The Mountain Valley Pipeline suffered a setback this week when the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection announced plans to reevaluate its March decision to issue the controversial project a key water quality certification.
On Thursday, Scott Mandirola, director of the DEP’s division of water and waste management, reported that the department would “vacate” the previous Clean Water Act 401 certification granted the Mountain Valley project.
“This decision will allow the agency to reevaluate the complete application [filed by the pipeline company] to determine whether the state’s certification is in compliance with Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act,” Mandirola wrote in a Sept. 7 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Jacob Glance, a DEP spokesman, emailed a statement that referenced the appeal with the Fourth Circuit in Richmond.
“It was determined that the information used to issue that certification needs to be further evaluated and possibly enhanced,” he wrote.
He added, “Out of an abundance of caution, and to ensure that all aspects of the potential environmental impact of the MVP are considered, the WVDEP decided to vacate and remand the 401 certification.”
The Roanoke Times – Duncan Adams – 09.08.2017
Posted by Nelson Bailey
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