Supreme Court paves way for construction of Mountain Valley Pipeline to resume
CBSN
Washington — The Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for construction of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline project to resume, granting a request to lift lower court orders that halted the project and delayed its completion.
The court's brief order vacates stays issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in cases brought by environmental organizations opposed to the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline that will transport natural gas from West Virginia to Virginia. There were no noted dissents.
Construction for the project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, in 2017. But since then, the project has been entangled in numerous legal challenges to federal approvals for its construction and operation brought by environmental groups. The pipeline, however, is nearly completed, and all that remains is construction of a 3.5-mile stretch through the Jefferson National Forest and stream crossings.
