The federal agency that decides the fate of interstate natural gas pipeline projects declared Friday that the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline “would result in limited adverse environmental impacts, with the exception of impacts on forest” — a conclusion project opponents said offers additional evidence of the agency’s bias toward approving pipelines.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s release of a final environmental impact statement for the pipeline came more than three years after Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC first announced plans to build and bury a natural gas transmission pipeline through the region. The release marked a major milestone, setting the stage for a decision from FERC about whether the deeply controversial $3.5 billion pipeline project can move forward.
As an interstate pipeline, the Mountain Valley project needs FERC’s approval before construction can begin.
