Public Hearings Held on Tampa Bay Gas Pipeline

The hearings are being held by Gulfstream Natural Gas System to get public opinion on the pipeline's potential impact. They're being held before the company files a formal application for the pipeline with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Chris Stockton is a Gulfstream spokesman.

STOCKTON: We anticipate doing that before the end of the year, but before we do that, what we want to do is gather any comments or feedback from different interest groups, environmental groups, local politicians, just interested parties, let them know what we're looking at doing.

A first hearing will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural & Natural History Center in St. Petersburg. Another will be held tommorrow night at the Manatee Civic Center in Palmetto.