Even though Kinder Morgan announced a change in the route of its controversial Permian Highway pipeline in Texas, the line is still drawing opposition from nearby towns as well as landowners.
The $2 billion Permian Highway Pipeline project would have a transportation capacity of about 2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas for about 430 miles east from the Permian Basin area in West Texas to the Gulf Coast reported the Carlsbad Current Argus.
It was expected to be completed and in service by early 2021.
The pipeline faced backlash in March after a spill of drilling fluid in the Blanco River in east Texas allegedly contaminated local drinking water and the project’s permits were revoked by Hays County.
This week, Kinder Morgan Chief Executive Officer Steven Kean announced in an opinion piece published in the Houston Chronicle that the pipeline would be rerouting around the river instead of being constructed to go underneath.
But environmentalist groups were not convinced that the reroute would minimize the pipelines environmental harm on the environment.
Throughout the project’s lifetime since it began in 2018, numerous lawsuits were filed seeking to block its construction.
Kinder Morgan spokesperson Lexey Long said negotiations about the reroute began with local landowners in June but did not specify the exact new route of the line.
We began negotiations with landowners about a possible reroute around the Blanco River in June,” she said. “This is all we have at this time.”
Sierra Club Senior Campaign Representative Roddy Hughes pointed to numerous incidents causing environmental harm, he said, as the pipeline was built through Texas from a starting point in Waha near the state’s western border to New Mexico.
Hughes said Kinder Morgan cannot be trusted to safely finish building and then operate the pipeline and called for the project to be ceased.
“After multiple accidents and spills, Kinder Morgan is picking up and trying to build along a new route, leaving an enormous amount of damage in its wake and putting a whole new group of landowners at risk,” Hughes said.
“Kinder Morgan has made it clear that, regardless of the route it takes, it cannot be trusted to safely build the Permian Highway Pipeline through Hill Country. The only responsible path forward is for Kinder Morgan to shut down construction of this destructive pipeline once and for all.”
The new route of the pipeline would threaten new wildlife habitat and water crossings, read a news release from the Sierra Club, and add to the damage already created by previous spills and other incidents.
The Sierra Club also alleged local landowners along the new route were not given adequate notice that the pipeline would be coming through their property and were threatened with eminent domain.
The City of Kyle in Hays County, about 30 miles south of Austin, Texas, issued a notice of noncompliance to Kinder Morgan on Wednesday accusing the company of noise violations during construction of the pipeline.
During that incident on the night of Aug. 11, a section of pipeline was filled with water for a pressure test, and the removal of the water created a loud noise, read a news release from the City of Kyle.
The City said it was notified of construction in the area, but not of the noise impacts despite an agreement that notice should be given of such an impact if within 100 feet of local residents.
“The work on the Permian Highway Pipeline was permitted by the Texas Railroad Commission and not by the City of Kyle,” read a statement from the city. “However, pipeline construction is still subject to the City of Kyle Noise Ordinance and the Kyle Police Department will be proactive in conducting decibel readings at the property line to ensure compliance. If in violation, citations will be issued to the proper entities.”