Landowners win case against Bluegrass Pipeline

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Landowners who had opposed efforts to put a natural gas pipeline across 13 Kentucky counties have been victorious in the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Media outlets report that Thursday, the court decided not to review a May 2015 ruling from the Kentucky Court of Appeals that said Bluegrass Pipeline LLC did not have to power of eminent domain because it was not a utility regulated by the state.

Kentuckians United to Restrain Eminent Domain attorney Tom FitzGerald says that because the Supreme Court didn’t review the appeal, the appellate court’s decision stands.

Many residents opposed the project due to environmental concerns. In 2014, the companies proposing to build the pipeline halted the project because it hadn’t received the necessary customer commitments.

Attorney Gregory P. Parsons, representing Bluegrass Pipeline, was not immediately available for comment.