Beshear Endangers Public Safety; Repeats Pipeline Company Lies

He's not running for office again, he's made his millions, what the fuck does he care?

Jack Brammer at the Herald:

Opponents of a controversial proposed natural gas liquids pipeline that would run through Kentucky presented 5,252 signatures to Gov. Steve Beshear's office Wednesday, urging him to add the issue to the agenda of an upcoming special legislative session.

Beshear, in a written statement, later said possible legislation to regulate natural gas pipelines could wait until the 2014 General Assembly begins in January.

But it's not a "natural gas pipeline" - that's a lie the company keeps repeating in order to deceive people into allowing surveyors onto their land.

It's a natural gas liquids pipeline carrying toxic, flammable, hazardous waste products from fracking operations in Pennsylvania to the Gulf of Mexico where it will be shipped overseas to be used in plastics production.

And no, legislation can't wait until January.

Only the governor can call a special session and set its agenda. Lawmakers are set to convene Aug. 19 to redraw the boundaries of state legislative districts.

By January, when the General Assembly reconvenes, the pipeline company will have deceived, tricked and bribed its way into enough property surveys that it can falsely claim eminent domain over farmers who can't afford to fight the company in court.

Beshear knows this.  He doesn't care about his constituents or the future of primary Bluegrass industries like horses, bourbon and tourism.  He cares about obeying the orders of the company that is paying his son Andrew to represent them.

More than 100 people held a rally on the front steps of the Capitol Wednesday in opposition to the pipeline before the petitions were handed over to the governor's office by Tony Jones of Nelson County.

The opponents expressed concerns about safety, the environment and property values.

The 1,100-mile pipeline, proposed by Williams Co. and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, would transport flammable natural gas liquids from northwestern Pennsylvania through West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, where it would connect to an existing line that runs to the Gulf Coast. In Kentucky, the pipeline would start in Bracken County and end in Breckinridge County.

Officials with the companies have said the pipeline would provide a safe and reliable system for delivering natural gas liquids that are used to create fuels that America's economy depends on.

Once in use, the pipeline would be continuously monitored for leaks by state-of-the-art sensors, the companies have promised.

Both of those last two paragraphs repeat company lies.  The company has a long, ugly, horrific history with pipeline leaks, breaks and explosions in communities across the country that have seen their drinking water sources destroyed, their property values plummet and their first-responding neighbors injured and killed.  The toxic waste in the pipeline has no legitimate use in American industry and would do nothing to improve America's economy or energy use.  As for leak monitoring, the devastating leak in a company pipeline in Parachute, Colorado was not discovered for 13 days and is now out of control.

Gina Scott of northern Woodford County said she is concerned about the safety of the residents in the 18 counties affected by the pipeline.

"It is a direct threat to our water supply," she said, questioning the companies' safety record. "It's highly toxic and flammable, and pipelines are not perfect. This is particularly dangerous."

At a company "open house" last night in Frankfort, pipeline company representatives displayed their utter contempt and disregard for Kentucky residents by answering questions in the time-honored corporate style known as "making shit up."

Repeatedly, local property owners would ask a question about pipeline construction, safety or usage and receive a response that was either deceptive or nonsensical, only to ask a different representative the same question and receive a completely different lie or nonsense, and get yet a third lie or nonsense from yet another representative.

Stories are circulating of "landmen" telling property owners that the pipeline will provide them with free propane for life (impossible; it's not a utility pipeline) or that residents will be able to direct construction away from trees or landmarks (false: the company has total control over an easement.)

Landowners who repeatedly refuse permission for the company to survey find their land surveyed anyway - an illegal tactic that reveals the company's desperation to show it has enough "support" to demand eminent domain.

The last company "open house" is tonight in Elizabethtown.  Opponents will be there in force with reams of factual documentation of company lies and catastrophes, as well as anti-pipeline yard signs and T-shirts. It will be held 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pritchard Community Center, 404 S. Mulberry Street in Elizabethtown. In Frankfort last night, the company open house was already set up at 4 p.m. 

Find out more here.