YOUNGSVILLE, La. (KLFY) – Construction on the controversional Bayou Bridge Pipeline has allegedly caused damage to one woman’s home.
According to a spokesperson for the pipeline, ‘The new 163-mile Bayou Bridge Pipeline will be an extension of an existing pipeline, which has been safely operating since early 2016 from Nederland, Texas, to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The new segment, which will begin in Lake Charles and will end at terminaling facilities in St. James, is expected to be in service in the Fourth Quarter of this year.’
“I prayed, asking God to bless me with a home in the country, and exactly what I asked for, that’s what he gave me. And the devil is trying to take it away from me,” said Melinda Tillies, who lives right next door to the construction.
She’s lived in her Youngsville home on Larriviere Road for just over a year now. She says she bought the home new, but now…
“Up here, my borders are cracking, then I have this big slit going down,” said Tillies.
She woke up early one morning to construction going on outside her home, that she had no idea about.
“It sounds like an earthquake when they use the machines and everything,” said Tillies.
Little did she know, construction of the controversial Bayou Bridge Pipeline was rolling through Youngsville. The pipeline, stretches from Lake Charles to St. James parish.
“Right now if I had to come in this area looking for a home, I would not buy it because of this Bayou Pipeline,” Tillies stated.
While some say the 163-mile pipeline poses a threat to the environment, others say it would connect Louisiana refining operations, with new sources of American energy.
Tillies says the construction has caused cracks in the ceiling and molding, and sometimes her lights to flicker.
“Starting here they (kitchen tiles) started falling off, and then this one cracked. My husband tried to put this together, and you see it’s still loose,” she said.
She says the construction has been going on for around 2 months, and more time she’s nervous that her home won’t be standing anymore.
“If I go to a motel and come back, my house might be flat on the ground. No, I’m staying home, you’re not getting me out my house,” said Tillies.
Now she’s hoping construction will stop, so she can pass her home down to future generations.
“Just let it alone, cover everything back up, take their pipes, go about their business,” she said.
A media spokesperson for the Bayou Bridge Pipeline gave us a statement that reads:
“We take all issues raised by landowners seriously, however, we do not provide comment on specific situations. What I can tell you is that it is our policy to send construction experts to review any claims of disturbance, as we are doing in this case. If it is determined that our construction caused any issues, we will work with the landowner to address the issue. Again, we take all landowner concerns seriously and remain committed to treating all landowners fairly and respectfully.”
