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Residents press council over Transco/Williams pipeline, ask for town-hosted information session
Summary
Multiple Oak Ridge residents and environmental advocates told the town council they oppose a proposed Transco/Williams pipeline expansion, raising safety, groundwater and property concerns and asking the council to host or invite the company to an informational meeting.
Dozens of Oak Ridge residents spoke against a proposed Southeast Supply Expansion Project (Transco/Williams) during public comment at the Dec. 5 Town of Oak Ridge Council meeting, urging the council to push the company for more transparency and to host a public information session.
Speakers said the proposed 42-inch pipeline expansion would cross private property, abut churches and schools, and increase risks to groundwater and public safety. Several callers asked the council to adopt a resolution opposing the project or to invite company representatives to town hall so residents could pose questions directly.
Why it matters: Residents and advocacy groups said the expansion would expose Oak Ridge property owners and institutions — including churches and Oak Ridge Elementary School — to heightened safety and environmental risk without local benefits. Speakers also warned that utility customers statewide could shoulder construction costs through rate increases.
During the public-comment period, speakers described specific concerns: possible contamination of wells from subsurface leaks, the effect of colocating a new high‑pressure line beside existing, aging pipelines, and the potential for evacuation difficulties at churches that serve mostly older congregants. Clean Water for North Carolina and other groups requested time to present fuller analyses to the council.
Council response: Councilmember Jeffrey Stone suggested the town offer its meeting space to Williams/Transco for an informational session; he said the town has no direct permitting authority over a federally regulated transmission project but could host a company presentation. Mayor Jim Kinnaman and other council members later noted that civic groups may organize informational sessions and that town facilities are generally available to noncommercial organizations for such meetings.
No formal council action was taken on the pipeline at the meeting. Council members encouraged residents to share materials with the town and indicated staff would help circulate notices of any informational events. Several public speakers requested a resolution from the council opposing the project; the council did not vote on such a resolution on Dec. 5.
Quotes: “If a gas leak is detected in the pipelines in Oak Ridge, who is notified? And when?” said Austin Goldman, listing churches and asking about emergency notification procedures. Erica Hernandez, representing Clean Water for North Carolina, said the pipeline “has the potential to rupture, catch fire and/or explode, putting land owners, churches and schools within the pipeline’s calculated blast zone at risk.”
What’s next: Citizens asked the council to either invite Williams/Transco to speak in Oak Ridge or to allow advocacy groups time to present more complete analyses to the council. Council members indicated they would help circulate information about any public meetings but did not adopt binding action at this session.
Ending: Residents pressed for more detail and for direct answers about safety, emergency notification and property impacts; council members acknowledged the concerns and suggested the town could help host or publicize informational sessions but left any formal position or resolution for a future meeting.
