A water-related permit for the Mountain Valley pipeline extension project in Virginia and North Carolina fits under President Donald Trump’s “energy emergency” executive order, the Army Corps of Engineers said.
The MVP Southgate natural gas project would be an expansion of the 303-mile Mountain Valley pipeline, which started up in June 2024 after Congress included it in a debt ceiling deal. The existing conduit travels from West Virginia to southern Virginia.
In a public notice Wednesday, the Army Corps’ Norfolk District said a permit for MVP Southgate under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act is “subject to special emergency permitting procedures.” Section 404 regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into U.S. waters.
Environmental and advocacy groups, who reject the idea that an energy emergency exists, said they want to see a robust review process for MVP Southgate. The $370 million project would travel from Virginia’s Pittsylvania County to Rockingham County in North Carolina.
