Appeals court declines latest request to stop work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline

An attempt to once again stall work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline fell short Wednesday, when a federal appeals court let stand a finding that construction would not jeopardize endangered species.

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups contend that two species of protected fish — the Roanoke logperch and the candy darter — could be pushed closer to extinction if the controversial project pollutes their waters.

Cutting down trees for a 125-foot wide path for the huge natural gas pipeline could also destroy the habitats of the Indiana and northern long-eared bats, the groups argued in seeking a stay of biological opinion from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

But in a brief order Wednesday afternoon, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request, which if granted would have been a major setback for Mountain Valley.

Read more: https://roanoke.com/news/local/appeals-court-declines-latest-request-to-stop-work-on-the-mountain-valley-pipeline/article_7ae7248a-29f1-11eb-b927-3723d25bb0da.html