The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has responded to a May 13 request from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as to whether DEQ intended to require for the Mountain Valley Pipeline a new certificate under section 401 of the Clean Water Act concerning the project’s proposal to change the waterbody crossing method for the project at 120 stream or river crossings, more than half of which would be in Virginia. DEQ’s June 25 response sort of “punted,” noting that it was FERC’s ultimate decision. Four-days before the DEQ response to FERC, on June 21, 15 conservation groups wrote DEQ arguing that it was the agency’s responsibility under the law to require a new 401 certificate for the MVP’s proposed stream crossings.
Virginia certification of MVP water crossings still uncertain