Poll: Most say pipeline should be rerouted
The Record’s online poll from Feb. 8 -15 asked readers whether they think the pipeline that Kinder Morgan wants to build should be constructed through the Wimberley Valley.
A 42-inch natural gas pipeline that Kinder Morgan wants to build through Wimberley Valley was at the center of a public meeting recently called by Pct. 3 Commissioner Lon Shell in Wimberley.
Hundreds of people showed up to protest against the pipeline being built in the environmentally-sensitive area of the Wimberley Valley. Concerns in the community are largely based around environmental impact and safety; construction could potentially cut through the karst limestone recharge areas of both the Trinity and the Edwards aquifer as well as risks for pipeline leaks and natural gas pipeline explosions.
The pipeline, which would carry 2.1 billion gallons of natural gas daily from West Texas to the Houston area, will generate approximately $42 million of increased annual revenue to applicable state and local taxing bodies.
The poll asking, “Do you think the pipeline should be constructed through the Wimberley Valley?” received a total of 155 votes, with the majority of votes — 71 percent or 110 votes — going to option “No, it is too environmentally sensitive of an area, they should reroute it.” Twenty-nine percent of voters, or 45 votes, chose, “Yes, the $42 million of increased annual tax revenue will help the area.”
A majority of poll voters think that the pipeline should not be constructed through the Wimberley Valley because it is too environmentally-sensitive of an area. Every week, the Record gives its readers the opportunity to voice their opinions on different topics. This poll does not, and does not purport to, accurately depict public opinion. It is only intended to inspire thought-provoking discussion within the community.
SMDR’s new poll is available online now, and asks for reader’s opinions on whether they think creating a criminal justice commission to help address the issues that contribute to the outsourcing of inmates is a step in the right direction.
