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There are many challenges with acquiring rights of way, construction and financing to build such a pipeline. But in the bigger picture, we believe bringing oil from Canada and Alaska will be critical steps to help the United States free itself from its dependence on oil from the Middle East [Jon Hunter, "Despite Challenges, Pipelines Will Ease Energy Dependence," Madison Daily Leader, 2009.11.23].
Challenges—that's our man Hunter's convenient euphemism for the threat of eminent domain, the threat of forced socialist redistribution that TransCanada wielded to take property rights away from South Dakota landowners to serve its private business interests.
I remain amazed that we can't find one prominent Republican voice in this state who will stand up for South Dakotans' property rights against a foreign corporation.
Any reason we can't build an ethanol pipeline? Produce ethanol east river and pipe it west, south and east.
ReplyDeleteGood question, Thad! Ethanol is actually tough to run through pipelines—it's highly corrosive! But Poet Ethanol is working on that....
ReplyDeleteI am completely baffled by the part where the article says a protest by Greenpeace is anticipated. I work for an organization that has been representing Dakota Rural Action at the Keystone XL proceedings before the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. We have been working long hours under difficult circumstances to protect the rights of farmers and ranchers whose land would be taken for the pipeline.
ReplyDeleteI have heard absolutely nothing about a potential Greenpeace protest. They haven't even called us for information. Sounds to me like something that has been made up out of whole cloth to scare people. I'm wondering if the Madison paper had a visit from the same oil industry PR guy mentioned in the Daily Republic recently.
Kelly Fuller
Communications Director
Plains Justice
Based on my reserach, Dakota Rural Action is not what they say they are. They represent the far-left environmental extremists that want to take away property rights. And Cory has proven to be questionable on that natural right.
ReplyDeleteI will be posting my research soon. And Repower South Dakota will be part of that too.
Put up or shut up, Sibby. And back the truck up on the property rights issue: I'm the one calling the Republicans to task for ignoring property rights on this issue.
ReplyDeleteKelly, good point. I haven't heard of any Greenpeace activity coming to town (not that I'd mind!). It sounds like Hunter's effort to create a straw man where the only people opposed to this awful project are out-of-state radicals who are easier to vilify than the many South Dakota neighbors who see the harm these pipelines and our continued dependence on foreign fossil fuel will do.
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your research. You probably weren't able to attend the Keystone XL public hearings in Pierre earlier this month. If you had, you would have heard Dakota Rural Action members standing up for private property rights and heard about the many issues of land protection associated with the pipeline, such as soil restoration.
If you'd like to see for yourself, Dakota Rural Action videotaped the evening public comment meeting. Since you're doing research about them, maybe if you asked them, they'd be able to burn a DVD for you. (I'd give you my copy, but I'd like to keep it.) Dakota Rural Action's phone number is 605.697.5204.
Kelly Fuller
Communications Director
Plains Justice