Environmental groups failed to prove two states approved a Mountain Valley Pipeline extension without proper explanation, a federal appeals panel said Thursday.
The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit said, in two simultaneous opinions, petitions seeking stays pending detailed reviews of the Southgate Project’s water permits in North Carolina and Virginia failed to show a “likelihood of success on the merits.” The opinions by Judge James A. Wynn explained the court’s denial of stay requests in April days after oral arguments in both cases.
At issue are state water certifications for the 31-mile pipeline , which North Carolina ...