Court denies call to stop work on Mountain Valley Pipeline

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A legal attempt by environmental groups to stall work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline has fallen short.

The Roanoke Times reported Wednesday that a federal appeals court let stand a finding that construction on the project would not jeopardize endangered species.

The Sierra Club and other groups contend that two species of protected fish could be pushed closer to extinction if the controversial project pollutes their waters. The fish are the Roanoke logperch and the candy darter.

The groups also argued that cutting down trees for the pipeline’s path could destroy habitats of the Indiana and northern long-eared bats.

But the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the group’s request to stay construction. The decision allows much of the work on the 300-mile pipeline through West Virginia and southwest Virginia to continue.

In southern West Virginia, the pipeline crosses Nicholas, Fayette, Greenbrier, Summers and Monroe counties.

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Kassie Simmons
Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.