The controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline project has been given the green light after years of pushback.
This week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted all remaining permits needed to continue construction on the pipeline, a project that has been in the works for more than a decade.
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In a report detailing the approval, it reads: “Accordingly, Mountain Valley has all necessary authorizations for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project. Mountain Valley is therefore authorized to proceed with all remaining construction associated with the project. Specifically, Mountain Valley is authorized to proceed with construction in the Jefferson National Forest, 15, and with all remaining waterbody crossings, 16 including waterbody crossings previously approved through the Commission staff variance process.”
The pipeline was approved as part of a debt ceiling negotiation between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which we reported on here. It’s a move that was frowned upon by several state and federal lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Tim Kaine who previously released a statement saying that it was “unrelated to the debt ceiling matter.”
Construction on the project began in 2018 and is close to finished -- now 94% complete; however, legal challenges and permit complications kept it from crossing the finish line.
Now, with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval, the project can move forward. There are only 20 miles left to build and estimates show it could be done by the end of the year.
Once complete, the buried 42-inch interstate natural gas pipeline will run about 303.5 miles from northwest West Virginia to southern Virginia.
Click here to learn more about the project.
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You can read the full document of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s order here: