Bluegrass Pipeline Down, But Not Out

Between explosions/sinkholes, Wall Street doubts and determined local opposition, the Bluegrass Pipeline has been badly battered this month.

But we're a long way from victory.  Especially if the eminent domain bills fail in the Kentucky General Assembly, the pipeline motherfuckers will be back, sneaking onto property and intimidating landowners under the radar after all the publicity dies down.

WKYT:

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT/AP) - As landowners fight against a pipeline to pump natural gas liquids through Kentucky, the company behind the project announced it is being delayed.

In a 2013 earnings report released Wednesday, energy company Williams Partners LP said the controversial project's completion would be a year later than originally planned.

"In our NGL & Petchem Services business, we are moving the target in-service timing of the joint-venture Bluegrass Pipeline project to mid-to-late 2016 to better align with the needs of producers," said Alan Armstrong, Williams' president and chief executive officer. "We continue to engage in ongoing discussions with potential customers regarding commitments to this large-scale, integrated solution that connects Marcellus-Utica natural gas liquids to diverse domestic markets, fractionation, storage and export facilities in the Gulf Coast."

The announcement came the same say a bill that would protect landowners from having their land seized for a pipeline to pump natural gas liquids has received its first committee hearing at the state capitol.

There was no vote in that committee hearing, and legislative comments overheard by attendees implied that  the strategy of pro-pipeline legislators is to delay the vote until late in the session when Governor Beshear can veto the bill too late for an override. However, Governor Beshear announced that he supports the legislation.

See the video of the committee hearing here.

 

Herald coverage here.