Good news on the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) front, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit just granted a temporary administrative stay (see below) of Nationwide Permit 12, pending a full ruling on the motion for a stay. According to Jon Sokolow, an attorney and anti-pipelines activist who follows this closely, this stay “halt[s] all work on [more than 1,000] water crossings for virtually the entire length of the pipeline in West Virginia and Virginia,” pending a full decision on the motion for a stay. Sokolow adds that “while this isn’t a ruling on the merits, it is a victory for now and “perhaps an indication of where the court will ultimately rule.” Sokolow also notes, “Without this order, MVP would have been allowed to start construction on these water crossings tomorrow.” But fortunately, now it can’t! 🙂
