Under pressure, company cancels Tennessee pipeline

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ADRIAN SAINZ

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Environmentalists and activists claimed victory Saturday after a company canceled plans to build an oil pipeline through southwest Tennessee and north Mississippi, and over an aquifer that provides drinking water to 1 million people.

Byhalia Connection said it will no longer pursue plans to build a 49-mile (79-kilometer) underground artery that would have linked two major U.S. oil pipelines while running through wetlands and under poor, predominantly Black neighborhoods in south Memphis.

A joint venture between Valero and Plains All American Pipeline, Byhalia Connection had said the pipeline would bring jobs and tax revenue to the region — and it had given to Memphis-area charities and tried to build goodwill in the community. But, in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday, Byhalia Connection said it was canceling the project “due to lower U.S. oil production resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We value the relationships we’ve built through the development of this project, and appreciate those that supported the project,” Byhalia Connection’s statement said.



Clyde Robinson, 80, speaks with a reporter while standing on his acre-sized parcel of land on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. Robinson fought an effort by two companies seeking a piece of his land to build part of an oil pipeline that would run through the Memphis area into north Mississippi, and over an aquifer that provides clean drinking water to 1 million people. The pipeline builders said Friday, July 2, they will not continue to pursue the pipeline project.(AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-tennessee-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-business-e3d71136ab859ce80511f53642ded4fd

[riversedge]

1. Good news.

[sellitman]

2. A victory.

We need a few more.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Cancel all pipelines at this point and do the maintenance on old ones

Our distribution network is extensive and we're moving away from carbon based fuels rapidly.

[Mysterian]

5. Well said

Let's stop the mindless destruction and begin the clean-up.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. Sadly not nearly as rapidly as many people imagine, nor anywhere near as rapidly as we need to

in order to avoid climate catastrophe.

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/global_oil.php

We estimate that 96.2 million b/d of petroleum and liquid fuels was consumed globally in May, an increase of 11.9 million b/d from May 2020 but 3.7 million b/d less than in May 2019. We forecast that global consumption of petroleum and liquid fuels will average 97.7 million b/d for all of 2021, which is a 5.4 million b/d increase from 2020. We forecast that global consumption of petroleum and liquid fuels will increase by 3.6 million b/d in 2022 to average 101.3 million b/d.

[iluvtennis]

4. Nice! n/t

[DownriverDem]

6. Excellent

I can't believe that this actually happened in Tennessee. Folks I know there are constantly fighting environmental issues.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

7. They aren't even admitting that the community pressure played a role, only reduced production

due to COVID?

Weak.

Good news anyway I suppose, as long as the pipeline isn't just going to be replaced by hauling the same oil via train and/or semi-truck, in which case, it's not ALL that great of news, IMHO.