Welcome, again, to the PRPC Blog. We have decided to continue with blog posts to highlight important issues and stories affecting eminent domain threatened landowners across the country.
We believe eminent domain for pipelines is a taking for a private use. Many people wonder “can you fight eminent domain?” Well, our answer is yes. Over the last several years many big pipeline projects have been cancelled and landowner push-back is one of the reasons. When we push back against private for-profit companies taking land against landowners’ will, we delay the project which makes it more expensive. Then,there is time for more environmental lawsuits and more landowners to get involved which often leads to the project’s investors getting anxious. One of Mountain Valley Pipeline’s investors recently pulled out.
Landowners who have a pipeline easement on their property – and, remember, these easements often end up being perpetual, permanent easements meaning they last forever – often feel like they are never made whole. When the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was cancelled, the pipeline company announced that they were keeping all of the property easements they received through eminent domain, arguing that they were“voluntary” agreements. Well, landowners forced to negotiate easements on their land under the threat of eminent domain do not think these are voluntary. It makes us think the same thing is likely to happen if Mountain Valley Pipeline also gets cancelled. And, even if a landowner included that the easement ends with the project’s cancelation, it is likely that no pipeline company would sign such an easement.
We are proud to house the landowners guide to fighting eminent domain for pipelines on this website. It is important for threatened landowners to know their rights, to connect with and organize their community to say “No Pipeline”, and to get an eminent domain attorney – even if they join an Easement Action Team. These teams provide awareness, pipeline awareness, so that everyone knows what is going on.
As dozens of pipeline projects spring up along the Gulf Coast – mostly feeding exportprojects that export oil and gas to Asia (not Europe!) -- and as many Midwestern states’ landowners face eminent domain for carbon capture and storage pipelines, PRPC will be there to educate, organize, and support landowners until eminent domain abuse.
