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Landowners Call on President to Stop Keystone XL

Sure, the New York Times has come out in opposition to TransCanada's Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, but what do those guys know? They don't live here. Let's ask some Great Plains neighbors what they think of piping some Canadian oil across our land:

TransCanada is threatening landowners with ending negotiations and using eminent domain, despite not having the Presidential Permit or many permits required by individual state's agencies before construction can begin. TransCanada considers an agreement obtained through intimidation and threats of eminent domain as a "successful agreement." We believe property owners have a right to use their land as best they see fit and defend their own best interest. If they don't want a dangerous pipeline running through their backyard, then they shouldn't be forced to sell their land to a foreign company, putting their family at risk for a pipeline that presents unaddressed hazards to public safety. In addition, TransCanada is attempting to force landowners to purchase liability insurance for the pipeline TransCanada is operating and earning profit from. TransCanada wants to push costs of the Keystone XL pipeline off on landowners, although landowners will not be benefiting from this pipeline [letter from landowners to President Obama and Secretary Clinton, March 31, 2011].

TransCanada's intimidation, trickery, and cost-shifting to landowners is just one set of reasons over a hundred landowners on the pipeline right-of-way signed on to this letter. Higher gas prices, risk to water supplies, more leaks than predicted on TransCanada's Keystone I, lack of emergency response plans... these landowners smell rats six ways to Calgary on Keystone XL.

Landowners from every state along the pipeline route except for Kansas signed the letter. The seven South Dakota signers are Paul F. Seamans of Draper, Roger Weiss of Faith, Nina Vansickel of Opal, Doug Jensen of Prairie City, Lee Fisher of Winner, Dianne Fisher of Winner, and John Harter, of Winner. Thank you, West River neighbors, for speaking up against a project that will make foreign oil barons richer and South Dakota poorer.

Meanwhile, TransCanada says it wants more "fair and balanced" editorials from the American press. As for being fair to landowners... well, that's a whole nother issue.

One Comment

  1. larry kurtz 2011.04.06

    From EarthJustice: "The Senate just voted to reject four -- count 'em 1-2-3-4 -- bad amendments that would strangle and block the Environmental Protection Agency from being able to limit dangerous carbon dioxide pollution from the nation's biggest polluters."

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