Federal appeals court pulls MVP permit to cross national forest

RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) - The federal appeals court in Richmond has pulled a permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline to cross the Jefferson National Forest.

This is the second time that judges with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals have vacated pipeline permissions granted by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

Opponents of the pipeline praised the ruling, saying the court has served as a backstop for agencies that failed to protect the public.

A spokesperson for the Mountain Valley Pipeline said the company is reviewing the court’s decision and will be evaluating the project’s next steps.