tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982174379670876679.post1781474812479026315..comments2023-08-23T06:20:19.079-05:00Comments on Severance Tax Too Low to Pay for Environmental Damage of Fracking: House committee caps citizen rights not gas wellsaubuniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281865213176006571noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982174379670876679.post-38505623925540083242009-02-17T09:37:00.000-06:002009-02-17T09:37:00.000-06:00Interesting that many states (including Texas, Vir...Interesting that many states (including Texas, Virginia, Delaware, Missouri, among others) have joined the property rights movement to challenge the status quo of eminent domain. As this posting indicates, it is still an uphill battle.<BR/><BR/> Speaking as someone actually fighting eminent domain in federal court with Houston-based Spectra Energy, I can confirm that, nowadays, eminent domain has less to do with projects for the "public good," and everything to do with the financial good of publicly held companies.<BR/><BR/> In Bedford County, Pennsylvania (2 hours from Washington), property owners are being hauled into federal court by Spectra Energy, backed by the power of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.<BR/><BR/> The landowners' property is sitting on top of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale; but they can't develop that because Spectra Energy wants to use the Oriskany sands layer for an underground gas storage facility.<BR/><BR/> Here is the great puzzle of eminent domain: property owners possess the key asset that companies and government covet – the land. But they are treated as a waste product in this process rather than as key stakeholders.<BR/><BR/> For info: http://www.spectraenergywatch.com/blog/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com