After facing criticism from Joe Manchin for several weeks, the Biden administration has approved a significant gas pipeline project in West Virginia.

The Biden administration has given the green light for the construction of a natural gas pipeline project that will run from West Virginia to Virginia through federal forest land. This is a crucial step towards resuming the construction of the project.
On Monday afternoon, the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture made a decision to permit the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project to pass through a 3.5-mile section of the Jefferson National Forest (JNF) located on the border of West Virginia and Virginia.
The decision paves the path for the completion of the project, which has been stuck in a prolonged permitting process for several years despite being 94% finished.
According to Agriculture Under Secretary Homer Wilkes, the Forest Service plans to modify the JNF Forest Plan in order to permit the MVP to pass through the JNF. This modification will also allow the Bureau of Land Management to approve a right of way permit and a temporary use permit under the Mineral Leasing Act.
Equitrans Midstream, a natural gas transmission company based in Pennsylvania, has been granted permission to build a pipeline through the JNF, but the Forest Service has mandated that they must acquire any remaining federal and state permits before commencing construction. The project is currently awaiting a decision from the Bureau of Land Management and approval from the US. This decision is seen as a win for environmental groups and a setback for fossil fuel projects under the Biden administration.
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The decision made by the Fish and Wildlife Service to permit the pipeline is currently being contested in federal court. Additionally, a permit granted by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection was invalidated by a federal court in April.
On Monday, the Forest Service made a decision regarding the pipeline's route through the JNF, which follows two previous rejections by a federal judge in 2018 and 2022.
The project has faced strong opposition from environmentalists who claim that it would cause harm to delicate ecosystems and land.
Republican senators are promoting their bipartisan efforts to reject climate regulations proposed by President Biden. Environmental group Appalachian Voice's field coordinator, Jessica Sims, criticized the Forest Service's plan to allow the Mountain Valley Pipeline to pass through the Jefferson National Forest, stating that it underestimates the environmental damage and disregards public opposition. Sims maintains that the pipeline will cause long-term harm to the forest's delicate ecosystems and water sources.
It is not acceptable to modify a forest plan 11 times in order to allow a destructive project on federal land. Additionally, this approval coincides with the involvement of a senator.
Joe Manchin, a Democratic senator from West Virginia, has frequently expressed disapproval of the energy and climate policies of the Biden administration.
Manchin strongly supports the project and believes that it would generate 2,500 job opportunities in the construction sector, bring in $40 million in tax revenue for his state, $10 million in tax revenue for Virginia, and up to $250 million in royalties for landowners in West Virginia.
To obtain the FOX NEWS APP, click on the provided link. The pipeline, spanning 303.5 miles, would carry roughly two billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from West Virginia to customers in the Mid- and South Atlantic regions.
Last month, Jennifer Granholm, the Energy Secretary, wrote a letter to members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, stating that the initiative would enhance the dependability of energy for the American people.
Last year, Equitrans made an announcement that the pipeline was anticipated to be operational in the latter half of 2023.
The company has been granted a deadline of 2026 by federal regulators to finish the project.
There was no immediate response from the Forest Service when asked for a comment.