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August 23, 2012
Oil and Gas Companies Can Take Your Land
No Person Shall Be Deprived of Life, Liberty or Property… Unless the Oil and Gas Industry Says So.
ReaderSupportedNews.org
by Alison K. Grass
Eminent domain, the government's right to condemn (or take) private land for "public use," has at times been a highly contentious topic because it can displace people from their homes to make way for construction of different projects, like highways or roads, civic buildings and other types of public infrastructure. However, what some may not realize is that several states have granted eminent domain authority to certain private entities, including oil and gas companies. These companies are using it as a tool to seize private land, which increases profits and benefits their wallets.
...Meanwhile in Texas, TransCanada, the company that wants to build the Keystone XL Pipeline, is trying to grab private property from a small town, claiming they have eminent domain rights-and some residents are outraged.
The Kelo case broadened the interpretation of the "public use." The city of New London took land from a private property owner so that they could give it to a private entity in the name of "economic development." Unfortunately, oil and gas companies will now have this card to play when justifying land grabs.
NoLandGrab: In Brooklyn, of course, the State of New York used eminent domain to seize land for an arena to house a basketball team owned by a Russian oligarch. Now they're just cutting out the middleman.
Posted by eric at August 23, 2012 5:45 PM