At WV Rivers, we believe that all companies should be required to follow environmental laws. When they don’t, we take legal action. Our efforts to hold the Mountain Valley Pipeline accountable has now reached the highest court. The Supreme Court will decide whether congressional approval of the project that prohibited judicial review violated the constitution and the separation of powers. Briefs were due to Justice Roberts on July 25th. See coverage of the issue in the Charleston Gazette Mail here: Mountain Valley Pipeline developers escalate legal fight over project to Supreme Court | Energy and Environment | wvgazettemail.com
The fate of over 500 rivers of streams lies in limbo as decision-makers mull over this precedent-setting case. This uncertainty has caused a roller-coaster of emotions this summer, despair when our lawmakers trampled over our rights to due process, anxiety as heavy equipment started closing in on our riverbanks, and hope when the 4th Circuit Court put a stay on construction pending judicial review.
If you are like me and feeling the emotional toll and environmental grief that the Mountain Valley Pipeline has caused, I welcome you to join in community along the banks of the Greenbrier for healing. Modeled after the Work that Reconnects from the School for the Great Turning, the event will start with a 2-mile float on the river (if water levels allow) followed by an interfaith water blessing and candlelight vigil. After we have rooted in gratitude and honored our grief, we will reconnect to the river by dropping native wildflowers into the flowing waters. We will gather at the Graham House for a community potluck and participate in a mud art project to express our commitment to protecting the waters of life. This is a family-friendly event with kids activities! We hope to see you there.
