ROANOKE, Va. – Mountain Valley Pipeline crews have new approval to continue some work at sites throughout southwest Virginia.
Some people have been wondering why they’re seeing workers out along the route after a federal agency to put the entire project on hold in an Aug. 3 stop work order.
A letter from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Friday gave MVP more freedom to work on stabilization measures. The agency said it’s important for the company to secure the sites and manage erosion controls.
Director of the Office of Energy Projects Terry Turpin said this in the letter, in part:
“The shutdown presents challenges for stabilization and restoration, and we agree that there are some clear advantages to allowing some limited construction activities to proceed to prevent safety and environmental impacts.”
MVP spokeswoman Natalie Cox told 10 News Monday in a statement, in part:
“We are pleased that the FERC appreciates MVP’s desire to uphold our environmental responsibilities by allowing the project to stabilize the right-of-way and to take certain measures to minimize unnecessary erosion and sedimentation occurrences as we work with the agencies to resolve the issues related to the August 3, 2018 stop work order.”
MVP officials have not responded to a 10 News request for comment on how costly the work stoppage could be.
Cox said previously that the company is still confident that it will be able to move forward with construction, even with the court’s erosion concerns.