Court throws out Mountain Valley Pipeline’s West Virginia water permit
Friday, April 7, 2023
The Mountain Valley Pipeline has lost its West Virginia water permit after a federal appeals court ruled that the state didn’t adequately assess the impacts of building it across streams and wetlands, according to The Washington Post.
The court decided the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s justification for its 2021 water certification was “deficient.”
The decision is a major setback for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which received a major win last month when a federal court upheld a crucial water permit for the project in Virginia.
Learn more: The Washington Post > Court throws out gas pipeline’s Wets Virginia water permit
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
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.