Tree Sitters Oppose Gas Pipeline Company

Action Alert:

TREE SITTERS OPPOSE GAS PIPELINE COMPANY

June 24, 2002 Olympia, WA - Activists from the Cascadia Defense Network, a grassroots environmental group, have staged a tree sit in opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline in Thurston County, WA. The group feels that the 49-mile long gas pipeline project will adversely impact endangered species habitat in the Black River National Wildlife Refuge.

The section of the Black River that the pipeline company (Tulsa based Williams Company) wants to tear up contains 1 of only 3 known Oregon Spotted Frog populations found in the Washington State. This pipeline project violates the Endangered Species Act and NEPA. Williams is using power granted to them by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to circumvent existing environmental and safety laws.

On October 10th, 2001, Duke Energy Corporation of North Carolina broke-ground on a $340 million natural gas-fired power plant in Satsop, WA in the shadow of two failed nuclear reactors. They do not yet have a pipeline to provide the fuel to produce the plant's potential of 650 megawatts. However, Williams Co., the company requesting permission to build 49-miles of 20-inch pipeline to serve the plant, already has a 30 year contract to supply Duke with natural gas. The power produced from the gas generators will be sold on the wholesale market, and will be exported. The Duke Energy plant will only create 27 jobs. From the perspective of those who wish to build a new power plant in Western Washington the contracts have been signed - it's a done deal. We disagree….

There have been recent revelations regarding the role that the nearly bankrupt Williams Company played in the recent California energy crisis. Ironically, FERC, the same Federal Agency that is allowing Williams to disregard existing environmental laws, is at the same time currently investigating the nearly bankrupt Williams Company because Williams manipulated power supplies and inflated prices during the California energy crisis (New York Times, June 12th, 2002). The investigation has put FERC on the verge of revoking the Williams Company’s right to sell power on the wholesale market (Houston Chronicle, June 5th, 2002).

This pipeline company is another Enron, and everybody knows it! Both Tulsa based Williams Co. and North Carolina based Duke Energy are currently being sued by the State of California for price manipulation. The Williams Co. is currently being sued by their stockholders, and employees, for Enron-like financial dealings. Duke Energy is being sued by the Dept. Of Justice for Clean Air Act violations.

We cannot let these crooked companies get away with any of this!
Join us in this fight!

Contact:
Cascadia Defense Network
fightthepipeline [at] olynetwork.org