US Pres. Joe Biden on June 3, 2023, signed legislation that raised the nation's debt limit and ratified and approved all permits and authorizations necessary for the construction and initial operation of Equitrans Midstream Corp.’s 303-mile Mountain Valley (MVP) natural gas pipeline. The legislation directs applicable federal officials and agencies to maintain such authorizations and requires the Secretary of the Army not later than June 24, 2023, to issue all permits or verifications necessary to complete project construction and allow for MVP's operation and maintenance.
The legislation also divested courts of jurisdiction to review agency actions on approvals necessary for MVP construction and initial operation. The Senate passed the bill June 1 (OGJ Online, June 2, 2023).
Equitrans said it will continue to work closely with all relevant agencies in reissuing the 2-bcfd project’s few outstanding permits and “will maintain its steadfast commitment to environmental protection to ensure the responsible completion of the project's remaining construction.” The company intends to complete construction of MVP by end-2023 at an estimated cost of $6.6 billion.
“The MVP project has gone through more environmental review and scrutiny than any natural gas pipeline project in US history, having been issued the same state and federal authorizations two and three times, only to have those authorizations be routinely challenged and vacated in court,” said Thomas F. Karam, chairman and chief executive officer of Equitrans. “Congressional involvement to legislate the approval of this project only magnifies the critical need for more robust and comprehensive permitting reform that goes beyond the important initial steps in this legislation.”
