The federal agency that governs interstate natural gas pipelines is scheduled to release its final environmental impact statement on the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline on Friday.
No one should be surprised by what it has to say.
Friday’s document will set the clock ticking for a 90-day period, during which other federal agencies are supposed to decide whether to issue permits. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will surely give the go-ahead. We can be certain of this because FERC has rarely turned down pipeline projects — and that’s when it was dominated by Democratic appointees.
The commission currently lacks a quorum, but the Senate is expected to confirm President Trump’s nominees before it recesses for the July 4th holiday. Given Trump’s views on fossil fuels, there is no reason to believe that FERC will come to any different conclusion. Agencies such as the Forest Service could complicate things. However, does anyone really expect a federal agency under the Trump administration to block a pipeline?
Likewise, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality must issue certain permits. However, DEQ has opted against performing a stringent review, leaving that to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Some see the dark hand of Dominion Energy at work because Dominion also needs permits for the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and Gov. Terry McAuliffe has enthusiastically supported both pipelines.
The Roanoke Times – 06/19/2017
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