Liberty County commissioners met Sept. 20 with representatives of Blackfin Pipeline LLC and contractor MPG Pipeline Contractors to review a proposed 48-inch natural gas pipeline that would traverse Precincts 2 and 3, discuss staging plans and iron out road-use and bonding requirements.

Juan Sandoval, a permit coordinator for Blackfin Pipeline LLC, told the commissioners "it's gonna be a 48 natural gas pipeline," and described multiple county and precinct road crossings and four crossings under town roads. Contractor Bruce Sanger said the company proposes a local laydown yard at 15659 State Highway 105 to stage crews and equipment, and estimated the yard would be active for about a year, possibly into early 2026.

County officials used the workshop to press for concrete road-use protections. "I believe the amount's 3 and a half million for a blanket bond on the county roads," Sanger said, describing a template bond the contractor had proposed. County participants said large blanket bonds have been difficult to enforce in the past and described alternatives such as cash deposits held by the auditor, per-road damage schedules and video documentation of road conditions taken before and after construction.

An unidentified county speaker summarized the local standard of expectation, saying, "We don't expect these roads to be in any better condition than when y'all started. Just not worse," reflecting county officials' emphasis on returning roads to their prior condition rather than improving them as part of the project.

Contractors and county staff discussed logistics intended to reduce impacts: predefining legal haul routes, using mats and tracked equipment to limit damage, videotaping roads before and after operations and providing copies of the footage to the county. Sanger said MPG would provide video copies and that the company prefers to install power for temporary yards rather than run generators continuously. Sanitation and worker-support measures for laydown yards—triple‑wide trailers, porta‑johns and septic pump‑tank service—were described.

Participants also discussed crossing procedures for sensitive areas. A speaker raised planned directional drilling under the San Jacinto River and an adjacent U.S. highway area (identified in the transcript as "US 5959"); contractors said they would weld pipe sections and expect to block access for a roughly 36-hour period during the drill, post signage two weeks in advance and coordinate with local businesses and off-duty officers for traffic control.

On next steps, Blackfin and MPG agreed to make roadway lists and video documentation available, and county officials agreed to inspect the affected roads with precinct commissioners and the county attorney. The parties scheduled a follow-up meeting for Monday after lunch to review roads and finalize figures and bond terms. The workshop adjourned at about 11:35 a.m.

Why it matters: the project would place heavy construction traffic on local roads; county officials emphasized protecting taxpayer-funded road assets and requiring clear, enforceable mechanisms—whether per-road agreements, escrowed deposits or bonds—to ensure repairs if damage occurs. The county will consider recorded easements and valve-site documentation the company provided as it proceeds to finalize permit and road‑use conditions.

The county did not take a formal vote at the workshop; participants scheduled a Monday follow-up visit with county attorneys and precinct commissioners to finalize road assessments, bond amounts and documentation.