WASHINGTON, DC (June 26, 2023) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) and Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) led a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Willie Phillips requesting the Commission deny an extension of the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the MVP Southgate pipeline.
“Given the vast variety of clean energy alternatives, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s original need determination for the pipeline is woefully outdated,” the Members said.
“The presence of a natural gas pipeline is an unnecessary threat to our communities’ water sources, while the affected environmental justice communities have also consistently spoken out against the project. Both North Carolina and Virginia regulators rejected renewed permit applications further demonstrating that an extension to the recently expired Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the pipeline would be irresponsible and unjust to Alamance and Rockingham counties.”
The Mountain Valley Pipeline was issued the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity in June of 2020 from FERC and in the years since, neighbors, residents and citizen groups have expressed significant concerns about environmental impacts, public safety, ecotourism, and nearby communities of color.
The full text of the letter can be viewed here.