Delay in Mountain Valley Pipeline

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and over 16,000 citizens found fault with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s draft environmental review of the Mountain Valley Pipeline project, according to The Roanoke Times. The public comment period for the draft environmental review closed in December.

In a letter to Mountain Valley dated Jan. 13, FERC notes the company made changes to their pipeline route in accordance with recommendations in FERC’s draft Environmental Impact Statement. A public comment period on the changes is open until Feb. 21.

On Jan. 26, FERC submitted a 28-page request seeking additional information from Mountain Valley. The agency’s Final Environmental Impact Statement was originally slated for March 10 but is now delayed indefinitely.

Other Pipeline News

On Dec. 28, 2016, the Southern Environmental Law Center filed a lawsuit against energy company Kinder Morgan in response to the company’s 2014 spill of at least 370,000 gallons of gasoline in South Carolina, according to a statement from the nonprofit law firm.

Citizen and environmental groups are challenging Dominion’s proposed 55-mile pipeline from Moore to Chappells, S.C. The pipeline would impact 255 acres along the route and would require approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

On Jan 24., President Trump signed executive orders to advance the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline projects. The proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, stretching from Canada to Nebraska, was previously rejected by the Obama administration’s Department of State. And the nearly complete Dakota Access Pipeline — spanning from North Dakota to Illinois — was halted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in late 2016 pending further environmental review. Both pipelines face strong opposition. — Carl Blankenship