The Mountain Valley Pipeline is one step closer to becoming reality.  The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued a 401 permit yesterday.  A 401 permit allows the project to affect state waters.  Without the permit, the MVP would not have been able to undertake construction on or near lakes, rivers, and streams.  This allows that.

Quite a few people opposed this permit, noting that the MVP filing for this permit included a lot of paperwork that looked like it had been cut and pasted from other projects.

While I’ve been a fan of getting West Virginia’s gas to market, I also think it needs to be done responsibly, and with a little more consideration for the people whose property is being crossed by the pipeline.  I’m beginning to seriously reconsider my support for the pipelines as I watch them deal with my clients and my community.