Statement: MVP faces more delay and expense

Today, the lead partner in Mountain Valley Pipeline announced that project developers would once more seek permits from the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rather than appealing the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decisions to vacate those permits earlier this year. Equitrans Midstream Corporation now estimates that the pipeline, originally slated to go into service in late 2018, will not be completed until the second half of 2023 at the earliest. Equitrans also increased its cost estimate for the pipeline to $6.6 billion, nearly double the company’s original estimates.

Statement from Jessica Sims, Virginia Field Coordinator for Appalachian Voices:

“The Mountain Valley Pipeline has brought nearly a decade of anguish and harm to Appalachian communities — and the company’s pursuit of twice-vacated permits doesn’t change the fact that MVP is a flawed project that should be canceled. This pipeline cannot be constructed without imperiling the region’s precious natural resources.”

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Appalachian Voices is a leading nonprofit advocate for a healthy environment and just economy in the Appalachian region, and a driving force in America’s shift from fossil fuels to a clean energy future.