| | | | | |

Antis Try to Smear MVP with Misleading “Second Water Rupture” Story

We previously reported that a section of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) in Roanoke County, Virginia, ruptured during a water test in early May (see Section of MVP Ruptures Near Roanoke Under Water Pressure Test). Pressure testing is done using water before a new natgas pipeline is brought online. Water is pumped through the pipeline at pressures far exceeding what the pipeline is rated for. Equitrans, the builder, replaced the ruptured section of pipe and tested it again before bringing the system online. Imagine our surprise and disappointment to learn from mainstream media there was a second rupture before the pipeline came online. Except, there wasn’t. But you wouldn’t know that from the headlines of the stories circulating yesterday and today.
Read More “Antis Try to Smear MVP with Misleading “Second Water Rupture” Story”

| | | | | | |

Ohio Protester Arrested for Blocking Access to MVP Site in Va.

Yet another out-of-state protester temporarily blocked workers’ access to one of the few Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) construction sites remaining in Montgomery County, VA, yesterday morning. She was swiftly removed and arrested. According to Virginia State Police, 25-year-old Elsa Schlensker of Cleveland, Ohio, was taken into custody “without incident” and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where she was charged with obstructing the free passage of another.
Read More “Ohio Protester Arrested for Blocking Access to MVP Site in Va.”

| | | | | | |

Out-of-State Protester Gets Jail for Blocking MVP Construction

Emily Adamski of Calif.

Appalachians Against Pipelines, a group backed with big money from Big Green, funnels paid “protesters” to construction sites for the 95% completed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), mainly in Montgomery County, Va., who chain themselves to equipment requiring state troopers to carefully remove them (requiring hours), slowing the already challenging work to complete the project. About 25 such protesters showed up at a Montgomery County construction site in October. Three of them chained themselves to equipment using “sleeping dragon” devices (see 3 Out-of-State Protesters Arrested for Blocking MVP Construction). One of them, Emily Adamski, 37, of Oakland, California, just received a three-month jail sentence for her illegal stunt. About darned time!
Read More “Out-of-State Protester Gets Jail for Blocking MVP Construction”

| | | | | |

MVP Gets FERC Permission to Drill 24/7 Under Interstate 81 in Va.

More progress to report on finishing the 94% completed (now likely closer to 97% completed) Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project. MVP needs to cross under Interstate 81 in Montgomery County, VA, and it’s no small challenge to drill under the highway because it’s solid rock. On Oct. 13, MVP (being built by Equitrans Midstream) filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to drill 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on the I-81 crossing. Last Tuesday, FERC approved it, although the approval comes with a few strings attached, like using special lights and monitoring noise levels.
Read More “MVP Gets FERC Permission to Drill 24/7 Under Interstate 81 in Va.”

| | | | | | |

3 Out-of-State Protesters Arrested for Blocking MVP Construction

Multiple people arrested in connection to protests tied to the Mountain Valley Pipeline. (Credit: Appalachians Against Pipelines)

This is growing tiresome. Appalachians Against Pipelines, a group backed with big money from Big Green, continues to funnel paid “protesters” to construction sites for the 95% completed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), mainly in Montgomery County, Va., who chain themselves to equipment requiring state troopers to carefully remove them (requiring hours), slowing the already challenging work to complete the project. And then local county judges don’t do anything to stop it (see Va. County Judge Refuses to Stop Illegal Activities of MVP Protesters). About 25 protesters showed up at a Montgomery County construction site yet again yesterday. Three of them — every one of them from out of state — chained themselves to equipment (using “sleeping dragon” devices). All three were arrested and removed, but at the cost of yet another delay.
Read More “3 Out-of-State Protesters Arrested for Blocking MVP Construction”

| | | | | | |

Va. County Judge Refuses to Stop Illegal Activities of MVP Protesters

Emily Satterwhite, who teaches Appalachian studies at Virginia Tech and has been engaged in illegal activities against the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) going back more than five years (see our previous stories about Satterwhite here). Satterwhite continues to encourage others to join illegal MVP construction blockades. On Friday, MVP asked a Montgomery County judge to slap an injunction on Satterwhite to prevent this sort of lawless activity, but the judge was too timid to act.
Read More “Va. County Judge Refuses to Stop Illegal Activities of MVP Protesters”

| | | | | |

MVP Files Lawsuit Against Anti Groups, Protesters for $4 Million

Aggressive “protesters” and the nonprofits that organize and send them out are finally getting some of their own medicine. Big Green funds frivolous lawsuits, and when those lawsuits are finally exhausted (and have failed), Big Green pays protesters to engage in illegal stunts aimed at shutting down the construction of projects like the 94% completed Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). Protesters are aggressively attempting to delay the final 6% of MVP construction, even though the completion of MVP is guaranteed by an Act of Congress (see Equitrans Announces Mountain Valley Pipe to Get Completed in 2023). We’ve reported on the recent actions of MVP protesters in chaining themselves to construction equipment, forcing delays and costing money. Now, MVP intends to collect some of the money they’ve had to pay because of the illegal delays by protesters and the NGOs that sponsor them. It’s about time.
Read More “MVP Files Lawsuit Against Anti Groups, Protesters for $4 Million”

| | | | | | |

2 More Out-of-State Protesters Arrested for Blocking MVP Constr.

On Saturday, August 26, a radicalized out-of-state “protester” (i.e., criminal) chained herself to a piece of excavating equipment being used in Montgomery County, Va., to drill and install the final pieces of Mountain Valley Pipeline (see Out-of-State MVP Protester Delays Drilling 7 Hrs – Arrested, Removed). That act of lawlessness was followed up by an act of terrorism on Thursday, August 31, in Franklin County, Va. (see Radicals Get Violent, Burn MVP Excavators with Molotov Cocktails). Yesterday, two more out-of-state lunatics chained themselves to excavating equipment–once again in Montgomery County.
Read More “2 More Out-of-State Protesters Arrested for Blocking MVP Constr.”

