In May a Virginia section of the Mountain Valley Pipeline ruptured during water pressure testing. An independent metallurgical test identified a defective weld as a cause of the failure. The test was supposed to reach a pressure of 2,345 psi but fell 240 psi short.The report identifies the breach as the only failure during testing of the entire 303-mile pipeline, which began carrying natural gas under high pressure in late June. The community of Bent Mountain, Virginia was duly concerned. Landowners have been living with the pipeline’s construction for several years. The pipeline’s builders and state and federal regulators have insisted it operates safely. The nearly $8 billion pipeline was intended to serve markets in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast.