(Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Friday stayed the necessary approvals and permits for the permit. kinder morgan (NYSE:) subsidiary plans to build a 32-mile gas pipeline in Tennessee at the request of environmental groups.
The proposed Cumberland project, to be built by Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Gas Pipeline, would transport approximately 245,000 additional units of Dekatherm per day to power utility Tennessee Valley Authority. can.
In a 2-1 vote, the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation’s order to issue a water quality certificate and the Army Corps of Engineers’ permit issuance.
The injunction request was filed by environmental groups Appalachian Voices and the Sierra Club, who argued that the pipeline’s construction could harm the environment.
The court said a stay was appropriate to allow time to consider the merits of the environmental groups’ lawsuit.
Further arguments in the case are expected to be heard in December, he said.
A Kinder Morgan spokesperson said the company disagrees with the court’s decision and will continue to evaluate its options.
Appalachian Voices and the Sierra Club did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
