Pipeline moves forward, around Blanco River
The county has reissued permits for the Permian Highway Pipeline to cross county roads and Kinder Morgan has stated the pipeline will be rerouted around the Blanco River, as opposed to drilling under the river. The change does not impact the route of the pipeline in Hays County.
Last week, the Hays County Commissioners Court voted to reissue road crossing permits for the Kinder Morgan Permian Highway Pipeline after rescinding them three months ago, when horizontal directional drilling damaged karst features and caused drilling fluids to enter the groundwater and pollute wells in Blanco County.
On April 28, the commissioners removed the permits until Kinder Morgan could provide a plan for moving forward that will prevent further impact to ground and surface water.
Kinder Morgan has since responded with a scientific report reviewed by county staff and Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) staff, who have said construction can now safely resume, according to Commissioner Lon Shell.
The permits are contingent on requirements including Kinder Morgan providing the schedule of the road crossing work and notifying the county and HTGCD staff at least 10 days in advance; Kinder Morgan granting Hays County and HCGDC access to the construction sites during and after the boring; Kinder Morgan notifying HTGCD if they find a significant karst feature during construction; and Kinder Morgan providing HTGCD staff will access to all crossing activities including boring and camera imaging.
Kinder Morgan announced that it would reroute a small portion of the pipeline in Blanco County to avoid crossing the Blanco River.
“After careful consideration, we have decided that rerouting around the Blanco River is the best option,” Kinder Morgan CEO Steve Kean said in an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle. “This reroute will result in two additional miles of pipeline and does not include any deep drilling.”
Those fighting the pipeline were pleased with the reroute, but are still not satisfied.
“There is no good place for this pipeline in the Texas Hill Country, but we have been pushing to put it someplace less bad than in the Blanco River,” Jeff Mundy, lead attorney for Trinity Edwards Spring Protection Association said.
“Keeping the pipeline out of the Blanco River has been our highest priority,” added Patrick Cox, TESPA executive director. “Now we are working towards improved erosion control measures to protect Jacob’s Well, the Cypress Creek watershed, and Wanslow Creek. These areas have been high priority areas for water quality protection.”
Mundy said that the lawsuit filed by TESPA on behalf of Blanco County residents that were impacted by the spill of drilling fluid will continue but he believes a trial will be “two years or more out.”