Landowners express concerns over Keystone pipeline

A group of 100 landowners across whose property TransCanada wants to build the Keystone XL pipeline has written a letter to President Obama and Sec. of State Clinton expressing their concerns about the project and the process by which it is being pushed.

The letter notes two aspects of the situation. First, it criticizes TransCanada for attempting to use eminent domain to seize property that they can’t buy, which has already resulted in at least one major lawsuit in Oklahoma:

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.

Second, the environmental risks:

TransCanada is not only using deceptive practices to take away our property rights, but is also threatening precious drinking and farming water supplies by using conventional pipeline technology for a highly corrosive and acidic unconventional fossil fuel. The Alberta hazardous liquid pipelines have 16 times as many leaks and ruptures per mile of pipeline from internal corrosion than the U.S. hazardous liquid pipeline system. TransCanada claims they are not
responsible for what flows through their pipes. (Enbridge, one of TransCanada’s competitors, now claims they aren’t responsible for the almost 1 million gallon spill of tar sands oil into a U.S. water supply from their pipeline!) A toxic oil spill would devastate our watersheds, risk our public health and hurt our farming, fishing and tourism economies. This heavy oil would sink in to our water supplies, not float as conventional crude would, making cleanup more difficult.

TransCanada does not have the experience necessary to keep landowners and the public safe, nor have they shown any intention to do so. The only other tar sands pipeline operated by TransCanada is the Keystone I pipeline, which began operating in 2010 and has already had seven leaks, showing their lack of experience. Refining tar sands oil also would triple air pollution in refining communities. The areas where this oil would be refined have already been singled out by the Environmental Protection Agency as communities disproportionately affected by pollution, and allowing this pipeline means even higher rates of cancer and asthma for children living on Texas’ Gulf Coast.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the viscosity of normal crude, tar sands oil is heated and combined with dilutants such as natural gas liquid condensate – making it more volatile – and sent through thin walled, high-pressure pipelines. Deficiencies have been found in the first Keystone line’s response plan, and Keystone XL emergency response plans have not been released for review by all landowners, communities, and first responders, leaving unanswered questions about local preparedness and safety. This means even more safety risks to the landowners on whose property the pipeline would be built.

Here’s the full letter:

Final Right of Way Landowner Letter