Kinder Morgan Inc has been given the green light to begin work on its $2-billion natural gas pipeline, which will stretch from West Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, and will have a route running through the Central Texas Hill Country.
Hays County, the City of Kyle, and numerous property owners were among those who sued over the proposed route. At the core of their argument was that the Texas Railroad Commission, Texas’ oil and gas regulator, should have the final say on the pipeline’s route. Numerous land owners and elected officials claimed there was not enough public input on the route prior to a decision being made.
Arguments were also made that the pipeline could harm sensitive environemental areas, or possibly damage historical sites in Central Texas.
But, the Texas Railroad Commission is not required to regulate the standards for pipeline routing on private property, said Travis County Judge Lora Livingston on Tuesday.
“The court finds no authority for the proposition that the legislature has granted authority to the Commission to oversee the rights granted,” she wrote. Kinder Morgan’s request to dismiss it from the lawsuit was also granted.
When complete, Kinder Morgan’s Permian Highway Pipeline will carry 2-billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, at a distance of roughly 400 miles.
