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Enbridge outlines pipeline work in Roane County; residents raise safety questions
Summary
Enbridge told the Roane County Commission it will survey roughly 1,100 parcels and use horizontal directional drilling to cross the Emory River with an HDD profile 'anywhere from 75 feet to a 100 feet below the bottom of the riverbed'; residents at the meeting raised trust and water-safety concerns.
An Enbridge representative told the Roane County Commission and members of the public that construction on a new natural-gas lateral in the county will begin in October and that the company plans to survey about 1,100 parcels and perform required tree clearing and restoration work.
The Enbridge representative described construction steps — tree clearing, topsoil preservation, pipe welding and insertion — and said some crossings of rivers and streams will use horizontal directional drilling (HDD). In response to a technical question, an Enbridge technical participant identified as Ryan said HDD profiles under riverbeds for this project "are anywhere from 75 feet to a 100 feet below the bottom of the riverbed." The company said it expects restoration to take several months in each work area and stated the line was intended to be in service and delivering to TVA by Nov. 1.
Local residents used the public comment period to press company representatives about safety and water impacts. One attendee told commissioners plainly, "I don't trust you," expressing skepticism about assurances that a release would not reach local water supplies. The Enbridge representative described engineering measures and said the drilling path must reach a solid geological layer and that the company will follow geotechnical plans; he also noted that much of the new lateral follows existing rights-of-way and that the majority of the project reuses existing crossings.
Commissioners and residents also discussed logistics, including the location for a crossing near the TDA facility and anticipated traffic and construction schedules. The exchange at the meeting underscored a mix of technical assurances from the company and continuing local concern about water and environmental safety.
