Oak Ridge residents press council to adopt resolution opposing Williams Transco pipeline expansion

Dozens of Oak Ridge residents, faith leaders and local advocates told the Town of Oak Ridge council during public comment that they want the council to adopt a formal resolution opposing the proposed Williams Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, which would add pipeline capacity through parts of town.

Speakers said they worry the expansion would increase public‑safety risks, threaten wells and surface water, and depress property values. Several speakers handed council members a petition and a draft resolution asking the council to formally register opposition and urge federal and state regulators to require more study and compensation for affected property owners.

The citizens’ presentation capped an hour of public comment focused on the pipeline. Claire Spear, who described herself as an organizer and advocate, read portions of a draft resolution and delivered six printed copies and a 17‑page petition to the town clerk. "Now, therefore, be it hereby resolved by the Oak Ridge Town Council that in consideration of the concerns shared above, that the Oak Ridge Town Council is recorded as being opposed to the Southeast supply enhancement project entering and being installed in Oak Ridge," Spear read aloud as part of the draft resolution she handed to council.

Local clergy and longtime residents gave the council specific safety and cultural arguments. Reverend Shelby Miles, speaking for St. James AME Church, said the church and its cemetery are part of the town's heritage and that the congregation “stands firmly against the proposed pipeline.” Austin Goldman said Oak Ridge First Baptist Church opposes the expansion on safety grounds and pointed listeners to a recent large pipeline explosion elsewhere as evidence of risk.

Several speakers described immediate, localized risks. Chuck Salvin, who said his house is within the blast zone for a 36‑inch pipe, warned that the existing right‑of‑way already exposes nearby homes and that adding a larger pipe would increase risk. Dr. Jane Foy, a pediatrician, told council she worries about potential water contamination during construction and in the event of a leak and emphasized children’s greater vulnerability to environmental contaminants.

Speakers also cited technical and historical concerns: multiple commenters said the existing pipeline is about 70 years old and argued the company’s safety record warrants heightened scrutiny. Other commenters argued that new jobs created by the expansion would not primarily benefit local residents and that any consumer costs should not be imposed on residents without local benefit.

Council members did not vote on a resolution during the meeting. Several council members acknowledged hearing the speakers and said the council should consider the matter more formally at a future session. Council discussion included a suggestion to place the draft resolution on a future agenda for a full council discussion and vote; one council member said he was unsure whether there were enough votes to adopt a resolution but urged a formal discussion "out of respect for the residents" who attended and submitted petitions.

The petitioners asked the council to: (1) register opposition to the project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, (2) ask Williams Transco to investigate and present no‑build alternatives, (3) insist on protection for water resources, and (4) require full compensation for affected property owners under applicable North Carolina law. Claire Spear and others offered to work with council staff to revise the draft resolution if the council wanted language changes.

The council did take no formal action on the pipeline at the meeting. Petitioners asked the council to put the resolution on the agenda for the next regular meeting so council members could vote on it after reading the materials provided.

Provenance: The topic was introduced in public comment beginning with Ron Ray and subsequent remarks about Williams Transco and the pipeline (see transcript excerpt) and concluded with Claire Spear’s delivery of the draft resolution and petition to the town clerk (see transcript excerpt).