[Grovenet] Gas Lines are not fun

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

That's quite true, Kristy. Pipelines can fail. We had a spectacular incident
with a ruptured gas pipeline in southern Washington just a few years ago. 

However, what is deadlier, a modern gas line or thousands of tanker
truck-loads of LNG on the highways?

You failed to mention the result of the "negotiation" - the payment you
received for having the pipeline under your land in Illinois.

The problems you mention about not building on top of a pipeline are real.
Pipelines must be dug up and serviced when needed to be safe, and something
like natural gas (which LNG becomes if depressurized as in the event of a
leak) cannot be allowed to collect in the crawl space or basement of a
building due to an undetected leak. 

But are pipelines better or worse for your property value or safety than
having a freeway for those trucks or a railroad track come through the
property?  

Every time you start the engine in your car, get on a bus, turn up the heat
in your house or do a thousand other things, you are expecting that energy
be delivered to you on demand. 

Someone has to keep bringing that energy into Oregon to meet your demands.

It's good to question the choices the energy corporations make, but it's not
good to assume that something is bad because it can be dangerous.

We have worked ourselves into an energy corner. Saying "no" is no longer an
option if the USA is to survive. LNG is not a good idea, but it's the only
sort of idea energy companies are allowed to consider here in the USA.  

Here we are spending the last of our wealth on the Arab states to bring oil
into our country while more advanced nations, like the French, have achieved
virtual energy independence by tackling the hard issues and succeeding. Back
in 1974 when oil supplies were limited by the Arab states, the French and
the USA declared their goal to be independent of such imports. The French
now produce nearly 80% of their electricity in the country using nuclear
power while we still ship the last of our dollars - our dollars dwindling in
value - to anyone who can provide a little more energy so we can survive a
few more years. 

Oh, no, people say. Nuclear is too dangerous. 

Oh, no, people say. LNG is too dangerous. 

Where does it stop, when our lights go out, when our few remaining factories
move elsewhere, when our homes turn cold? 

Ron D'Eau Claire 






-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Kristy
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 9:56 PM
To: grovenet
Subject: [Grovenet] Gas Lines are not fun


Ron D'Eau Claire <ron at cobi.biz> wrote: How would a LNG pipeline threaten
neighbors? 

Ron D'Eau Claire 
===================================

I don't know if it would, or wouldn't threaten neighbors but I believe the
frustrations in dealing with the LNG pipeline plans and obtaining
information concerning it are going to be very similar to the frustrations
neighbors have been going through for seven years with the Hagg Lake plan.

Vickie
====================================

They can be a bit "threatening" when they explode. 8-)  Not that such a
thing happens often...but I think I read about it once.

We have had pipelines go through our farm in Illinois. First they want to do
it for "nothing". That takes some time and negotiation.

Then they come in and dig their trench, (which takes a much wider piece of
ground than one would guess, put in the pipe, and then the dirt, somehow
managing to get the best dirt on the bottom of the trench, and the clay on
the top. This causes some problem with the crops from then on, "forever".

I'm also sure I've heard my brother speak of the limitations of what can be
built where. For example, neighbors had a large store on land that had a
pipe line going through the lot. They needed to expand but could not because
they could not build on top of the pipe line. They had to buy new land,
build an entirely new building, and then had a time getting rid of the old
one.

The last line that went "through" the farm was arranged to go along the
fence line rather than through the middle of the field. But it took Bruce
years, literally, of standing his ground before he could convince them that
he was very serious about not wanting it in the fields.

I'll be interested in hearing reports.
Kristy



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