A grandfather named Jerome was arrested and charged with four misdemeanors in West Virginia after locking himself to a Mountain Valley Pipeline drill, which shut down construction on the fracked gas project for over three hours on Thursday, according to a protest group. 'Jerome's bail was set at $35,000—an astronomical amount for misdemeanor charges!' the anti-MVP group Appalachians Against Pipelines said on social media, also confirming he was released.
'The debt ceiling deal negotiated earlier this year by congressional Republicans and President Joe Biden—who campaigned on a pledge to tackle the climate emergency—included a section intended to thwart legal challenges and fast-track construction of the MVP, which is set to cover over 300 miles in Virginia and West Virginia. One of the key congressional advocates of the project has been Sen. Joe Manchin , a right-wing coal baron. 'I am a retired white male with lots of privilege.