Mountain Valley Pipeline obtains fish and wildlife permits
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has issued a new Endangered Species Act review of the Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC’s 2 million Dth/d, 303-mile Appalachian natural gas pipeline, according to Natural Gas Intelligence.
The USFWS notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week that it had finished drafting a current Biological Opinion (BiOp) and Incidental Take Statement (ITS) for the project, as part of federal requirements to review potential impacts to protected species from its construction.
In obtaining the new USFWS permits, MVP has cleared “a key hurdle” in its efforts to place the Mountain Valley Pipeline into service.
Learn more: Natural Gas Intelligence > MVP One Step Closer to Resuming Construction After New Fish and Wildlife Permits
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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.