Late on September 24, 2018, the Fourth Circuit for the U.S. Court of Appeals issued a stay in the case challenging the Special Use Permit (SPU) that had been issued by the U.S. Forest Service for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The case is scheduled to be argued before the Fourth Circuit this coming Friday, September 28. This means that the SPU allowing the project to cross national forest land is stayed pending the appeal. Imminently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be asked to issue a stop work order in light of today’s decision.

The plaintiff’s in the case, represented jointly by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Appalachian Mountain Advocates, are Cowpasture River Preservation Association, Highlanders for Responsible Development, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, Shenandoah Valley Network, Sierra Club, Virginia Wilderness Committee and Wild Virginia.