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Wimberley passes pipeline opposition

The Wimberley City Council passed a resolution opposing the Permian Highway Pipeline route through the Wimberley Valley and requested the Texas Legislature create new regulatory processes as it pertains to pipelines.

By passing the resolution, the city joins multiple governmental agencies in Hays County in opposition to the pipeline. The cities of Woodcreek, Kyle and San Marcos have passed similar resolutions as well as the Hays County Commissioners Court.

The resolution underwent a series of changes before those on the council voted in favor. During the previous meeting, Councilmember Allison Davis brought a resolution similar to other cities in the area opposing the pipeline, but council members did not vote in favor of.

“We made up our own resolution that is a little less accusatory but something that we could propose and something that would allow Kinder Morgan to negotiate with us,” Councilmember Craig Fore said.

The changes removed language stating that city’s opposition was because Kinder Morgan had not done an Environmental Impact Study on the route, that there was no regulation on the pipeline and that pipeline would traverse the local watershed.

The resolution kept language that said the city’s opposition was based around strong concerns and opposition from residents of the Wimberley Valley because of “potential negative impacts to the environment, soil, water system, and land values.”

However, the call to action for the resolution remained largely the same.

The city asks for a better regulatory process for oil and gas pipeline routing that allows impacted landowners and local governmental entities to have a voice in the approval process. It also asks for an Environmental and Economic Impact Study be required for all oil and gas pipelines “whether they are intrastate or interstate.” Instead of asking the state to rescind eminent domain powers for private companies, the new resolution asks the Texas Legislature to “enhance checks and balances against the broad delegation of eminent domain authority to private to private companies.”

The resolution was passed 4-0. Davis was absent from the meeting.

Wimberley View

P.O. Box 49
Wimberley, TX 78676
Phone: 512-847-2202
Fax: 512-847-9054