For years we’ve fought against the dirty, dangerous, and unnecessary Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). From the halls of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to the hollers of West Virginia, we tried everything to stop this pipeline. Last year, despite all that work and opposition, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) allowed the mainline to go into operation.
But back in 2021, we thought we’d won at least a partial victory when local regulators denied state permits for the MVP’s Southgate extension. But now, years later and with a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) controlled by Trump and his MAGA minions, the MVP Southgate is back. The same dirty pipeline developers are trying to rush through a bigger, more dangerous version of this pipeline project – and they’ve only given us until Tuesday, March 11, to file comments in opposition!
The MVP Southgate is a spur to connect the existing MVP route across the border of Virginia into North Carolina. And despite years of community resistance and no active construction work since 2021, in the summer of 2023 the MVP’s owners asked FERC to help them keep the project alive. FERC agreed, as they always do, and rubber stamped the project, again.
More than a year later, but less than a month into the second Trump Administration the MVP has submitted an “amendment request” to FERC, asking permission to change the route, size and capacity of the Southgate extension. Clearly, they’re banking on Trump’s FERC to give them permission to make the pipeline route shorter but carry more gas – making it an even greater danger to our climate and communities.
Because MVP is proposing so many changes, FERC has the opportunity to do the right thing and require a new certificate with extra studies on the impact of the MVP and Southgate extension on public health, environmental justice, cumulative impacts, and climate change. But with a new chair and new Commissioners since that 2023 certificate, will FERC do the right thing? Or will they rubber stamp MVP Southgate like they have so many permits and MVP disasters before?
Click here to send a comment with our partners and we’ll deliver all the comments before the deadline at 5pm Eastern on Tuesday March 11. After you send a general comment, we’ll also redirect you to info on how to E-file or E-comment on the docket at FERC if you want to become an intervenor or just give your comments more heft with the Commissioners.
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