We have a climate emergency. We don’t need another pipeline.
The Aug. 28 Metro article Construction resumes on contested pipeline reported that the Mountain Valley Pipeline is expected to be completed by years end. As of January, more than 400 water crossings remained to be completed. There are at least three key rivers yet to be crossed in the path of the pipeline: the Gauley, Greenbrier and Elk . To cross the Greenbrier will take up to four months and use half a million gallons of water and drilling mud or bentonite clay to lubricate the drill bit, according to the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. Along with that, pipes that have been left out in the sun for years need to be recoated and fixed; many are rusted inside and have had animals living in them. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has raised concerns about the condition of these pipes. With high-pressure methane gas going up and down the steep mountains of Appalachia, through a 42-inch-diameter pipeline , it is important that these safety concerns be addressed. Communities along the pipeline path have spent nine years protesting this unnecessary pipeline, as have others, including me as part of Third Act Virginia. This pipeline has galvanized people who realize we do not even need this fossil fuel infrastructure. They are on the front lines of our climate crisis. Our climate crisis is directly connected to fossil fuels. Elizabeth Finn , Alexandria