Young Kentuckians Host 75 th Birthday Party for Pipeline to Emphasize Dangers of Proposed Project

RICHMOND, KY— Birthday parties are an opportunity to celebrate, commemorate and come together,
but can they also be a time for protest? This year marks 75 years since the construction of the
Tennessee Gas Pipeline, the site of a proposed re-purposing project by Kinder Morgan which would
facilitate the transportation of hazardous natural gas liquids (NGLs) through Kentucky. In order to
highlight the risks of this project, students with the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition (KSEC)
hosted a 75th birthday party for the pipeline this past Sunday at Lake Reba Park in Richmond, KY. The
event featured food, games, a pipeline-themed cake and a mock pipeline art installation equipped with
mock explosion and spill.

The birthday party theme of the event emphasizes one of the key dangers of the project: the old age of
the pipeline that will be re-purposed. “It’s shortsighted and dangerous,” said KSEC member and event
organizer Emma Anderson. “How can you expect a pipeline to maintain its integrity with subpar upkeep
for 75 years?” Morehead State University student and KSEC member Sarah Buschman said the event
was a “fun way to draw attention to the dangers of using a poor quality and 75 year old pipeline.”
The Tennessee Gas Pipeline, which previously carried methane, but would be re-purposed to carry
things like ethane, butane and pentane, experienced more than 100 “significant failures” between 2006
and 2017. Between the old age of the pipeline, Kentucky’s notorious sinkhole-filled geology, and the fact
that these new materials must be transported at higher pressures and are more explosive, there is grave
potential for more frequent and dangerous leaks, spills and explosions. These potential threats to the
health and safety of Kentucky’s land, air, water and people are why students and community members
felt it was important to come together to learn about the pipeline, connect with one another and
discuss next steps in preventing this dangerous project.

KSEC’s Gas and Pipelines Working Group, made up of students from across Kentucky, has been fighting
this pipeline project for over a year and a half, hosting more than a half dozen “teach-ins” at colleges
across the state to educate students and the community about the risks of this project. The birthday
party event included a “teach-in” style training about the project and “goodie bags” with resources to
help attendees educate others about the project. It was also an opportunity for these students to voice
their opinions and work for a better future in Kentucky. Buschman said the event was “a great
opportunity to… [let] our voice be heard!”