State Okays Pipeline Expansion

The state is giving the go-ahead for plans to expand a petroleum pipeline affecting 500 private properties in Georgia. The Environmental Protection Division issued a permit to Colonial Pipeline so they can build a new line from Alabama to Atlanta through Cobb, Paulding, Carroll and Haralson counties.

A 1995 law regulating petroleum pipelines requires companies report to the EPD on how the line’s construction will affect the environment.

EPD geologist Jim Kennedy says his agency is satisfied with Colonial Pipeline’s findings.

“There were, of course, stream crossings that we were interested in and there were some streams that had some listed species that we concerned about and there were some soil areas that could be highly eroded by water and they have described how they’re going to map these things, and how they’re going to deal with any issues that may arise."

Kennedy says most of the new line will run parallel to two existing pipelines and less than 10 percent will touch undisturbed land. The EPD approval paves the way for eminent domain allowing Colonial to negotiate with landowners to purchase 25 foot easements.

Colonial pipelines connect Georgia to refineries on the Gulf Coast and provide 70 percent of the state’s gas, diesel, and other petroleum products.

Colonial Delays Pipeline Construction

Construction on a planned third petroleum pipeline connecting Gulf Coast refineries and Georgia has been pushed-back.

Sam Whitehead of Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline says the $3 billion project is only being delayed indefinitely from its start-date of 2011, and not off-the-books:

"It’s very difficult with the current economic conditions to be able to predict what the future demand for petroleum products is going to be in the long run, and we’re not in quite as big a rush because of that as we were earlier when it looked like there was a real urgent need for our expansion."

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Last summer’s gasoline shortage in parts of Georgia put the need for another pipeline in the spotlight.

Whitehead says the company is continuing the process of securing necessary permits from the Georgia Enviromental Protection Division.

The proposed pipeline would run through the counties of Haralson, Carroll, Paulding and Cobb. Colonial’s lines transport about 70-percent of all petroleum used in the state.

Gas pipeline plans move forward

A petroleum pipeline company is moving forward with an application process to build new line in west Georgia, despite legislation killed earlier this year that would have made the process easier.

Colonial Pipeline says the new line is necessary to meet growing demand. The entire 500-mile stretch would start in Austell, and run 46 miles through Georgia into Louisiana.

The House defeated a bill that would have allowed Colonial to bypass a stringent state permitting process.

Democratic Representative Don Wix of Mableton was a lead critic of the bill, because he says he wants to ensure environmental and property safeguards.

"We’re going to be watching them on every step because that comes through the heart of my legislative district...and these are people’s lives and houses they’re impacting".

The certification process is expected to begin in the fall.

Colonial says it hopes to build the new line as close to existing pipeline wherever possible.