On Thursday, June 21, a three judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request for a stay of construction of portions of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia.
The 303 mile Mountain Valley Pipeline is planned for transporting natural gas from Marcellus and Utica shale production through West Virginia and Virginia, crossing over 500 streams and the Appalachian Mountains.
A coalition of conservation organizations is challenging a permit issued for the project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act. With the stay, construction of river crossings in a roughly 80 mile stretch of the route will be delayed until the court issues further rulings. Coalition members bringing the case include the Sierra Club, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Indian Creek Watershed Association, Appalachian Voices and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Read more about the ruling.
Linear energy projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline, Atlantic Coast Pipeline and others have raised significant concerns among members of the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership. While recognizing the need for reliable energy, the Partnership has repeatedly discussed the need for planning and regulatory processes that maximize avoidance of natural, cultural, scenic and recreational resources and minimize impacts. View some of the Partnership’s recent mapping of energy infrastructure in the Chesapeake watershed.
