Hearings soon for possible new oil pipeline

State officials will hold three public meetings next month on the issue of pipeline expansion in Georgia. The company that runs the state’s main line, Colonial Pipeline, hopes to convince the state Enviromental Protection Division and about 500 landowners that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Its top benefit is to unclog a choke point of oil transport between Louisiana and Georgia. Potential hazards of the line running about a meter below-ground would be fuel leaks, polluted water and lowered property values. The proposed line would run through the northwest counties of Cobb, Paulding, Carroll, and Haralson.

Health officials launch pipeline pollution study

State public health officials will launch a study to find out if a natural gas pipeline compressor station has polluted an area of northeast Georgia. At issue is whether air, soil and water near the Williams Transco compressor station in Comer has been contaminated with high toxic chemical levels. The station has already been on the Georgia Hazardous Site Inventory for its soil contamination by PCB’s--which are chemicals commonly used as coolants and transformer lubricants. The study helmed by the state Division of Public Health begins next month, and should have a final report early next year.