Bluegrass Uprising

[A Little Weird]

There's an article in "The Nation" about the Bluegrass Pipeline. I thought it might be of interest to anyone following this issue.

http://www.thenation.com/article/177653/bluegrass-uprising

By the end of the summer, distressed property owners and other Kentucky residents had united in an uprising against the pipeline. The project hasn’t aroused much public outcry in the other seven states it would cross. But in Kentucky, the proposed route traverses hallowed terrain: the eponymous Bluegrass Region, where the Kentucky Derby’s prizewinning horses graze; rolling hills pocked by springs, rivers, and aquifers that flow through the limestone soils and give Kentucky bourbon its characteristic taste. Opponents say a pipeline spill could destroy Kentucky’s traditional economies. Signs saying No Proposed Bluegrass Pipeline now line many of the rural roads; one sits at the edge of Reed’s yard. Officials in several counties and one city have passed resolutions protesting the pipeline or pleading with the state or federal government to consider the potential impact on property rights and the environment. Since at least October, land agents hired by the pipeline developers have been privately making deals with property owners—but some, like Reed, say they won’t budge.

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Oversight for new pipelines carrying oil and NGL—both classed as “hazardous liquids”—is even laxer, say critics. Although agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers and the US Fish and Wildlife Service issue permits related to specific environmental concerns, no federal regulator scopes the whole project or checks whether the pipeline could follow a different route—one, say, with a narrower environmental impact. With the exception of densely populated zones, places with drinking-water sources and any land deemed “unusually sensitive,” if a pipeline operator notices a safety problem, it is, according to the watchdog group Pipeline Safety Trust, “left pretty much up to [their] good judgment” to decide when to fix it.

[riverbendviewgal]

1. this I sad

That DUrs don't give a hoot on this. For shame.

[A Little Weird]

2. I wish it would get more attention here too

But I am encouraged that there has been a lot of local activism.

With DU, I think the amount of attention something receives depends a lot on when it's posted. I don't think I've got the hang of picking the best times. Also, this group is not the most active but it seems like it's the best place for this info. I did cross post over in the environment & energy group also.