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The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) team voted late last week to reject the air permit to extend the Valley Pipeline (MVP) led by Equitrans Midstream Partners LP to the compressor station required in North Carolina.
Contrary to DEQ’s recommendation, the Virginia Air Pollution Control Commission voted 6 to 1 to reject the proposed Lambert Compressor Station’s secondary new source review permit draft, which is to remove the MVP from Pizwania County, Virginia. Extends 75 miles to the key links Rockingham and Alamance in North Carolina County.
Shawn Day, spokesperson for the MVP Southgate project, said: “Despite overwhelming evidence that our application meets or exceeds all the previously specified requirements, the majority of the board of directors voted to reject the proposed MVP Southgate Lambert compressor station on Friday. Air permits, we are disappointed." NGI. "The proposed facility will become one of the most strictly controlled natural gas compressor stations in the United States."
The Aviation Commission’s decision marks the latest in a long series of setbacks for the MVP. The MVP will interconnect the transcontinental natural gas pipeline that transports natural gas from West Virginia to southwestern Virginia at a rate of 2 Dth/d.
MVP is a joint venture of Equitrans Midstream Partners LP, NextEra Capital Holdings Inc., Con Edison Transmission Inc., WGL Midstream and RGC Midstream LLC. Equitrans holds a 47.8% stake in the joint venture and will operate the MVP. The company stated in a recent investor report that the target full service date for the 300-mile pipeline is the summer of 2022.
The Air Commission justified its decision to reject the draft permit for three reasons: the Pittsylvania County community where the compressor station is located is an "environmental justice community"; the Virginia Environmental Justice Act's "fair treatment requirements" have not been met; based on behavioral requirements, etc. Factors, the site is not suitable.
Day stated that the board’s decision was “not supported by factual evidence and the rigorous review proposed by MVP Southgate. The review was an independent consultant and DEQ staff member who proved that the advanced design of the project will not adversely affect public health.”
Day also told NGI that FERC “has conducted a comprehensive review of the project and determined that it is necessary to meet public needs and can be safely constructed and operated.”
MVP developers won the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this year, which granted approvals related to pipeline construction and water passing methods.
“The state committee’s decision ignores these findings and the unanimous support of the Pizwania County Board of Supervisors for the project, as well as the unprecedented outreach and communication activities of the DEQ staff and the MVP Southgate team,” Day said. "Mountain Valley is evaluating its next move."
Opponents of the MVP praised the Air Committee’s vote on the draft license for the compressor station.
"For months, our movement has been calling for a stop at the Lambert Compressor Station in Pizwania County," said Russell Chisholm, co-chair of the organization to protect our water, heritage and rights. "Today, the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board chose to reject the Mountain Valley Pipeline's air quality permit, which is necessary for the construction of the compressor station."
Elizabeth Jones, a member of the Environmental Justice Committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Pizilvania County, said that the Aviation Administration showed “courage” in refusing to approve the permit.
"Environmental and climate justice is a civil rights issue," Jones said. "We all depend on the natural environment and its abundance... We believe we can protect our communities."
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Related topics: compressor infrastructure Mvp pipeline supervision
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