Sadly, local communities and property owners continue to be used and lied-to about the impacts and safety of oil and gas pipelines. As witnessed during the Keystone XL battle, pipeline opponents are willing to ignore facts, and use mistruths and scare tactics to achieve their goals.
One myth that is constantly promoted by anti-oil and gas pipeline activists is that no one wants to live near pipelines, and that a pipeline constructed near your property is guaranteed to lower your property value.
That myth was debunked by a study released last week by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) Foundation that proves the presence of a natural gas pipeline does not affect the surrounding property values.
The research, completed for INGAA by Integra Realty Resources, a leading provider of real estate valuation, rigorously analyzed properties in four separate areas of the country. The report shows that the presence of pipelines clearly does not affect the value of a property, nor its insurability, its desirability, or the ability of a purchaser or owner to obtain a mortgage.
This should come as no surprise. After all, almost every community in America has supplies of natural gas, propane, gasoline, and diesel nearby. People are familiar with these sources of energy, and use them daily in their homes—in fact, many people prefer gas for cooking and other uses!
In fact, as you can see, natural gas pipelines are prevalent throughout the nation:
Key Findings -
• there is no measurable impact on the sales price of properties located along or in proximity to a natural gas pipeline versus properties which are not located along or in proximity to the same pipeline.
• natural gas pipelines do not affect the property value of any particular type of residence any more or less than another type of residence.
• the sales frequency of homes “on” the pipeline is consistent with those “off” the pipeline, indicating that the presence of a pipeline does not inhibit sales.
Please share the study results with others. It is important that supporters of the North American energy development and energy self sufficiency continue to arm people with the truth, share facts, and fight back against misinformation and falsehoods in the fight for America’s energy security.