Equitrans Midstream reaches agreement with US regulator for Mountain Valley Pipeline

Equitrans Midstream

03/10/2023 22:44

Oct 3 (Reuters) - Oil and gas pipeline firm Equitrans
Midstream  ETRN.N  said on Tuesday it has entered into a consent
agreement with the U.S. pipeline regulator for the Mountain
Valley Pipeline (MVP) project.
    Under the agreement with the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the project's team
would conduct previously planned inspections to verify the
integrity of the pipeline, among other measures.
    The $6.6 billion gas pipeline project has been tangled in
numerous court fights since its construction began in 2018.
    Mountain Valley is owned by units of Equitrans Midstream,
the lead partner building the pipeline, as well as NextEra
Capital Holdings, Con Edison Transmission, WGL Midstream MVP and
RGC Midstream.
    Environmentalists have said the project would harm soil and
water quality in the forest and increase the use of natural gas,
a leading fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emitter.
    Equitrans Midstream said it agrees with PHMSA that
"transparently outlining" the steps being taken by the MVP
project team to responsibly complete construction would
reinforce public confidence in the pipeline's safe operation.
    The Canonsburg, Pennsylvania-based firm said the consent
agreement is not expected to have a material impact on the total
cost of the project or schedule.
    The company had said in August it expects to complete the
MVP project by the end of the year, despite the court fights.
    

 (Reporting by Tanay Dhumal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi
Majumdar)
 ((Tanay.Dhumal@thomsonreuters.com; Twitter: https://twitter.com/TanayDhumal;))