Environmental groups are warning about potential hazards after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the construction of a 208-mile gas pipeline that will start in the Mississippi Delta and cross the state eastward into Alabama.
Stretching from Greenville, Mississippi, to Butler, Alabama, the Mississippi Crossing Project (MSX), will connect to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, transporting natural gas through 10 Mississippi counties: Humphreys, Sunflower, Washington, Attala, Holmes, Clarke, Leake, Newton, Lauderdale and Neshoba. The commission approved construction on Aug. 5.
A $1.7 billion project, the pipeline’s construction will provide more than 750 temporary jobs. Kinder Morgan, the parent company of the project, said that the pipeline will provide Mississippi with an economic advantage.
Kinder Morgan Vice President Allen Fore spoke to the Mississippi Free Press on Aug. 1, 2025, before FERC approved the pipeline.
“(These projects) bring significant natural gas supply to make sure that Mississippi is well positioned for attracting business (and) residents. That increases the opportunity that there will be for additional economic development because you have a reliable, secure form of energy.”
While Fore is confident in the pipeline’s success in the state, environmental groups are uncertain of the safety factors that exist surrounding its construction. One group raising concerns is the Singleton Schreiber law firm based in Ridgeland, Mississippi, which has been outspoken about the pipeline’s potential environmental hazards.
“Just in the construction process, you can potentially have soil degradation, you can have any sort of damage to the environment around that. It can damage ecosystems because (they are) having permanent right-of-way,” Singleton Schreiber attorney Laura Singleton told the Mississippi Free Press on July 31.
Because of these concerns, another Singleton Schreiber attorney, Ebony Griffin-Guerrier, urged citizens to exercise their right to formally intervene and challenge the construction of the pipeline.
“It preserves your right to challenge the pipeline in federal court and receive information about the pipeline project moving forward,” Griffin-Guerrier told the Mississippi Free Press on July 31.
With FERC’s approval of the pipeline, Griffin-Guerrier wants citizens to know their rights in negotiating easements for the pipeline crossing into their land.
“Now that the pipeline has been passed there are going to be officials knocking on doors trying to get residents to sign easements … You do still have the opportunity to negotiate the terms of your easements. Don’t feel like you have to sign the first thing that they give you,” Griffin-Guerrier told the Mississippi Free Press on Aug. 5.
Fore explained in last year’s interview that Kinder Morgan has safety precautions and monitoring systems in place to ensure the success and environmental safety of the pipeline.
“This pipeline will be monitored 24/7. We have an internal system that will alert us to any issues with the pipeline. We also have aerial patrols and foot patrols of the pipeline regularly. We regularly run inspection tools through the pipe once it’s in the ground,” Fore said on Aug. 1, 2025.
With the FERC approval, the groundbreaking for the MSX pipeline is expected to happen this January.
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