HOUSTON – Homeowners living in Southwest Crossing Subdivision in southwest Houston are concerned about CenterPoint’s plans to run gas transmission lines under the backyards of their homes.
“We are going to fight it,” Kenneth Burgess, a homeowner, said. “You don’t want to have 300,000 gallons of liquid propane near your residential area.”
CenterPoint Energy has plans to install a natural gas pipeline behind the homes on River Bluff Drive.
“They told people that this is safe because nothing happened yet,” Burgess said. “But nothing happened at my plant before the explosion occurred.”
On October 23, 1989, Burgess worked at Chevron Phillips in Pasadena.
“Twenty-three of my co-workers died in that explosion,” he recalled. “When the alarm went off, we looked around and all we saw was a huge plume of gas.”
KPRC 2 reached out to CenterPoint Energy and they said the pipeline is designed to bring operational benefits.
They also said in a statement the project is expected to improve the interconnectivity between existing supply points and meet the needs of customers. They wouldn’t provide additional details on their specific safety plans and approval process.
“What happens if there is a leak?” asked homeowner Angela King. “What’s the timeline or the time frame for the emergency department to even respond?”
Some neighbors say CenterPoint Energy has tried offering them money.
“They’re saying if they don’t respond they’re going to take it by eminent domain,” King said.
Fueling frustrations—other homeowners say they’re just now hearing about the plan.
“They’re putting our neighborhood at risk,” Burgess said.