Fight the MVP SOUTHGATE Extension: The clock is ticking! We have until JULY 24TH at 5pm.
MVP Southgate Filed an Extension Request with FERC
The clock is ticking!
Here's your to-do list: make a comment to FERC, sign the Sierra Club petition and CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS!
FERC has just issued a comment + intervenor period on MVP Southgate, closing July 24 at 5pm. The notice is below. Link to FERC letter.
Please submit comments into this docket (CP19-14-002) (links below) and the original (CP19-14), asking for the timeline to be extended to 60 days.
Docket(s): CP19-14-002
Lead Applicant: Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC
Filing Type: Formal Notice
Description: Notice of Request for Extension of Time re Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC under CP19-14.
To view the document for this Issuance, click here
https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_num=20230622-3015
From FERC: "The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments in lieu
of paper using the “eFile” link at http://www.ferc.gov. In lieu of electronic filing, you
may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed
to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier
must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
HOW TO SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT USING E-FILING ON THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION’S (FERC) NOTICE OF INQUIRY (NOI)
How to comment to FERC:
FERC’s website is www.ferc.gov
There is a tab for Documents & Filing, and in the drop-down menu from that, choose e-Comment
You do not need to Register with FERC to Comment.
It’s best if you type up your comment before, and just copy and paste it into the box where you are allowed to make comments (6000 characters).
If you have not Registered
- Click on the e-Comment button, which takes you to an authorization page.
- Enter your name and email address, and type in the “authorization” letters / numbers that appear.
- Click on authorize.
- FERC will send you an email.
- Click on the link in the email. It will lead to a page on the FERC website with your name and email filled in.
If you have already Registered – Click on the e-Comment button. It will lead to a page on the FERC website with your name and email filled in.
In the field for “Enter Docket Number” type CP14-529 (No Spaces)
Click on the Search button and wait a moment for a response.
Click on the blue cross in the far right column under the heading labelled “Select”
A box for entering the comment appears. It lets you enter up to 6000 characters.
It’s best if you type up your comment before, and just copy and paste it into this box. (possible ideas for comments)
Click on Send Comment
FERC will send you an email confirming receipt of your comment.
Tell FERC to deny this extension request. Write to your federal representatives and ask them to tell FERC to deny this extension request.
Here is a great Action Alert from Caroline at Sierra Club that will send a comment directly to FERC for you.
If you need talking points, check out this link here for all of the information on MVP Southgate and why it is not needed.
Contact your Senators ASAP. Ask them to Remove Provision 7.1 and 7.2 from House Bill 600, The Regulatory Reform Act of 2023. Contact all the Senators in the Senate Rules and Operations Committee. Contact Senator Sanderson, a primary sponsor of the bill. He's INVITING you to do so:
Sen. Norm Sanderson, a Pamlico County Republican, acknowledged the water quality certificate was a key hold-up for the pipeline in North Carolina but said there haven’t been lengthy discussions about how the regulatory reform bill could help the project. “Just a very brief discussion that the new rule or the legislation is going to probably put us in a better position to be able to help them,” Sanderson told The News & Observer. “But we haven’t had any in-depth discussions about that. In fact, I would love to be able to talk to members of their company before we move because we don’t want to do something that’s restrictive for them.”
Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article276460326.html#storylink=cpy
Feel free to use the Action Alert to make this simple, but the most effective comments will be those that are personalized. Tell them why YOU care!
If you are in impacted landowner and need guidance, advice, questions answered, we're here for it. If your neighbors and friends have questions, loop them in to these updates. We'll be scheduling public information meetings soon, so keep yourselves and your neighbors in the know with these updates and look for dates and locations within the next few weeks. Most importantly, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES. We aren't giving up and you shouldn't either.
There have been rapid changes, here's a quick recap:
MVP Mainline was greenlighted by the Federal Government a few weeks ago. This amendment was a part of the Debt Ceiling negotiations, and was opposed by representatives on both sides of the aisle. It was apparent that this scheme was meant to serve only Senator Joe Manchin and his financial backers, fracked gas companies. Manchin received $346,910 from fracked gas companies in 2022, more than ANY federal representative. Because of this amendment, MVP Mainline plans to begin construction within the next two weeks with an in service date of December 31st, 2023.
Keep in mind that the Southgate extension is an entirely separate project in terms of permitting.
Southgate has continued to lose investors since NCDEQ denied their 401 permit in 2020. During these years, the company continues to pay staff and continues to lose money with no returns. In addition to those costs, MVP Southgate reimbursed landowners for their costs fighting imminent domain cases and surveying costs.
The FERC Certificate of Public Necessity for the Southgate extension is set to expire on Sunday, June 18th. This certificate is the tool Southgate needs to pursue easements, file imminent domain cases, and generally move forward with any other permitting for the project.
Here is what we've sent to these Senators. Take this and make it your own. They want to hear from you about why this project, and namely this House Bill 600, is a problem for YOU and YOUR community.
House Bill 600, the Regulatory Reform Act of 2023, will be moving forward for a vote in the Senate in the coming days and this bill poses major concerns for North Carolinians. This bill threatens to weaken tools to regulate toxic chemicals in our waters, and weaken permits to allow pipeline projects to move forward with little public opposition.
This bill aims to expedite 401 permitting processes. This amendment would directly impact an unnecessary pipeline project in North Carolina, the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate extension. In 2020, this project was denied by NC DEQ due to the permanent destructive impacts the project would have on environmental resources and communities as a whole. Alamance County Commissioners unanimously signed a resolution to oppose the project in 2018.
This bill would limit the amount of time for NCDEQ to review and make a determination on a 401 permit, giving the public less time to assess the impacts and provide thoughtful input on a project that would subject them to eminent domain cases. Worse yet, the permit would be deemed complete and granted if NCDEQ fails to meet a 30 day deadline, which would negate any opportunity for input by impacted communities and local governments.
The bill would also limit NCDEQ's review to exclusively evaluate the project based on the potential to violate existing water quality standards. This clause intentionally excludes cumulative impacts and environmental justice analyses, which is unconstitutional under Title VI laws of the Clean Water Act.
Beyond the MVP Southgate project, these reforms to the 401 permitting process would have statewide implications for all major projects. These permit processes are put in place to protect not only our environmental resources, but our communities who depend on them.