Virginia’s water control board approved certification for upland areas of the proposed 300-mile Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline on Dec. 7. The certification followed the most rigorous regulatory process to which a proposed pipeline ever has been subjected in the Old Dominion, the Department of Environmental Quality division said in a statement following the 5-2 vote.
“DEQ’s technical staff has been diligent to ensure that all appropriate practices are in place to meet all water quality challenges identified,” it said. The department also has worked closely with its attorneys to make sure the agency has met all the requirements of state and federal law for which DEQ is responsible, it said.
The agency conducted its review under authority the federal Clean Water Act grants to states for considering proposed interstate pipelines. “If this project proceeds, DEQ will hold the developers to the highest standards for which they are accountable,” the Virginia agency said.
It is scheduled to consider issuing a similar certification for the proposed Atlantic Coast gas pipeline during public hearings on Dec. 11-12.
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