HELENA, Mont. - The U.S. State Department has begun taking public comment to consider in planning the environmental study of the Keystone XL pipeline, part of a system that will carry Canadian crude oil to Texas refineries.
TransCanada Keystone Pipeline applied to the State Department for a presidential permit authorizing construction, operation and maintenance of facilities at the U.S.-Canada border. The Keystone XL line would start at Hardisty, Alberta, and enter the United States at Montana's Port of Morgan north of Malta.
Issuing the permit requires the department find that doing so would serve the national interest. The pipeline has been profiled as a way to advance U.S. delivery of oil from a friendly source.
Besides triggering an environmental impact statement, the draft of which would be subject to public comment for 45 days, the pipeline proposal brings a review under the National Historic Preservation Act. American Indian tribes and state historic preservation officers are among those who will be consulted, according to the Jan. 28 notice in the Federal Register.
February 20, 2009
ReplyDeleteTO:
My name is Betty Sue Vaughn Scott. I have a piece of land that I’ve had for 32 years in Wood County, Texas. It is 3 miles out of Winnsboro, TX going East on the north side of Hwy. 11. Nine years ago, I bought the 40 acres on the west side of me from a timber company. It took me a year to track down the 52 heirs to get a clear title to the land. The lady that owned the controlling interest in the land lived in West Virginia and sold it to timber cutters after 20 years of promising me that I would have first choice if she ever sold the land. The land is just now barely recovering from the trees being slaughtered.
I love my trees and forests. I have my land in timber. The electric power line folks wanted to put a big iron pole line down the middle of my property, east and west over my cabin . It took me two years or more, and a lot of stress, to convince them to go around my property. They did.
I thought I could take a breath and rest, but I was wrong. The Keystone XL pipeline has told me that they want come thought the middle of my property from south to north. They require a 125 feet wide right of way that would wipe out the whole west side tree line of my property. They could go around me on to the property just west of me where there are no trees or houses, just cow pasture. The people on the west side want the pipeline to come on their property. I DO NOT.
I have fought long and hard to keep my property natural. It is an animal sanctuary. I have rare Red Headed Woodpeckers, little green butterflies and many more endangered species on my property. I will continue to fight to keep this land in its natural state. I do not have the money to fight these big corporations but I have a voice and I will speak out.
I am hoping that you will help me. Texas State Representative Mark Homer said that he will try to help me. He said there is no reason why they can not go around me. They just do not want to spend any extra. As you can see, it would not take much effort to go around me. I am enclosing a picture of my property with the proposed pipeline on it.
I am desperate for help. I hope that you will read this letter and not just toss it away. This pipeline mess has taken a great toll on my health as I have suffered a heart attack from worrying about this. I continue to pray about this.
Thank you for your time.
Betty Sue Vaughn Scott