The Courier of Montgomery County reports that the owners of a long-established business in Conroe and Texas Rep. Will Metcalf are wanting state and county officials to stop a project that will bring natural gas pipeline compressor stations to Conroe, which they believe are dangerously close to businesses and homes.
Up to 3.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas will be transported by Blackfin Pipeline daily from Colorado County to Jasper County in East Texas. The pipeline, built by Austin-based Whitewater Midstream will pass through Austin, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty and Hardin counties and a small portion of northwest Harris County.
A public hearing on the project is being sought by Metcalf. A growing need for natural gas transmission infrastructure and the potential economic boon the project could bring to Texas has been cited by representatives of the project. A concern, however, about the risks it could pose for nearby communities is being expressed by opponents of the project.
Safety in the communities is a focus of the company, according to Blackfin Pipeline spokesperson Cody McGregor. McGregor said, “The Blackfin pipeline has been designed and constructed in compliance and cooperation of all regulatory agencies.”
A lawsuit was filed on July 23rd seeking a temporary restraining order to stop construction of the site by the owners of Bartholet Home Furnishings, which is located next to the compressor site.
According to documents from the city of Conroe provided in the lawsuit, the site is proposed to have four compressor stations.
Metcalf, in an August 7th letter to the Texas Railroad Commission said the project poses an “extreme risk to businesses, local families and commuters.
An agenda item was placed on tonight’s council session for discussion by Conroe Councilwoman Shana Arthur.
