Pegasus pipeline causes concerns

Lawyers say an upcoming ruling in a class action lawsuit filed in the wake of the oil spill here could have broad-ranging impacts for property owners across the state.

The pipeline is part of the northern section of a line called Pegasus - more than 600 miles long - that runs from Illinois to Texas.

In the wake of the spill, lawyers representing land owners whose property touches the Pegasus easement filed a class action lawsuit seeking to force ExxonMobil to remove the 1940s era pipeline.

But in a response filed last week, lawyers for ExxonMobil said the company had "no obligations" to land owners "with regard to maintenance or operation of the pipeline."

In the motion in question, the company's lawyers said the original 1947 agreement with land owners never spelled out a responsibility to maintain and operate the pipeline and, therefore, there is none.

The pipeline remains shut down. ExxonMobil has not given indication if or when the pipeline will restart.

Reactivation of the pipeline

The reactivation of the southern segment of the pipeline is stirring concerns among landowners living along its ruptured northern leg.

The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which regulates interstate pipelines, approved the company’s reactivation plan in March. The agency said the pressure must stay 20% below the level at the time of the rupture while officials review the company’s plan to bolster the pipeline's integrity.

Edited from various sources by Elizabeth Corner

Sources: Arkansas Matters, My High Plains

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/11092014/pegasus-pipeline-causes-concerns/