"The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed yesterday to pause developers' use of a streamlined water permit for the Mountain Valley pipeline, dealing another setback for a multibillion-dollar project beset by years of delays and cost overruns.

Hours after a virtual hearing on environmental groups' motion to scrap reissued approvals for the natural gas pipeline under the Army Corps of Engineers' Nationwide Permit 12 (NWP 12) program, a three-judge panel agreed to stay the permits.

The judges did not immediately explain their reasoning for the decision, noting that an opinion would follow at a later date."

Niina H. Farah reports for E&E News November 10, 2020. [2]