An “Impact Screening” of Battle for the Heart of Texas, a documentary detailing the travails of Hill Country landowners dealing with construction of the Permian Highway Pipeline, takes place this Saturday in Wimberley.
At the heart of the matter is the use of governmental eminent domain power by Kinder Morgan, a private multi-billion dollar corporation, to utilize properties for the construction and placement of a 42 inch natural gas pipeline traversing 430 miles of Texas from just north of Fort Stockton through Central Texas to destinations near Houston. Eminent domain allows a government or its agent the ability to lease or purchase private lands for public use regardless of the landowners’ opinion or consent. “Many in Hays County - including families in and around Wimberley - have been affected by this pipeline,” said long time Wimberley resident and project director and producer John Brown. “It’s important to share this in communities where this has happened or will continue to happen to inform landowners of their rights and how each of us can influence eminent domain reform at the state capitol.”
The film is the culmination of a near five year investigation and a labor of love for Brown. He served as program director for KWVH (Wimberley Valley Radio) in its infancy and, as a result, produced or hosted numerous on-air shows including “Wimberley on Mic.” “We talked about the politics and events going on in town. I was introduced to this topic when landowners contacted us, asking if we knew about a pipeline coming through the area,” shared Brown, adding, “The decision to put one of the largest natural gas pipelines in the world through one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of Texas - areas responsible for the supply of drinking water for millions of people - loomed large. I knew then that more than discussion needed to take place. This needed to be documented.”
Central Texas, including the Wimberley Valley, observed an influx of growth over the past few years. Many residents both new and those here for generations - are relatively unaware of the circumstances surrounding the process and construction. “The film really puts into perspective what your friends and neighbors have been going through,” said Brown. “It’s an ongoing battle. Many landowners went through the condemnation process, fighting this use of their land, and have not yet had their day in court even though the pipeline is in the ground and running.” Screenings provide introduction to the dilemmas faced as well as opportunities for viewers to continue in discussions after viewing the film.
Brown’s local production company, Big Ingen, partnered with Blanco River Academy and the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association to develop the project and bring it together. The film has created awareness of both the environmental impact and landowner rights on both sides of the political line. “This goes beyond the politics of either side. In a state that holds landowner’s rights and defense of one’s property as one of the highest priorities, Texas’ government has failed to protect both the owner’s rights and the public’s environmental interests. This is beyond political party and rhetoric. Both sides are and should be concerned about the need for policy reform,” Brown commented.
The screening takes place this Saturday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m. at the Blanco River Academy’s Outdoor Pavillion, 501 Old Kyle Rd #101 in Wimberley. More information and tickets for the screening are available at the project’s website. battlefortheheartoftexas. com and links on their Battle for the Heart of Texas page on Facebook.
