LEEANNA DUONG
The power play of the Mountain Valley Pipeline
Leeanna Duong, March 1, 2023 - As the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline continues, hundreds of Appalachians fight a battle they didn’t sign up for.
Pembroke, Va., February 18, 2023 - Pipeline Access Point: Construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline crosses through Doe Creek along Doe Creek Road. Photo credit: Leeanna Duong
Cradled in the hills of Appalachia sits Doe Creek Farm, whose fate is threatened by a 303 mile long construction project.
“We heard about it in 2014, went to a meeting and then they just tore up everything,” said Georgia Haverty, owner of Doe Creek Farms. “They’re still tearing up things, but Mountain Valley Pipeline couldn’t chase me off because it’s my driveway.”
The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a natural gas pipeline which runs from southwestern Virginia through northern West Virginia. Construction began in 2018 and continues to this day. This project was backed and fast tracked by many politicians such as Sen. Joe Manchin and Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Many pro-pipeline politicians, despite environmental and social concerns, are determined to finish this project.
“We had two democratic governors who greenlighted this thing, and they just kept their mouths shut. They wouldn’t answer us, they wouldn’t talk to us, they wouldn’t - nothing,” said Haverty. “You just have to find out what moves people, and it’s always money.”
According to the Southern Environmental Law Center, the MVP has already accumulated millions of dollars in penalties in West Virginia and Virginia. These penalties include water protection violations and lawsuits. Despite the immense debt the MVP is digging itself into, they’re set on finishing the pipeline.
Haverty, along with hundreds of other homeowners and landowners, have been forced to fight for their land and resources. The MVP disrupted their way of life by abruptly seizing land from right under their feet. On top of this, people who live along the pipeline route weren’t informed of the construction until it was too late to say anything.
“I watched the project get pushed onto those who don’t have as many economic, financial or legal resources as others,” said Stewart Scales, Advanced Instructor of Geography. “It suddenly became somebody else’s problem, because folks had the monetary and legal resources to say, ‘No we don’t want this.’ But what about your neighbor that it just got dumped on? And that’s here, that’s in Montgomery County.”
This fight for rights and land ownership has been anything but fair, but Appalachians must endure the battle for their survival. This is their land, where their families grow as well as their crops. Although the MVP prioritizes financial gain and power over livelihood, these Appalachians won’t let them get away with it.
“The power differences between companies, entities, government politics descending on your average joe person - it’s scary to have to deal with that,” said Scales. “Even though these folks have had a hard life throughout Appalachian history, they’re still incredibly resilient.”