Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has allowed the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to go in-service. This announcement arrives after a decade of community-led resistance to the pipeline project. MVP has doubled in cost and delayed completion for six years due to failures to comply with environmental protections and resulting legal challenges.
Representatives from many of the groups fighting the pipeline issued the following statements:
Russell Chisholm, co-director of the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights Coalition (POWHR):
“Let this travesty be a lesson to all financiers, government officials and regulators: Stop backing all fossil fuel projects immediately. Every system that claims to protect us has failed. We need real transparency and accountability for corrupt politicians and companies, and we demand a livable future amidst climate change. Our fight is not over: We have 303-miles of failing pipes — with at least 130 identified anomalies — pumping methane gas through our communities, and we are being targeted by new projects like Southgate and the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. We deserve better and we are never going to stop demanding better.”
Autumn Crowe, Interim Executive Director of West Virginia Rivers Coalition:
“For a decade, community members have warned about the risks associated with the Mountain Valley Pipeline project, which far outweigh any benefits. This pipeline crossed thousands of rivers and streams, damaging our water resources in the process. The project is far from final restoration when hillsides continue to slip, people lack clean well water, agricultural lands are damaged and streams are clogged with sediment. These problems will persist long after gas is pumping through it. This pipeline snakes through steep, unstable terrain, and heaven forbid an incident occurs because schools, churches and community centers are within the blast zone. We will continue to advocate for the safety of impacted communities and the protection of our lands and waters in hopes that no other community experiences the unjust approval of a project like the Mountain Valley Pipeline.”
Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, Co-Founder & Director of 7 Directions of Service:
“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? 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.”
Jessica Sims, Virginia Field Coordinator of Appalachian Voices:
“Since developers first proposed the ruinous Mountain Valley Pipeline, their disregard for community and environmental safety has been clear. Community members and environmental watchdogs have pointed out the flaws in this project for years, and these fundamental problems with the pipeline remain. By allowing MVP to advance despite all these serious hazards, the system meant to protect our communities, land and water has failed.”
This article was first published by POWHR.
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