House Democrats urge Biden administration to reject 73-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline extension.
A Group of House Democrats Oppose Extension of Mountain Valley Pipeline
A group of 28 House Democrats, including Representatives Jennifer McClellan, Valerie Foushee, Kathy Manning, and Robert Scott, have written a letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Secretary Kimberly Bose, urging her to deny a request from the developers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline to extend the project into North Carolina. The lawmakers argue that the construction of the pipeline would pose significant climate and environmental risks to the affected states.
“As Members of Congress committed to addressing the climate crisis, we … urge the Commission to deny an extension of the Certificate for MVP Southgate,” said the lawmakers.
The lawmakers referenced a study conducted by the North Carolina Department of Environment Quality, which revealed that the proposed MVP Southgate extension would impact a substantial amount of regulated riparian buffers, streams, and wetlands. This would result in serious environmental risks, including threats to drinking water quality.
The lawmakers emphasized the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels to combat climate change and expressed concerns that the pipeline would lock homes and businesses in the Southeast into long-term reliance on natural gas. They highlighted the fact that the Southgate extension was not included in the debt ceiling deal negotiated by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, indicating that it lacks the necessary support.
Construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline has faced numerous delays and opposition from environmental groups and Democrats over the past five years. The project has been a subject of intense debate, with critics arguing that it will harm the environment and exacerbate climate change.
“In the five years since the Southgate extension was proposed, the energy landscape has continued to evolve, further diminishing the need for additional gas for residential purposes,” stated the lawmakers. “Clean energy generation continues to grow, and home electrification has become more accessible through the passage of federal climate and clean energy legislation.”
The pipeline, once completed, is expected to have a capacity of 2 billion cubic feet per day. The developers, Equitrans, aim to finish construction as early as this year.
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