Mountain Valley Pipeline construction halted

Our latest Mountain Valley Pipeline challenge has resulted in a halt of gas pipeline construction through the Jefferson National Forest while our case proceeds.  

On Monday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued an order stopping construction on the forest while the court hears our challenge to the legality of the pipeline’s permits to cross it.  

The pipeline company and the government tried to have our case thrown out after Congress passed a law designed to guarantee the pipeline would win. We fought back, on behalf of The Wilderness Society, arguing that the “separation of powers” at the heart of our Constitution make clear it is the job of the courts, not Congress, to decide who wins pending legal cases.   

These rulings simply ensure that our public lands and resources won’t be irreparably damaged while ongoing legal challenges to the destructive Mountain Valley Pipeline are heard by an independent court system.

Spencer Gall, Staff Attorney

On Tuesday, the court also suspended the pipeline’s permit under the Endangered Species Act in a separate case filed by our partners at the Sierra Club, Appalachian Mountain Advocates, and the Center for Biological Diversity. 

“We are pleased to see the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals uphold the important role that our judicial system plays in the United States,” says Spencer Gall, a staff attorney in SELC’s Virginia office. “These rulings simply ensure that our public lands and resources won’t be irreparably damaged while ongoing legal challenges to the destructive Mountain Valley Pipeline are heard by an independent court system.”