A national CBS News report last Tuesday exposed the faulty construction problems identified months ago by East Texas landowners with the Keystone XL pipeline. Keystone XL (owned by TransCanada) is slated to start any day now pushing diluted bitumen (aka tar sands) crude over hundreds of waterways and across the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer that serves 10-12 million people:

Watch this CBS News report here. 

An in-depth Special Report of the problem was released by Public Citizen here

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus were warned about the problems by a cross-partisan coalition (in this letter from Debra Medina, Julia Trigg Crawford and Jim Hightower) last June. They were asked to do an interim study and public hearings. The Lt. Governor’s office said he was “too busy” and Speaker Straus has been mute.

This is why citizens are holding their own hearings in East Texas — starting on Tuesday! We hope to see you at one of these and at a meeting on January 10-11, location TBA.

Citizen Hearings – Eminent Domain, Pipeline Safety and Protection of Waterways

We recently held hearings in Cleveland, Big Sandy and Fairfield. Thank you for coming out!  Below are the last hearings before the end of the hear. Help get your friends out, then let’s come back for a very strong new year to defend land, water and political rights for all. Happy Holiday’s y’all!

1. Tues., Dec. 3, 6:30-8:30 pm, Bryan-College Station TX, Best Western Premier Old Town Center, 1920 Austins Colony Pkwy, Bryan, TX, Speakers:  Smitty (Public Citizen), Harris (video or in person), Kathleen Hubbard (Brazos River Bottom Alliance), Linda Curtis, facilitator. Relevant pipeline & issues:  Seaway & railway classification yard in Brazos Valley — see more here.

2. Wed., Dec. 4, 6:30-8:30 pm, Tyler, TX Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive, Tyler, TX.  Speakers:   Calvin Tilman on property rights, Smitty (Public Citizen), Harris, Curtis, facilitator.  Relevant pipelines:  Keystone XL, Pegasus.

3. Thurs., Dec. 5, 6:30-8:30 pm, Beaumont, TX, Knights of Columbus Hall, 9505 College, Beaumont, TX.  Speakers:  Jim Williams (Public Citizen), Isom Ramsey (local resident), Linda Curtis, facilitator. Relevant pipelines: Pegasus, Seaway, CrossTex (eminent domain abuse).

Learn more about the dangers associated with three pipelines in Texas carrying toxic substances (tar sands!) here:  www.TexasPipelineWatch.org

Sponsored by the League of Independent Voters of Texas PO Box 651 * Bastrop, TX 78602 * 512-213-4511