TAKE ACTION! ASK THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMISSION TO SUPPORT ZONING ORDINANCE BL2015-1210
Metro Councilman Lonnell Matthews has introduced an ordinance BL2015-1210 with the Metro Clerks office to restrict gas compressor stations to property that is zoned for Industrial use. Currently gas compressor stations are not defined in the Metro zoning code and are treated the same as electrical sub stations, which are allowed in Agricultural zoning.
On June 25th the Metropolitan Planning Commission unanimously recommended passage of the ordinance over the objections of lawyers representing Kinder Morgan, Tennessee Gas Pipeline's parent company.
Councilman Matthews Compressor Zoning Ordinance will be before the Metro Council for final reading and public input on July 21st. Please be there if you can and be sure to let your Councilperson know you support the ordinance.
Pipeline mogul Kinder Morgan is upgrading the existing Tennessee Gas Pipeline that runs through Middle Tennessee to transport fracked natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shales in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to markets on the Gulf Coast and Liquefied Natural Gas export facilities in Louisiana and Texas. This project is known as the Broad Run Expansion Project. The project includes clearing an 82 acre forested parcel in the heart of the Joelton farming community north of Nashville and building a 60,000 hp natural gas fired compressor station to increase the volume of gas the pipeline carries by increasing the pressure of the pipe.
Visit https://www.sierraclub.org/tennessee/davidson-county-pipeline-compressor for more information.
Councilman Matthews' ordinance may be the best chance we have to stop the compressor station from being sited in Joelton, in the heart of one of Davidson County's fastest growing organic farming communities.
Concerned citizens should email AND call ALL Council Members asking them to support this ordinance.
You can email all Metro Council Members at once at: councilmembers@nashville.gov
Use the following subject: Please Support Councilman Matthews' Ordinance BL2015-1210
Please use the following talking points when communicating with Council Members:
1) We would like you to support this legislation to prevent a gas compression station from being able to be placed on agricultural and/or residential property in any district in the county. This issue effects all of our neighborhoods and communities.
2) We are not against gas compression stations, we are just against them being placed on property that is not designated for industrial use.
Individual calls and emails are most effective. You can find out who your Metro Council Member is by visiting http://www.nashville.gov/Metro-Council/Metro-Council-Members.aspx and putting your address in the “Council District Lookup” box on the right side of the page. A link will then take you to their page with contact info.
You can also send a message to the entire Metro Council by using the input form at https://www.nashville.gov/Metro-Council/Contact-Council-Members.aspx and choosing “Entire Metro Council” in the selection box in Step 1.
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