West Virginia approved a key permit for a 304-mile natural gas pipeline project on Friday. “State 401 [Water Quality] Certification … is granted subject to the conditions contained in Attachment A. Certification shall be effective 15 days from the date of this letter,” Katheryn Emery, the acting director of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), wrote in a letter (pdf) to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The conditions the WVDEP listed include minimizing in-stream operation of equipment, storage and refueling areas not being located within any surface water body, etc. The Mountain Valley Pipeline Project is a natural gas pipeline—approximately 304 miles in length and 42 inches in diameter—to supply local distribution companies and industrial users, and power generation facilities in the mid-Atlantic, southeastern, and Appalachian regions. The pipeline traverses 11 counties in West Virginia and 6 counties in Virginia. The project is being constructed and is owned …