Recent headlines: Kentucky: “1 dead, 5 hospital in gas line rupture, fire” on Aug. 1, brought home again the risk of the 36-inch Nexus pipeline in northwest Ohio. Both pipelines are owned by Enbridge Energy. The Nexus pipeline, unlike a wind farm or solar array, has a direct immediate danger to those living nearby. The Kentucky pipeline was 30 inches and burned for six hours, damaging homes up to 1,476 feet away.
The industry lobby had weakened safety setbacks to 10 feet from homes and will pay $4.2 million for loss of life with no criminal penalties for the pipeline owners.
When the Nexus pipeline was constructed high rainfall slowed and inhibited its construction causing contract deadline delays.Kentucky: “1 dead, 5 hospital in gas line rupture, fire” on Aug. 1, brought home again the risk of the 36-inch Nexus pipeline in northwest Ohio. Both pipelines are owned by Enbridge Energy.
To date, FERC and Nexus have been hit with multiple lawsuits/complaints for poor, rushed construction causing drainage, erosion damage, and other problems. One only has to look at the Kalamazoo pipeline catastrophe to illustrate Enbridge’s poor track record concerning pipeline safety. It took a whistle-blower to get regulators to do the right kind of cleanup.
It’s sad that our elected representatives’ only concerns are for revenue and campaign contributions. Many groups fought the Nexus pipeline as unsafe and a threat to our climate. Our group, Neighbors Against Nexus, got it rerouted from the Oak Openings park system area but were unable to stop the unneeded, undersubscribed project.
If you have a high-pressure natural gas pipeline near your home, don’t think your loved ones are safe. Regulators are toothless in a era of deregulation and industry power. Homeowners, you need to do your own assessment as to the safety record of the pipeline owners and the proximity to your home. Hopefully you aren’t awakened at 1 a.m. like the poor folks in Lincoln County, Kentucky.
Paul Wohlfarth
Ottawa Lake, Michigan
