Protesters from environmental groups 350.org and GreenFaith gathered in Uptown Charlotte to call for the cancelation of a natural gas pipeline project.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline would carry natural gas, made up of mostly methane, more than 300 miles from West Virginia to southern Virginia. An additional Southgate Extension would add another 31 miles to the project, stretching it into Rockingham County North Carolina.
Equitrans Midstream Corporation, the developers, claim the project is essential to ensuring energy stability in the mid-Atlantic and southeast. Natural gas is the largest source of electric generation in Virginia and North Carolina.
Opponents like GreenFaith and 350.org have been protesting the project since it was first proposed nearly 10 years ago.
“It’s not a good choice for the wellbeing of our planet,” said Amy Brooks, an organizer with GreenFaith.
Wednesday’s protest was one of several organized throughout the region. The protesters worry the pipeline will endanger many of the waterways it passes through and will lead to an increased reliance on fossil fuels when they say the region should be focused on building up renewable energy.