Mountain Valley Litigation Could Resurface Despite Debt Law (1)

The Interior Department and Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC renewed their push to end environmental groups’ challenges to the pipeline, citing the Fiscal Responsibility Act that carved a path for it to finish construction.

During oral arguments before the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Thursday, they urged the court to dismiss the challenges because the debt-limit law’s language strips the court of subject-matter jurisdiction over agency-approved permits for the project.

The pipeline backers acknowledged the pipeline could wind up back in court in the future even if this challenge is dismissed. Once the 300-mile natural gas project’s ...