{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-foushee-mcclellan-urge-full-review-proposed-natural-gas-pipelines", "Scott, Foushee, McClellan Urge Full Review of Proposed Natural Gas Pipelines\u2019 Environmental Impact", "2025-12-02", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert C. \"Bobby\" Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", "bobbyscott", "https://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the Commission to thoroughly review the environmental impacts of the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) and the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate (Southgate) project before advancing the projects further.\n\n\u201cWe are concerned that FERC has not adequately reviewed all possible risks associated with the massive capacity expansion and resulting infrastructure of SSEP, the proposed changes to the Southgate project, the history of the developers\u2019 compliance, and the colocation of these two projects,\u201d the letter reads. \u201cOn behalf of communities in Virginia and North Carolina, we urge the Commission to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for both projects before considering them further. If FERC is unwilling to do so, we urge the Commission to deny the certification of both projects to ensure that the surrounding communities are not placed at undue risk.\u201d\n\nThe members highlighted the worrisome track records for the developers of these two projects.\n\n\u201cSince construction began on the Mountain Valley Pipeline mainline project, the developer has shown an unwillingness to comply with environmental and safety regulations,\u201d the letter states.\u201cIn 2018, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia alleged 375 violations, including hundreds of water quality protection violations. The violations include unpermitted discharges into waterways, failure to maintain and repair erosion and sediment controls, violations related to road crossings over streams, and violations related to water diversions and drains... Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC also allegedly terminated one of its inspectors for reporting safety violations. If that is true, this should also be considered in FERC\u2019s assessment as this action is a clear sign that the developer is willing to act against reporting violations and avoid taking necessary steps to address situations as they arise.\u201d\n\nThe letter also highlighted FERC\u2019s inadequacy in considering the cumulative impacts of these two projects being built in close proximity to one another.\n\n\u201cThe recommendation also does not adequately consider the cumulative impacts, including water quality and public safety impacts, that may occur due to the colocation of portions of the SSEP and the Southgate project,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cApproximately 95 percent of the SSEP\u2019s proposed Eden Loop is within a quarter mile of Southgate, and multiple waterways would be impacted by both projects. The potential for permanent cumulative impacts from individual pipeline crossings is compounded when there are multiple crossings of a waterway or in a watershed. The colocation of two high-pressure, large diameter pipelines is of significant concern for local residents.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter can be found HERE and below.\n\nThe Honorable Laura Swett\n\nChairwoman\n\nFederal Energy Regulatory Commission\n\n888 First Street NE\n\nWashington, DC 20426\n\nMs. Debbie-Anne Reese\n\nSecretary\n\nFederal Energy Regulatory Commission\n\n888 First Street NE\n\nWashington, DC 20426\n\nRE: Environmental Assessments for Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate (Docket No. CP25-60-000) and Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (Docket No. CP25-10-000)\n\nDear Chairwoman Swett and Secretary Reese,\n\nWe write to you regarding FERC\u2019s current review of the proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) and Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate (Southgate) project. We are concerned that FERC has not adequately reviewed all possible risks associated with the massive capacity expansion and resulting infrastructure of SSEP, the proposed changes to the Southgate project, the history of the developers\u2019 compliance, and the colocation of these two projects. On behalf of communities in Virginia and North Carolina, we urge the Commission to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for both projects before considering them further. If FERC is unwilling to do so, we urge the Commission to deny the certification of both projects to ensure that the surrounding communities are not placed at undue risk.\n\nSSEP is one of the largest natural gas capacity expansions proposed in decades, but FERC found no significant impact on human health or the environment despite only preparing an environmental assessment (EA) for its review. Under every metric, this is factually incorrect, including project footprint, horsepower upgrades to compressor stations, and capacity increase. This massive project will have significant environmental impacts that demand a thorough review and a complete EIS. Further, not conducting an EIS for SSEP would be a dramatic departure from past FERC policy and practice for projects of this magnitude. The Commission has consistently completed EISs for projects much smaller in size than SSEP.\n\nOn June 18, 2020, FERC issued a final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Southgate project. The FEIS determined that the project would create air and noise pollution detrimental to surrounding communities, cause long-term cumulative effects on wetlands and uplands, and result in a variety of other environmental impacts. Guided by the FEIS, FERC issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity authorizing Southgate to transport 375,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day (Dth/d) based on the project\u2019s design at the time. Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, the developer of the Southgate project, has since significantly changed the project\u2019s scope and operations in its amended application. These changes include, but are not limited to, increasing the pipe\u2019s diameter from 16- and 24-inches to 30-inches, modifying the project\u2019s route, and raising the project\u2019s operational capacity to 550,000 Dth/d. Despite these major changes, FERC\u2019s EA of the amended project recommended a finding of no significant impact which does not require a new EIS be prepared. There are several faults within FERC staff\u2019s rationale in issuing this recommendation.\n\nThe EA relies heavily on the assumption that Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC will adhere to the construction and mitigation protocols that the company enumerated in its application. Since construction began on the Mountain Valley Pipeline mainline project, the developer has shown an unwillingness to comply with environmental and safety regulations. In 2018, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia alleged 375 violations, including hundreds of water quality protection violations. The violations include unpermitted discharges into waterways, failure to maintain and repair erosion and sediment controls, violations related to road crossings over streams, and violations related to water diversions and drains. That matter was resolved with a negotiated consent decree, or settlement, which required Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC to pay a $2.15 million penalty and pay for third-party environmental auditing. Since the consent decree was entered in 2019, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has cited Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC for additional violations. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has also issued more than 50 violation notices to the developer.\n\nMountain Valley Pipeline, LLC also allegedly terminated one of its inspectors for reporting safety violations. If that is true, this should also be considered in FERC\u2019s assessment as this action is a clear sign that the developer is willing to act against reporting violations and avoid taking necessary steps to address situations as they arise. It should also be noted that the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company (Transco), the developer of the SSEP, has a similar history of environmental and safety violations which should be considered in evaluating the SSEP.\n\nThe recommendation also does not adequately consider the cumulative impacts, including water quality and public safety impacts, that may occur due to the colocation of portions of the SSEP and the Southgate project. Approximately 95 percent of the SSEP\u2019s proposed Eden Loop is within a quarter mile of Southgate, and multiple waterways would be impacted by both projects. The potential for permanent cumulative impacts from individual pipeline crossings is compounded when there are multiple crossings of a waterway or in a watershed. The colocation of two high-pressure, large diameter pipelines is of significant concern for local residents. Multiple local governments and other elected officials have expressed concerns about the safety and health impacts of these proposed pipelines.\n\nWe urge you to prepare Environmental Impact Statements for the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project and the amended Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate project before moving forward in reviewing these projects. If FERC is unwilling to do so, we urge the Commission to deny the Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity for both projects.\n\nThank you for your time and attention to this matter.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-foushee-mcclellan-urge-full-review-proposed-natural-gas-pipelines"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.483236836269498, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}