Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition organizer Robin Blakeman paired with the Marshall University Women’s Center to show the film “End of the Line” Tuesday.

The women’s center showed the film in honor of Rural Women’s Week.

“The film is about people in Kentucky who banded together to block a pipeline proposal,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman said through citizen-led research and activism, the pipeline proposal was cancelled. “End of the Line” tells the story of those citizens.

Women’s Center graduate assistant Brittany Stalder said she wanted to show the film because it portrays successful female activists and because pipelines are a prevalent issue.

“We have a similar pipeline proposal in this area called the Mountaineer XPress,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman said the pipeline will be 36 inches around and will connect to an old pipeline called the SM-80 in Cabell County. Blakeman said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission knew little about the pipeline.

“(The SM-80) might date back to the 50s or earlier,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman said the pipeline will go through a compressor station in Ceredo, West Virginia under the Kanawha River and right by Gritt’s greenhouse, which supplies food in the area.

Blakeman said leaks and ruptures are prominent dangers of pipelines. Blakeman said they also negatively affect air quality.

“Pipeline ruptures can be very explosive,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman said there are several groups through West Virginia fighting multiple pipeline proposals. Some groups are Preserve Monroe, Frack Check West Virginia and the Greenbrier River Watershed Association.

Blakeman said OVEC is leading the fight against Mountaineer XPress, although some other groups and individuals are getting involved.

“It’s becoming a very prevalent problem in West Virginia,” Blakeman said.

Stalder said she wants students to know the severity of pipelines and gas fracking.

“This is happening in their backyard,” Stalder said.

Blakeman said she hopes people will fight against the pipeline by using their voices.

“I hope students take away from this that this is not just something that happens in other places,” Blakeman said. “It’s happening here.”

Lydia Waybright can be contacted at [email protected].