New V-SCI Op-Ed: Science, community activism and the fight to preserve scientist voices

Fast tracking the Mountain Valley Pipeline was the grease that allowed the machinery of congress to pass the Fiscal Responsibility Act which was signed into law in June of 2023. The costs of moving forward with a natural gas pipeline and its projected carbon emissions were weighed against the green energy and carbon cutting goals of the FRA. In the end, the decision to pave the way for completing construction of the MVP in exchange for the support of Joe Manchin III was deemed worth it.

The problem is, MVP has not been mired in legal battles because of its contribution to carbon emissions. The legal battles that stripped MVP of its construction permits were based on problems with sedimentation and mitigation of detrimental impacts on waterways and subsequent ecosystem impacts caused by the pipeline construction. These environmental violations have resulted in significant erosion, numerous citations, and over $2 million in fines. Carbon is just one element in the story.

The process by which citizens and scientists alike are able to review permit requests and environmental impact assessments is a safety mechanism. Public review and comment evens the balance of power between multi-billion dollar corporations and affected communities and it allows for accountability in the use of the best possible science. Bypassing this process, as in the case of MVP and the FRA, is dangerous.

We again thank the Union of Concerned Scientists for allowing us to use their platform to discuss our views regarding the fast-tracking of MVP. We wrote about our experiences and concerns regarding the recent move by congress to fast track the construction of MVP here.