TransCanada Bulldozes Rights, Rounds Shows No Leadership

Loyal readers keep me informed on TransCanada and the push to sacrifice local land rights for foreign oil. One reader points me toward Sunday's editorial in the Aberdeen American News, which contends that two things could have stopped this whole eminent domain fight:

1. more neighborly behavior from TransCanada
2. better leadership -- any leadership -- from Governor Rounds.

The juicy parts:

The problem is that TransCanada came into South Dakota with all the subtlety of a bulldozer and all the charm of a Hell's Angel. Had the company approached South Dakotans with an open hand - extended in support of local communities - rather than a closed, threatening fist against landowners who questioned it or showed resistance, things might have turned out dramatically differently.

...[W]e were glad to see the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission set 57 conditions with which the company had to comply and requiring a $12 million bond in 2009 to make sure money is available to repair any damages to roads and bridges during construction. Quite frankly, the PUC seemed more concerned about South Dakota citizens than its governor.

Gov. Rounds obviously supports TransCanada's efforts and wants to see the pipeline run through the state. That position is both acceptable and understandable. However, Rounds could have put pressure - any pressure at all - on the company to support his people; to take care of them in ways both small and large. Why not, for example, urge TransCanada to give back to communities by helping them with projects; help them build a pool or enhance a city park? [editorial, "Poor Leadership Nudged Push for Eminent Domain," Aberdeen American News, 2008.04.20]

Aberdeen's daily isn't calling for a pitchfork posse to stop the pipeline. They aren't even calling for a pipeline tax. They're just asking Governor Rounds to take care of his people, to be their -- excuse me, our -- advocate. Our land, our rights are being sacrificed: we deserve better treatment and better compensation up front, right now, not just the airy promises of economic development in the future.

Oh, and for those of you thinking all this oil coursing through our land and aquifers will bring down those skyrocketing gas prices, think again: Alberta tar sand oil costs much more to extract (not to mention environmental costs), and world demand will keep gas prices shooting right past $4 a gallon.

A reader also points me toward this article from Fairbanks about another pipeline that BP and ConocoPhillips wants to build to carry natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48. Remember, ConocoPhillips has a 50% stake in the Keystone pipeline that may become the next fossil fuel superhighway... right through the Jim River Valley. Yay.