Mountain Valley Pipeline Regains Key Water-crossing Permits
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday reissued water-crossing construction permits for the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline in Virginia and West Virginia, a key step forward for the project. This is the latest development in the rigorous, multi-year regulatory process for the 303-mile pipeline.
Also on Friday, the U.S. Forest Service released its proposal for the pipeline to pass through the Jefferson National Forest, but a decision on that permit is not expected until the end of the year.
It is imperative policymakers and regulators provide a straightforward permitting and approval process, and regulatory certitude, for critical infrastructure development – like the Mountain Valley Pipeline. A recent report from the Consumer Energy Alliance found nearly $14 billion in investment is at risk with pipeline cancellations, delays, and challenges – including more than 66,000 jobs and more than $280 million in state and local tax revenue.
Rather than creating additional bureaucratic hurdles and kowtowing to legal challenges, now is the time to welcome investment in our critical infrastructure network. Not only will projects like Mountain Valley safely and efficiently transport domestically-produced natural gas, they also create new economic opportunities, investing more than $4 billion – supporting thousands of jobs and millions in state and local tax revenues.