Sen. Tim Kaine Criticizes Failing MVP, Following Sustained Community Pressure to Speak Out

Washington, D.C. — Virginia Senator Tim Kaine criticized the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s pipe failures and environmental violations after sustained pressure from his constituents to speak out. “The testing has shown all kinds of problems. There continue to be the kind of environmental violations that slowed them down before. It’s not like Congress waving a magic wand saying, ‘Do this project,’ made it a project being done well. So I’m not happy with that,” he said on Capitol Hill. Kaine said the recent pipe rupture during hydrostatic testing revealed “some serious challenges” that need to be fixed.

Senator Kaine joins his colleague Representative Morgan Griffith in calling for pipeline safety to be further scrutinized. In early May, Delegate Sam Rasoul and twenty-three Virginia lawmakers wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) demanding they deny MVP’s request to go into service. Several days ago, MVP admitted to another construction delay and pleaded with the FERC to allow it to go into service immediately. Despite similar constituent pressure, Senator Mark Warner has remained silent on this issue.

Russell Chisholm, co-director of the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights Coalition (POWHR) responded:

“Thanks to sustained pressure from his constituents, Senator Tim Kaine has spoken out about MVP’s pipe failures. Now Senators Kaine and Warner must call for immediate investigation and enforcement of pipeline safety across the MVP route. Their constituents’ lives are on the line because Congress greenlit this beleaguered project; their job is to meaningfully take action to protect us from a deadly explosion.”

###