Opponents challenge Mountain Valley Pipeline permit in W. Va.
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Environmental and community groups filed a legal challenge on Monday to a West Virginia water permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, according to The Washington Post.
The opponents of the project argue that the state Department of Environmental Protection violated the Clean Water Act in granting the permit.
The petition was filed with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Last month, a challenge was filed involving a similar permit in Virginia. However, attempts to kill the project so far have failed.
The pipeline is intended to carry natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shales through West Virginia and Virginia.
Learn more: The Washington Post > Challenge filed to WVa permit for Mountain Valley Pipeline
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.