Federal regulators pave way for Mountain Valley Pipeline
Friday, December 11, 2020
Federal regulators and West Virginia agencies are once again rewriting environmental rules to push the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline through the permitting process, according to ProPublica.
Last month the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that environmental groups are likely to prevail in a case arguing federal and state regulators wrongly approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline through a streamlined review process for which the project isn’t eligible. In response to the loss, West Virginia officials are reworking their restrictions to ensure the pipeline qualifies for that streamlined permitting process.
But this isn’t the first time the rules have been changed for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection gave the project a similar privilege in 2018.
Learn more: ProPublica > Federal Regulators are rewriting environmental rules so a massive pipeline can be built
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.