline project and once again side with activists who seem hell-bent on killing any fossil energy that will make our country energy independent and secure,” the Democrat said.
Mountain Valley Pipeline has been years in the making and is 94% complete but has suffered several legal setbacks during the environmental review process. Research firm ClearView Energy Partners predicts the court’s ruling likely delays the project an additional year. It’s already more than four years behind schedule.
Once completed, the pipeline will transport natural gas between West Virginia and Virginia, a domestic energy source that Mr. Manchin emphasized is cheaper and cleaner than relying on foreign adversaries.
He accused climate activists challenging the project of “standing in the way of restoring land to its natural beauty, getting more product to market to bolster our energy security and bring down prices and allowing West Virginians to benefit from the natural resources they own.”
Several attempts last year by Mr. Manchin to have Congress greenlight the pipeline through federal permitting reform legislation failed but jump-started conversations among lawmakers about streamlining the approval process for energy projects. One of his unsuccessful proposals included moving the Mountain Valley Pipeline case out of the hands of the 4th Circuit’s three-judge panel in the wake of several other unfavorable rulings.
The project, which has been on hold since late 2021, is also awaiting approval to cut through Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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