Appeals court blocks construction on Mountain Valley Pipeline even after Congress says it can’t

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court has again blocked construction on a contentious natural gas pipeline being built through Virginia and West Virginia. The stay was issued Monday by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. It comes after Congress passed legislation requiring issuance of all necessary permits for construction of the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline. The law also stripped the 4th Circuit from jurisdiction over the case. Environmentalists, however, argued that Congress overstepped its authority by enacting the law and that the law violates the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution. The stay issued Monday is just temporary until the court can hear full arguments in the case.