CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Department of Environmental Protection has three public hearings scheduled for this week in areas which will be affected by the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline.
The public hearings are required before the issuing of three necessary permits for the pipeline. Those include the West Virginia 401 Water Quality Certification, the Natural Streams Preservation Act Permit, and for the Oil and Gas General Water Pollution Control Permit.
Developers want to build the pipeline which will cut diagonally through West Virginia and include access roads, inner-connectors, meter stations and compressor stations across 195 miles through Wetzel, Harrison, Doddridge, Lewis, Braxton, Webster, Nicholas, Greenbrier, Fayette, Summers and Monroe Counties.
Developers said the line is vital to delivering abundant natural gas from West Virginia to a growing market on the east coast. However, some are adamantly opposed to the route of the line, fearing it threatens streams, forests and present other environmental hazards.
That information will be shared those during the hearings set for Monday night at Webster County High School, Tuesday at the Summers Memorial Building in Summers County and Thursday at Robert C. Byrd High School in Harrison County.
All three meetings start at 6 p.m.