Bill introduced to complete Mountain Valley Pipeline

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Legislation introduced Monday by U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) would complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Joyce, who was joined by U.S. Reps. Carol Miller (R-WV), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) Mike Kelly (R-PA), Dan Meuser (R-PA), and Alex Mooney (R-WV), said his bill H.R. 3500 would finish a project that will not only finish a project started in 2017, but also bring jobs and natural resources to the Appalachian region.

“Ensuring that the natural resources beneath the feet of my constituents in Pennsylvania are able to reach Americans across the country is critical to returning our nation to energy dominance,” Joyce said. “Congress must clear the way to complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline and allow natural gas to flow to those who need it in the southern United States.”

The natural gas pipeline runs approximately 303 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. Construction on the pipeline began in 2018, and officials estimate about 20 linear miles of pipe remain with nearly 94 percent of the project complete, including nearly 56 percent of the right-of-way fully restored.

Once signed into law, the Mountain Valley Pipeline Completion Act, would accelerate completion of the project. The pipeline would provide up to 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations to consumer in North and South Carolina. Officials estimate the pipeline will create new job opportunities while sustaining about 5,800 jobs and $5.9 billion in economic activity in West Virginia and Virginia. Additionally, the pipeline would demonstrate that the U.S. is capable of energy independence.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), chair of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said President Joe Biden’s administration supports the pipeline.

“This is the second time this week that the Administration has supported the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” Manchin said in a release. “Yesterday’s approval by the Bureau of Land Management of MVP’s right-of-way is the next step in the process to finally complete this vital piece of energy infrastructure that will strengthen our energy and national security, boost the economy in West Virginia and benefit the entire nation by bringing more than 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas online daily that will help power homes and businesses. The process to finally finish MVP has been long, and it isn’t over yet — but yesterday’s announcement and the Forest Service’s approval earlier this week is a sign that the Administration is finally realizing that the completion of MVP is vital for our nation.”