Environmental groups sue to block Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate project

by Charles Young DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

Apr 7, 2026

Environmental groups have filed a federal court challenge to overturn Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate extension, arguing the scaled-down but higher-capacity project is unnecessary and environmentally harmful as related permits remain tied up in court.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Environmental and community groups have filed a federal court challenge seeking to overturn approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate extension, the latest development in a long-running dispute tied to the natural gas project that begins in West Virginia.

Seven organizations filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, arguing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission improperly approved the project in December 2025.

The lawsuit targets the Southgate Amendment Project, a revised version of the pipeline that would extend the broader Mountain Valley Pipeline system from southern Virginia into North Carolina.

Federal regulators approved significant changes to the project late last year, shrinking its footprint while increasing its capacity. The amended plan calls for 31.3 miles of 30-inch-diameter pipeline — less than half the originally proposed 75-mile route — but boosts transport capacity to 550,000 dekatherms per day, up from 375,000.

In its order, FERC said the developer demonstrated a need for the project, citing binding agreements for 100% of the pipeline's capacity.

Two utilities — Duke Energy and Public Service Company of North Carolina — have signed 20-year contracts for the full volume.

Opponents, however, argue federal regulators ignored evidence that the pipeline is unnecessary and failed to fully consider environmental and community impacts.

"The harms that MVP Southgate would bring to communities … are unnecessary, just as the project itself is unnecessary," said Peter Anderson of Appalachian Voices.

The legal challenge comes as the project faces additional hurdles in a separate case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has temporarily halted key water permits issued by Virginia and North Carolina and scheduled an April 28 hearing to consider whether construction should remain paused.

If those stays remain in place, construction could be halted along the pipeline route pending further court action.

The Southgate extension would run from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, to Rockingham County, North Carolina, transporting natural gas connected to the Mountain Valley Pipeline — a roughly 300-mile system that carries gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale regions of West Virginia and surrounding states.

The amended project is expected to cost about $524 million and must be completed within two years of final approval, according to federal regulators. The developer also must secure final water quality certifications before construction can begin.

FERC said the revised, shorter route would reduce environmental impacts compared with the original proposal, including fewer water crossings. Plans also call for drilling beneath the Dan River to avoid disturbing the waterway.

Still, environmental groups and some residents have raised concerns about water quality, climate impacts and potential costs to consumers, arguing the project primarily benefits pipeline developers.

The organizations involved in the lawsuit include Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Appalachian Voices, Sierra Club, Wild Virginia, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and 7 Directions of Service.

Deputy Managing Editor Charles Young can be reached at 304-626-1447 or cyoung@theet.com