PAMPLICO, SC – The land agent who arrived at Reatha Jefferson’s door in May, without warning and without a mask in the middle of the pandemic, told her he was giving her one more chance.
The agent was there on behalf of Virginia utility giant Dominion Energy. He wanted to see if Jefferson would let Dominion operate a new natural gas pipeline across the land that his great-grandfather, a rural black farmer, had bought more than a century ago in Pamplico, South Carolina.
Jefferson sent the agent away and in July, the concessionaire handed him court papers in an attempt to use the eminent domain to build the pipeline.
The proposed 23-kilometer gas line is small in contrast to projects like the recently canceled gas pipeline on the Atlantic Coast, or even a 55-mile (88.5-kilometer) gas pipeline that Dominion recently built in the state. But for Jefferson, it threatens to taint the land where his relatives grew tobacco, corn and wheat, and the river where his father used to fish catfish for dinner.
“This property has been in my family for 100 years. How do they think they can tell me what they are going to pass on my property? “, She said.
The company cites new energy demand driven by economic growth in eastern South Carolina as the impetus for the project. Dominion declined to make anyone available for an interview, but said in a statement that the project could help attract and expand businesses, creating jobs and possibly reducing energy costs for residents.
The gas network, designed to supply customers directly with natural gas, would run 22.5 miles from a valve station to a regulating station along the Great Pee Dee River, according to Dominion’s permitted paperwork submitted to the Corps of Engineers of the Army. He would cross 65 pieces of private property along the way.
Some environmental groups think the real purpose of the pipeline is to start a natural gas-fired power plant that the state concessionaire Santee Cooper had previously discussed building at the same location where the proposed pipeline would end. The company said it would use natural gas from a dealership like Dominion.
Shelley Robbins, director of energy and state policy at Upstate Forever, an environmental group focused on land conservation in South Carolina, said she wonders if the proposed pipeline is being designed with a relatively large diameter so that it can connect to a source natural gas in addition to providing electricity to customers. Such a plant would have a much larger footprint in the community than the proposed line, she added.
Dominion spokesman Paul Fischer said in an e-mail that the gas line would be operated exclusively and owned by Dominion and is not related to any current or future project by other utilities. Santee Cooper spokesman Mollie Gore said the company was not familiar with the pipeline and had not made decisions about future locations for natural gas plants.
Kathy Andrews, a landowner in the area who, like Jefferson, is opposed to the project, says she is concerned about environmental damage, such as leaks when the pipeline is in operation. She points to the explosion of a Dominion gas pipeline in Ohio and allegations of pollution involving coal ash in Virginia.
In addition to worrying about the pipeline’s possible effects on the environment, Jefferson fears losing more of the property his father entrusted to him on his deathbed. Jefferson’s great-grandfather, Andrew Hyman’s 40-acre (16-hectare) formerly owned property, has been reduced to about 30 acres (12 hectares) over time. Jefferson is determined not to lose any more.
In recent years, the land has become dense with trees and shrubs, obscuring the driveway that once led to the home where Jefferson was born. This house caught fire a few decades ago, but recently, some of the other heirs of the land tell Jefferson they are contemplating returning and rebuilding. Jefferson dutifully pays property taxes every year, as her father asked her.
But Jefferson and Andrews may be out of luck. In cases where a company or government is arguing that a public service upgrade is for the public good, it is almost impossible for owners to fight, said Renee Gregory, a lawyer at the Heirs’ Preservation Center in Charleston, Carolina. South.
“In these situations, it is not a question of whether the property will be taken, but how much you will be compensated for,” she said.
Andrews, who owns the land next to Jefferson’s, said Dominion offered her $ 500, then $ 1,000 when she declined. She said that she fears that the economic problems that some people are experiencing amid the coronavirus pandemic will lead other owners to accept Dominion’s cash offers.
Dominion held a community workshop in January at the city’s primary school so that residents could learn more about the proposed pipeline. But Andrews said the workshop was in the afternoon, when most people were working; the explanations they got from Dominion were not as complete and there was no mention of a public hearing.
“It’s as if we have no opinion on the matter,” said Andrews.
Other landowners contacted by the Associated Press have had mixed reactions to the project, although most have expressed concern over the idea of agreeing to an easement on their land.
Andrews and Jefferson tried to rally their neighbors against the bill. The pandemic makes it difficult to organize. Rather than meeting in person, concerned residents watch weekly conference calls. And some community members are apathetic to their cause, the women say, assuming Dominion will win in the end anyway.
Jefferson, who is still handing out photocopies, handwritten appeals to his neighbors and looking for a lawyer to represent her in court, remains calm despite the stress of the past few months.
“This is not about money. It is a matter of principle, ”said Jefferson.