The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff has given an initial o.k. to the proposal for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to change the method of crossing waterbodies and wetlands from open-cut dry crossings (as originally approved by FERC in issuing the project a certificate) to trenchless methods, such as conventional bore or guided conventional bore. The action came with a published Notice on August 13 of the publication of an Environmental Assessment (EA). The Notice stated:
“Comments on the EA must be received on or before September 13, 2021. The FERC Commissioners will take into consideration EA comments and FERC staff’s recommendations when they make a decision on the Amendment Project.”
The Notice further states:
“The FERC staff concludes that if Mountain Valley completes the waterbody and wetland crossings via trenchless crossing methods in accordance with its application and supplements, and the staff’s recommended mitigation measures in the EA, approval of the Amendment Project would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. Overall, the EA concludes that impacts associated with the waterbody and wetland crossings would be reduced as compared to the impacts analyzed for these crossings in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Certificated Mountain Valley Pipeline Project (FEIS). However, the EA concludes that the Amendment Project would lead to an increase in construction emissions and construction noise. While the EA concludes that impacts from the Amendment Project on emissions and noise would exceed those analyzed in the FEIS, it concludes that these temporary and short-term increases would not be significant.”
For a copy of the EA, click here: