Equitrans Midstream Corp.’s 303-mile Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline (MVP) has received its federal Clean Water Act Section 401 stream-crossing permit from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP). The 2-bcfd pipeline is 94% complete, with much of the remaining work including water crossings in both West Virginia and Virginia.
Section 401 permitting must be in place before the US Army Corp of Engineers can issue its construction permits. MVP received its Section 401 permit from Virginia last year (OGJ Online, Dec. 16, 2021).
The pipeline continues to face legal challenges from Sierra Club and other environmental groups in the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit regarding its water permits. These suits include a new one filed in response to the WV DEP’s permitting.
Equitrans expects MVP to enter service mid-2022.