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Information Regarding the Proposed Colonial Pipeline

Do you want a GAS PIPELINE right behind your neighborhood?!?!

POSITIVES
 SPECIFIC CONCERNS
 ARTICLES & REFERENCES
NEGATIVES
 WHAT YOU CAN DO
 MEETINGS

POSITIVES

You can find information on the proposed route and some other information on the Colonial website.

The Huntsville Times also ran an article on July 5 that points out some of the potential benefits of having a pipeline and "tank farm" here. Since it's cheaper to move gas via pipeline than truck, our gas prices could potentially be a couple of cents lower. Although there is no guarantee, typically this is the case. That may not be a big difference for most of us, but that can really add up for the Huntsville International Airport. The proposed tank farm would only be a few miles from the airport. The Airport Authority believes this could cut airline costs considerably, and remove the main hurdle to our airport becoming a major cargo hub. Theoretically any of us who fly could see lower fares or more non-stop flights. These are all just possibilities, but certainly it's fair to consider them when you make your decision whether or not you want to support or fight Colonial in its attempt to locate a gas pipeline here.

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NEGATIVES

On the other hand, despite earning the 2000 Distinguished Environmental and Safety Award from the American Petroleum Institute, Colonial otherwise has a poor environmental record.

Just this past month, Colonial was involved in a spill in Enochville, NC. This spill went undetected for OVER A YEAR. Over 7,000 gallons were spilled. The leak went unnoticed by Colonial until residents reported problems with their water.

On 28 November 2000, the US Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Colonial Pipeline on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency over oil spills in 9 states over the past 20 years. One of the spills cited in the lawsuit was into Reedy River in South Carolina, which involved more than 950,000 gallons of diesel fuel, killed 35,000 fish, and polluted the river as far as 34 miles downstream.

Simple searches on the internet reveal information on a major spill in Reston, VA in 1993, as well as smaller spills in familiar locations like Knoxville TN (1999) and the Murphreesboro TN area (1996).

Newspaper and other reports indicate that Colonial wants to run a petroleum pipeline through Redstone Arsenal and also between the Arsenal and several South Huntsville neighborhoods, including Quail Ridge and English Village. In some cases, the pipeline might be only a hundred yards or so from houses in these residential areas.

It's not a "done deal", but if you want your voice heard, you won't want to wait until it's too late. The Pentagon has not yet decided whether to allow a pipeline to cross the Redstone Arsenal along Martin Road. Maj. Gen Al Sullivan, commander of Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, is expected to make his recommendation to Gen. John Coburn, before his retirement on 10 September. Gen. Coburn is the head of the Army Materiel Command in Alexandria, VA. The decision will be made by Secretary of the Army, Ed White, or another high-ranking army official in the Pentagon.

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SPECIFIC CONCERNS

Included below are some points of concern that you may want to think about and may want to encourage Maj. Gen. Sullivan, other Army officials, state officials and/or our local officials to think about as well.