By ABC-7 Reporter Martin Bartlett

EAST EL PASO COUNTY, Texas - Crews are already building a new 28-mile gasoline pipeline here, despite vigorous protests from local residents and elected leaders, many of whom now say it's the government's turn to speak up and be accountable to them.

"It's like they didn't even have the common courtesty to alert us that the decision had been made," said Joe Cook, who farms in lands along the pipeline's proposed path near San Elizario.

The U.S. State Department quietly issued a controversial permit last month allowing the pipeline to cross the border and, in effect, giving the project a green light.

The permit, requested by a subsidiary of PEMEX, Mexico's state-owned oil company, relates to the construction of a 11.75" pipeline that will deliver gasoline refined in the U.S. to gas stations for consumption of gas-thirsty motorists in and around Ciudad Juarez.

"It's unfortunate that the federal government would allow a foreign government to do this," said State Rep. Chente Quintanilla, D-El Paso.

Quintanilla said because the pipeline project is an international one, most of the decisions about permitting were made by the federal government.

"It's not right for the president to issue this order without taking into account the people of El Paso," he said.

Members of Quintanilla's staff tell ABC-7 they had been in contact with officials at the State Department even after the decision had been made; now, they're upset that no one in Washington ever thought to mention the decision in any of their conversations on the matter.

For their part, the State Department has said all along that this permit process wasn't being treated any differently than any other request for such a permit.