A real state commission overseeing land condemnation issues has ordered Houston pipeline operator Kinder Morgan to pay Matthew Walsh, a Hill Country landowner, nearly $250,000 in property damages. Kinder Morgan wants to build a $2 billion natural gas pipeline from Midland to Houston but landowners along the way have concerns. The firm's original offer to Walsh was $16,707 for a 50 foot easement until the Texas Real Estate Advocacy and Defense Coalition intervened. The Midland Reporter-Telegram reports:

"I feel like I've been living in a nightmare since I heard about the pipeline coming through my land last October," Walsh said in a statement released by the , a nonprofit group opposed to the project. "Kinder Morgan's initial offer was insultingly low. I hope that other landowners will hear my story and join me in fighting for fair compensation."

Kinder Morgan has maintained throughout the legal battle that the pipeline route was carefully chosen to impact the fewest number of landowners. The company said it held public meetings in Kyle and other cities before moving forward with the project.

Under Texas state law, pipelines require a 50-foot easement that must be kept clear. Kinder Morgan designed the proposed pipeline route to include a 600-foot-wide corridor that allows for some flexibility and adjustments. The company contends the pipeline will generate nearly $1 billion annually to state and county governments and will unlock production bottlenecks in the Permian Basin — allowing leaseholders to earn more than $2 billion in annual royalties.

Read More