North Carolina again rejects fracked-gas Mountain Valley Pipeline extension

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today announced its second rejection of the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s efforts to extend into North Carolina. MVP, which still faces legal and procedural hurdles to obtain all the permits for its currently planned path, had proposed extending its 300-mile fracked gas pipeline another 75 miles into central North Carolina.

The mainline section of the MVP has already racked up more than $2 million in fines in Virginia alone due to hundreds of environmental violations. The proposed extension, dubbed “Southgate,” has been controversial since it was announced and there was never any evidence it was necessary.

“Despite the legal challenges from MVP and over eight months’ time since the first water permit was denied, the mainline MVP project is no closer to being built. It is promising to see the North Carolina DEQ uphold their authority and stance that the best thing for the state and people of North Carolina is to not permit a pipeline to nowhere,” said Ridge Graham, Appalachian Voices North Carolina Field Coordinator.

>> Read the Sierra Club press release for more.

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