Mountain Valley Pipeline filed with FERC March 19 requesting approval of a route variance in Braxton County, WV. The parcels in question are situated between mileposts 74.6 and 74.7.
The application indicated that the variance is located within 50 feet of a water body. MVP provided a brief description explaining that the variance is being requested in order “to avoid impacts to identified bat hibernaculum,” indicating that “Resources have been avoided to the extent practicable” and “BMPs will be installed to minimize impacts to any Environmentally Sensitive Areas within/abutting the area.”
To enact the variance, MVP will be required to clear 3.8 acres of trees.
MVP included in the request three attachments. Attachment 1 is the alignment sheet associated with the variance, while Attachments 2 and 3 were not included with the public filing, as they were considered “privileged” information. In a brief comment on the attachments, MVP indicated that a Concurrence for the Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species Report was submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service on March 14, and approval “will be obtained from the USFWS through a modification to the Biological Opinion.”
MVP asked that FERC approve the variance by March 20.