Michael M. Barrick

Manchin Lying about Mountain Valley Pipeline, Says Landowner

Residents in its path know the true story

By Paula Mann

GREENVILLE, W.Va. – Recently, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin met with the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC) to discuss recent changes to regulations on pipeline construction, as the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported. During the hearing and in the article, he spouted false claims that the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is 95 percent complete, suggesting its completion is inevitable.

I live on the pipeline’s path and I can tell you with certainty that this is not true. Due to legal, financial, and political pressure, the project is only 55 percent complete, according to FERC.

Pipeline sits abandoned on a West Virginia hilltop. This is common along the MVP route, calling into question that the project is nearly completed. Credit: Paula Mann

Manchin says we must ramp up natural gas production for the sake of our country’s energy reliability and security. This is completely false. Only a rapid transition to clean energy will secure our energy independence. The climate crisis presents a massive threat to our country’s security – as the Department of Defense has asserted.

Manchin claims the completion of the MVP is for the good of our country. This is impossible because the MVP has negatively impacted rural communities like mine. People have lost vital water sources, both springs and wells, and their roads, fences and topsoil are being washed away from increased flooding along the pipeline route.

Muddy water coming down from the MVP washing into a resident’s pond and killing the fish that he had recently stocked it with. Meanwhile in the Mann’s well, every time it rains their well gets muddy. This had never happened in the 35 years since the well was dug until the MVP put the pipeline through the headwaters of their well. Credit: Paula Mann

Some of the poorest and oldest residents in the state live along the route. That’s no coincidence. MVP targeted our rural communities because they thought we were easy targets. I can assure you, we are not. We have fought this pipeline tirelessly for seven years, and recent court decisions signal that we are winning.

Manchin stated that there were no pipelines to get the Marcellus Shale gas out of north central WV. This statement is also false. The WB Xpress and Mountaineer Xpress are two newly constructed pipelines to move gas out to the East and the West. The Mountain Valley Pipeline isn’t needed.

Rock and topsoil piled up beside the pipeline route. This is common along the unfinished project, demonstrating it is not 95 percent completed as claimed by Manchin. Credit: Paula Mann. 

Join me in encouraging our leaders to stop spreading lies about the pipeline and its impact on our communities. Instead, we need Sen. Manchin to lift up West Virginia communities by leading the transition to renewable energy to provide energy security, and center the health of our communities and people in that transition.

© Paula Mann, 2022.

12 comments

  3. Since Manchin is a political elected official and testified with known falsehood, then isn’t that grounds for impeachment of position?

    Reply

    • Thank you for reading and your question. My response: 1) I defer to lawyers on such matters, though you do raise an interesting idea for a news story; and, 2) In light of the number of people who simply refuse to accept proven facts as truth, I don’t presume to understand what the grounds for impeachment are. – MMB

      Reply

  4. So well said! So many of our young are convinced the pipeline is good for our State and Country. The Republicans (Manchin) have blinded them. It will destroy our beautiful land, harm wildlife and our beautiful streams! Stop the pipeline!

    Reply

  8. […] It all began in 2014, when a partnership of several energy companies announced their intent to construct the MVP. Claiming it would be completed in 2018, the MVP was to traverse roughly 300 miles of pristine Appalachian counties in West Virginia and Virginia. While the MVP has claimed that the project is 95 percent complete, those directly impacted by it and monitoring it claim otherwise. […]

    Reply

  9. […] It all began in 2014, when a partnership of several energy companies announced their intent to construct the MVP. Claiming it would be completed in 2018, the MVP was to traverse roughly 300 miles of pristine Appalachian counties in West Virginia and Virginia. While the MVP has claimed that the project is 95 percent complete, those directly impacted by it and monitoring it claim otherwise. […]

    Reply

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