Legal Battles Continue: Court Orders Halt to Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction

A federal appeals court has ordered a temporary halt to the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in a national forest, granting a request by environmental groups to challenge the Biden administration's approval of the natural gas pipeline. The court ruled that construction should stop while it reviews the Interior Department's decision allowing pipeline construction in the national forest. The decision only applies to a three-mile stretch of the pipeline planned to travel over 300 miles. Supporters of the pipeline, including Senator Joe Manchin, criticized the court's decision, while environmental groups welcomed the reprieve from further damage to public lands.