TO THE EDITOR:

The attachment reflects some of my views on the pipeline issue that I would like to share with the landowners. Although I do not own any Wilkes County property, I was born and grew up there.

Pipeline Easement

Considerations

1. They pay nominal fees for ... easements that last forever.

2. They also get permanent access rights across your other property. They pay reasonable crop and other damages.

3. You may not build a structure on the easement, ever.

4. My father-in-law granted a similar easement many decades ago, I speak from first hand observation.

5. His farm is located about midway between pumping stations but the pumping action still makes a loud hammering noise.

6. Twenty-five-foot-wide easements are adequate to maintain lines. For initial construction, an additional temporary 25 ft. would make the job easier. Again I speak from knowledge of building sewer and water lines.

7. There is a safety consideration since oil and gas is pumped at very high pressures and for various reasons failures with accompanying explosions and fires do occasionally occur. ...

12. Easements across a state or even a county are extremely valuable, especially when one company owns the entire easement and because easements are getting harder to get as time passes.

13. The company will make claims that it is in the public interest, although not necessarily for local public interest. They will claim that they should have the right of eminent domain.

14. The primary interest of the company is to make a profit, not public interest.

15. In spite of these truths, they will probably prevail because of their political connections and the influence of their money in selling the idea that it is needed by the public. ...

17. Assuming that they prevail in this taking, what is fair?

18. A few people may presume that one little line is no big deal and be tempted to accept the nominal offers of the company because of their present financial needs.

19. The easement is forever.

20. From my observations, I believe that the company should pay the full fair market price for the land but then only get the easement.

21. The original land-owner should still keep title to the land as compensation for involuntarily giving up their rights for the use of the land, for the division of the land, for dramatically limiting its use, dramatically lowering its value as well as adjacent land and impairing its marketability. These losses are real.

22. The landowner still has to pay taxes on the property and still has liability responsibilities regarding the land.

23. Furthermore, the company should pay all legal costs for achieving this fair deal.

24. After all, over time they will be transporting billions of dollars worth of fuel over these lines with no end in sight.

25. To really be fair, although I believe it would be precedent setting, the profit-making company should make reasonable recurring payments over the life of the lines. They can afford it since it is much more economical to pump than to haul.

26. If they should think the price is too high, you might get lucky and they choose not to acquire the easements.

IRVIN V. PATTERSON