Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (MVP, LLC) has requested the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to authorize construction activities on the MVP to resume. Construction on the pipeline was ceased in August 2018 and again in October 2019 as the result of various legal challenges. In its September 22 filing with FERC, MVP, LLC cited the following justifications for its request to resume construction:

MVP has received all federal permits and authorizations for the activities it seeks to resume. The recent issuance of a new Biological Opinion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is cited.

Completion of construction is best for the environment. The company says that the project “is 92% complete, with 256 miles of pipe in the ground and 155 miles of final restoration.”

Completion of construction is best for affected landowners. The company references communications that were filed with FERC by several landowners in VA and WV urging that the pipeline be completed.

MVP, LLC notes in its filing that work cannot resume in the Jefferson National Forest until it receives authorization to do so from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management. The USFS issued a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on September 25 (see separate article, above).

MVP Seeks Permission to Restart Construction

ABRA CONSERVATION HUB

ABRA’s Conservation Hub program promotes responsible resource management by providing access to critical information needed for effective public involvement in environmental review and oversight.

Following the defeat of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in 2020, ABRA initiated the Conservation Hub to support informed public engagement with the broader range of environmental issues confronting the Allegheny-Blue Ridge Mountain region. The Conservation Hub builds on the analysis and information sharing capacity achieved through ABRA’s Pipeline CSI project during the years of ACP opposition.

The Conservation Hub is based on the use of GIS mapping to provide details and context for land development projects and management practices that involve risk of environmental harm, as well as for environmental preservation and restoration initiatives. The Conservation Hub also provides access to regulatory documents and assessments related to specific projects or issues.

Multiple Conservation Hub sites, focused on individual projects or issues, have been developed collaboratively with ABRA’s partners and allies. Going forward, we invite conservation groups, individuals, and communities to provide ideas for new Hub sites and GIS mapping that can contribute to informed public engagement on behalf of environmental integrity in the Allegheny-Blue Ridge region.