CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — A ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has invalidated a water permit, stalling the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) once again.
According to a release from the Sierra Club, which, alongside other environmental groups, sued the pipeline, the West Virginia 401 certification was granted by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) on the grounds that discharges into the water in West Virginia would “comply with state water quality standards,” but the court revoked it on Monday.
“We find the Department’s justifications for its conclusions deficient and vacate the certification,” said the ruling.
The pipeline was scheduled to be completed in late 2023, but without the water permit, construction on the project in West Virginia will likely be suspended.
The groups who filed the lawsuit argued that the WVDEP “had not done enough to protect the state’s waterways from sedimentation as there were recurrences of muddy runoff from construction along the pipeline’s path.”
According to the MVP website, the pipeline system will span approximately 303 miles, from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. Approximately 94% of the pipeline project is complete, with 55.8% of the right of way fully restored, the website says.
To read the full lawsuit and ruling, click here.
