Construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline will now proceed, thanks to the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Washington Examiner reports that the justices, on Thursday, vacated previously implemented judicial stays that halted the construction of the pipeline.
Fox News provides details about the pipeline project.
Per the outlet:
According to Equitrans Midstream, the pipeline's developer, MVP will transport about 2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from West Virginia to consumers in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic. The pipeline is projected to generate $40 million in new tax revenue for West Virginia, $10 million in new tax revenue for Virginia and up to $250 million in royalties for West Virginia landowners.
For years, the Mountain Valley Pipeline project was stalled for various reasons, including difficulties that the company faced in obtaining the necessary permits. The stall came to an end - or, at least, it was supposed to come to an end - in June, when President Joe Biden signed the debt ceiling bill into law.
In that bill, there was a provision that looked to expedite the building of the pipeline. The Examiner reports:
That law directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to authorize the completion of the pipeline, including ordering the approval of all remaining permits necessary to finish the pipeline and to prevent any litigation that challenged the pipeline.
Environmental activists, who oppose the construction of the pipeline, responded by challenging the legality of this provision of the debt ceiling bill.
The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the environmentalists, placing a number of stays on the pipeline project.
The pipeline's developers then petitioned the Supreme Court, and, they did so with the backing of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), a bipartisan group of lawmakers, and others.
On Thursday, as stated at the outset, the Supreme Court vacated the 4th Circuit's stays.
The construction of the pipeline will now continue. Currently, it is roughly 90% complete and it is possible that it could be completed before the end of the year.
Considering the benefits that the pipeline will have for the state of West Virginia, no one is happier about the Supreme Court's ruling than U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Manchin, following the court's decision, released the following statement:
The Supreme Court has spoken and this decision to let construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline move forward again is the correct one. I am relieved that the highest court in the land has upheld the law Congress passed and the President signed.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) July 27, 2023
