Blanco River in Blanco, Texas
On April 2, it was reported in Blanco, Texas that Kinder Morgan has spilled drilling fluid into local drinking water wells during construction of its Permian Highway fracked gas pipeline.
The company now says the spill happened Saturday, but was not made public until local residents reported mud and contamination in their drinking water. Blanco County officials are currently inspecting drinking wells to determine how widespread the contamination from the spill has been and how many residents have been affected.
In response, Sierra Club Senior Campaign Representative Roddy Hughes released the following statement:
“From the beginning, thousands of Texans and local governments have been concerned about the construction of this pipeline and its long-term impacts on the Texas Hill Country and local waterways and aquifers. This spill has validated those concerns. The fact that this spill was not made public until residents spoke out about contamination in their drinking water makes it clear that Kinder Morgan can’t be trusted to build this pipeline safely. This pipeline poses serious threats to the health and safety of local communities, and it’s critical that the Army Corps of Engineers and Texas regulators conduct a thorough investigation into how this could have happened and ensure that this pipeline company isn’t given free rein to pollute going forward.”