We’ve seen this movie before. The radical fringe leftists from the Sierra Club (disgusting organization) convinced the clown judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (i.e. Circus) to block construction of Dominion Energy’s 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) pipeline by getting the court to toss U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permits that allow the project to kill a couple of bats along a few miles of the project (see 4th Circus Blocks Permit, Stops All Work on Atlantic Coast Pipe). The Clubbers have done it again, this time with Equitrans’ Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project.
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Category: Equitrans/EQT Midstream
Proposed New PA Pipeline to Connect Rover Pipe to WV Power Plant
It’s not often a new pipeline project crops up and slips by us. On May 31, Equitrans (formerly EQT Midstream) filed an official request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build a 16.7-mile pipeline from southwest Pennsylvania into West Virginia in order to feed what will become WV’s very first natural gas-fired electric power plant (see WV NatGas Power Plant Gets Final Permits, Construction Begins Soon). The pipeline will connect to and feed gas from the mighty Rover Pipeline.
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U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear MVP Eminent Domain Case
Global warming fundamentalists have struck out yet again. In May, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case appealed from a lower court by a group of Lancaster County landowners who claim Williams and their Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project abused eminent domain authority by building the pipeline before litigating (for years) how much money landowners should receive (see US Supreme Court Rejects Landowner Case Against Atlantic Sunrise). Big Green tried again in July, this time using Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) as their eminent domain test case (see Another Supreme Court “Quick Take” Eminent Domain Case – Using MVP). The Supremes have just declined to hear the MVP case, as they did the Atlantic Sunrise case.
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Politicized NC Regulators Object to MVP Southgate Pipe Expansion
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is obviously populated with leftist climate warriors, hellbent on blocking any new fossil fuel projects in the state. Last November Equitrans (formerly EQT Midstream) filed an application to extend the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline that stretches from Wetzel County, WV to the Transco Pipeline in Pittsylvania County, VA *another* 70+ miles south–into North Carolina–called the MVP Southgate project (see EQT Makes it Official, Files with FERC to Extend MVP into NC). NC DEQ is doing anything and everything it can to stop Southgate.
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Out-of-State, Paid Protesters Continue to Hassle MVP in WV, VA
What appears to be an organized, ongoing effort to stop legal construction activity for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) continues in both Virginia and West Virginia. Out-of-state (paid) protesters chain themselves to equipment and block roads in a “death by a thousand cuts” approach to prevent the completion of the 85% completed MVP project. Is it time to bring racketeering charges against the groups and people behind these activities? We think it is.
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FERC Asks USFWS to Pull/Review Permit for Mountain Valley Pipe
Last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to “reinitiate consultation” (i.e. reconsider) its earlier finding that the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project would not significantly harm protected fish and bats in its path. FERC believes there is new information on which USFWS should consider when issuing a permit that allows the pipeline to accidentally kill a few threatened species during construction.
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WV Pipeline Snitches Find Minor Problems with MVP Construction
Must be it was “pile on Mountain Valley Pipeline” week last week. In addition to FERC requesting U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to pull a permit for the project (which happened), a small group of leftists fanned out and snapped pictures of supposed “violations” of the MVP project in West Virginia. The “volunteers” are spun by lefty media outlets as concerned, salt of the earth citizens. We call them pipeline snitches.
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MVP River/Stream Crossings in WV to Resume Thx to Fed EPA
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just given Equitrans’ Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project a huge thumbs up and assist by approving permit changes made by West Virginia that will allow MVP to restart work in crossing hundreds of streams and rivers in the state.
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Mountain Valley Pipe Voluntarily Pauses Some Construction
Equitrans, builder of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline project, has voluntarily stopped construction on certain portions of the 85% completed project. According to an MVP spokesperson, “The voluntary suspension pertains to areas along the route that may potentially have an impact related to the Endangered Species Act; however, MVP expects to continue with construction, where permitted, in other areas along the route.”
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Radical Greens Ask 4th Circus to Block MVP re Endangered Species
Hoping that lightning strikes twice with the “judges” at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Circus) who read children’s books like The Lorax and use them in their decisions, deep-pocketed Big Green groups have filed a new lawsuit with the quirky judges asking that they overturn federal approvals issued to Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Big Green hopes the clown judges will overturn approvals for MVP the same way they did for Dominion Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project.
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Why Do Some M-U Pipeline Protesters Tip Over into Violence?
We have a proud tradition in America of vigorous debate and free speech. We have protests. We still, for now, have a free press where we can express our ideas–whether others agree with us or not. But some on the environmental left go too far. They don’t just protest, they break the law. Some even become violent. Take the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project, as an example.
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VA DEQ Stops Works on Tiny 2-Mile Segment of Mountain Valley Pipe
It appears the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has become politicized. Why is it that leftists (like Va. Gov. Ralph Northam) politicize what are supposed to be impartial government agencies? The DEQ has issued a “stop work” order to Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) for construction activities along a tiny two-mile stretch in Montgomery County. Fine, if there are issues, stop the work. It’s the highly politicized and inappropriate press release the DEQ issued that accompanied the stop work order we object to.
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Mountain Valley Pipe “Critical” to Roanoke Gas Customers
Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), a 303-mile natural gas pipeline from West Virginia into Virginia (being built by Equitrans Midstream) is now 85% complete. Lawsuits are holding up completion of the pipeline, now expected to be done in mid-2020. The project has faced opposition from a small but dedicated group of loons willing to break the law (see Left-Wing Radical Arrested, Removed from MVP Excavator in Va./). Roanoke Gas is stepping up to say MVP and the gas it will bring to the region is “critical” for their gas customers.
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Equitrans Wants to Remain Kissin’ Cousins with EQT; MVP 85% Done
Equitrans, formerly known as EQT Midstream (formerly a division of EQT), released its second quarter update yesterday. Among the things we learned: The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project is now 85% complete and will be done and online in mid-2020. EQT (the driller) remains committed to the MVP project and contrary to false rumors, EQT is not pulling out (it would cost them north of $3 billion to do so!). The project cost for MVP will be around $5 billion–a new high.
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FERC Signals Approval for MVP Southgate Pipe to NC in Draft EIS
Although some of the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) that stretches from Wetzel County, WV to the Transco Pipeline in Pittsylvania County, VA is on hold due to court delays over stream crossing permits, work continues on the project. The original project is now 80% built and will go online in 2020 according to Equitrans CEO Thomas Karam. Equitrans filed plans with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last November to extend the pipeline *another* 70+ miles south–into North Carolina–called the MVP Southgate project (see EQT Makes it Official, Files with FERC to Extend MVP into NC).
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Equitrans Midstream Gets a New President – Diana Charletta
Following pressure from “activist” investors, EQT split off its midstream (pipeline) division into a new/separate company in November 2018 (see It’s Here! EQT Midstream Division Now Split into Standalone Co.). Equitrans, as the new company is called, has been headed by Thomas Karam, president and chief executive officer. Recently Equitrans promoted Diana Charletta to the role of president. Karam remains CEO and has been named chairman of the board (replacing David Porges in the chairman role).
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