Emergent Savannah announced that it will hold the Palmetto Pipeline World Café from 6:30-8:30 p.m.Monday at the Sentient Bean Coffee Shop, 13 E. Park Ave. in Savannah.
The World Café is a conversation model that encourages a diverse group of people to discuss different sides of issues. Emergent Savannah invites the public to join the dialogue regarding the proposed Kinder Morgan Palmetto Pipeline Project.
Proposed by the private Texas-based company Kinder Morgan, the Palmetto Pipeline Project is a 360-mile pipeline that would transport refined petroleum products from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, through North Augusta, South Carolina, across the Savannah River and parts of Coastal Georgia, including wetland areas, and end at Jacksonville, Florida.
Richmond Hill would be the site of a terminal, and 11 miles of the pipeline would run through Bryan County, the company has said.
Not only are citizens concerned with the environmental- and economic-associated risks, but Kinder Morgan is facing criticism on its silence toward its efforts to enforce eminent domain on local landowners. For their part, Kinder Morgan officials have said they would negotiate with property owners first, and eminent domain would be a last resort.
The final Georgia Department of Transportation public hearing on the pipeline proposal is scheduled for Thursday, May 7, at the Waynesboro Campus of Augusta Technical College, 216 Highway 24 S. in Waynesboro.
A hearing held last week at the Richmond Hill City Center drew more than 500 people, most of whom were opposed to the pipeline.
The Palmetto Pipeline World Café on Monday will start with a 15-minute overview of the project and its impact, moving into the World Café discussions and a moderated question-and-answer session.
Participants are invited to walk around to the American Legion Post 135 bar to continue the conversation afterward.
Immediate seating is limited to 40 spaces. It is recommended to arrive early.
For more information on the World Café and Emergent Savannah, visit EmergentSavannah.org.