Federal regulators have approved a $1.7 billion proposal to construct a 206-mile natural gas pipeline spanning the width of Mississippi, overruling protests from local landowners, environmental organizations, and tribal officials.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced its decision Friday, concluding that the new infrastructure fulfills a critical need for expanded gas transportation across the southeastern United States.

The project, a joint venture between Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. and Southern Natural Gas Co., both subsidiaries of Kinder Morgan, will expand an existing network to transport up to 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily from Greenville, Mississippi, to Butler, Alabama.

Traversing nine Mississippi counties—including Washington, Humphreys, Holmes, Attala, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Lauderdale, and Clarke—the route requires new compressor stations in Humphreys, Attala, and Lauderdale counties.

Kinder Morgan estimates the project will create 750 temporary construction jobs and 15 permanent positions.

Environmental groups raised strong objections, pointing to potential risks across more than 2,000 water bodies, wildlife habitats, and regional air quality along the pipeline’s path.

Additionally, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, whose tribal reservation in Neshoba County borders the route, cited limited consultation and expressed concerns that impacts on historical artifacts were insufficiently addressed.

Landowners along the corridor also voiced opposition regarding property rights and compensation.

Leake County property owner Trevor Langston submitted comments to FERC stating that a one-time payment fails to account for long-term losses in property value and land use.

"This land has been passed down through my family, and we do not wish to lose it to a gas line," Langston wrote.

In its July 31 order, FERC defended the approval, stating the route primarily aligns with or runs adjacent to existing utility rights-of-way.

The commission concluded that the companies took appropriate measures to minimize economic disruptions and that land values would not be significantly impaired.

"We find that Applicants’ route design, co-location, as well as the mitigation measures prescribed in this order adequately address these impacts," FERC wrote.