Nebraska advocates and landowners are already familiar with some of the deceptive and outright outrageous tactics of TransCanada Pipelines. We know landowners have been lied to by land agents and threatened with eminent domain when they refuse to sign agreements with TransCanada. We know TransCanada plays with their tax revenue and job numbers to try a sell their ill-conceived project to the public. We know TransCanada uses images of ranchers and American flags on full-page ads and mailers to try and play up their “friendly” neighbor image.
Now, all of TransCanada’s shady business practices are in one colorful report from Friends of the Earth. The report, entitled “Dirty Business,” documents manipulative, risky and deceptive tactics employed by TransCanada in pursuing the Keystone XL tar sands oil project.
These dirty practices include threatening U.S. farmers and ranchers along the proposed route of the pipeline, dodging safety concerns, and scheming to manipulate U.S. oil markets to drive up corporate profits. TransCanada has done all this while currying political influence behind the scenes at national and local levels to get approval of the pipeline (think checks being handed to locals for little league baseball fields).
“TransCanada has shown a pattern of abuse and deception,” says Alex Moore, dirty fuels campaigner at Friends of the Earth and a co-author of the report. “The environmental dangers of this dirty oil project—from increasing air pollution to contaminating drinking water supplies—were alarming enough. Now Americans learn TransCanada appears more interested in trying to mislead the U.S. government and intimidate and seize land belonging to farmers than it is in answering serious questions about safety.”
Recent developments make a closer look at TransCanada not only appropriate but necessary. Earlier this month, the Department of State released a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and a public comment period will end June 6. Local communities have asked the State Dept. to extend the comment period so they can review the agency’s findings and to hold public hearings in state along the proposed pipeline route so they can share their experiences dealing with TransCanada.
Bold Nebraska and partner groups continue to ask Nebraskans to comment on the SDEIS telling Sec. Clinton to deny the permit as well as inviting her to visit the Sandhills so she can meet landowners face to face. We also are not letting up our hope and requests that our Unicameral and Governor act on passing state regulations and changing the pipeline route.
Take Action:
Comment on the State Dept.’s SDEIS, invite Sec. Clinton to visit the Sandhills and ask her to deny TransCanada’s permit request.
Email Sen. Langemeier (Chair of the Natural Resources Committee) and encourage him to get all 3 pipeline bills out of his committee and on to the floor for a full debate.
Call Gov. Heineman and tell him that it’s his role to change the pipeline route, and he must act now. 402-471-2244
