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For Immediate Release
October, 03 2022, 12:46pm EDT
Contact:
Mark Hefflinger, Bold Alliance, mark@boldalliance.org
Landowners' Radio Ad Exposes Dangers of CO2 Pipelines with 911 Call from 2020 Explosion
Chilling audio exposes carbon pipeline dangers to human life, livestock, as well as CO2’s ability to stall vehicles, endanger first responders.
WASHINGTON
The Easement Action Teams LLC (Landowners & Lawyers Cooperative), an organization of state-based landowners' groups in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota who vehemently oppose the use of eminent domain for private gain to seize their property for proposed carbon (CO2) pipeline projects, on Monday released a radio ad campaign that uses actual 911 recordings from a 2020 carbon pipeline rupture in Satartia, MS to highlight the serious dangers to human life - including to first responders - posed by an explosive release of toxic CO2 by these highly-pressurized pipelines.
In the radio ad - that will launch across rural markets in four of the Midwest states where the proposed pipelines are routed - the narrator describes what happened during the 2020 incident in Satartia, MS where a carbon pipeline operated by Denbury Resources ruptured, causing an explosive release of carbon in an immense plume, which was later found by a government-issued report to be toxic for more than a mile from the site of the accident, which was caused by a girth weld failure following a landslide after heavy rain.
The ad then cuts to a 911 recording from a victim who is very concerned and confused about what is happening after her car has stalled - a direct result of the high CO2 concentration making the combustion engine nonfunctional - and her friend is having what she believes is a seizure
The 911 recording was used with permission from journalist Dan Zegart, who obtained it via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in the course of his extensive reporting on the pipeline accident for his article, "The Gassing of Satartia," for HuffPost
(https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gassing-satartia-mississippi-co2-pipeline_n_60ddea9fe4b0ddef8b0ddc8f)
"Since the first correspondence from Navigator, I feel that my family and family farm of almost a century, is being used as collateral damage. The pipeline company and their investors are using this unproven and hazardous idea as a tax scam and will try to take our land for their own private gain. The safety questions go unanswered by the pipelines' representatives, but they continue to state their pipelines are going to be "different" than the one that exploded in Satartia. The farmer and llandowner takes all the risk - including the risk of explosion and death of all living beings in the path of the plume," said Shelli Meyer, Nebraska Easement Action Team member and landowner in Dixon County, Nebraska.
"We are landowners in Woodbury County where some of our neighbors have both pipelines proposed to cross their property. There cannot be enough emphasis upon the danger these hazardous CO2 pipelines pose to humans, livestock and wildlife and the inability of volunteer rescue units to respond," said Deb Main, Iowa Easement Team member and landowner in Woodbury County, Iowa.
"Carbon pipelines are coming into South Dakota like a thief in the night before our fellow citizens have become educated on these extremely hazardous, potentially lethal, pipelines. Unfortunately, we do not have the necessary regulations in place to protect us, our families, our communities and our great state of South Dakota," said Joy Hohn, South Dakota Easement Team member and landowner in Minnehana County, S.D.
"My name is Howard Malloy and I own irrigated farm land in the Missouri river bottomland a few miles north of Mandan. It is very valuable crop land which borders Highway 1806 and Square Butte Creek. Its proximity to the City of Mandan, Highway 1806 and Square Butte Creek also make it very valuable residential development land, as Mandan is growing to the north and there is already extensive residential development in the area. The CO2 pipeline would devalue the land for irrigated farming and greatly devalue the property for residential development purposes. The liability of exposing families to the dangers of a CO2 pipeline rupture would effectively eliminate this property from residential development. This proposed pipeline is far too close to the Cities of Bismarck and Mandan and a danger to its inhabitants," said Howard Malloy, North Dakota Easement Team member and landowner in Morton County, N.D.
The Easement Teams are growing their numbers of landowners daily in each of the four states, holding regular meetings to inform landowners about the pipeline projects and the landowners' legal co-ops. Attorneys with Domina Law Group are currently defending Easement Team-affiliated landowners in court who have refused to allow pipeline surveyors on their property.
Attorney Brian Jorde has also proactively filed suit on behalf of landowners arguing that state laws regarding private property are being violated by the pipeline companies, and the Domina Law Group will represent landowners filing as intervenors in state agency permitting processes in Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota over the next year.
In addition to radio ads, landowners with the Easement Teams have raised funds to purchase billboards in Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
Online version of the radio ad:
Nebraska Easement Action Team (NEAT)
https://nebraskaeasement.org
South Dakota Easement Team (SDET)
https://southdakotaeasement.org
North Dakota Easement Team (NDET)
https://northdakotaeasement.org
Iowa Easement Team (IET)
Easement Action Teams LLC
Bold Alliance is a non-profit organization fighting fossil fuel projects, protecting landowners against eminent domain abuse, and working for clean energy solutions while building an engaged base of citizens who care about the land, water and climate change.
