TO THE EDITOR:

On behalf of the [Wills Memorial Hospital] Foundation, thank you for all you do to support the hospital through the News-Reporter's positive articles.

I particularly want to thank you for your fair and regular reporting on the proposed pipeline. I also want to warn you that Elba's PR person is making his rounds to the local papers … if you do not already know.

Apparently, in an attempt to counter LEEP's statement that there will be no service to our areas, Elba is now "offering" service to counties and cities along the way.

However, it is not that simple because one can't just tap into a highly pressurized 36-42" pipe. In order to take advantage of that offer, a county or city must

1. have a need ... like industry ... however Elba is cutting across agricultural lands from Wrens to Hart and Anderson; and

2. have a distribution facility ... Elba does not provide the very expensive distribution center. The city or county must construct that at taxpayers' expense.

Since there is no real need in the area, Elba is simply making a "bogus" offer to elected officials in an attempt to justify to the courts their right/need to condemn private lands for their private financial gain. And let's not forget that two foreign companies are involved.

Local landowners started their/ our opposition to this pipeline in April 2006. We have been amused, amazed, and angered by FERC's and EEP's arrogance and their assumption that we are all too stupid to know what the "real" deal is ... their profit at our loss.
Debie Benet