The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted a stay on construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline imposed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on July 10. (Source: Shutterstock.com)
The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted a stay on construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) imposed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on July 10.
In a single paragraph order, the Supreme Court vacated the stay presented to Chief Justice John Roberts. The court said the stay is “hereby vacated.”
The court said the determination “is without prejudice to further consideration in light of subsequent developments,” according to the July 27 decision.
A spokeswoman for Equitrans Midstream Corp., which is building the pipeline, said the company is grateful for the court’s quick action overturning the stay.
“We are also grateful for the unwavering support of the administration and for the excellent and persuasive advocacy of the Solicitor General; as well as for the many well-reasoned and supportive amicus briefs filed by MVP’s shippers, end-users, union workers, industry associations, and by elected officials who recognize the importance of the project,” Natalie A. Cox, vice president for communications and corporate affairs, told Hart Energy. “In accordance with the project’s strict safety standards and environmental requirements of the issued permits, we look forward to completing this important infrastructure project.”
Equitrans on July 11 had said that the lower court’s decision overrode the intent of Congress, and that the decision defied “the will and clear intent of a bipartisan Congress” and the Biden administration.
The court had ruled that construction should be halted on a portion of the pipeline in Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, hailed the decision, saying the Supreme Court had spoken and that “to let construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline move forward again is the correct one.”
“I am relieved that the highest court in the land has upheld the law Congress passed and the President signed.”
The stay was part of a case filed by The Wilderness Society against the U.S. Forest Service and Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC.
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