Elected officials in Virginia are joining the chorus of environmental groups and landowners who are urging federal regulators to delay the opening of the Mountain Valley pipeline.
In a letter Monday, the Board of Supervisors in Virginia’s Montgomery County asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission not to grant a request to put the 303-mile natural gas pipeline into service until “all the safety testing and subsequent remediation has been completed.” Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC — a joint venture of energy companies — has asked FERC to issue the authorization by May 23.
The pipeline has faced heightened scrutiny since a pipe segment burst in Virginia on May 1 during hydrotesting, a process that uses water to identify potential leaks. The project’s developer also still needs to complete safety tasks outlined in a consent agreement struck last year with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
Virginia Rep. Morgan Griffith (R) said Tuesday that the agreement should be enforced and FERC shouldn’t grant Mountain Valley’s April request to place the project in service.
