Archive | Pipelines

You Want a Pipeline? You Know What to Do!

The Wall Street Journal featured an article written by David Harrison titled, “Lost Pipeline a Bitter Pill for Foes.” The story is about the Mountain Valley Pipeline running through West Virginia and Virginia.  It was successfully challenged for over ten years.  The 303-mile, $6.6 billion pipeline running through the two states was a pet project of Senator Joe Manchin who couldn’t line up enough senate votes for his bill despite repeated attempts. Landowners and environmental groups have fought the pipeline since it was first proposed in 2014.  Many landowners also… read more

Posted in Congress, Eminent Domain, Mountain Valley Pipeline, Pipelines, Sen. Joe Manchin
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We Don’t Care What the Stinking Pipeline Carries.

Remember the Keystone XL pipeline?  Welcome to the Summit pipeline.  Instead of oil, the pipeline would carry millions of tons of carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to be injected into underground rock formations rather than dispersed as pollutants in the air.  The 2,000 mile pipeline would carry carbon dioxide across five states to underground storage in North Dakota.  If built, it would be the largest carbon dioxide pipeline in the world. The idea behind the Summit pipeline is to take carbon dioxide from ethanol plants, where it is a byproduct… read more

Posted in Carbon Dioxide Pipeline, Condemnation, Environment, Pipelines
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New Challenge to Takings for Natural Gas Pipelines

An article published by the E&E News written by Niina H. Farah on December 16, 2021 reported an argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.  The lawsuit was brought by homeowners located along the route of the Mountain Valley Pipeline alleging that it is unconstitutional for the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) to delegate it eminent domain authority to pipeline developers. The legislation at issue in the case is the Natural Gas Act, which extends the federal government’s authority to condemn private land for public… read more

Posted in FERC, PennEast Pipeline, Pipelines
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The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is No Mas

The natural gas project which would have crossed the Appalachian Trail has been canceled as delays and costs mount.  This blog has reported on the pipeline frequently.  See “The Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Bulldozers at Your Doorstep,” June 16, 2020.  At that time, it was noted that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Atlantic Coast Pipeline can traverse sixteen miles within the George Washington National Forest.  The case, U.S. Forest Service v Cowpasture River Prevention Assoc., 590 US ___ (2020) considered the grant of a special permit from the Forest… read more

Posted in Appalachian Trial, Pipelines, Sioux Nation, Uncategorized
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The Court of Appeals Upholds a Pipeline that May Never Be Built

The Court of Appeals handed down a 25-page decision on June 25, 2020 that approved the condemnation of private property for a pipeline that may never be built. In 2017, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to National Fuel Gas Supply for its proposed construction of a 99-mile natural gas pipeline spanning from Pennsylvania to Western New York. The issue before New York’s highest court was did the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity which did not condition Natural Fuel’s eminent domain power… read more

Posted in EDPL 204(B), FERC, Pipelines, Water Quality Certificate
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