Conservative-leaning city governments and environmentalists are united in their opposition of the proposed route of pipeline giant Kinder Morgan’s 430-mile (690-kilometer), $2 billion natural gas expressway.
Known as the Kinder Morgan Permian Highway, the pipeline is designed to collect the natural gas that is captured when drilling for oil in the Permian Basin. A natural byproduct of oil drilling, currently the natural gas captured in the Permian, is often just burned off, a process known as flaring.
Many Ranchers and land owners in central Texas are up in arms over the proposed route of the 430-mile, $2 billion pipeline. If completed, the pipeline will deliver up to 2 billion cubic feet (56.6 million cubic meters) of natural gas — enough to fuel 31,500 homes for one day –as it passes through 16 Texas counties. Some of which would pass through beautiful Texas hill country land, including just south of Fredericksburg, and just north of Blanco, Texas. View the interactive map of the Kinder Morgan Permian Pipeliine here.
Opponents of the route have pointed to the potential contamination of the region’s porous Edwards Aquifer, the impact it would have on an environmentally sensitive area, and the lack of public engagement and oversight in the routing process.
Electric, telephone and water utilities must follow rules from the Texas Public Utility Commission. However, oil and gas companies do not need to seek the approval of the Texas Railroad Commission or affected municipalities for their proposed route. They also have no formal public process to hear from affected landowners.
Landowners in the pipeline’s path and their compadres opposing the proposed path, have held town halls, formed grassroots community campaigns, and lodged lawsuits against Kinder Morgan, as Kinder Morgan has exercised eminent domain to secure land along the proposed path.
A judge has ruled in favor of the Houston-based company in one legal challenge attempting to block the project on grounds that the Texas Railroad Commission doesn’t provide enough state oversight or regulation. That ruling is currently being appealed.
There is also concern that Kinder Morgan’s success would set a precedent for other companies interested in building conduits through the Hill Country, said Chuck Lesniak, who serves on an advisory committee for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
“I do know that the industry is paying attention to this project, and the legal issues, because from a legal standpoint, if this goes south on Kinder Morgan, it has enormous impacts on other pipeline projects proposed for Texas,” Lesniak said.
It appears that according to this unofficial interactive map of the Permian Highway, that the route will go through a good stretch of Lavaca County.
If you’re interested in buying or selling land in Lavaca County in Texas, contact Troy Corman at 832-759-1523.
