Landowners say proposed pipeline damages land simply to increase foreign oil companies' profits

Landowners in Wilkes and surrounding counties affected by the proposed Elba III natural gas pipeline have issued a scathing response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, describing the pipeline as a rape of virgin Georgia land for the greater profit of foreign oil companies.

In the response filed with the fed- eral commission, the group known as Landowners for Environmental and Economic Protection (LEEP) say they have proven that the Elba Express III project is "designed solely to provide huge profitsfor three of the world's largest natural gas companies, when these companies are already making record profits."

They say that the FERC, in its draft environmental impact statement

that is required before a proposed pipeline is allowed, overlooked existing routes that would have required energy companies to pay tariffs on the fuel moved.

"On June 11, 2007, Elba filed a document in response to LEEP filings with FERC that blatantly admits that the only reason this route was chosen is to avoid approximately $54 million in tariffs charges…" said a press release issued by LEEP's Cindy Bounds and Deborah Bennett.

The obvious message, they say, is that "private property rights are irrelevant when it comes to profitsfor large private corporations. The only reason each landowner along Elba's proposed new route will be forced to permanently relinquish their land and rights is to line the pockets of the natural gas industry with more, obscene profits."

Working with attorney Edwin Hallman of Decker Hallman Barber and Briggs, who has fought utility pipelines successfully before, the landowners in eastern Georgia have joined to form LEEP and intervene in the hearing process.

The group's response contains affidavits from landowners detailing the damage to fragile wetlands, virgin streams, and Native American village sites that the pipeline rightof way would do.

In the response, the group requested a detailed response to all their comments, and further requested that the FERC prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement to consider a western leg for one segment of the pipeline, a path that would miss Wilkes County entirely.

At this point, the leaders of LEEP are enlisting other landowners, they say, "to fight this unnecessary rape of a virgin Greenfield space that contains one of the largest remaining contiguous forests in Georgia and the nation."

LEEP landowners are asking that all landowners in Wilkes, Glascock, Warren, McDuffie, Elbert, and Hart Counties join by committing time and financial resources.

The group says LEEP is the only voice a landowner has at this point in the process. "Because the comment period for the DEIS has ended, anyone who is not already an Intervener in this matter will not be represented in any subsequent decision process," Bennett said. "The only way to have a voice in this matter as a party to the proceeding is to join and contribute to LEEP."

Contact LEEP steering committee members Deborah Bennett at 706-678-5757, Cindy Bounds at 706-678-7152, or counsel for LEEP Ed Hallman at 404-588-2525.

Any contributions should be made payable to "DHBB Trust Account 3090-002" and mailed to Decker Hallman Barber and Briggs, Suite 1700, 260 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303.

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