REIDSVILLE, NC -- Recent pipeline explosions across the United States are raising serious concerns about the expansion of high-pressure fossil fuel infrastructure through the Piedmont of Virginia and North Carolina. From a catastrophic explosion in Minnesota linked to aging weld seams, to corrosion -related ruptures in Iowa, to residential destruction in Virginia and catastrophic worker injuries in Louisiana, federal investigations reveal a pattern of systemic infrastructure vulnerabilities. “These are not isolated incidents,” said Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck of 7 Directions of Service.
The Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) authorizes more than 24 acres of wetland impacts and over 15,000 linear feet of stream disturbance, including permanent conversion of forested wetlands to emergent wetlands. The Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate extension (MVP Southgate) proposes a 42-inch high-pressure transmission pipeline through headwater streams, karst terrain, and rural communities. Recent pipeline failures across the United States demonstrate that:
Corrosion and weld seam weaknesses persist in aging infrastructure; Pressure drops often occur simultaneously with rupture; Transmission lines pose a significant blast radius risk; Even previously inspected pipe segments can fail; Communities face evacuation, displacement, and environmental damage.
“Approving new 42-inch transmission corridors in this context is not precautionary,” Cavalier-Keck said. “It shifts risk onto communities while locking us further into fossil dependency.” Advocates are calling for federal agencies to:
Reassess cumulative safety risks; Reevaluate wetland conversion approvals; Consider climate-driven infrastructure stress; Incorporate Just Transition alternatives into decision-making.
From an Indigenous governance perspective, pipeline expansion raises long-term intergenerational concerns. “The Seventh Generation Principle asks whether decisions made today protect those yet unborn,” Cavalier-Keck added. “Expanding high-pressure fossil infrastructure across wetlands and watersheds during a climate crisis fails that test.” As federal investigations into recent explosions continue, communities in Virginia and North Carolina are urging regulators to pause and reconsider before irreversible harm occurs.