| | | | | | |

Out-of-State MVP Protester Delays Drilling 7 Hrs – Arrested, Removed

An out-of-state, paid protester locked herself to a piece of excavating equipment used to build the Mountain Valley Pipeline early Saturday morning in Montgomery County, Va. She used a sleeping dragon device (arms in a PVC pipe wrapped in duct tape). She was there for seven hours, causing a delay. Virginia State Troopers and Montgomery County Sheriffs finally freed and arrested her. The unnamed protester was charged with a misdemeanor, and bail was set at $2,500. Here’s the thing: She was there protesting the pipeline because it’s fossil energy–yet the device she used, the sleeping dragon, was made from fossil energy! What a dodo bird.
Read More “Out-of-State MVP Protester Delays Drilling 7 Hrs – Arrested, Removed”

| | | | | | |

No Bond for 2nd MVP Tree-Sitter – Sitting Butt in Jail Until Trial

Nearly two weeks ago MDN reported that the final two “tree sitters” (a man and a woman) who were illegally blocking the path of Mountain Valley Pipeline by living for months/years at the top of several trees, were finally removed from the trees where they were living by law enforcement (see Final Two MVP Tree Sitters Arrested, One in Jail Until Trial). The judge in the case ordered the woman (from Vermont) to sit her butt in jail until her trial because she’s a flight risk and may scarper back up a tree somewhere. The judge has just ordered the same sentence for the man (from Massachusetts). He’s a flight risk too and has demonstrated a total disregard for the law, so he now gets to sit his butt in jail until the trial as well.
Read More “No Bond for 2nd MVP Tree-Sitter – Sitting Butt in Jail Until Trial”

| | | | | |

Final Two MVP Tree Sitters Arrested, One in Jail Until Trial

Over the past few years, radicalized environmentalists have taken the law into their own hands in an effort to block pipeline construction. Some of the more wacky ones decided to build themselves tree stands and live, full-time, up in the top of trees that are in the path of Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). Their aim was to prevent the trees from being cut down, ultimately blocking construction of the pipeline (see Still a Few “Tree Sitters” Left Blocking Section of MVP in Va.). Last fall a judge ordered the final two wackos to come down or else (see Judge Orders Tree-Sitting Wackos to Stop Blocking MVP or $500/Day). The “or else” finally happened this week.
Read More “Final Two MVP Tree Sitters Arrested, One in Jail Until Trial”

| | | | | | | |

BLM Approves MVP Request to Build in Jefferson Natl Forest

Last week MDN told you the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) had given final approval to Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to install pipeline through 3.5 miles of woodlands, and under the Appalachian Trail, in the Jefferson National Forest in Monroe County in West Virginia, in and Giles and Montgomery counties in Virginia (see US Forest Service Issues Approval for MVP Thru Jefferson Forest). We also told you the approval was subject to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) endorsing USFS’s plan by issuing a right-of-way grant and permit. BLM approval came a few days later.
Read More “BLM Approves MVP Request to Build in Jefferson Natl Forest”

| | | | | | | |

US Forest Service Issues EIS Supporting MVP Thru Jefferson Forest

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) issued an environmental impact statement (EIS) on Friday that supports plans for Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to run through 3.5 miles of woodlands, and under the Appalachian Trail, in the Jefferson National Forest in Monroe County in West Virginia, in and Giles and Montgomery counties in Virginia. This is one of the few items remaining on the MVP checklist before completing the project which is already 92% built and in the ground.
Read More “US Forest Service Issues EIS Supporting MVP Thru Jefferson Forest”

| | | | | | |

Judge Orders Tree-Sitting Wackos to Stop Blocking MVP or $500/Day

Believe it or not, there are still two environmentalist wackos living up a tree in Montgomery County, Virginia, preventing work crews for Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) from cutting trees to clear a path for the pipeline. This has been going on for years and frankly, everyone is tired of it. A county judge has found the two cowards not willing to reveal their names (known as Tree-sitter 1 and Tree-sitter 2) in contempt of court. Starting today if they don’t come down, they are both on the hook for a $500 per day fine.
Read More “Judge Orders Tree-Sitting Wackos to Stop Blocking MVP or $500/Day”

| | | | | |

Big Green Still Trying to Kill 92% Done Mountain Valley Pipeline

Emboldened by Dominion Energy’s decision to abandon its 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) from West Virginia to North Carolina, anti-fossil fuel zealots are trying to force Equitrans Midstream to abandon its 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) from West Virginia to Virginia. But there’s a big difference between the two: While ACP had less than 50 miles built, MVP is now 92% done and in the ground, with just a little bit left to go. Even so, it’s not stopping a small group of antis, including the well-funded Sierra Club, from attempting to kill MVP.
Read More “Big Green Still Trying to Kill 92% Done Mountain Valley Pipeline”

| | | | | | |

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.
Read More “VA DEQ Stops Works on Tiny 2-Mile Segment of Mountain Valley Pipe”