San Elizario farmer concerned about pipeline construction

The construction of a pipeline in San Elizario damaged a canal and has a farmer concerned.

The Comanche Trail Pipeline stretches from Pecos County, Texas to Mexico. It cuts through San Elizario in far southeast El Paso County before crossing into Mexico.

For the past eight months, a contractor named Holloman has been building the 17-mile-long portion of the pipeline in El Paso County, according to the General Manager for the County Water Improvement District No. 1 Jesus Reyes.

“They promised they would not cause any problems at all,” said Jesus Reyes. “They have damaged one of our canals.”

Joe Navar, a farmer in San Elizario, told ABC-7 Comanche called him Thursday morning informing him the company would have to shut down his canal after damaging it. However, crews created a bypass to continue irrigation. Reyes said the cost of repairing the damaged canal ranges in between $250,000 to half a million dollars.

USA Today reports a federal judge has halted a lawsuit over the controversial natural gas pipeline for 90 days, but his order allows construction to continue. The lawsuit involves an eminent domain dispute between the El Paso County Water District No. 1, the Federal government and the company that owns the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners.

County Commissioner Vince Perez, who represents the area, sent ABC-7 the following statement:

“The Comanche Trail Pipeline has been a source of tremendous frustration, concern, and understandable anger among many residents in the county and in other parts of the state who have had to endure unfair compensation for property, safety fears in the impacted area, and damage to property. Many state, county and local leaders (including myself) have appealed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to intervene in this project, but these requests were sadly denied. Without the intervention of the federal government, the state of Texas will not intercede to help address residents’ concerns. Frustratingly, local governments have no authority to regulate the company responsible for this project.”

As officials try to work through the issue, the farmers will have to wait. Nava says he is still able to irrigate, since crews provided a bi-pass for the water to continue flowing.

The Comanche Trail Pipeline LLC sent the following statement: “”There was damage on Friday to a landowner’s private water canal. The construction crew onsite immediately remedied the situation and there was no interruption to the landowner’s irrigation efforts that are underway.”

Correction: Holloman was not involved in the issue.