Federal Court Halts Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction in National Forest, Appeals Court Orders Temporary Halt, But Jurisdiction Question Remains

A federal appeals court has issued a stay on the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in the Jefferson National Forest, halting its progress while the court considers arguments that Congress violated the separation of powers doctrine when it passed a law expediting the project. The court order comes after a challenge filed by The Wilderness Society, arguing that the law was unconstitutional. The same court has previously set aside nearly a dozen permits issued to Mountain Valley over the past five years. The construction of the pipeline has been plagued by environmental concerns and violations of erosion and sedimentation control regulations.