Controversy intensifies surrounding movement on Mountain Valley, Atlantic Coast pipelines

Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, formally applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Friday for authorization to build a 301-mile interstate natural gas pipeline.

(Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

(WSLS 10) - Parties for and against east coast pipeline movements made moves Friday, as Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, formally applied for authorization to build a 301-mile interstate natural gas pipeline, and environmental groups announced a plan for legal action against the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

[polldaddy poll=9142748]

Recommended Videos



Mountain Valley Pipeline makes moves forward

MVP announced Friday it applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build a pipeline they said will be designed to provide timely, cost effective access to the growing demand for natural gas for use by local distribution companies, industrial users, and power generation facilities in the Mid- Atlantic, Southeast, and Appalachian regions of the United States.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline would transport Marcellus and Utica natural gas from Wetzel County, WV and traversing south through 11 counties in WV; and southeast through six counties in Virginia before ending in Pittsylvania County. Construction for the MVP is anticipated to begin in late 2016.

Through the application, FERC is being asked to certify the public convenience and necessity of the MVP project, including public safety; water resources; karst topography; air quality; wildlife, soils, and vegetation; protected species; cultural and historic resources; sound levels; realistic alternatives; and cumulative economic benefits.

According to the application, revisions include avoidance of Spring Hollow Reservoir, Camp Roanoke, Cahas Mountain Rural Historic District, the Town of Boones Mill's water source treatment plant, the Burnsville Lake Wildlife Management Area, and the Elk River Wildlife Management area. Also, an alternative to previous plan for crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway, minimizing visual impact,

Those behind the Mountain Valley Pipeline said they estimate significant economic benefits to the pipeline, including $811 million in WV and $407 million in VA on labor, equipment, materials, and services

For further information on this application for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, click here.

Opposition files suit against Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Meanwhile, the proposed 564-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline that would carry natural gas fracked in West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina got some push-back Friday, as Appalachian Mountain Advocates (AMA) filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) a motion to intervene in the permit process for the project and a formal protest.

AMA said it believes the pipeline "would cause irreparable harm to the environment and private property, and should be denied."

Dominion Transmission, Inc., and Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC filed an application with FERC in September to build the interstate gas pipeline. Similarly to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, FERC must now decide if the pipeline will serve the "public convenience and necessity" and coordinating an environmental review of the pipeline.

In their 50-page filing, the environmental groups described how the companies presented what they called flawed and exaggerated information about the need for the pipeline.