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Oct 17, 2008 5:43 pm US/Central
City Fights For More Control Over Gas Pipelines
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
As gas drilling moves into urban areas, gas pipelines are moving under them.
But cities have no control of where or how they are put in.
The state monitors lines for safety and allows for eminent domain. But there is no other oversight at the state level. In fact, cities and neighborhoods often don't even know where the pipes are going until they're actually installed.
"That is something that I would have wanted to know, being this close to the neighborhood," said Fort Worth homeowner CaSoundra Brown. "That's something everybody should have known."
Now Fort Worth will ask state lawmakers to give cities a say. The issue is a top priority for the city in the next legislative session.
Gas companies argue they're a vital economic and natural resource and need freedom to expand rapidly.
Luckily for the city, though, falling gas prices mean the furious pace of the gas boom has slowed, buying the city time to get laws changed. "We will see continued activity, probably at a lesser pace then we have," said Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief. "And I think everybody's ready for a breather. I know this council and I are."
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