Georgia man grew farm to 1,600 acres; $3.2bn pipeline now runs through his land

A 79-year-old landowner in western Georgia, Donnie Peek, is challenging a major $3.5 billion natural gas pipeline project after discovering that it was rerouted to avoid his property. Peek, who owns a 1,600-acre estate along the Chattahoochee River, filed a formal challenge with federal energy regulators. The Southern System Expansion 4 project, managed by Southern Natural Gas (SNG), a joint venture between Kinder Morgan and Southern Co., originally followed an existing utility easement that crossed four residential properties.

However, revised plans revealed that the pipeline had been rerouted, placing the added burden on Peek's property. Peek was initially unaware of the change, as he already had propane pipelines on his land. When developers announced plans to reroute the gas pipeline, he initially did not object, as using existing rights of way is common in the industry.

However, the new route required adding 1,400 feet of pipe and placing 2.5 miles of continuous pipeline across his land, significantly increasing the project's cost. Peek became suspicious when he learned that a senior manager at Southern Co., whose property was spared from the pipeline, worked for the company overseeing the project.

He also claimed that a representative from Pinnacle Resources Group, an intermediary for SNG, told him that Lane's property could not be taken through eminent domain due to his position. SNG denied any special treatment for Lane and stated that the route change was made to reduce the number of affected landowners. Peek rejected the company's offers of reduced easement rights or direct cash payments, stating that the issue is not about the money but rather the fact that one person was involved in moving the pipeline away from his property.

Now, Peek has filed a petition with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review the case and request that SNG return to the original straight-line easement.