15-05-2025
Oak Ridge community pushes back on proposed pipeline
OAK RIDGE, N.C. (WGHP) — A popular sign on the side of many roads in Oak Ridge states, 'No Pipeline' in protest of a potential natural pipeline running through the area.
Brenda Chaney says her horse pasture received a rendering from the Williams Companies Inc. of the proposed Transco Pipeline.
According to a presentation during a Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting, the pipeline is a part of the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project.
It would be a 42-inch diameter pipeline that runs through miles of Guilford County, Forsyth County and Davidson County as well as Chaney's property.
'It would require them to deeply trench the entire length of the pasture, go across the driveway and down into my second pasture, so it would be a headache for sure,' Chaney said.
Chaney's biggest concern is safety.
'And always going to come back to, 'Is it safe? Can I continue to live here safely?' My kids bought houses around me. I just want to make sure we live in an area that is safe,' Chaney said.
Other neighbors like Chuck Salmon are worried about the potential risk of an explosion, especially because there's already a natural gas pipeline that runs through parts of Oak Ridge, including a neighborhood off Billet Road.
'And within that blast zone, we already have several schools and hundreds of residents,' Salmon said.
According to Guilford County commissioners, the pipes would carry more than a million dekatherms of pressurized natural gas.
Before this project becomes a reality, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must assess and approve the project.
In the meantime, homeowners are calling on county leaders to strike down the pipeline if the project moves forward.
'I know that if they pass the resolution saying, 'No,' then Raleigh will pay attention, and then maybe we can have more oversight on how safe these pipes are and if this is best for North Carolina,' Chaney said.
Williams Companies Inc. will have a work session to discuss the pipeline with Guilford County commissioners at 4 p.m. on Thursday at the old Guilford County Courthouse.
The meeting is open to the public.
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