Doug Jackson, 202.495.3045 or doug.jackson@sierraclub.org
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA -- Yesterday, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced they were reauthorizing construction along a stretch of the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline. Construction activities on part of the fracked gas pipeline were halted last month after residents and clean water advocacy groups reported numerous suspected water quality violations to DEQ.
In response, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Pipelines Program Coordinator Kirk Bowers released the following statement:
"There is no right way to build these dirty, dangerous fracked gas pipelines. What makes matters worse is that DEQ doesn’t even have enough staff to adequately inspect the Mountain Valley Pipeline. MVP has repeatedly shown reckless disregard for Virginians’ water and communities, while DEQ leaves us to monitor this massive fracked gas project ourselves.
“Virginians don’t need the gas, we don’t need the pipeline, and we certainly don’t need more pollution in our waterways. The suspension of construction shouldn’t have been lifted - it should have been made permanent.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.