Mountain Valley Pipeline - Southgate Amendment

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This page provides information on current activities related to Mountain Valley Pipeline's (MVP's) Southgate Amendment Project. The proposed project includes the construction of approximately 31.3 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline; with 26.1 of those miles to be located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. (The remaining 5.2 miles of pipeline would be located in Rockingham County, North Carolina.) The purpose of the pipeline is to transport natural gas from an interconnection point with the MVP Main Line project in Virginia to an interconnection point with the East Tennessee Natural Gas, LLC, system in North Carolina.

In Virginia, the construction of natural gas pipelines is regulated under several environmental programs.

Virginia Water Protection (VWP) Individual Permit

DEQ administers the Virginia Water Protection (VWP) permit program, which follows state regulations and federal guidelines under the Clean Water Act. State law requires that a VWP Permit be obtained before disturbing a wetland or stream by clearing, filling, excavating, draining, or ditching. Applications can be made through the Joint Permit Application (JPA) process.

In April 2025, DEQ received a JPA for MVP's Southgate Amendment Project. Attachment A of the JPA included a VWP Permit Application. DEQ is currently evaluating the VWP application (in accordance with VWP Permit Program Regulation 9VAC25-210-10 et seq).

Use DEQ's Permitting Enhancement & Evaluation Platform (PEEP) tool to view the status and target timeframe for this permit application.
- Under 'Facility Name' select 'MVP Southgate Amendment Project' from the drop-down menu and click 'Apply.' The Request Number for this project is 25-0752.
- Use the 'Project Documents' tab to view documents related to the Southgate Amendment Project's VWP Permit Application.
Email DEQ with questions or inquiries about the Southgate Amendment Project's VWP application at: mvpsouthgate.vwp@deq.virginia.gov
Looking for the entire JPA? Click this link to view all JPA documents and attachments submitted for MVP’s Southgate Amendment project on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s website.

Other Regulatory Oversight & Authority

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

In June 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, authorizing MVP to construct and operate the Southgate Project. In February 2025, MVP submitted an abbreviated application to FERC, requesting the agency issue an order amending the certificate to allow MVP to construct and operate a modified version of the project, known as the Southgate Amendment Project.

In May 2025, FERC issued a Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Amendment Project and Notice of Scoping Session. DEQ submitted comments to FERC in June 2025. Following the scoping period, FERC staff will prepare either an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

In April 2025, MVP submitted a Joint Permit Application (JPA), which included a request for a Department of the Army (DA) permit for the Southgate Amendment Project, under the provisions of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. (The JPA can be accessed on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission's website using this link. Once the webpage is up, scroll down and click on the 'Additional Docs' button to view the JPA documents.) In response, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a Public Notice of the JPA submittal and solicited comments from the public and other interested entities.

Other State Entities

Through the aforementioned JPA, MVP also applied to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VRMC) and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) for additional permits related to the Southgate Amendment Project.

Project Documents

VWP Application:

-MVP's VWP Permit Application (received by DEQ on 4/18/2025)

MVP-SG_JPA - 401 WQC Info and VWP Appl_1

MVP-SG_JPA - 401 WQC Info and VWP Appl_2

Looking for the entire Joint Permit Application (JPA)? Click this link to view all JPA documents and attachments submitted for MVP’s Southgate Amendment project on the Virginia Marine Resource Commission’s website.

DEQ Correspondences:

-DEQ's additional information request letter to MVP (issued by DEQ on 5/1/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-05-01_Addtl. info. request

-MVP's response to DEQ's additional information request (received by DEQ on 5/30/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-05-30_MVP info. request response_letter

MVP-SG_2025-05-30_MVP info. request response_spreadsheet

-DEQ's Reasonable Period of Time request & USACE's response (6/3/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-06-03_RPT request

-DEQ's comment letter #2 to MVP (issued by DEQ on 6/12/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-06-12_Addtl. info. request

-DEQ's approval of MVP's Standards & Specifications (issued by DEQ on 6/30/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-06-30_DEQ approval - MVP Standards & Specifications

-DEQ's addendum to comment letter #2 to MVP (issued by DEQ on 7/15/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-07-15_DEQ Comment Letter 02

-MVP's responses to DEQ's comment letter #2 (received by DEQ on 7/16/2025; supplemented on 7/25/2025 and 7/30/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_A

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_B

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_C

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table A-1.Virginia Stream Impacts

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table A-2.Virginia Wetland Impacts

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table A-3.Virginia Stream Impacts Summary

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table A-4.Virginia Wetland Impacts Summary

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table 2.Stream Impacts

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table 3.Wetland Impacts

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table 4.Stream Impacts Summary

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table 5.Wetland Impacts Summary

MVP-SG_2025-07-16_MVP Response Letter_Table 15.Wetland Mitigation

MVP-SG_2025-07-25_MVP Response Letter_Photo Log

MVP-SG_2025-07-30_MVP Response_Supplemental Email

MVP-SG_2025-07-30_MVP Response_Updated Alternatives Table

MVP-SG_2025-07-30_MVP Response_Revised Detail Maps.1-68

MVP-SG_2025-07-30_MVP Response_Revised Detail Maps.69-137

-DEQ's comment letter #3 to MVP (issued by DEQ on 8/1/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-08-01_DEQ Comment Letter 03

-MVP's conceptual Permittee-Responsible Mitigation Plan (received by DEQ on 7/23/2025 and 8/8/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-07-23_MVP conceptual PRM Plan - Update Letter

1_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_MVP conceptual PRM Plan_Submittal Letter

2_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_MVP conceptual PRM Plan_Snow Creek Mitigation Plan

3_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_MVP conceptual RMP Plan_Appendix A - Figures

4_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_MVP conceptual PRM Plan_Appendix B - Concept Design and Site Selection

5_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_MVP conceptual PRM Plan_Appendix C- CE Template

6_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_ MVP conceptual RMP Plan_Appendix D - Wetlands and Species

7_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_MVP conceptual PRM Plan_Appendix E - Invasive Species

8_MVP-SG_2025-08-08_MVP conceptual PRM Plan_Appendix F - Long-Term Mgmt. Plan

-MVP's Virginia Wetlands & Other Aquatic Resources Maps (received by DEQ on 8/8/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-08-08_VA Wetlands and Other Aquatic Resources Maps 1-77

MVP-SG_2025-08-08_VA Wetlands and Other Aquatic Resources Maps 78-156

-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination (PJD) for the Project Site (received by DEQ on 8/15/2025)

1_MVP-SG_2025-08-15_USACE - Project Site PJD Letter

2_MVP-SG_2025-08-15_USACE - Project Site PJD Background Info

3_MVP-SG_2025-08-15_USACE - Project Site PJD Appeal Form

-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination (PJD) for the Permittee-Responsible Mitigation (PRM) Site (received by DEQ on 8/15/2025)

1_MVP-SG_2025-08-15_USACE - PRM PJD Letter

2_MVP-SG_2025-08-15_USACE - PRM PJD Map

3_MVP-SG_2025-08-15_USACE - PRM PJD Background Info

4_MVP-SG_2025-08-15_USACE - PRM PJD Appeal Form

Comments Submitted to DEQ by State Agencies:

-Virginia Dept. of Health's Office of Drinking Water (received by DEQ on 5/12/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-05-12_VDH-ODW comments

-Virginia Dept. of Conservation & Recreation (received by DEQ on 6/3/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-06-03_DCR comments

-Virginia Marine Resources Commission (received by DEQ on 6/9/2025)

MVP-SG_2025-06-09_VMRC comments

Virginia DEQ

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Mountain Valley Pipeline - Southgate Amendment