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The U.S. Senate on Wednesday refused to pass joint resolutions of disapproval proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders that would prevent the sale of certain offensive American weaponry to Israel, which has killed nearly 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza since last fall.
S.J. Res. 111, S.J. Res. 113, and S.J. Res. 115 would have respectively blocked the sale of 120mm tank rounds, 120mm high-explosive mortar rounds, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), the guidance kits attached to "dumb bombs."
The first vote was
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The second vote was 19-78—Sen. George Helmy (D-N.J.) joined those voting for the resolution. The third vote was 17-80.
"What this extremist government has done in Gaza is unspeakable, but what makes it even more painful is that much of this has been done with U.S. weapons and American taxpayer dollars."
Ahead of the votes, Sanders took to the Senate floor to highlight that his resolutions were backed by over 100 groups, including pro-Israel J Street; leading labor organizations such as the Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, and United Electrical Workers; humanitarian groups like Amnesty International; and various faith organizations.
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In addition to stressing that his proposals would not affect any of the systems Israel uses to defend itself from incoming attacks, Sanders argued that "from a legal perspective, these resolutions are simple, straightforward, and not complicated. Bottom line: The United States government must obey the law—not a very radical idea. But unfortunately, that is not the case now."
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Sanders said that "what this extremist government has done in Gaza is unspeakable, but what makes it even more painful is that much of this has been done with U.S. weapons and American taxpayer dollars. In the last year alone, the U.S. has provided $18 billion in military aid to Israel... and by the way, a few blocks from here, people are sleeping out on the street."
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Merkley, Van Hollen, and Welch joined Sanders in speaking in favor of the resolutions on Wednesday. Members of both parties also spoke out against them: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
Cardin quoted talking points from the White House that were reported on earlier Wednesday by HuffPost. The outlet detailed how officials in outgoing President Joe Biden's administration suggested that "lawmakers who vote against the arms are empowering American and Israeli foes from Iran to the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, which the U.S. treats as terror organizations."
Just hours before the Senate debate, the Biden administration vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza—the fourth time it has blocked such a measure at the world body since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
After the Senate votes, groups that supported Sanders' resolutions expressed disappointment.
Wa'el Alzayat, CEO of the Muslim advocacy group Emgage Action, said in a statement that "we have a moral obligation to stand up for the people of Gaza and demand an end to the constant bombardment they face. I'm deeply saddened that our U.S. senators shot down the joint resolutions calling for a halt in weapons to Israel. Our taxpayer dollars should be used to fund education, housing, and healthcare for Americans, not to support the destruction of innocent lives abroad."
"Continuing to provide Israel with unrestricted military aid to attack innocent civilians in Gaza and Lebanon is a moral failure—one the American government will look back on in horror as the situation gets unimaginably worse," Alzayat added. "While the resolution did not pass this time, we will continue working with lawmakers and allies to advocate for legislation that promotes justice and adherence to international law."
While these resolutions did not advance to the House of Representatives, Demand Progress senior policy adviser Cavan Kharrazian noted that "never before have so many senators voted to restrict arms transfers to Israel, and we are extremely grateful to those who did. This historic vote represents a sea change in how elected Democrats feel about the Israeli military's campaign of death and destruction in Gaza."
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Center for International Policy executive vice president Matt Duss, who formerly served as Sanders' foreign policy adviser, similarly welcomed the progress, commending those who voted in favor of the resolutions for having "the courage to stand up for U.S. law, the rights of civilians in conflict, and basic decency."
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The 52 Democrats who voted in favor of the bill include Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.).
Groups including Muslims for Progressive Values, Fight for the Future, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the union The NewsGuild-CWA have launched an advocacy effort to pressure those 52 Democrats to flip their votes and urge all members of the House to vote no on the bill.
"H.R. 9495 is a threat to our basic right to free speech, dissent, and advocacy. Democrats who claim to defend democracy must be called out for their SUPPORT of this bill. This bill will silence non-profits who speak up for human rights of Palestinians, reproductive rights, against deportations or ANY government policies," wrote Muslims for Progressive Values.
Some of Democrats who voted in favor have since said they will no longer support the bill.
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Julie Tsirkin, congressional correspondent for NBC News, said Wild "suggested all Democrats voted yes, all Republicans voted no."
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The allegations were also part of an FBI investigation into whether Gaetz was involved in sex trafficking of a minor. That probe was dropped without charges.
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