RESIDENTS VOICE OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED OIL DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON CO.

  

Residents of Washington County are seemingly none too pleased about new oil development potentially coming to the area.

Dozens of landowners, along with some county officials, made their voices heard at a public hearing this (Thursday) morning at the Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library. The public hearing was held by Red Oak Pipeline, Plains All American Pipeline, and Phillips 66, concerning a joint venture between the companies.

The companies are planning to build a crude oil storage facility to transport oil from Cushing, Oklahoma, through Wichita Falls, to Corpus Christi and the Houston/Beaumont area. The land being considered is 150 acres of property near Palestine Road in the Sandy Hill community.  Sale of the land is set to close a week from tomorrow (Friday).

Designs are still being finalized, but plans for the facility include ten tanks for oil storage; piping, pumping equipment and electrical infrastructure to power the facility; a launching and receiving station to help maintain and monitor the safety of the line; and an office and shop area for the 15 to 20 employees expected to work there.

Several county residents—out of the 60 or so in attendance—voiced their disapproval with the idea of bringing this facility into a rural community, rather than existing industrial areas. Some said the company should take ethics into consideration, while other people mentioned that the property being considered has multiple historical designations, including a historical cemetery.

Others said they had concerns about the operation’s impact on nearby roads, as well as the lights, noise, and emissions coming from the facility. Still others said they had safety concerns, referencing the gas salt storage dome explosion in 1992 that killed three people and injured 21 others.  Several said the development was simply “not welcome” in that area.

Commissioner Don Koester also was not in favor of the proposal, saying he did not want this facility “in the birthplace of Texas”. County Judge John Durrenberger said he knows the community does not want the county to turn into “an industrial park”.

Officials from Plains All American Pipeline stated that measures are being considered to limit the impact to landowners, such as planting a barrier of tall trees to block the view of the facility, and placing a buffer zone around the oil tanks to extend space between the facility and neighboring property lines. A written statement from Red Oak Pipeline said the company takes landowner concerns seriously, and is “committed to treating landowners with respect and fairness through this process”.

Some residents asked company representatives what could be done to stop or slow down the process. They replied that they are still exploring other options and looking at other areas, and said, even if it closes on the property in question, it does not have to use it for the facility.  When asked if the company would delay closing on the land purchase to answer the public’s questions, representatives said they would consider the option.

County Commissioners will consider a resolution at their next meeting Tuesday, concerning the prospective development. Durrenberger said this is a “major, major decision to be made” in the county.