Mountain Valley Pipeline Completion Act
This bill establishes requirements to expedite the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which is a natural gas pipeline located in Virginia and West Virginia.
Specifically, the bill ratifies and approves all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements, and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to federal law related to the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
In addition, the bill establishes a deadline by which
Finally, the bill prohibits judicial review of certain approvals related to the pipeline.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3500 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3500
To expedite completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 18, 2023
Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mrs. Miller of West Virginia,
Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Mooney, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, and Mr.
Meuser) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committees on Natural Resources, and Agriculture, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expedite completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mountain Valley Pipeline Completion
Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPEDITING COMPLETION OF THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE.
(a) Definition of Mountain Valley Pipeline.--In this section, the
term ``Mountain Valley Pipeline'' means the Mountain Valley Pipeline
project, as generally described and approved in Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission Docket Nos. CP16-10, CP19-477, and CP21-57.
(b) Congressional Findings and Declaration.--The Congress hereby
finds and declares that the timely completion of construction and
operation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline is required in the national
interest. The Mountain Valley Pipeline will serve demonstrated natural
gas demand in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions, will
increase the reliability of natural gas supplies and the availability
of natural gas at reasonable prices, will allow natural gas producers
to access additional markets for their product, and will reduce carbon
emissions and facilitate the energy transition.
(c) Approval and Ratification of Existing Authorizations.--Congress
hereby ratifies and approves all authorizations, permits,
verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take
statements, and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to
Federal law related to the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
(d) Expedited Approval.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, not later than 21 days after the date of enactment of this Act and
for the purpose of facilitating the completion of the Mountain Valley
Pipeline--
(1) the Secretary of the Army shall issue all permits or
verifications necessary--
(A) to complete the construction of the Mountain
Valley Pipeline across the waters of the United States;
and
(B) to allow for the operation and maintenance of
the Mountain Valley Pipeline;
(2) the Secretary of Agriculture shall amend the Land and
Resource Management Plan for the Jefferson National Forest in a
manner that is substantively identical to the record of
decision with respect to the Mountain Valley Pipeline issued on
January 11, 2021, as may be modified by a subsequently issued
record of decision following the Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement issued on April 13, 2023; and
(3) the Secretary of the Interior shall grant and maintain
all necessary rights-of-way and temporary use permits in a
manner that is substantively identical to those rights-of-way
and temporary use permits approved with respect to the Mountain
Valley Pipeline issued on January 14, 2021, or as may be
modified by any subsequently issued rights-of-way and temporary
use permits.
(e) Judicial Review.--
(1) No action taken by the Secretary of the Army, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Secretary of
Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, or a State
administrative agency acting pursuant to Federal law that
grants an authorization, permit, verification, biological
opinion, incidental take statement, or any other approval
related to the Mountain Valley Pipeline, including the issuance
of any authorization, permit, extension, verification,
biological opinion, incidental take statement, or other
approval described in subsection (c) or (d) of this section for
the Mountain Valley Pipeline, whether issued prior to or
subsequent to the date of enactment of this section shall be
subject to judicial review, and any lawsuit (including any
lawsuit pending in a court as of the date of enactment of this
section) seeking judicial review of such an agency order or
action shall not be filed or maintained in any court and shall
be promptly dismissed.
(2) The United States Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction
over any claim alleging the invalidity of this section or that
an action is beyond the scope of authority conferred by this
section.
(f) Effect.--This section supersedes any other provision of law
(including any other section of this Act or other statute, any
regulation, any judicial decision, or any agency guidance) that is
inconsistent with the issuance of any authorization, permit,
verification, biological opinion, incidental take statement, or other
approval for the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry.
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