Court upholds crucial water permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline
Monday, April 3, 2023
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decided to uphold a crucial water permit issued to the Mountain Valley Pipeline by Virginia state regulators, according to Natural Gas Intelligence.
Last Wednesday, the Fourth Circuit denied a petition to review the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s decision to approve the project under state water quality standards.
The court’s ruling is an encouraging sign for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to potentially resume and complete construction later this year. However, the future of the project is still dependent on a forthcoming ruling on a water quality permit issued by West Virginia.
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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.