The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that construction of EQM Midstream Partners LP’s 303-mile, 2-bcfd Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline would not jeopardize endangered species along its route. The Sierra Club and other environmental groups had sought to stay a biological opinion issued in September by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in order to protect two species of fish and two species of bats.
Water-crossing work on the pipeline through a 25-mile area including two watersheds and about 1,000 bodies of water, however, remains stalled pending a decision by the Fourth Circuit on whether to overturn the project’s US Army Corps of Engineers’ water permits (OGJ Online, Nov. 12, 2020).
Mountain Valley would connect Appalachian basin natural gas production to mid-Atlantic markets. EQM expects to complete the project in 2021.
EQM Midstream owns a 45.5% operating interest in MVP LLC, with affiliates of NextEra Energy Inc., Consolidated Edison Inc., AltaGas Ltd., and RGC Resources Inc. owning the balance.
