Permian Highway Pipeline has begun laying a pipeline through the Hill Country after a federal judge sided with Kinder Morgan.
The City of Austin received a temporary restraining order (TRO) last month to halt the construction. Austin attorneys cited the Endangered Species Act in an effort to protect the golden-cheek warbler.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman denied the TRO, stating the plaintiffs failed to show irreparable harm. Pitman did bar land clearing from the warbler habitat from March 1 through July 31.
The construction affects many residents who are in the path of the pipeline. Mark Weiler, the owner of one of the properties affected by the pipeline, says he was given short notice that contractors were going to place a 42-inch, high-pressure natural gas line across his property.
"All of a sudden, I get a letter on my door in October of 2018 that says, hey, we are going to [use] your property and there's nothing you can do about it," Weiler said. "Even though we already had the house fully designed and a contractor lined up, we decided to put that part of our life on hold for now."
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