In January, MDN reported that Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)–a $3.5 billion, 301-mile pipeline that will run from Wetzel County, WV to the Transco Pipeline in Pittsylvania County, VA–had received permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin tree clearing and construction of access roads and construction yards in five West Virginia counties (see Mountain Valley Pipe Gets FERC Approval to Begin WV Construction). That was MVP’s very first permission to begin construction-related activities. It was the trickle. The flood gates burst open in February when FERC issued four new orders granting MVP permission to continue not only tree clearing and building roads, but also to begin construction of the actual pipeline itself in WV, and tree clearing/preliminary construction activity in VA (see FERC Grants MVP OK to Begin Pipeline Construction in Virginia & W.V.). The activity in VA was in just one county (Giles) and in one location. MVP still could not construct pipeline in VA pending required state permits. The situation in VA fundamentally changed this week. On Monday, the VA Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued erosion, sediment and storm water control permits for the project–meaning actual pipeline construction can now begin. And yesterday, FERC granted MVP permission to construct pipeline not only in Giles, but also in Craig, Montgomery and Roanoke counties. MVP is now fully authorized in VA and there’s no stopping it…
