Mountain Valley Pipeline To Seek Individual Stream Crossing Permits
Mountain Valley Pipeline leaders will seek individual permits for the remaining water crossings in the path of the project.
The company outlined the actions in a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Tuesday morning.
With its nationwide permit on hold, MVP said the decision is the most efficient way to complete the work.
Following is a statement from Mountain Valley Pipeline:
“At present, MVP has all necessary permits – with exception of the Nationwide Permit 12 (NWP12), which is currently under a stay. While Mountain Valley has fully complied with the federal regulatory processes associated with the NWP12 process, given the circumstances and uncertainty regarding a resolution in the related NWP12 litigation issues, Mountain Valley has decided to pursue the Individual Permit (IP) process and associated FERC amendment process for remaining waterbody crossings.”
“With MVP’s total project work roughly 92 percent complete, we believe this decision is the most efficient path to satisfying objections, completing remaining work in an environmentally responsible and protective manner, and keeping within our current budget and schedule. As a natural gas transmission line, a swift conclusion to MVP’s construction and start of operation is important for landowners and communities along the route and is vital in our nation’s transition to a lower-carbon economy, ensuring continued and reliable public access to affordable energy. Opponents have long called for stream-by-stream analysis and say this is the type of review that should have been required from the beginning.”
Opponents have long called for stream-by-stream analysis and say this is the type of review that should have been required from the beginning.
The group Wild Virginia released the following statement Tuesday morning:
“This is the kind of individual review that MVP should have been required to do from the start. The broad brush “Nationwide” permit from the Corps and the general state certifications could not and did not provide the kind of detailed analysis and requirements needed to properly protect people and resources. Now, the federal and state agencies must finally step up and do their duties. In particular, the Virginia State Water Control Board must find that MVP cannot be built through the mountains and limestone valleys of West Virginia and Virginia and meet our water quality standards. Virginia agency scientists said from the start that in-depth testing was needed at stream and wetland crossings and that those waterbodies could be permanently harmed by pipeline construction. Our officials did not heed those warnings and we will insist that they face them again now. MVP’s applications should be rejected, and this ill-conceived scheme should finally be abandoned.”