Real Estate & Property Law

Pipelines, potential for more lines

By Alan Ackerman

The Columbian

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold public meetings this month on a proposed 119-mile natural gas pipeline that would run mostly parallel to an existing pipeline along the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.

The applicant, Williams Northwest Pipeline, says the Blue Bridge Pipeline is needed to meet increased demand for natural gas in western Washington markets.

"One of our major customers, Puget Sound Energy, was the driving force behind the project," said Michele Swaner, spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City-based pipeline company.

However, Williams Northwest recently scaled back the size of the project at Puget Sound Energy's request after the utility cited changing market conditions, she said.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued notice this week of its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the project. At hearings Aug. 11 in Goldendale and Aug. 12 in Stevenson, affected landowners, government agencies, Native American tribes, environmental groups and other interested parties will be invited to comment on what issues the EIS should address.

Michael Lang, conservation director for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, said an earlier version of the pipeline proposal raised significant environmental concerns, including the possibility that the national scenic area would be marred by "a permanent linear clear-cut."

Once the first line arrives, the potential for the ‘clear cut' of parallel pipelines along with many more pipelines (and electric lines) expands.  The EIS issue is effectively done.  The path of least resistance exists.   

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on August 10, 2009 (boomark / email).