On Earth Day, The Piedmont Environmental Council joined 24 groups and 17 members of the General Assembly in a letter to U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner unequivocally outlining the environmental and social justice impacts of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).

The Mountain Valley Pipeline project was first proposed in 2014 to span 303 miles across southwest Virginia and West Virginia. It has been “under-construction” for a number of years, costing the owner and developers’ billions and repeatedly failing to obtain the necessary environmental permits for completion.

This pipeline’s impacts to land, water, wildlife habitat, climate and frontline communities can not be overstated. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality alleges 350 environmental violations alone.

On March 10, Senator Joe Manchin called on President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act to complete MVP, citing the need for domestic energy independence – contextualized by Russia’s attack of Ukraine – and developers’ false claims that MVP is over 90 percent complete.

Joining together with those most impacted by this project, PEC is asking Virginia Senators to stand in full opposition to the Mountain Valley Pipeline. We believe a safe and sustainable energy future in Virginia is possible but that projects like these move us in the wrong direction.

Read the full letter: