The Byhalia Pipeline, also referred to as the Byhalia Connection Pipeline, was a proposed 49-mile crude oil pipeline project in Memphis, Tennessee. Proposed by two companies, Plains All American Pipeline and Valero Energy, it was canceled in July 2021 after months of activism and resistance from organizations including Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP), Protect Our Aquifer, the Memphis and Mid-South Chapter of

The Climate Reality Project The Climate Reality Project is a non-profit organization involved in education and advocacy related to climate change. The Climate Reality Project came into being in July 2011 as the consolidation of two environmental groups, the Alliance for Cli ...

, and other partnered organizations. Opposition to the pipeline was based primarily around impact concerns for the Memphis drinking water aquifer below the intended pipeline location that supplies drinking water to approximately 1 million people. Plans for the Byhalia Connection pipeline project were called off after a statement from Plains All American Pipeline director of communications that the project was no longer being pursued "primarily due to lower U.S. oil production resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic".

Pipeline project

The Byhalia Connection project was intended to connect two existing crude oil pipelines, the

Diamond Pipeline The Diamond Pipeline is an oil pipeline system that runs from Cushing, Oklahoma to Memphis, Tennessee in the United States. In 2016, the engineering plans, permits, and construction will commence, anticipating to finish construction of the pipeli ...

based in Memphis, Tennessee and the Capline Pipeline connecting central Illinois and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Byhalia Pipeline, LLC, a joint venture between Valero and Plains All American, stated that through the connection, the company would be able to transport barrels from regions that produce crude oil in Texas and Oklahoma to areas further west, north, and to the U.S. Gulf Coast where it is needed by oil refineries. The companies asserted that the pipeline would be "strengthening the region's economic vitality and America's energy independence", while the officer director of the Southern Environmental Law Center stated the citizens would "bear a lot of risk and almost no benefits". Additionally, the proposed pipeline would have crossed over the Memphis Sand Aquifer. This aquifer supplies clean drinking water to Memphis and Shelby county, the largest metropolitan center that is exclusively supplied by groundwater. Because crude oil is known to contain carcinogens, all Memphis' citizens would have suffered if this pipeline spilled or leaked into the already vulnerable aquifer. Experts suggest that 25 million gallons of groundwater can be contaminated by only one pound of crude oil. The protection of the aquifer and the injustices surrounding the pipeline construction sparked much activism and resistance.

Activism and resistance

Local activism was led by a grassroots organization, Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP), co-founded by

Justin J. Pearson Justin Jamal Pearson (; born January 7, 1995) is an American activist and politician. He is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing the 86th district, covering parts of the city of Memphis. He was elected in a January 20 ...

, Kizzy Jones, and Kathy Robinson, and Protect our Aquifer, founded by Ward Archer. National awareness was raised through the Memphis and Mid-South Chapter of

co-founded by Duffy-Marie Arnoult and Vance LaVelle with a local appearance from Climate Reality founder

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...

in the historically black Boxtown neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee. These efforts led to a variety of celebrities and public figures speaking out against the pipeline including

Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films include ...

, Giancarlo Esposito,

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...

and others. In early 2021, a spokesperson for Byhalia Pipeline, LLC stated that the planned route was decided as it was "the path of least resistance". This statement was considered a gaffe, in the way that it appeared to refer to the historic black neighborhood of Boxtown through which the pipeline would be constructed. Rev. Dr. William Barber II, co-chairman of the national

Poor People's Campaign The Poor People's Campaign, or Poor People's March on Washington, was a 1968 effort to gain economic justice for poor people in the United States. It was organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( ...

made a public appearance at a Memphis rally following "the path of least resistance" statement, which became a main theme of his speech. A lawsuit was filed by Memphis Community Against Pollution Inc., Protect our Aquifer, and the Sierra Club against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the subject of the Byhalia Pipeline, contesting that the Corps of Engineers approved filing of Nationwide Permit 12 needed for the Byhalia Pipeline ignored potential environmental consequences of contamination to rivers, the Memphis Sand Aquifer, and the drinking water of the local population of approximately 1 million residents. Congressman Steve Cohen and Congresswoman

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...

led in a letter alongside 26 congress members requesting that the Biden administration reconsider the Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit 12 filed for the Byhalia Pipeline. While activists sought intervention from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), Transportation Secretary,

Pete Buttigieg Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg ( ; ; Sometimes pronounced or , but not by Buttigieg himself. born January 19, 1982) is an American politician and former military officer who is currently serving as the United States secretary of transp ...

, stated that the USDOT could only regulate the pipeline once it is in the ground and would not halt the project prior to it being placed in service. During the period of opposition, the Memphis City Council proposed an ordinance to require the approval by the city council for the underground storage or transportation of hazardous materials.

Project cancellation

The cancellation of the project was announced on July 2, 2021, by Byhalia Connection, LLC through its director of communications, who also stated "Pipelines continue to play a critical role in safely transporting energy products from where energy is produced to where it is refined and turned into consumer goods that benefit our lives. As part of any shift to lower carbon energy, hydrocarbons will continue to be a critical part of meeting increasing global need for affordable, reliable energy. Access to all forms of energy improves quality of life, education and economic opportunity for individuals and communities throughout North America and across the globe". Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris stated that "The cancellation of the construction of the Byhalia Connection Pipeline is great news for the community that has fought tooth and nail for this result."

References

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Pipeline Pulls Project, work=mlk50.com, date=2 July 2021 , access-date=July 10, 2021 {{cite web, url=https://dailymemphian.com/section/neighborhoodssouth-memphis/article/22243/protect-our-aquifer-hires-sarah-houston, title=Protect Our Aquifer Hires Sarah Houston, work=dailymemphian.com, access-date=July 10, 2021 {{cite web, url=https://mlk50.com/2021/03/09/former-vice-president-al-gore-to-speak-at-memphis-rally-opposing-byhalia-pipeline/, title=Former Vice President Al Gore To Speak At Memphis Rally Opposing Byhalia Pipeline, work=mlk50.com, date=9 March 2021 , access-date=July 10, 2021 {{cite web, url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/the-climate-reality-project-comes-to-memphis, title=The Climate Reality Project Comes To Memphis, work=memphisflyer.com, access-date=July 10, 2021 {{cite web, url=https://mlk50.com/2021/04/20/byhalia-pipeline-hints-at-lawsuit-as-memphis-city-council-holds-ordinance-that-would-regulate-project/, title=Byhalia Pipeline Hints At Lawsuit As Memphis City Council 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10, 2021 Proposed pipelines in the United States Environmental issues in the United States Cancelled energy infrastructure