A segment of the pipeline recently ruptured during testing, amplifying opponents\' concerns about future gas leaks.
An Indigenous climate activist cries during a rally to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2023.The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday gave the primary owner of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline a green light to begin operating the project after years of litigation and local opposition to the costly and destructive fracked gas infrastructure, a top priority of lawmakers bankrolled by the fossil fuel industry.
The letter came in response to the pipeline operators’ request to allow gas to flow through the system, which runs from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. An Equitrans spokespersonTuesday that the company is “pleased” with FERC’s decision and that “final preparations are underway to begin commercial operations.”
FERC’s move drew immediate outrage from environmental groups that have been warning against the pipeline’s approval for years, pointing to its projected emissions impact — the“Since developers first proposed the ruinous Mountain Valley Pipeline, their disregard for community and environmental safety has been clear,” said Jessica Sims, Virginia field coordinator of Appalachian Voices.
Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, co-founder and director of 7 Directions of Service, said Tuesday that “this shameful and deadly decision by our establishment leaders and regulatory agencies to put MVP into service only reinforces what we’ve known all along: They do not care about our safety.” “When a fracked gas pipeline fails testing, literally explodes, fails to meet the safety standards its developers agreed to, what are communities on the ground left with?” Cavalier-Keck asked. “We will continue to demand safety and accountability, while ramping up our efforts to bring down such horrific corruption and instill ethical laws and policies, like the Rights of Nature, to prevent more loss of life and the climate crises from spiraling out of control.
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