Marcellus Drilling News: EQT's Mountain Valley Pipeline Urges WV Appeals Court To Revive Civil Lawsuit Against Pipeline Protesters [Pipeline Finished In June 2024]

On September 18, Marcellus Drilling News reported EQT's Mountain Valley Natural Gas Pipeline has asked an appeals court in West Virginia to revive a civil case it filed against four protesters who attempted to stop work on the pipeline during construction.

Construction on the pipeline was completed and it began operations in June 2024.

EQT's MVP filed two civil lawsuits in Summers County, WV alleging trespass, conspiracy and violations of the state Critical Energy Infrastructure Act after protesters attached themselves to equipment and blocked access roads during pipeline construction.  [Read more here.]

The protesters’ attorney argued that police removal was the proper remedy for the trespass and that's what happened.

The West Virginia court dismissed the cases, ruling MVP lacked the right to sue based on trespass since its easements did not grant exclusionary property rights

Click Here to read the entire article. [PDF of Article]

(Photo: WHSV3 - West Virginia Protest Blocks Path Of Mountain Valley Pipeline.)

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 13 to 19 - Pipeline Rupture At Gas Storage Area; Spill By DEP Plugging Contractor; Failure To Have Shale Gas Emergency, Spill Plans  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 20 [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 80 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 20 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week -  September 22  [PaEN]

Related Article This Week: - Oil & Gas:

-- Independent Research Study By Pitt, Duquesne Ties Water Well Contamination To Shale Gas Drilling In 2 Greene County Townships That Declared Water Disaster Emergencies  [PaEN]

-- Federal Court Denies Request For Injunction In Lawsuit By New Freeport Residents Against EQT Gas Drilling Company Over Contaminated Water Supplies in Greene County  [PaEN]

-- Permits For Controversial CNX Resources Drakulic Shale Gas Wells Expire Potentially Ending Appeals; CNX Can Apply For New Permits Starting The Process All Over Again  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Natural Gas, Wastewater Released From Pipeline Rupture At The Eastern Gas Transmission North Summit Underground Gas Storage Reservoir In Wharton Twp., Fayette County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Water Quality Approvals For The 23+ Mile National Fuel Gas Tioga Pathways Natural Gas Pipeline Project In McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties  [PaEN]   

-- Marcellus Drilling News: EQT's Mountain Valley Pipeline Urges WV Appeals Court To Revive Civil Lawsuit Against Pipeline Protesters [Pipeline Finished In June 2024]  [PaEN] 

-- Protective Buffers PA Hosts Sept. 24 Webinar: Safeguard Our Backyards - Join The Campaign For Health-Based Protective Buffers From Shale Gas Operations  [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Health Project, Partners Host Sept. 25 Webinar On Health Professionals Toolkit For Protecting Patients From Medical Conditions Related To Oil & Gas Development; [PA Medical Society Learning Center Course Available]  [PaEN]

-- Environmental, Health Groups Host Sept. 23 Webinar On What The A.I. Boom Means For You And Society - Big Promise Or Big Problems?  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 40 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In August; 322 In 2025  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro To Convene 13-State Summit Sept. 22 On Critical Changes Needed At PJM To Keep Energy Costs Low, Bring New Electricity To Grid, Serve Power Demands Of A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

-- Team PA Releases PA Energy, Data Center, A.I. RoadMap, Includes ‘Aggressively Streamlining Permitting,' Establishing Regional Permitting Commissions  [PaEN]

-- NRDC: Another Proposed PJM Plan To Deal With Massive A.I. Data Center Electricity Demands Fails To Protect Consumers, Will Increase Electricity Bills Up To $100 Billion From 2028 To 2032  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Pittsburgh Public Source - Quinn Glabicki: Independent Peer-Reviewed Study Ties Water Well Contamination In 2 Greene County Townships To Shale Gas Drilling; Townships Declared Disaster Emergencies Over Water Woes

-- PA Capital-Star/Public Source: Study Ties Southwestern PA Communities’ Water Woes To 2022 Shale Gas Frack-Out, Narrow State Law

-- Courier Times: Federal Pipeline Safety Agency Says Energy Transfer/Sunoco Withheld Information On Jet Fuel Pipeline Leak In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County  [PDF of Article]

-- Fox29: Residents Demand Answers In Meeting In Energy Transfer/Sunoco Jet Fuel Pipeline Leak In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County

-- TribLive: DEP Faces Citizen Concerns About Air Permit For 4.5 Gigawatt Natural Gas Power Plant For The 3,200 Acre Homer City A.I. Data Center Complex In Indiana County 

-- TribLive: DEP Gives Preliminary Nod To Homer City A.I. Data Center Power Plant, But Environmental Groups Sounds Alarm Regarding Pollution

-- DEP To Hold Sept. 17 Meeting/Hearing On Proposed 4.5 Gigawatt Natural Gas Power Plant At Homer City A.I. Data Center Campus In Indiana County 

-- TribLive Letter: House Bill 502 Energy Facility Siting Legislation A Betrayal Of Local Communities - By Megan McDonough, Food & Water Watch

-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Report Shares Outline Of Cleanup, Closure Of 3 Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Facilities   [PDF of Article]

-- Williamsport Sun: Cleanup Of Spilled Material At One Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Nearly Complete

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Erie Shale Gas Conference Showcases PA Energy Advantage - By Jim Welty, Marcellus Shale Coalition  

-- Observer-Reporter: Investment Firm Purchases Hill Top Energy Power Plant In Greene County To Support A.I. Data Center Development

-- Blackstone Private Equity Announced Purchase Of 620 MW Hill Top Energy Center Natural Gas Power Plant In Greene County To Power A.I. Data Center Build Out 

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Electric Customers Will Pay To Keep An Old Fossil Fuel Power Plant Running Under US DOE Orders

-- Bloomberg: EQT Shale Gas Driller Says High Electric Bills Will Drive Use Of More Natural Gas  ‘We’ve Never Produced More Energy… But Americans’ Energy Bills Are Up Over 35%’

-- Texas Tribune: Texas $7.2 Billion Loan Program For Natural Gas Power Plants Has Approved 2 Projects Generating 578 MW  In Two Years; Rising Costs, Supply Chain Issues Holding Back Interest In The Program

-- EPA Convenes A.I. Roundtable Highlighting Permitting Reform To Make US The A.I. Capital of The World 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: LNG Gas Exports Are On A Roll, EQT Is Rolling With It

[Posted: September 18, 2025]  PA Environment Digest