Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org, 914-261-4626
Gillespie County, TX -- Local landowners are reporting that Kinder Morgan has had yet another spill of drilling fluid this weekend during construction of its Permian Highway fracked gas pipeline under the Pedernales River.
The company has had multiple spills and violations over the course of construction of the controversial pipeline, including a major incident in March that spilled drilling fluid into local water wells and multiple complaints about erosion and wastewater runoff. Impacted landowners still do not have clean water in their homes.
The Sierra Club is currently challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approval of the project without first providing for public participation or conducting the environmental analysis required by the National Environmental Policy Act. As part of that lawsuit, the Sierra Club has filed a motion urging the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to stop construction of the pipeline across 129 waterways along the pipeline route unless and until the Corps complies with NEPA. A hearing is scheduled for this Friday on that request.
In response, Sierra Club Senior Campaign Representative Roddy Hughes released the following statement:
“Kinder Morgan has repeatedly made it clear that they can’t be trusted to safely build this pipeline through vulnerable water resources, and it’s shameful that state and national agencies have given them a free pass to go ahead without scrutiny or public input. This latest incident is further proof that the Permian Highway Pipeline poses a grave threat to Texas communities and waterways. The Texas Railroad Commission must act to protect them by shutting down construction on this dangerous pipeline immediately.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.