Above photo: A portion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline construction site in Franklin County. (Roberta Kellam)
Richmond, VA — Conservation groups have launched a new lawsuit aimed at the Mountain Valley Pipeline over its impacts on threatened and endangered species.
The petition for review filed Monday with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond challenges an approval for the natural gas pipeline that was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The lawsuit asks that the agency’s decision be vacated. The groups say the agency should have to re-evaluate the pipeline’s effects on wildlife, and they argue work should stop while that happens.
The 4th Circuit recently tossed the same Fish and Wildlife sign-off for another large natural gas project, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
A Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman says the agency doesn’t comment on active litigation.
A pipeline spokeswoman couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.