Construction Monitoring

Throughout the history of the Mountain Valley Watch fight, volunteers along the 303-mile route have monitored construction of the pipeline. We do this in order to keep our communities safe from the harm caused to our health and environment by the pipeline.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline path running through the steep slopes of southwest Virginia.

The region of Appalachia has long been treated like a sacrifice zone for the nation’s economic prosperity. For the past century, fossil fuel companies have flocked to our region to extract our natural resources, exploit our communities, and run away with the money. Because of this pattern and lack of adequate action from state and federal governments, we have been forced to protect ourselves from environmental injustice.

Our water sources and communities are vulnerable to the danger of the MVP. The MVP is causing irrevocable damage to our wetlands, streams, and creeks. The high-pressure, fracked gas pipeline traveling across steep slopes poses a mortal threat to communities that live along it.

One of Mountain Valley Pipeline’s damaged pipes sitting in a puddle of muddied water. This picture was taken before MVP went into service.

We are our best hope for keeping ourselves safe and alive. That’s why we formed the Mountain Valley Watch project. This work includes water quality monitoring, drone surveillance, and observation in the field.

This reality did not start with the Mountain Valley Pipeline and it will not end with this struggle. We believe it is important to share our knowledge and experience with communities in allied struggles so that they can advocate for their safety. Reach out to POWHR’s Co-Director Russell Chisholm (russell@powhr.org) if you live near a dangerous project and want to hear about the history of monitoring the MVP.