Manchin fumes as court blocks pipeline permit - The Hill

Manchin fumes as court blocks pipeline permit | The Hill

Manchin said in a statement Tuesday that “[i]t is infuriating to see the same 4th Circuit Court panel deal yet another setback for the Mountain Valley Pipeline project.”

The conservative Democratic senator accused the court of “once again [siding] with activists who seem hell-bent on killing any fossil energy that will make our country energy independent and secure.”

Manchin has previously tried to push the pipeline across the finish line as part of his permitting reform effort. His legislation — which ultimately flopped last year — would have directed federal agencies to issue approvals needed for the vessel’s construction.

Bipartisan talks on speeding up energy projects have been ongoing, but it’s not clear whether they will amount to a compromise or whether the Mountain Valley Pipeline would be included.

In a unanimous decision on Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond tossed the earlier approval of the pipeline by West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection.

The court ruled that the department’s decision did not properly consider earlier violations of water quality standards by the pipeline.

Read the full story on the court’s decision at TheHill.com.