ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - A federal appeals court put a hold on newly issued permits that would have allowed the Mountain Valley Pipeline to cross bodies of water.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday granted a full stay after hearing oral arguments in the morning from environmental groups concerned about pollution of nearly 1,000 streams and wetlands and the impact on endangered species, The Roanoke Times reported Tuesday.
The ruling means the buried natural gas pipeline cannot cross water, either by boring under or trenching through them, until the court rules on an underlying challenge to the permits. That’s not expected until next year.
Meanwhile, the 4th Circuit is considering a request for another stay involving a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opinion that the buried pipeline wouldn’t jeopardize protected species of fish and bats. If the court grants that stay, it would effectively shut down nearly all construction of the 303-mile pipeline through West Virginia and southwest Virginia through at least the end of this year.
Mountain Valley spokeswoman Natalie Cox said in an email late Monday that while the company is disappointed with the decision, it’s hopeful for a different conclusion once the case is reviewed on the merits of the arguments.
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