Proposed Pipeline Worries Flower Mound Neighborhood

Residents of a Flower Mound neighborhood are hoping to halt a proposed pipeline that would send hazardous waste through their neighborhood.

The Wellington neighborhood turned out in force at a Town Council meeting Thursday in hopes of swaying the council in their favor.

The proposed pipeline would filter hazardous waste from natural-gas drilling sites to a centralized storage facility.

"We were shocked, absolutely shocked when we found out that the town was considering allowing this to happen to us," resident Sue Ann Lorig said.

Residents said they fear the pipeline will change their way of life.

"I want to keep Flower Mound the way it is, which is a great place to raise your family," Dulci Arredondo said.

Signs peppered the neighborhood, encouraging residents to attend Thursday's meeting.

"We're just concerned because of the possible link to cancer and leukemia, the high benzene levels that have come out from the testing of the wells," Arredondo said.

"Somebody digs into it or pipelines break or leak, and this toxic mess just explodes into our streets," Lorig said. "It's very frightening."

But Mayor Jody Smith said there's nothing to worry about, saying Flower Mound has the strictest pipeline rules in the area.

Even so, some Wellington residents just don't want to take the risk.

"Their argument is, it's at different levels and, whatever, you know, it won't get contaminated," Arredondo said. "But things happen."

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