TransCanada Tosses "T-Word" About

In an effort to halt protest against Keystone XL pipeline, TransCanada corporation has taken to labeling protesters as "terrorists". In particular, they are targeting Nebraska citizens who have conducted peaceful, nonviolent protests - going so far as to hold "educational" sessions with local law enforcement on what the foreign corporation perceives as "terrorist threats".

Let me repeat: a foreign corporation, that has used eminent domain to take land from ranchers (in TX and other places) is claiming that US citizens protesting their actions are "terrorists".

The group Bold Nebraska used Freedom of Information requests to obtain documents TransCanada presented local law enforcement in an effort to portray law-abiding US citizens as a "threat".

This is the same foreign corporation that is using intimidation tactics against specific residents who have raised concerns and complaints to their local governments. In particular, TransCanada is targeting Julia Trigg Crawford, in Texas, who has been documenting the construction of Keystone pipeline across her land. On her website, Stand Tall she writes:

“When TransCanada said they had a right to forcibly take part of my family's farm for their Keystone Pipeline project, we knew it was time to stand and fight. TransCanada offered a paltry one-time sum, but as we have maintained, this is absolutely not about the money. This is our family saying no foreign corporation who appears to be building a project for their own financial gain should have more of a right to our land than we do.

 Despite the pending court case, TransCanada began constructing the Keystone XL pipeline on her land. Repeat: Despite a Pending Court Case to determine whether the foreign corporation has the right to claim her land using eminent domain (a right reserved for US government)....

Because Julia has protested in a most lawful way, TransCanada has decided to use intimidation tactics: they pay a worker to film Julia at all times and send a helicopter over her land every few minutes to monitor her. Remember - this is not a government taking this action, but a corporation - and a foreign corporation at that.

Julia writes about the whole fiasco on her blog, with lots of photos.

If you don't lease we will cut you out of production.... forever

letter from Landman representing Chesapeake

Over the last two years NY landowners, tired of fraudulent pressure tactics used by landmen to get people to sign leases, appealed to the Attorney General. One company, Fortuna (Talisman) agreed to halt those practices.

But Chesapeake refused, and this week a Towanda, PA landowner shared a letter received from a landman representing the energy company. The landowner has, over the past three years, refused to lease his mineral rights to any gas company.

But on May 5, landman Craig LaPointe from Redsky Land LLC, “agent for Chesapeake Appalachia” sent yet another letter, one using language clearly meant to intimidate the landowner into signing a lease.

“Due to an undisputed fact ... your parcel can/will be cut out of production forever,” LaPointe wrote. He explains that he wants to make sure he is giving them “…as many opportunities as possible to make your final decision.” Of course, he mentions that the money would impact the landowner and many generations to come.

The landowner, just as concerned over those many generations to come, does not want to leave a legacy of health problems, air pollution, water contamination and soil erosion. According to an email from the landowner, “Chesapeake has just completed construction of a well pad on a farmer's property approximately 4,000 ft. to the east of our home.” After describing the land, he adds, “Chesapeake plans to drill horizontally in a northwesterly direction towards the river.  The northernmost 11.6 acres of our 20 acre property is within their planned drilling grid.”

Thus the letter and landman LaPointe’s observation that “… current laws cannot keep the drilling from extracting the gas from under your property…”

preparing well site in Towanda, PA

Remember, this letter is addressed to a PA landowner. They don’t have compulsory integration or “forced pooling” in that state, so the drillers can’t go under their property. Though they can drill right on the border and fractures “could” extend hundreds of feet under unleased land because – hey – they can’t control exactly where those fractures go, right?

After listing two parcels that, he says, have been cut out of units forever, LaPointe ends his letter by reminding the landowners that “There are many types of riders you can add to your lease that are already available if you are concerned with protecting your land.” While he signs off with a helpful offer to answer any questions and concerns, the tone of the letter is … bullying.