I am an in-house legal counsel with Trunkline Gas Company, LLC (Trunkline) which owns and operates a large diameter (26”) high pressure natural gas pipeline (Pipeline). The Pipeline crosses under the Leman Birk Newcomer Ditch located in Section 1, Township 35 North, Range 3 East, St. Joseph County, Indiana (County). Under the Natural Gas Act, Trunkline’s Pipeline is regulated by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and, for safety reasons, by federal regulations of the Department of Transportation (DOT) under the Natural Gas Pipeline Act. To avoid property damage or bodily injury, including death, safety requirements imposed by federal law require Trunkline to protect the Pipeline.
