SELC Statement on Fourth Circuit Halting MVP Construction 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA –  Late yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, granted a motion to stop construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in the Jefferson National Forest as it evaluates the legality of permit approvals for the pipeline. 

In response, Spencer Gall, a Staff Attorney in SELC’s Virginia office released the following statement: 

“We are pleased to see the Fourth Circuit uphold the important role that our judicial system plays in the United States.  It is the job of the courts, not Congress, to decide who wins pending legal cases.  This principle—separation of powers—is central to our Constitution and well-grounded in Supreme Court precedent.  These rulings simply ensure that our public lands and resources won’t be irreparably damaged while ongoing legal challenges to the destructive Mountain Valley Pipeline are heard by an independent court system.”