Congress is about to hear from hundreds of angry anti-pipeline activists.
They are en route from across the country, with some coming from as far away as Alaska, to urge lawmakers on Thursday to nix the controversial Mountain Valley pipeline — and scrub it from a side deal Democratic lawmakers made to advance President Joe Biden’s climate law.
After holding out for months, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia finally agreed to support the climate measure on the condition that Senate Democrats ease permitting requirements. The deal would help expedite energy infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Mountain Valley pipeline, which is slated to transport natural gas from West Virginia shale reserves to energy markets in mid-Atlantic states.
The story of the Appalachian pipeline, which federal regulators first approved in 2017, epitomizes the upcoming congressional battle over Manchin’s deal.
For Manchin, the 304-mile project is a perfect example of an inefficient and burdensome process to build critical energy infrastructure. Mountain Valley has been mired in legal battles and permitting delays for years.
But others maintain that the embattled pipeline highlights the need for more robust environmental reviews and tighter checks on government agencies.
While federal and state entities have continued to greenlight the project, courts have determined that the development plan for the pipeline does not comply with current environmental law. Its construction, the courts determined, could harm hundreds of waterways, wetlands and endangered fish in Appalachia.
Senate Democratic leaders said last month they intend to attach a permitting proposal to the spending bill that needs to pass before October to avert a government shutdown. While the details of the proposal have yet to be released, opponents of the Mountain Valley pipeline are livid.
More than 80 groups sent a letter Wednesday to congressional leadership, urging them to jettison the plan to fast-track the pipeline from the overall permitting proposal. Over 1,000 people plan to attend a rally Thursday evening at the Capitol, and hundreds more are slated to take part in lobbying meetings on the Hill.
While progressive Democratic members have vehemently opposed the permitting proposal, party leadership have said they intend to honor the deal.
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