Case filed against Mountain Valley pipeline

On 16 February, opponents of the natural gas Mountain Valley pipeline requested that the Virginia Supreme Court accept their case in determining whether or not there is a state law allowing surveyors onto private property without permission.

The case was brought about after numerous landowners from Giles County (Virginia, USA) declined surveyors entrance to their property when assessing for the planned Mountain Valley pipeline. The 300 mile, 42 in. dia. pipeline will transport natural gas from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia and will be regulated by the FERC.

With regards to the case filed against them, the Mountain Valley Pipeline lawyers wrote: “As property owners, plaintiffs have a right to exclude, but it is not absolute. The statute allows limited temporary entries for surveys. It does not take or damage property, and plaintiffs have stated no grounds for holding it unconstitutional.”

However, the outcome may also affect other pipelines that intend to transport material through Virginia, including Dominion’s US$5 billion Atlantic Coast pipeline.

The verdict will be revealed in approximately six weeks.

Edited from various sources by Stephanie Roker

Sources: Richmond Times Dispatch, Washington Top News, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, The Roanoke Times

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/project-news/18022016/case-filed-against-mountain-valley-pipeline/